Hi All. Hope you all had a good Christmas!
I had to cook Xmas dinner wearing a turban as my hair had started dropping out in earnest on Xmas Eve. I got hotter and hotter but dinner turned out fine.
On Boxing day I ended spending up 3 hours in A&E. My cat bit me on Xmas Eve - he tapped me for more tickles, his claw caught in my bracelet and he panicked and bit me twice. I had some antibiotics in which I took to reduce the swelling and phoned the out-of-hours Chemo suite on Boxing day to find out if I should discontinue the antibiotics in case it interfered with my chemo on 31/12. The nurse phoned me back after a short time to say the Oncology Dr wanted me to go to A&E perhaps for a rabies jab, certainly for a tetanus jab and antibiotics and blood test. The chemo suite nurse said she's alert the A&E dept. that I was coming as it'd take me 40 minutes to get there.
I might have had a blue light on my head. I walked into A&E looking a bit lost (never been in one in my life) a nurse asked if I needed help. I explained, she said are you Barbara? and she got me to check in reception and they were with me in minutes. Took blood pressure and sats, then had canula fitted, antibiotic drip. Doctor did a comprehensive examination and asked loads of questions. They decided I didn't need a rabies jab as it's my own cat, but would need a tetanus jab and a course of different antibiotics and gave a prescription to get filled the next day. Everyone waiting must've been wondering who I was to be getting such 1st class treatment but to be fair they all seemed to be getting same level of attention.
It's a real eye-opener sitting in A&E on Boxing day the saddest thing was a young lady, probably in her 30's who had Alzheimer's and her friend couldn't go with her to have the CT scan. Everything was at the discretion of the Sister who was brilliant keeping the patient calm.
Despite all Boots branches locally stating they were open on 27th they weren't so ended driving around most of Lincolnshire at the same time making phone calls. I phoned the Chemo suite nurse to see if I could stick with the antibiotics I had and she said No, I had to take the new ones. A few minutes later she phone me back to say Boots in Boston were open, they had the item in stock and were open until 4pm so another 2 hour round trip to get prescription filled. Heh Ho!
Anyway today had Covid swab, tomorrow Blood test then next cycle on Friday!
At this point I can't praise our wonderful NHS enough.
Onwards and upwards, Hugs, Barb xx
Thank you Norberry, feeling fine now - blooming cat - he's 16 years old, he adopted us at 9 weeks old, we bought him with us back from Spain and he's still unpredictable!
Hugs, B xx
Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm
"Never lose hope. Storms make people stronger and never last forever” - Roy T Bennett
Oh Barb, what an ordeal ! You have a busy week as well with tests before treatment. I hope today has been uneventful for you and you have been able to rest a bit before the next treatment.
I had an incident myself just before Christmas Day, where to be honest I thought it would of ended far more dramatically than it did. I had to post a Christmas card, so decided to walk to the nearest post box. I decided to walk home via what we call the drive. It used to be a garden nursery, but is now derelict with fields and old broken green houses. At the end of the drive are 3 houses, then you get to a field before you reach my close. I had just reached the first house when I heard dogs barking so turned…..to see 2 very large Doberman jumping the fence and coming straight for me. I am so glad I did not have my little doggie with me, as I fear she would not of come out in a very good way. I have a lot of experience of dogs, have owned boxers and an Airedale as well as little dogs, so I knew to keep calm and try to keep my back to them. However they were barking so aggressively, and jumping up at me, and at one point I thought I was going to hit the ground. Then as quickly as they had arrived, they turned and ran back. How I wasn’t bitten I don’t know.
Hope the treatment goes ok for you this week Barb, and that your hand is not too sore xxx
I’ve given a promise that I will not go that way again. It was very scary I can tell you. Once I got to the field there were young children playing football too, if they had followed me just around the corner…..it doesn’t bear thinking about. Xx
