First chemo session

Yesterday I went Broomfield for my first session of chemo.  I was not particularly looking forward to it but when I got there I felt OK.  It is a great unit.  Everyone is very welcoming.  There is a nice lady who makes cups of tea and coffee presented on a little tray with a biscuit, the radio station is playing music in the background.  After a quick visit to the doctor we went through to a large room with comfortable green chairs and pillows, a little table for your bits and bobs and another chair for whoever is staying with you.  You are assigned a nurse who looks after you throughout the sesssion.  My nurse was Minnie and she came from Thailand and she was very sweet.  First thing she did was take blood to check I was OK to go ahead with the chemo.  The results came back within the hour and all OK.  The prescription for my chemo is then requested at pharmacy, made up and brought to the unit.  Soom I was hitched up with the canula.  

Ian stayed for a while and then after a bit went back home as Derek and Sharon were in the garden today working.  Anna popped in at about lunch time and we chatted.  She had just been to Theresa the dressmaker with Charlotte and Emily to see about getting the bridesmaids dresses.  She said she felt shattered because Zaffy had kept her awake a lot during the night.  

Anyway after Anna left I made the fatal mistake of taking a sip of cold water.  That immediately set off terrible spread of pins and needles in my arm where the canula was.  Ooohh... it was painful.  My poor little arm is so thin and does not offer much protection.  Minnie my nurse wrapped it in a heated cover which helped.  I then fell asleep for a bit and woke up feeling not so good.  The last time I had chemo we discovered that my body is not any good at allowing medication into my system too fast - or even at a normal rate - it has to be really much slower.  Although they had slowed it down, I think because I am now so much less fitter than I was last time, it was not slow enough.  I felt miserable, nauseous, yuk.  The bag had finished by then, so all that was left was to do the flush.  Next time we will slow it down more. Anna arrived with Tano and they took me home. 

Sharon and Derek were still at the house.  What a wonderful job they have done in the garden.  Derek has worked like a trojan.  It is actually their birthday present to Ian and what a good idea too!  All the vegetable plots have been dug over and composted. The area around the raspberries has been totally cleared of weeds and we can now actually see 6 rhubard plants.  All sweetpea canes removed and cleaned up.  Needless to say the second compost heap is now as high as a skyscraper - but will settle soon.

I did not sleep well last night and was up at about 3am and have been pottering around since.  My left arm still very delicate.  Another effect of the chemo is that I cannot eat or drink anything cold.  So general re-think of diet and drinks.  Also it will affect my hands and if touch anything cold.