Chemo2 - session 3

Cherry

By jeand

Sat, 18 Nov 2023
  • 1022 reads
17 comments
 

 

Chemo 2 - session 2 - day 5

 

I had the scary day in my cycle last night, as it was the one last time where I had the bad reaction,   But this time I had spaced out my steroid tablets (still taking the same total) and I am pretty sure that was what helped.  I had a reaction at 2 a.m. and this time I was able to get a drink, do deep breathing and sort myself out. It lasted about 15 minutes.  But I am pretty sure they were both the same basic thing.  

 

Today is my 80th birthday, and Both my daughters will be around for lunch.  One is bringing little parcels of good stuff and maybe some poppyseed cake (Polish family favourite)  I have bought myself a counter top dish washer - mostly to please my daughters - as they think I make a mess of doing dishes as well as most other things.  So we can play with that after lunch  It only holds 3 settings so I expect it will be used quite a lot. 

 

Day 12

 

I had bloods taken and a meeting with my oncologist today.  My daughter who is very convincing, asked if we could delay the new chemo for yet another week because the brain scan comes next week, and if there are problems with that, perhaps we will choose not to do too many new things at once.  He agreed, so the new drug will now start in mid December. 

 

We had not been given the information about the blood test called a CEA It had been at 81 before I started chemo - so we were hoping maybe for a reduction.  But it was 165  But not to worry, he said, it often takes till the 4th session for it to go down  

 

Chemo session 3

 

Yesterday was chemo, and as I had tolerated  the drug so well, they were not going to speed up the delivery to 30 minutes instead of 90  It felt somehow more intense as it was going through, but it was back to normal as soon as it was done, so a good change. 

 

But the steroid they give me to help with the side effects have had their side effect in that I only had about 4 hours of sleep last night.  And just before I went to sleep I had some hallucinations - which were quite fun to play with, but using google this morning I find out that they are also a side effect of a large dose of steroids, especially when combined with lots of other drugs.  I saw both with my eyes open and closed -  group of lots of people, including children, and the teacher/nurse types were taking the unhappy children away, so I made it reverse and the children were allowed back with their parents again.

 

 

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Comments

Submitted by celticman on

the side effects of the side affects are always the killer. Then I guess everything is. I feel I shouldn't say I enjoy reading your dispatches from the front line, but I do. Hallucinations are always interesting. 

 

Submitted by jeand on

Thanks Jack

 

I have a new night of hallucinations to tell you about.  I hadn't apped at all during the day so I was really tired when I went to bed at 9 but the cartoon characters came into my vision as soon as I lay down  Apparenlty your brain is bringing back stuff actually seen - so I suppose I have had 5 minutes worth of kids books over the ywars - but not probbly for 7 years at least.  With my eyes open, I could see cartoons on the ceiling, and on my sheets, and when I relaxed intot the bed, the scenes gov ery quickly as if I were watcing a room sized TV.  They moved very fast, and when I put on a light they cme in colour but normally just black and white and beige.  After I put out the light again, the scene changed to what I think were probably films from the Edwardian period  I didn't recognise any actors or scenarios.  Mostly I was driiving through a village with people outside thier houses looking interested - waving or dancing around.  I saw the occasional very ear car and some horse carts but not much of either.  It wa a very narrow road through a village and the housing was terraced.  The women were well dressed and the men in suits rather than work clothes  This scenario went on for about anhour, and I fell askeep during it, waking at 3 a.m. No more of it after that, but who knows what tonight will bring.

Jean Day

Submitted by marandina on

A belated happy birthday, Jean. Another interesting, well-structured account of your treatment. Nicely done and wishing you all kinds of well with the next stage. Take care of yourself. Paul x 

 

Submitted by jeand on

Thanks Paul

I had another interesting night of hallucinations which I detailed for Celtic so won't prnt out again. And I did get a bit more sleep. 

Jean Day

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Oh, I meant to add to the last thread when your birthday came. Sorry. And glad you were able to have family, and play with the new dishwasher. I remember when my father-in-law was getting dementia he was fed up with his wife going off to do the dishes, but when we found that she was just squirting fairy liquid at them and then dousing them with a kettle-full of hot water, and there were cups in the cupboard I think with green fairy still in them … we suggested we may as well put their dishes in our dishwasher! Though I think she valued doing the washing up on her own.

