-
Seriously ill, still me
The last couple of days have been a rather frightening reminder that I am, actually, seriously ill. I’ve just spent two days in hospital while they tried to get my magnesium levels back to something approaching normal. They had suddenly fallen to 0.34 mmol/L, against a normal range of 1.7–2.3. This was the fourth time…
-
A Change of Plan
Well, it seems my body has finally lodged a formal complaint about chemotherapy. I saw the consultant earlier this week and, after everything that has been going on, they’ve decided that we’ve reached the point where enough is enough. The main chemotherapy is being stopped immediately and the plan is now to go straight to…
-
Chemo day… with a little excitement
It was chemo day at the hospital yesterday, and things didn’t quite go to plan. My day started with a breakfast of a plate of various tablets, some fruit juice and cornflakes with ice-cold milk – about the only food that I’ve been able to tolerate all the way through. So far, so good… Treatment…
-
Cancer stole my identity
It is now over three months since my diagnosis of an aggressive form of breast cancer, and I had no idea how short a time it would take for this horrible disease to change my life and rob me of my identity. For over twenty years I have been Finance Director and part owner of…
-
Missing magnesium and fingerprints
Last week was supposed to be my “good week”, being the phase in the chemo cycle when things are meant to be settling down and I’m supposed to get a few days to feel a little more like myself before the merry-go-round starts again. Except, somewhere around Wednesday, I started feeling progressively ‘not quite right’……
-
You couldn’t make it up…
Anyone who knows me will know how passionate I am about our NHS. I appreciate that it has its shortcomings, but overall, I believe it is something to value, cherish and be proud of. This week, however, once things started to unravel, it became an unstoppable tsunami of bureaucratic errors. It all started on Monday,…
-
Another bump in the road
Just when I thought I was beginning to understand the rhythm of chemotherapy, the weekend had other ideas. Having sailed through round two of my targetted treatments without any major dramas, I rather optimistically assumed I was on the home straight for a “good” and “positive” cycle. Instead, Saturday was spent clocking up six hours…
-
Hair today, gone tomorrow
I think everyone knows that one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy is hair loss. But knowing something is going to happen and actually experiencing it are two very different things. I was walking past Rochester Cathedral earlier this week when I saw a little boy, probably about four or five years old,…
-
Never saw that coming 😱
After an unexpected emergency overnight stay… I survived the night! (Always a good start to any day, I think!) I was admitted with kidney failure and sepsis following my first round of chemotherapy, which wasn’t quite how I imagined this week would go. Thankfully, the care has been excellent, and I will be transferred to…
-
First chemo: Days 5–7 – One Step Forwards…
NB: These posts are written from notes I made at the time. Some days they are reflections; some days they are simply a record of getting through the next hour. Previous The next few days became a lesson in not getting too excited by small improvements. Day 5 began much as the previous ones had…
