Hi all. My last round of chemo ended on 7 May 2015 and I have had a great 5 months of freedom enjoying my garden and some holidays.
Saw my oncologist yesterday and the scan from last Friday shows a 3mm increase on all of the metastatic nodules in my lungs. Not really surprised as I as I have not really been feeling right.
Next week I will start chemo. This time I will receive Taxol [paclitaxel] on its own. The regime will be once a week for 3 weeks and 1 week rest x 6.
Have asked that they put in a PICC line again for my poor veins.
They also found a small hernia just under my ribs - think I may have overdone the gardening!!!!!
best wishes to everyone
Ena xxxxx
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EnaC
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HI Ena, sorry you are back on the roundabout so soon but your spirit shows that you are coping with recurrence as best you can. That is all we can do. I would imagine that a Picc line is down the road for me too at next turn. My veins tend to go into hiding if a white,green, or blue top comes near me. I am on Avastin and found some hand warmers for two euro in Supervalue the other day so got a packet to try them out. Some hospitals use proper hand warmers to bring up the veins. If you are attending a hospital in Cork the new rule is no toast so it seems its bring your own lunch if you are going be there for a few hours. No toasters allowed due to health and safety. What next, I always loved my bit of toast during chemo. Most people prefer it to biscuits.
Hi Ena .so sorry you are having to go back on treatment so soon, ,but you seem to be in a good place at the moment. Suzuki , what next surely they have a kitchen area where they can make toast, in the hospital I attend its hot scones tea/coffee at 10 oc. assorted sandwiches ,tea /coffee or soup at 12oc and tea/coffee and biscuits at 3oc ,its not just for the patients but for who ever is with you as well and everyone in the waiting room get food as well. Long may it last. Kittie
Kittie, like you I get morning tea/coffee and a snack and the same in the afternoon, as well as lunch. I know that if I want fresh toast & tea at any time, it will be given to me. While, I would rarely ask for it, it is great to know it is available, particularly when so many patients have to travel so far for treatment and many are fasting for scans etc. Life is tough at times. Love, Daisies
Will reply to Ena also - but could not leave this go. Suzuki, I am shocked that health & safety has now hit the 'toasters' in hospital - what ever next I would like to know. If the toasters are gone how will the hospital agree to using heat packs on patients and leaving us alone. I know also, that as chemo drugs are timed, the use of measured drips will be next in line to get the chop.
Well Daisies, I am on the warpath, Ovacare is kindly advocating for us patients at the conference in Enniskillen at the weekend and they are taking my query regarding stretching out treatment cycles to higher ground which I am delighted with. I feel so deprived, I never had a heatpack to bring up my veins, I doubt if they exist where I go, Well about the toasters, I was at a health and safety lecture before I left work, the guy giving the lecture was from Apex and they also do HSE. He mentioned that at night the staff in CUH were doing toasted cheese and laying the toasters on their sides to achieve this. Next there would be an emergency and they would have to run, leaving toaster plugged in. Of course the smoke alarms would go off and the Fire Brigade would have automatic call out and would attend the scene and it was costing a fortune for call out fees from Fire Brigade. So toaster were subsequently banned on the wards. That is one thing but banning them from Oncology Ward is disgraceful. I have written to the CEO of my hospital just to mention that staff numbers stay static while patients numbers increase and that it is paramount that both staff and patients are together in a safe environment. I find the staff great, can never do enough and they all work well together but I felt that the number of staff need to be increased. It would appear that our previous problem re oncology junior doctors was solved and nobody knew why all of a sudden the team went up to three, so that was down to us working on it a few months ago, While it is shameful that we have to fight for better treatment, in one way, its a sense of achievement. So thank you and everyone else who wrote to the Minister at the time. Ladies, we rock. To answer your question re lunch, it seems no hot food provided, health and safety again. Tea and biscuits are now the order of day. So those who are in the unit for some hours may bring their own snacks if they wish. I am thinking Army Rations for November if my scan isnt good, Well its good to have a contingency plan. Best wishes J
Ena. Sorry to hear that you are back on the roundabout, and while taxol has side effects, it is effective. The dosage and timings vary for each of us and of course, it can vary along the way also.
Glad you got your garden in shape when you were well and able to enjoy it. I suppose as the garden is now heading into its sleeping period for a few months, you will take it easy.
Hi EnaC,sorry to hear about your little c's coming back.Mine too increased so I'm back on carbo.As I was told ,we should not fear 2nd/3rd or 4th line chemo as we're only at the start of our journey.
Where I get my chemo,the visitor the patient has with them all day do not get anything to eat or drink from the unit.They have to go across the rd to either the hospital cafe or to a shop which provides hot drinks,soup,sandwiches and hot food.There were a lot of hot food bags brought in last Thursday.We have also to pay for car park,no concessions for chemo patients.x x
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