Today was a bit of a trip into the unknown: being pumped full of all kinds of weird and unnatural substances. What would the reaction be, would I feel sick, would there be some reaction I hadn't considered? Only time will tell.
Our heads had both got locked in with the appointment time, 3pm. WRONG! That was the time of the pre-assessment, and blissfully unaware that the real time was actually 11.30, until about 11.15 when for some unknown reason Jen turned over one of the many papers with appoitments for tests, scans, doctors, CTs, etc etc and there staring us in the face was 11.30: Panic!
Luckily the QEQM hospital is 10 minutes drive away. I called the Viking Day Unit, left a message that we were delayed by 15 minutes and would be there soon. Into the car, and off we go. Jen's driving so on arrival at the hospital she lets me out at the Day Centre to go park the car. As always, these appointments raise the stress levels, but what, as always, is the biggest stress inducer? Parking! Jen sat for 15 minutes where the few disabled spaces are: none available! She then decided to pay to park: found a space, and walked some 100 yards to get a ticket, remembering she walks with a stick, and to be honest that is NOT FAIR! I hope someone from QEQM reads this!
Then, getting out the car her rucksack broke: stuff all under car: purse, money, phone. To her credit she collected it all up and got into the Day Unit then broke down in tears! No matter, she's a fighter, and her inner strength is her resolve and very few people know how strong that is. She soon recovered and we settled down to the business of the chemotherapy. Three hours of anti-nausea drugs, then 2 different heavy metal compounds: etoposide, and carboplatin, which work together well against neuro-endocrine cancer. Three hours later we are done, and handed a supply of more chemo to take at home next few days, along with anti sickness pills and steroids.
Expect not much first few days, but possible sickness next week. Time will tell and of course and more of that here in due course.
Home and a cuppa, and a relaxing evening completing the day.
The sudden realisation that you have cancer hits you like a sledgehammer. On 9th February after 2 months of tests and all sorts thats what they told me. In more ways than one it's a life-changing moment and your mind goes into overdrive thinking all kinds of worst case scenarios.
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