Lump +39 (23 March)
Not nervous or anxious at all, no butterflies in my stomach, feeling perfectly fine. Loads of kind messages from fabulous friends, family and colleagues, all of which gives me a lot of energy.
There are 4 big comfortable seats in a bright open room area, and each of us today are first timers. Tea and biscuits are brought regularly and a bag lunch too. They gave me a little heat pad to warm up my hands, to make the veins strong and I have a cannula in the back of my hand. I had steroids first, intravenous, and a sickness tablet. After each drug the line is flushed with saline. Drug #1took 90 mins! There's a bit of hustle and bustle every hour or so when the machines bleep as the drugs need changed but in between it's quite quiet with the steady burring sound of drugs pumping through the drips.
Everyone is given an Chemo diary, which lays out all the side effects with guidance in a traffic light system, on when to call the 24/7 cancer line to talk it through and my consultant dropped by to say hi. She advises trying to be as normal as I can but listen to my body and react, especially to the fatigue. I had to assure her I have cleared my diary at work!
Drug#3 and it's 3.20pm, I have been here for 5 hours! My hand is stiffening up where the cannula is, more due to the large sticking plaster I think. And to be honest, it's just a bit boring. I've read, done some emails, listened to a podcast, read some more......it's a long day.
Finally finished at about 5.45pm. No side effects whilst in hospital. Evening at home, ate as normal, but peeing a lot, though have drunk more than usual today. Tired legs (just like pregnancy, I remember a friend and I talking about that). And at 9.30pm watching TV but a bit more tired than usual.
Top tip - wear leggings, easier to manoeuvre in the loo one handed!
