Look who came to visit during my chemo today ! Eve and Des timed their lunch breaks to say hello. It was lovely. Scrabble with Neil was fun too. We didn’t finish so it was declared a draw.

This chemo ward is so busy with staff rushed off their feet. I sometimes feel like I’m an Avatar in a lab full of people being pumped full of magical chemicals. I dream I’ll emerge as an 8′ tall beautiful blue woman determined to save the forests with my 9′ tall handsome blue husband.

Anyway, dreams aside, when my chemo is finished they’ll fit me with a ball pump which will be attached to my PICC line dripping drugs into me overnight. It didn’t work last time so fingers crossed it will work tonight. When it failed in December it added 2 extra day trips to Exeter to the initial 2 day trips and delayed the whole process by days. All rather tiring.

However this PICC line is very useful. I’m never pricked these days by nurses searching for decent veins. They simply plug into my PICC line to take blood tests or administer my chemotherapy. The only inconvenience is having to keep it absolutely sterile and dry in the bath, hot tub and shower, but I’m quite used to wearing the water proof protector now. Unlike my previous chemo and time in Plymouth, I no longer have bruised hands and arms where the needles went in. The PICC line is a tube which emerges out of my body near my left bicep protected by a sterile clear bandage and not visible under my winter clothes. I’ll be happy when it’s gone but I do enjoy not having a cannula fitted each visit.

I feel fine today. Just a little tired but that’s partly the steroids stopping me sleeping. Oh yes! I almost forgot to mention my steroid induced shopping spree yesterday. I bought lots of things for the house including some beautiful bedding which will give us the colour schemes for painting the bedrooms. Retail therapy cures all!!! Luckily for Neil, I only take them for the 3 days surrounding my chemo day, and when they wear off I could sleep for England with absolutely no inclination for shopping. The decorating can wait. But I’m itching to start when my energy levels return.