It's good to feel in-touch a bit with the journey with you, by these snippets written day by day.

much love, hugs and prayers, Rhiannon

 

Submitted by jeand on

THank you Rhiannon for the birthday wishes

 

I enjoyed the storyabout yuor inlaws dish wasing problems.  But my new machine didn't allow me to play at all It worked fine for 32 min of the 60 min cycle and then refused to do anything else My daughter tried everytig combination possible and it wouldn't do anything more than that  So she called the company and they can't do anything withougt a photograph of the machine when it went wrong.  But she lives a long way away, and wants to deal with it so I have to wait for her to come and then maybe hey will tiell her how to fix it, or maybe they will have tos end a new one. We were able to get ut the very clean dishes so if never eanted them dried, it works to that extent. I was disappointed by the few dishes that it would take 

 

 

 

 

Jean Day

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Jean,

firstly I want to wish you a belated happy birthday. Hope you had a fine day and enjoyed that poppyseed cake, it sounded yummy.

You do sound a lot more up beat, as if you're coping a lot better with all the treatment...even with the hallucinations and dreams. 

Hope the weekend finds you in good spirits and take care.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by jeand on

thanks Jenny for the birthday wishes. I did have a lovely time.

The difference between dreams and hallucaions is that the dreams go away at leat visually when you open your eyes, but the pictures in the halliincinations stay with you when you get up and move around but they need a surface to disply on. So when I read a book, they will show up over thet op of the print on the book. 

 

Jean Day

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

Your poppyseed cake sounds amazing. One of my uncles was Polish and luckily a very good cook too, so I have happy memories of delicious Polish food. I hope you enjoyed your birthday celebrations and are enjoying your new toy. A dishwasher is a very wonderful thing!

I love the idea of reversing bad hallucinations - such a clever idea! Fingers firmly crossed for the brain scan

 

Submitted by jeand on

Thanks Insert

 

Poppy seed is available at health food storse.  You take a cup of seeds  you have ground (I use a coffee grinder) with a cup of milk and 1/2 cup sugar and cook it until it thickens. Then you make a cake or coffeecake recipe(not made with coffee)  andd before you bake it you swirl the poppy seed stuff through it so it will come into most pieces but tooo thickly  and bake it for however the recipe ays.  But what we had was bought from a Polish bakery and it had a sort of custardy inside too and icing on top 

Jean Day

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

Thank you very much Jean - I will have a go!

 

Submitted by Turlough on

The Polish poppy cake and the ability to control what happens in your dreams and hallucinations sound good to me.

However, I'm sorry you're having to endure all this treatment and I'm sorry I didn't wish you a happy birthday on the day.

I'm glad that you're staying positive enough to write about this. I admire you for that.

Turlough

Submitted by jeand on

Thanks Turlough

It's easy to stay positiv when you are being treated so that you don't have many bad days, and you know the alternative is niot nice.  I have had excellent care from many sources, and even now get a blue badge for my daughgter's cars when they take me anywhere and a weekly payment to help wiwth care. 

Jean Day

Submitted by jeand on

THANK YOU EDITORS FOR THE CHERRIES.

Jean Day

Submitted by Starfish Girl on

Hi Jean

Thanks for the update and a belated birthday wish.

The drugs seem to be having strange side effects but better than what you had initially. I suppose the hallucinations are quite interesting and to some extent keep unwanted thoughts away.

What a shame about the dishwasher. Our last one broke and we thought we'd do without and kept it as a cupboard. But we eventually relented and bought another. It is so nice to hide away dirty crockery. Hope yours gets sorted soon.

Keep up the positive vibes Jean and let us know how the brain scan goes.

Take care

Love Lindyx 

Submitted by jeand on

Thanks Lindy

the hallucinations didn't come last night which disappoited me, but I had a nice real dram instead. 

I hope all is well wiwth you.

Jean Day

Submitted by jeand on

Thanks Lindy

the hallucinations didn't come last night which disappoited me, but I had a nice real dram instead. 

I hope all is well wiwth you.

Jean Day