I am going start my blog with some some comments I have had about my ‘new hair’.

I saw an old friend, Ben on Saturday and initially he did not recognise me.  Then when he did, he said: “You look different”.  I said: “Good or bad different?”  He said: “Good different”.  He was looking at me intensely, and then said:  “You look blonder!”

I was waiting for my chemo to start in the reception today, and the nurse came to do my pre chemo assessment.  She said:  “Has your hair started to fall off?” She was shocked when I replied:  “It already has!”  She could not believe I was wearing a wig. And, another nurse was equally shocked when I told her I was wearing a wig, she said: “That’s the best wig I have ever seen, and I have seen many wigs working in a cancer hospital!” How good is that?

Oh, and when I was sitting there in the Medical Day Unit reception, Sally Phillips (please see the pic) and another lady walked in and sat almost next to me!  Sally Phillips starred for instance in Bridget Jones movies.  She was one of Bridget’s best friends.

The chemo started really late again, so it was a mega long day.  I first had my clinic appointment with my team after 11am, an hour late than intended.   Afterwards, I went to the Medical Day Unit where I was told my drugs had not been delivered from the pharmacy, yet, and that it would take at least an hour for them to get the drugs.  In reality it took about two hours.  I finally started my chemo at about 3.15pm. The Retuximab did not take as long as last time, as I did not have an adverse reaction to it.  This is because I was given antihistamine and corticosteroids beforehand.  As I started my treatment so late all the other patients had finished their treatments ages ago. I ended up sitting there in the Medical Day Unit all alone.  Therefore, I was ‘transferred’ into a ward to finish the treatment, so that the nurses at the Medical Day Unit could go home.  In the ward I was surrounded by very sick patients, and the waiting for my treatment continued as the nursing staff there were busy dealing with the other patients. I was getting very hungry, after all at this point it was nearly 7.30pm, and all I had had was tiny amount of porridge in the morning and a small salad for lunch.  Finally after what felt like ages, the chemo recommenced.  Ruth and Michael were coming to pick me up, and Ruth came to the ward to keep me company for the last part of the chemo.  At last, I was done at about 9.30pm, and we could start the journey to Nicky’s where I had planned to stay for a couple of days.

There has to be a better way of making this chemo experience much quicker.  I think one of the problems is waiting for the chemo drugs from the pharmacy.  Next time, I will ask them to get the drugs slightly in advance, maybe whilst I am at the clinic appointment.

The chemo went well though, no reaction to the Retuximab, no sweating like last time, and no problems with my PICC. Also, I’m not feeling as rough today as I did last time after the chemo.  The only annoying thing I am getting is pins and needles, and numbness in my right hand, which is a fairly typical side effect of the Vincristine.  There are drugs to reduce these side effects if it gets worse.

I am at Nicky’s lovely flat at the moment.  It is really clean and cosy, and everything, including the toilet is on the same level.  I do not have trek four flights of stairs to pop to the toilet, like I do in my current home!

Pic of Sally Phillips I found on the internet.