22-Apr-2011 - GREAT EXPECTATIONS - A GOOD DAY!

22-Apr-2011 - GREAT EXPECTATIONS - A GOOD DAY!

Hi,

Well what a strange day chemo. + ONE!!

I took none of the tablets because I felt OK yesterday and I was convinced it was going to come in like a storm across an oily sea - to hit me with six tons of 'sh*t' and the aim was as soon as symptoms came on I would grab the pills and take myself to bed to sleep off the effect IF possible.

NOTHING!

Eventually I went to bed and it was almost 5am.
When I woke I was still OK so I got up at around 11:30hrs. and had a pint of yoghurt and honey and a large coffee.

I still feel remarkably OK and still no tablets.

Eventually I rang the Tenovus help line (they are the local equivalent of Macmillan Nursing).

A great chat with Mary, who is oncology nursing background. Her comments on the tablets was she couldn't advise but she could inform:
'the perceived wisdom amongst the nurses is that one should take all the tablets as a prophylacti'

Obviously they have been missing out on their own advice as clearly at least two of the chemo nurses hadn't been taking their pills and are expecting babies imminently!!

She also said:
'The Pharmacy on the other hand advise that one should only take the tablets if needed'.

It was not fence sitting on Mary's behalf but informative and when asked what she would do in my position where I almost never take tablets as what toxins we put into the body our kidneys have to take out and now I'm down to one I am acutely aware that I don't have a spare!

Mary's comment was:
'she would NOT take the tablets but be aware they were ther and take them IF sickness started but in the realisation there may be a period of feeling very sick before the dosage became systemic as a suppressor'.

I have therefore ONLY taken the one 8mg. ONDANSETRON tablet that was to be taken within 24 hours of the chemo. the rest I hope can stay in the care pack!

My temperatuire has been 35.7 & 35.9 on the two occasions I have taken it and two more meals later I still feel OK although Lee thinks I may be a bit off colour as I'm a bit yellowy which would imply my kidney is struggling and also the flushed look is not temperature so I checked my BP at 23:00hrs. and it is a bit high BIT!!! 140/79 which is VERY high for me I'm usually around 120/75 with a pulse of about 67 but it is currently P71.

Classification of blood pressure for adults

Category	systolic, mmHg	diastolic, mmHg
Hypotension	< 90	< 60
Normal	90 - 119	60 - 79
Prehypertension	120 – 139	or 80 – 89
Stage 1 Hypertension	140 – 159	or 90 – 99
Stage 2 Hypertension	160 - 179	or 100 - 109
Hypertensive Crisis	≥ 180	or ≥ 110

Nothing alarming and now it is time for a shower and off to bed as it is 02:20hrs.


Let's hope tomorrow is also symptom free but I am glad to be 36hrs. on and so far so good!

FINALLY FOR TONIGHT:

We really do appreciate the many phone calls - literally from around the world but also from all over Britain they are so very supportive and all a bit embarrassing!

Also thanks for the fantastic flowers to Peter & Christine (Christine assures me that Interflora wouldn't send just one dandelion for me so she had this wonderfull bunch for LEE instead!) - they are still as fresh as the day they arrived a week later!

Also thanks to Wendy & Andrew, Jean & Harry and others for the cards.

I was sorry to miss Pat's birthday on the 19th. & Diana's on the 21st. but I did at least remember Niall's on the 20th. Many Happy Returns in good health and my VERY best wishes to Pat's husband Dave who we have known for years as Dave has cancer of the neck and the battle is proving pretty tough with Radio Therapy after his chemo. it is all conspiring to kill his appetite and make him feel fairly rotten.

I just want to say sorry for copping out at times and leaving Lee and friends to cope!

Any help and support YOU can give her will be hugely welcome.

I do make a lousy patient!

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If YOU want to follow my fight against Cancer from when it started and I first presented with symptoms see The TAB just below the Header of this Blog. called >DIARY of Cancer< just click and it will give you a long list of the main events in chronological order.
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Thoughts and comments will be in chronological order in the main blog and can be tracked in the >ARCHIVE< in the Right Sidebar. You may find the TABS >MEDICAL LINKS< and also >CANCER LINKS< of help.
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YOU are welcome to call me if you believe I can help in ANY way.
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Posted by: Greg Lance-Watkins

tel: 01291 - 62 65 62

of: Greg_L-W@BTconnect.com

on: http://GregLanceWatkins.Blogspot.com