The chemotherapy session took place on Friday 27th July. We had to wait for ages before the treatment began because earlier in the day the computers had crashed and put everything behind as blood results etc. couldn't be accessed.
Now normally my friend feels terrible for the first few days, but not this week. What's more she is beginning to fancy food. Some of it is a little strange but no matter, she is eating more than she has eaten for weeks. Still not normal size portions but it is normal food.
So far she has fancied fish finger sandwiches, pate on oatmeal biscuits, poached egg on toast, chicken and roast potatoes, ham, new potatoes and beetroot. We are only talking about a portion that fits onto a tea plate, but it is better than a mouse or a cup of noodle soup.
Also yesterday 30th July, we managed a trip to the supermarket. I pushed her in her wheelchair and she took control of the basket. A triumph.
Today 31st July my friend is having a bit of a setback as she has a lot of pain, but hopefully this will pass now she has taken some medication.
It's not over yet, we will keep fighting all the way.
Unfortunately my friend's forth session of chemotherapy didn't take place on 20th July. This was due to a low blood count from the blood sample taken on 19th July. In some ways this turned out to be a good thing as it gave her body a rest and time to adjust.
On 24th July we attended a clinic where my friend was weighed. She had lost another 6.6kg roughly 12lb. No wonder she has been looking so thin. However she was put on some more medication and put back on some medication she had taken before all this happened for 'reflux'. The combination of medication and a break in treatment seems to have improved things a little.
Lets hope the next chemotherapy session takes place.
My friend is still going for her weekly chemotherapy. This Friday 20th July will be her forth session. She still feels nauseous, this now continues on and off throughout the week. She remains very weak and is spending even more time in bed now.
I can't see that the Chemotherapy is achieving anything. I just see my friend getting thinner and thinner, eating less and less and becoming weaker and weaker. I can't see how it is or how it will improve her quality of life. But then who am I? I'm not a doctor. I just see my friend getting worse and wonder if she would have been any different or better had she not have agreed to the Chemotherapy.
It was her decision to try the Chemotherapy and it will be her decision to stop it. Whatever she decides and how ever long she has on this earth plain, I will stand by her.
My friend is now into her second week of chemotherapy. The side effects haven't been as bad as we probably anticipated. She feels very nauseous for the first couple of days, but has not been physically sick and the other good thing is that she hasn't had the other adverse effect of the runs. If anything she is constipated and has to take some medicine every couple of days to alleviate the problem.
I am now giving the daily 'Clexane' injections for thinning the blood, so that means no more waiting for the district nurse to arrive. We do still have to wait on Thursdays for a nurse to come and take blood ready for the Chemo on Friday, but that isn't too bad.
In general my friend is still not eating very well. The energy drinks and puddings she has been prescribed are horrible and she won't drink or eat them. It is very difficult finding something to stimulate her taste buds as she says that everything she eats or drinks tastes horrible.
The other problem is that she has no energy, which is not surprising. She is also very tired and now spends quite some time in bed.
Still we mustn't crumble. We are still ploughing on and taking each day, if not each moment as it comes. Watch out for my next update.
My friend began her chemotherapy treatment on Friday 29th June. The treatment itself takes about half and hour, but there are certain procedures that need to be carried out before and after the chemotherapy itself so the whole process takes about an hour.
My friend had to take various tablets on the day to stop any sickness and is on a daily injection of 'Clexane' a blood thinning drug, as the chemotherapy treatment can cause blood clots. So what you gain can have a negative side.
At present the injection is carried out by the District nurse, but I am in the throws of learning how to give the injection. I must confess I was a little apprehensive, but carried out my first one today, Sunday 1st July under the supervision of the nurse. Hopefully in a couple of days I will be OK to be left to continue. The drug can be self administered but my friend doesn't feel she can do this herself.
So that's where we are at the moment. For the next 7 weeks my friend will be going once a week for treatment. Then there is a week break and the treatment then re-starts but not as often. Still not sure at the moment how often these treatments will be.
Will keep you updated as things evolve.
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