When we returned from our holiday, we had non-stop family visitors for over 2 weeks. Everyone wanted to see M while he was still relatively well and healthy, including his brother from Sydney. There was no time for brooding and plenty of time for day-trips and shared meals together. A hectic time. The new chemo (Docetaxel) started on 15 August and initially things seemed ok, despite being on a new merry-go-round. After a few days, M was very low on energy and suffering pain througout his body, in particular the lower gut. We decided that milk products were having an adverse effect and started to remove these from his diet. Fortunately by Week 3, the chemo effects were wearing off and M suddenly started to feel better than he had done for a couple of months. He was eating well and he even returned to his work with Citizens Advice. This felt like a real turn-around. Were we winning again?
Round 2 came and went but 6 days in, M's temperature began to spike again. This happened at a weekend, so we were very reluctant to go down the A&E route and the hideous waiting that would surely follow. So we managed it ourselves and kept the temperature under control with paracetamol, tepid flannels and a fan. However, by the Tuesday, he was feeling very shivery & stuggling to swallow again so we had to call the hospital. Sure enough, there was no room in the Oncology ward, so we were sent to A & E. After waiting 3 hours and not being seen by a Doctor, I took him home as he was feeling so poorly and we were given to understand that staying would mean hours more waiting and no beds available anyway! First thing the next morning, we phoned the Dr and also Oncology to shout for help and this time they called him in to the emergency oncology department. Good thing too, because he had severe neutropenia and it also turned out that he had developed a bacterial infection in his blood. He was dangerously ill. Fortunately he responded amazingly to intensive anti-biotic treatment and after one week he was released from hospital infection-free and feeling heaps better.
Next, the oncologist called him in to assess whether he was fit enough to have Round 3 of the chemo. He was surprised to see how well M looked and has agreed to go ahead with the treatment, with the precaution that M will be prescribed a special medication to boost the white blood cells in Week 2, to be administered by an easy injection.
So here we are again, the night before Round 3 but feeling relatively confident that we can do this. Today, M even walked 2 miles with the dog! This time last week he was in a hospital bed. There is nothing predictable about this dastardly disease!!
