Day -5: Timetable

Here's me poking my head out of the hotel window to indicate just how close I am to the hospital. The place I'm pointing to is The Rosenheim Building where the haemotology/oncology department is based. This is not you will have noticed the big blue tower that sits on the Euston Rd. The haemotology ward is based there on the 16th floor and by the end of next week I'll have taken up residence. The Rosenheim is where I go every day for my chemo...the exact place is to be seen on the first floor just above the attractive yellow bins. The new room is a great success...I had a good sleep in the queen sized bed and discovered this morning the speaker in the bathroom that means I can listen to the radio in the bath. Bargain. I promised a pic and here it is...

I also promised some treatment stuff didn't I?

I am having what's called a LEAM autograft, and this invloves four different types of chemotherapy and then the return of those hard fought for stem cells. The treatment is given over six days and the day I get the cells back is Day 0. We count down to then with the minus numbers.

On day -6 (yesterday) I had the L part of the equation, a drug called Lomustine. This amounted to 13 tablets that were given with a large drink of water and a warning that there was a high possibility I might throw them all back up again! After I'd taken them I had to wait for an hour just make sure this didn't happen which thankfully it did not, mainly because they made sure I was full of anti-sickness medication before we started. Yesterday I felt fine (which was just as well seeing as I was playing musical rooms) and came as a great relief as I'd convinced myself I was going to be pretty ill right from the start.

So to day -5. Two drugs today. Etoposide and Cytarabine (also known as Ara C). The Etoposide was given as a drip with lots of saline and took 3 hours to get in. The Cytarabine has to be administered for 30 minutes 12 hours apart. So that I don't have to trudge round to the hospital at half past eleven tonight I've been connected to a mobile pump (called a CADD) which will deliver the required dose whilst I'm in bed. This part of the treatment will last until Sunday.

CADD by the way stands for Continous Ambulatory Delivery Device.

Then on day -1 I get the nastiest of the four nasties....Melphalan, and a big old dose of it too. This is the one that wrecks your digestive system giving you stomach cramps, mouth ulcers and a dreadful sore throat. They apparently make you suck ice whilst your getting it to reduce blood flow to the mouth and try and limit the damage. It's the same idea as wearing an ice cap to try and stop your hair falling out. Will it work? Only time will tell.

Generally I still feel ok, a little weary tonight with what I would describe as low level nausea which is being kept at bay by the medication. I know that if I stopped taking it I would be sick, so I'd better not eh? I'm becoming aware now of how this is going to progress with every day getting a little worse until I'm so unwell I have to be admitted but I have to admit I still feel much better that I expected to. I think next week will be a challenge to say the least.

I had some Reiki at the hospital today which was nice and relaxing, and a long tube stuck up my nose at one point which was definitely not. The kids have sent in some nice artwork which I shall display prominently in the room. A Wasps supporter commented on my Worcester Warriors beanie and I walked past a very strange sight....a couple of air buskers. Just another day in the big city.