I'm Back! Lets catch up!

Thursday 18.05.2017
Hello again to all my blog readers so sorry it's been a while but as Sam blogged I have been in hospital again returning home Monday 15.05.2017 early evening. Unfortunately the chemo got me again and I ended up being taken into hospital by ambulance during the very early hours of Monday 8.05.17. It all started with lower back and pelvic pain which I now know was caused by the chemo attacking my nerves and muscles, the pain grew and grew until it was excruciating and when gas and air didn't help the ambulance crew had to call a paramedic to try and give me morphine intravenously before they would move me on the journey to hospital. Unfortunately the paramedic after trying 5 times to find a vein he could put the morphine in had to give up but gave it straight into my upper arm which works but not quite as quickly. On the way to hospital my temperature was also spiking so they were concerned about my infection levels once again. Rightly so because it turns out I was once again not only in pain but Neutropenic Sepsis inspite of all the measures that had been put in place to prevent it! That Chemo is definitely out to get me!!! Anyway because there was no room on the Oncology Ward I spent the day in a side room to reduce the risk of infection to me on the assessment unit and then moved to the oncology ward late Monday evening. I was sorted once again with a syringe driver administering diamorphine and cocaine mouthwash to try and sort the oral thrush which also returned very quickly along with my skin on my hands peeling like a lizard!! Anyway as always I received the best care I could wish for and am now back home feeling very tired and weak but improving slowly day by day building and gaining strength bit by bit. I feel about 90 but hey I'm here to tell the tale!
On Thursday 11th May I was told I was being taken for an ultra sound scan to see how things were progressing. So let's get to the good news - first I had a mammogram and then the doctor came through to do the ultra sound. I asked the nurse if I would be able to see the screen for myself and she assured me the doctor would talk me through everything. I so wished Reno was with me. So the doctor got started and within a couple of minutes I heard the words "I can no longer see your tumour on the screen" I burst into tears (Why is it that I don't cry when I hear the bad bits of news and yet I am a mess whenever I hear good news?) "Please look in my armpit too" I said because I wanted to be sure that there was nothing new to see there either. The doctor said once the nurse had helped me put myself back together he would talk me through all the images. It was amazing he showed me the images taken on January the 6th which is when they inserted the marker into my tumour and then showed the images from that day and sure enough the tumour is not visible. The doctor explained that of course the images do not show single rogue cancer cells and these will only be seen if they are there under microscopic conditions when I have tissue and lymph nodes removed during surgery.
The main thing is the chemo has obviously been doing it's job and I can almost forgive it for putting me into hospital twice so poorly!
Once back on the ward I called Reno to give him the news and he was of course thrilled as was Sam when she visited that evening along with all the staff on the ward too as the news was communicated during staff change over. The next day my oncologist Dr Ram came to see me and apologised that I had been affected by the chemo so badly again and assured me that I would not be getting the last two doses of the chemical that causes all the problems as my body really couldn't deal with any more. He also told me that I needed to rest and eat plenty so that they could get me home.
I was hoping that I would be home during the weekend but the nurses made me see sense along with the physiotherapists that I really wasn't strong enough and Monday was there preferable option. So I accepted what they said - deep down I know they were right - just walking to the loo was like a marathon and after washing and dressing I would sleep for about an hour!
Dr Ram came to see me again on Monday 15th and said he was happy for me to go home later that day and Rachel my oncology nurse would be coming to see me to start to discuss surgery! Wow I wasn't expecting that! When Rachel came she explained that Dr Ram had confirmed there would be no more chemo as such before surgery but I would still have Herceptin which I know has to continue every three weeks for a year, and also an appointment had been made for me for Wednesday 17.05.17 to see the surgeon Miss Mortimer to try and book a slot for my surgery! As soon as she left I phoned Reno as I knew he would want to be there with me and he arranged to have the day off.
Wednesday 17.5.17 turned out to be a long day! Reno and I arrived to see the surgeon and after sometime of waiting were called into one of the smaller rooms by a nurse who explained that apparently today I was going to have my pre-operation assessment! A total surprise to me! The nurse suggested that as Miss Mortimer was still busy with a patient we do the assessment first and then come back - so off we went - they were happy with my blood which had been checked when I was discharged and so continued on to the ECG which was apparently fine then we went onto blood pressure - would you believe it - all the problems I had had over the past few weeks never once was my blood pressure a problem but today it was too high for their liking! Well we had been waiting around a while , I was getting hungry and the assessment had been sprung on me - so I was guessing that must be the cause. The nurse said it would need checking again but we could now go back to clinic to see the surgeon. Once Miss Mortimer arrived she discussed my options for surgery ( I don't want to go into too much detail yet as I am still making decisions - it's quite an emotional and personal thing to think about the options given and it takes time and discussion and looking ahead) and proceeded to say that they wanted to operate sooner rather than later as if there are any rogue cells they don't want them to have time to grow - so the plan is that I will have surgery around the middle of June - 6 weeks at least before I ever imagined it would be thought about! I have another appointment on Monday 22nd May to discuss things further with the surgeon and then hopefully a better idea on when it will all happen. We then had to go back to the pre op assessment unit to get my blood pressure re-checked but ....you guessed it..... still too high! It was suggested that we purchase a monitor and I take it regularly at home for a few weeks recording it each time because in a relaxed atmosphere it's probably fine - so that's exactly what we are doing! It will be checked again nearer the operation and hopefully all will be well! By the time we left the hospital it was 2.45p.m.! What a day!
So much to take on board but I am so excited to look forward to another very positive step on this journey - I have said it before - such a tough journey but with my family at my side with me all the way it's a journey that I am making great progress at and inspite of all the bad bits my mind is only focused on the good - and for that I am truly thankful and blessed.