the show must go on .... Cycle 6, days 3-4

No let up on the chemo side effects yesterday: nausea, sickness and extreme fatigue were the order of the day. Between naps, brave Steve managed to stagger round the supermarket with me to do the weekly food shop... but it was hard going.  


So it was a pleasant surprise at hospital this morning to find that all his obs were fine.  He continues to put on a little weight and the white blood cell count was a long way above the threshold for treatment, after being borderline on Tuesday. 


The doctor prescribed some stronger drugs to counteract the nausea and sickness and Steve was given a dose intravenously there and then to give him a boost.  Although the blood test results had come back more quickly than normal, there was some sort of mix up taking the Velcade off "hold".  So we were still sitting on the ward waiting for treatment a couple of hours after being given the all clear to start. By the time the chemo arrived, Steve's vein had got fed up waiting and closed itself off, so another cannula had to be inserted in a different vein.  How many holes can an arm take?  More than you would think possible, believe me! He now has a rather fetching pattern of bruises where other people have tattoos.  


Strange to think that next week will be the last of the scheduled visits to hospital for chemo - it's been going on so long, we've become institutionalized.  He will be back again after treatment finishes for a CT scan/X-ray to see what Leo has been up to over the last six weeks, and to see the chest doctor.  But only two more doses of Velcade then no more poisons in this round of treatment.  


We are keeping our fingers crossed that the new drugs will make life a little easier in the coming days.  The only downsides are that they will make Steve drowsy and he must avoid alcohol, so it looks like I shall be hitting the bottle on my own over the weekend if I feel like drinking. But it will be worth it, just to see him perk up after the last few difficult days.