So been up since 3.30am and I'm still wide awake and now up and doing something that should have been done ages ago but wasn't because I wrote and 'lost 'it in March and couldn't face writing it again. I've just thought to look in the Recycle Bin...Hope it helps someone... Monday February 22nd So when I said my temperature was normal, I lied J . It hit 38.5 during the night and although it dropped again at the next reading, they weren’t taking any chances and all the old favourite antibiotics came out - talk about kid in a sweetshop... In other news, my runs seem to be slowing down at last; my mouth is still ulcer-free (Demand Caphosol! Nicely!) and I drank some milk. Saw The Man who, I think, had been in touch with Newcastle to check on why they’d gone ahead despite infections. Apparently, they go on symptoms and as I didn’t have any at the time of the transplant, they went ahead. Similarly, the infections will be ‘officially’ gone when the symptoms stop. Kind of understand though still a bit “Hmm“. But, at this point, I Really Don’t Care. Tuesday February 23rd Still no sign of more temperature spikes, my backside is definitely in a more forgiving mood and I’m a bit hungry!!! Asked for a weetabix in loads of milk. I thought I’d be able to slurp that down if not eat it exactly. It was like the Magic Porridge Pot - the bloody bowl never emptied - I ate for 75 minutes and it was still growing…But I ate something! I’m feeling brighter today. I am pain-free - it only hurts when I move…a good morning.
The pain starts just above my heart in the afternoon. Thought it was a repeat of the embolism carry-on from before but they’ve been giving me Clexane injections to thin my blood so that’s unlikely. It soon becomes obvious that it’s the line - infected at last. The redness appears all the way along it so they give me The One that deals with that and I give in and claim my Oromorph for the pain. Very stupid not to have taken it sooner - it worked straight away and I was back to my pain-free self. Of course, now the line has to come out which means all the antibiotics will have to go through a cannula but I’m glad to see the back of it - thankfully, it did its job of getting the chemo in. Junior doc comes in to have a look and examines my Hickman exit site. I’m being barrier-nursed which means everyone should have gloves and aprons on before they come in - helps reduce infection spread. I hadn’t really noticed that she hadn't done any of this until she started talking and I saw that she had a huge cold sore on her mouth. A Herpes infection is one to avoid so I wasn't very happy. Told the nurse, who cleansed the Hickman site and told the Sister who ‘had a word’. Doctors don’t carry germs! Fact! :) Wednesday February 24th Amazingly, no temperature from Hickman infection. I’m back to normal on the Bristol Stool Chart - although there’s not much evidence as I haven’t been eating. More weetabix today - kept it going for an hour this time. Hickman’s coming out tomorrow and I could be home by the end of the week! Definitely in the mood for welcome visitors now. Thursday February 25th More weetabix and milk. Tried some curry and rice at teatime - not as successful but ate some. Don’t really have any appetite so I’m not too concerned. Tried the fortifying shakes and jellies but they are way too sweet for me. Bleurgh. Registrar takes my line out in my room. We spent a nice hour chatting and watching the Winter Olympics while she worked. ‘Pleasant’ would be overstating it but it was such a contrast to the operating theatre and staff of 6 needed to put the thing in (wrongly) in the first place. Anyway, no more dangly bits! P’s birthday today. I gave him the choc I’d got as a present (minus the 1 square I’d tried to eat). I am declared free of bugs but the antibiotics won’t finish til the weekend. Boo. Friday February 26th I can go home tomorrow, when my drips finish! I’m to go and see my consultant on Monday just to check all’s well. The weather’s still a bit dicey so we booked our Des Res in the staff block for the weekend. Saturday February 27th & Sunday February 28th Was sick - in the bin, fortunately. Everything else OK and I can’t stand another day in this room. I’m going home. P buzzed the ward for advice - you don’t have to ring from here, haha. Sickness is to be expected for a while - keep taking the tablets. Doc doesn’t need to see me on Monday and suggests two weeks! The weekend just startedJ . We pack up and head home Sunday morning. I think P’s still worried about weather and a bit dazed by it all but it was fine. Lads had just enough time to do the special ‘Mum’s coming home’ clean which involves hovering and squirting anti-bacterial stuff on every available surface. Made it! x
