It's been a rotten week . . . .
I was rushed in the Big Scary Hospital in the early hours of Monday Morning.
It was not pleasant, and rather frightening ~ the hourly morphine injections helped with the abdo pain, and the IV fluids (passed through my fabbie Hickmann line) were necessary as I was losing a lot of water. I had a hugely raised temperature and was completely out of it for at least 2 days. The usual examinations, xrays, blood tests and CT scan were accomplished over Wednesday and Thursday by which time I felt that the care I was receiving could be maintained at home so I put my case (forcefully) to the docs who agreed with me (for once!).
I came home on Thursday (pharmacy being their usual incompetent selves didn't manage to sort out my medication so hubbie popped back Thursday evening to collect tablets and discharge letters) and I spent my first day in bed apart from when the district nurse came to drain my pleura (over 400 mls which is very disappointing considering it had gone right down to 50 mls last week but after the last few days I shouldn't expect too much I guess) and clean the Hickmann line. Seeing as I've been feeling 'heavy' on the right side for the past 2 days I guess I really needed that drain sorted out.
All in all, it's been another week in the life of a person living with cancer. The general consensus has been that I had an infection 'somewhere' and/or it was componded by chemo. Does this mean I will be experiencing this every 3 weeks? Gods, I hope not! The pain was excruciatiating, the D&V life threatening and the temperature enough to heat most of Bristol in the depths of winter!
My positive note from this has been that I refused to be placed on the Ward From Hell, and although I was on two seperate units, on the whole the care was far better than any I received during the December/January admissions.
Still, I've come home to a puppy who has been clipped and looks more like a poodle now, a lovely clean house and a husband who is officially the best in the Whole Damn World!!!! I rested and recuperated over the weekend, so that this week, the week of 'regenerating white blood cells' will be less fraught with danger and pain. Is that too much to ask for?
Dear me, you have been in the wars... and then not to be given a satisfactory explanation as to WHY it happened... definitely NOT FAIR!!! Let's hope the next round of chemo is less traumatic. You say 'heat most of Bristol...' so does that mean you hail from there? I lived in Bristol from 1979 to 1984 in two houses, one in Sneyd Park and the other near Bristol Airport at Felton. Lovely city and I loved living there. We only returned to sunny Surrey for family reasons.
Can we see an updated picture of your puppy please?
Ah, KateG ~ thank you for the sympathy. I am getting better slowly ~ but just in time for another blast of the chemo. I've also just been jabbed for the Zoladex implant and am feeling rather sore and sorry for myself this morning. :( Need to go out with puppy for some doggy cuddles and fun I think.
And talking of whom, I can't get any pictures to upload here on the site, so do pop along to Charley's own web site to see some piccies of the boy. He is growing so quickly!
What a star.... you must love him to bits. The video clip of all the litter was lovely and reminded me of an occasion when my daughter (then aged 10) leapt up on a chair to stop the litter biting her toes and they grabbed hold of the hem of her dressing gown. They looked like corks hanging off a Aussie's hat! She was screaming, "Mum, Mum, get them off." Yes, well.... easier said than done!
I didn't know Standard Poodles were called 'Spoos'. Flat-Coated Retrievers (my dogs) are known as 'Flatties' in the breed. Most people don't know what they are and make stupid remarks like, "Oh that's an unusual black Golden Retriever!" or, "I've never seen a black Red Setter before."
Give Charlie a cuddle from me and good luck for the next chemo.
