The Alien Within: 7 – Disconnected and Discombubriated

Date July 31, 2015 Author By RLG Category Journal

Bye, Bye Pump; Hello Slump?

The unknowns, building up to the last week, are now knowns!

My system appears to have behaved admirably, possibly with a little help from the cocktail of stuff it has been delivered daily, both orally, intravenously and subcutaneously.

Just proving there is not much at all to be gained from worrying about the unknown and so much more to be achieved by positive thought and action and retaining as much normality as is achievable.  It works for me!

And any of us could be here today, gone tomorrow, in an instant…

There we have it; a quick tea time trip to the Day Ward today, Friday 31st July, or so we thought, Chemo pump removed…

This is what it should look like just before we part company, or they will not consider removing it!

Thrn, bloods done, high booster (Push) dose of yet another Chemo drug, pushed in through the PICC line and watered down with a fast flowing sodium solution drip, line area cleaned and primed and, finally, a brand new dressing applied ready for home time…

Not so quick after all, but it had to be done to round off Week 1 of my therapy and ease me into my three weeks R&R.

Apparently, if there are to be any ill effects, the next 7 to 10 days are likely to show them up – commonly referred to as the slump week.

The slump occurs because the net effect of Chemotherapy, or one of them, is to reduce one’s immune system to potentially dangerous levels by killing off white blood cells.  You see, Chemotherapy does not differentiate between the Alien’s cells and good cells, it just bombards the lot, good or bad.

As a result, the next three weeks will have to be spent toddling back and forth to the Day Ward, up to three times per week, for regular bloods to keep an eye on my platelets – lucky me!  There is a level beyond which one’s platelets should not drop – they have not told me what that is, for me,  yet…

What they have said; is if, perchance, I should achieve those dizzy lows, they will have to supplement my own platelets with others.  In other words some form of transfusion will be necessitated.

Bang go my hopes of achieving the ton in my own donations to the very worthy NHS Blood & Transplant Service.

FACT: Did you know that only 4% of the UK adult population currently donate blood?

To come, more unknowns in the weeks ahead, but we will maintain normality and a very positive frame of mind – and, for the doubters, this is not mind over matter speaking, it is the real me, it is the way I roll, the only way to be and survive the daily grind sane of mind and (nearly) whole of body.
For me, there is no other way, simples!

NEXT: Week 1 – Day 6