First chemotherapy

Day one of chemo! I found the whole process really interesting.

But first I must start by saying how warm, friendly and fun the staff are. There’s a lot of laughter in the ward and not a single grumpy patient either.

I have chosen to wear a cold cap during my chemo treatment as I am trying to preserve my hair for the wedding. They squeezed a very tight plastic cap onto my head which fills with a gel which freezes the scalp. The idea is to stop the chemo reaching the hair follicles to prevent hair loss ( fingers crossed). On top of that they squeeze on another scull cap, a bit like Jack Knowles’, ( Exeter and England rugby player) to hold everything in place. The strap sits very tightly across my chin. Neil looked at me for a while with a pained expression showing  he was hiding something. When I quizzed him he burst out laughing and admitted that he thought I looked like a hamster.  Honestly! But he was right with my puffed up cheeks and we both ended up laughing. Then as my head started to freeze, the rest of me heated up with a great big hot flush and the laughter continued. The nurse hadn’t seen that one before!

The ward had about 6 patients in very comfortable chairs with another comfy chair for a friend. It would be easy to chat away with others, but it was quite nice just sitting with Neil, chatting and getting on with emails etc. There’s plenty of tea and coffee available all day.

It’s all so clever and technical these days. I have a machine next to me with the drips being released into my system at a measured rate through a cannula (new word!) into a vein in my hand. Highly skilled nurses set it up and monitor everything. Neil remembers the days when doctors had to do all this and count the drips per minute to estimate the time it would take to administer the treatment.

At first the cold cap gave me a bit of a headache, rather like a migraine forming, but soon I got used to it. I was the only hamster on the ward but I didn’t care. The others aren’t going to be walking up the aisle in 3 weeks (I’m so excited). The only problem was that I had no ears and my glasses didn’t fit over the cap so I looked rather like a drunk with my lopsided reading glasses constantly falling off.

After about 4 cups of tea and coffee I realised I had to go to the loo. But how? My cap was attached to a long tube attached to a big box and my arm to the drip on its stand. I waited and waited until there was no choice in the matter and asked. The nurse simply unhooked the head part and I walked to the loo wheeling the drip along with me.

Only the drip line got wound around the drip stand and soon I was laughing and twirling around the ward looking like a drunken Martian. The hysterics didn’t help either and soon the whole ward joined in.

The loo part was an interesting dilemma in itself.  I had to hold the hat tube upwards in one hand and the drip stand in the other. I suddenly felt huge respect for the men.

After about 4 hours it was all over. They let my cap warm a little before taking in off and I could feel the ice in my hair. Good! as I hope it works and I feel absolutely fine.

Chemo’s not so bad. I feel relieved that the process has finally started.

Round 2 next Tuesday, radiotherapy next Monday.

These photos were taken at the end of the session. I’m fine!!