23rd April 2010 - St George's Day.
As John nears the end of his first three weeks of treatment, he seems to be improving a great deal so far as the sickness and pain is concerned. We've organised his meds with a chart I made up and printed off so he knows exactly what he's taken and when - it was a bit of a minefield before when he was scribbling things down on bits of paper.
His temper is still very unpedictable but he is looking and feeling brighter. He can fly off the handle at the slightest thing and I'm finding it a bit difficult to keep him on an even keel.
The weather has been wonderful and he's been coming out every day with me and Gemma for the past few days and I think it does him a lot of good. It takes his mind off things, if only for an hour or two. We usually have a cup of tea in a cafe afterwards too and sometimes a chat with other folk - John loves to chat.
We had a particularly enjoyable day today. My very best friend came over and we drove to Mudeford and caught the ferry over to Hengistbury Head for lunch. John managed to eat a home made burger and most of the chips and enjoyed it. Then we went for a stroll on the beach with Gemma and sat a while in the lovely sunshine for a chat. Perfick!
He still gets very tired and takes several naps during the day. He's always apologising for having to lie down no matter how many times I tell him that I don't mind.
He's had a few side effects from the treatment. He's keeping on top of the feelings of nausea by taking anti-sickness pills and had to ask for a stronger medication last week. He also has a very sore mouth and a swollen nose and he feels the cold in his hands and feet, even on warm days. He's lost a lot of weight too.
I think we're both slowly coming to terms with the situation. There's nothing we can do about it except get on with life in the best way we can. As many people have said on this site, you have to make the most of the good times and cherish them and that's what we're trying to do.
He has another pre-chemo appointment next Tuesday and further IV the following Friday so we'll see how the next round goes.
