Wednesday 11th January
It is hard for me to imagine how different things were a mere 12 months ago! January 2011 I had no hair, was in the throes of chemotherapy and consequently felt like death warmed up only worse.
Now I have a full head of thick lush hair and apart from the overwhelming fatigue which results from the Herceptin, I feel fine.
My main gripe is that because I have to take loads of steroids prior to having Herceptin, my sleeping pattern for the week go completely haywire. I generally do not sleep for about 3 to 4 nights. It is very frustrating being this fatigued and tired and not being able to sleep. I can well see why sleep deprivation is used as a method of torture! The other side effect of steroids is that you tend to, and I quote one of the nurses, "blow up like a balloon!" Well according to the nurse I am doing very well as I appear not to have inflated as much as I could have. I am hoping that once I have finished taking enough steroids to fell a horse I shall start deflating.
This is my 14th treatment, only 4 to go. I didn't get the all singing all dancing chair this time, which is a pity as they have lovely wide arms upon which I can rest my phone, pen, drink, newspapers, lunch etc.
The general protocol for locating veins is that you start near the hand and work your way up. I tend to ask for the back of my hand to be left alone for two reasons, firstly there is little padding and the needle going in hurts more than anywhere else and secondly, because they have to use my right arm it means that I cannot do the umpteen crosswords that I bring with me. The nurses are all amenable to this request. So the next nearest vein is the one at the bottom of my thumb. The nurse this time had a good old go at it going backwards and forwards until she finally got it in. To say it hurt a lot is something of an understatement!
Anyway, everything after that went according to plan and I was all done in a little under 3 hours, which is good.
Over the past few months I have watched new patients coming in usually with their various relations in attendance. The one thing that they all have in common, is that whilst the patient looks, understandably nervous, the relations all without exception look absolutely terrified. I guess it really must be worse for those who stand and wait.
