On the day of my first treatment the journey to the hospital was a particularly quiet drive. One of the hardest things to deal with is your own thoughts when faced with the unknown and as much as the doctors can provide guidelines no one is certain of how I am going to react. This was completely new territory and confirms again that no day is ever the same when battling Cancer.
I was met with my Hematology Nurse who I have been dealing with since being diagnosed in February. If I'm completely honest she does not install faith in me, especially after she asked me to stand on the scales to see how tall I am! I'm pretty sure at this stage I was genuinely fearing for my life.
I have a designated space and the rest of the room is filled with other patients of all ages and backgrounds who are all at different stages of their own personal battles. I was greeted with a beaming smile from one lady but the majority keep themselves to themselves. They are now recognised only by the colour of their hat instead of names by my family. Our conversations generally go like this "No, not the rich looking one in the black and white hat. The older lady, you know in the dodgy pink hat!". For entertainment value, when I have too lost my hair I'm contemplating attending treatment in some Lady Gaga inspired head wear :)
The treatment I am receiving is known as ABVD Chemotherapy which includes four different types of drugs. You can not feel the drugs when they are being dispensed apart from one of the anti-sickness drugs which makes you feel like you have ants in you pants for 10 minutes and drugs are dispensed through a drip directly into my PICC Line. Treatment takes around three hours and then I am free to head home.
I felt fairly energetic on the evening of my first treatment, I even attended a birthday meal. Foolishly I had a little thought that maybe, just maybe my luck was in and I wouldn't be that affected as all seemed to be going so well. As I woke up on Saturday morning unable to lift my head I realised that was an incredible error. The comparison of being hit by a bus was now spot on!
x KJ x
No comments:
Post a Comment