Choices

As well as dog training, Sheena is going to
have to go back to her nursing days!

My chemo was due to start on 11 Jan, but with the new very contagious version of Covid, and the prevalence of it at our hospital, I asked if we could delay. It wasn't an easy choice, and I couldn't speak to my colorectal nurse as she was off, but in the end we decided on a delay.

Since then the chemo day unit has moved out of the hospital into the local Nuffield, as they did during the first lockdown. This keeps the chemo patients as far away from any risk of infection as possible - and the cancer ward has been given over to Covid patients. They are now postponing cancer surgery, I've heard, so I have been very lucky with my treatment so far.

My chemo schedule is now planned and I will be going to the Nuffield. I will have my PICC line inserted on 29th January, and my first chemotherapy treatment on 8th Feb. There will be line care, blood tests and all sorts in the meantime, with chemo infusions roughly every two weeks, via a pump that is removed two days later. Sheena is going to learn how to use the PICC line to take blood for me and to do the maintenance - lucky Sheena!

There are a shed load of side effects possible, but the most common are neuropathy (pain/tingling in extremities, something Sheena still suffers from more than a year on from her last treatment) and extreme sensitivity to cold, especially in the air. Those will be copeable with. I have to take a warm scarf and lunch to my first chemo session as it will be around 3 1/2 hours.

There is the possibility that I will get a Covid Vaccine as I will fall into the clinically vulnerable cohort - Sheena has already had hers as her immune system (even now) will still put her in this category. But for now it's keep calm and carry on. I will update after my first treatment. I may even post pictures of my PICC line.

Useful links:

• Signs and symptoms of cancer
• Ipswich Hospital Wellbeing Appeal

Less serious posts:

• I'm not a burglar
• City of Cats