Just when I thought it was safe

I finished my chemo treatments on the 26th June.  To be honest, getting the chemo drug was a breeze for me.  I just sat there and it all went on.  My hair didn't change colour and I didn't feel any different at the time.  I had great week after I received the chemo – I was out to the school to pick up Amber, I went into Cults Academy with Charlie to let everyone see Blake and Rohan, went out for bar lunches and generally had a fantastic time.

Charlie and I went to see "War of the World" on Friday night, I was feel fine but about half way through I started to get tired.  We passed on a night cap (poor me!) and went back to Charlie's Mum's (where we're staying).  I didn't feel too great on Saturday morning, my mouth was really sore.  I had a couple of huge mouth ulcers which made it difficult for me to eat or speak,  These gradually got worse during the day and my whole mouth began to feel incredibly sore – so much I gave up speaking and resorted to grunts and pointing. 

Read More

It’s been a while since we talked…

A lot has happened since I updated my blog at the start of July.  I was really pretty down at that time.  My blood counts were through the floor and I'd just had such a great week – I really did think "Hey, this chemo is a breeze. Nothing is going to happen to me!" and then BANG…I woke up one morning with a bit of a temperature and hundreds of tiny red bruises all over my legs!  Basically I could have picked up some infection AND my platelets in my blood had fallen so much that my blood wasn't clotting and I was getting these tiny red bruises!  I spent four or five days in hospital where my blood counts were upped by transfusions of platelets and blood.  I really struggled in hospital, my mouth was sore and I really didn't want to eat anything.  I have more tablets to take than a bus full of pensioners on an outing and I've lost so much weight that I officially have no bum!

I was discharged after a few days and had to go into the day clinic every day.  We were still staying at Charlie's Mum's House – all six of us.  The boys were sharing a room with Charlie and me – I was waking up every time the night feeds were being done and I was getting more and more tired.  I was home for three days when I discovered a irritation round my neck – which over a 24 hour period slow crept down my body to make me look like I had all over nappy rash!  Charlie took me into the clinic again (on the 12th – I think) and I was admitted again.  My counts were low (my platelets) and I had taken an allergic reaction to one of the many anti-biotics I was taking to fight infection.  I took a funny turn after receiving a bag of platelets in clinic on the 12th – I started shaking uncontrollably – very weird.  I got a shot of Piriton and I was right as rain (apart from being back in hospital – AGAIN!).  My hickman line was taken out because it wasn't working.  The doctors think that it was an infection in my hickman which was putting up my temperature and the same infection was blocking the tubes in the line.  This does mean that I will have to have yet another surgical procedure to fit another hickman…oh what fun!

Read More