My early night started with so much pain that I ended up calling the chemo weekend helpline, which is the cancer ward at my hospital.
I have never cried with pain like I did lastnight. It literally felt like someone had jumped on my ankles and broken them. Nurse advised that I took Paracetamol and Codeine and hopefully the pain would get under control. I informed her I had taken Amatriptaline too but it was OK to also take the pain meds. She said if it got worse then I should go into the hospital A&E. After totally exhausting myself with crying, I finally managed to get to sleep. I felt awful putting my poor darling husband through everything, he was so good fetching everything I needed and giving me lots of love and care, he just wanted to stop the pain for me.
I woke up just after 7am and took another codeine, hubby went and made me a drink and I stayed in bed until the district nurse called to say she was on her way. My ankles were not so bad this morning but I could feel it when I walked downstairs. The district nurse took a look and felt my ankles after she had changed the picc dressing flushed the picc. She advised that I call the chemo department and speak to them to see if they suggested anything different. The hospital advised to take the medication every 4 hours for the next few days, if it doesn't ease I gave to call them back again. I also have to inform oncology Nurse specialists when she calls next week and see what she can suggest for the next Paclitaxel infusion.
I have spent all afternoon back in bed, and sent my husband out to play bowls, to give him a break from worrying about me.
I will make sure I take all the suggested pain meds before we do this evenings Filgrastim injection, but I think the pain is being cause by the Paclitaxel rather than the injections as the nurse earlier also said the same thing, seeing I never had any problems while on EC and Filgrastim.
Let's hope tonight the pain is less. I need to see my elderly parents tomorrow, they are so worried about me.
Hubby is cooking me a nice dinner, which I will get up to eat, but I will probably go back to bed after tonight's injections. Will let you know how the pain is tomorrow. Fingers crossed its better than last night.
