Macmillan Nurse visit

My assigned Macmillan Nurse, Anne, came to see us today for the first time in ages. She tends to leave us alone unless we request contact other than her calls to see how things are progressing. She is so thorough when she is here that we feel really well support and as if nothing is too much.
I am now on the list to receive a chair for the bath to ease me getting in and out of and also a wheelchair for when our jaunts to the Garden Centre or shops prove too much for my back. She has also increased my medication in-line with that already discussed as well as one other.

[She is now on the phone again as I type this, how uncanny is that? Clarification of my medication for the GP records]

She has also instructed me to apply for a Blue Badge to permit us to park in the allocated disabled parking zones in towns and shopping centres.

So you can see, she has just about every angle covered again for a while and like us is hoping the Chemo begins to work effectively, which today I may be so bold as to say may be improving.

Chemotherapy #2

It was a horrendous start to the day for me as I spent most of night on the toilet whilst at the same time getting weaker and weaker. I awoke not wanting to get out of bed, trying to eat enough and drink enough fluids to get the body functioning.
It was an uphill struggle to get ready after a bath just to go to the Hospital for Chemo and I would never have done it without my partner who was there for me once again.

The chemo session did not go too well initially, four needle attempts and three different nurses this week, which is one more of each than last week.
Twice the needle was ‘in’ and twice it had to come out again, firstly because it was painful when the fluids began to flow and therefore incorrectly fitted, and secondly there was no ‘flash back’ that indicates that the needle is sat in the vein by getting blood to flow throw it.

I think, having had the same nurse two weeks running, that we may have given her a complex if not knocking her self esteem as it is difficult for them when it does not go to plan, especially if the patient is distressed or in pain.

I have also been instructed by the hospital doctor, in conjunction with my MacMillan nurse, to increase by pain killer at night and first thing in the morning.