Chemo 4 9th October

After visiting Manchester Met Open day in the morning, we decided to go and see how Dad was getting on. As usual, we called to see Ange and Gabs first and to leave the car at their house. Emz raided their fridge ( its always the first thing she asks....'what's in the fridge?' We also got to see one of the puppies. By the time we got to Dad's my chest pains had started, and Dad was obviously taking his doctor's advice and eating his post heart-attack fish and chips. We left at about 7:30 and both Emz and I were in bed for 10 o-clock. I had taken some precautionary cocodamol to help me sleep.

By Sunday morning, the flu like symptoms had kicked in. Self-induced a cocodamol coma, hoping it would help, it certainly made me sleep but the pain was still there when I woke up. When I woke up, it felt like someone had a voodoo doll and was sticking pins in it at random points. My thumbs, my ankles, my earlobes, even my bloody eyeballs hurt. Hoped it would be gone by Monday, but no such luck. Pain was still there, just as bad. So I got to spend another day in bed.

By Tuesday I was convinced it would be better......Wrong. On top of the flu pains, I now have to injection pains in my chest and in my back (the A&E pains). I suspected from all the warnings that it was going to be tough, but I didn't imagine it would be this painful. Which from a Salford girl, means its "well painful". In fact, I think maybe childbirth would have been this painful, had I not have had every drug known to mankind. (That's another story)!

Will keep the blog updated, hopefully will be feeling better tomorrow.

Meanwhile, KEEP CHECKING!!!

Chemo Day 4. 7th Oct 2010

Been given steroids to take the day before chemo 4. The instructions tell you to take 4 tablets twice daily, starting the day before chemotherapy, with food, and not after 6pm. Which I did. I went to bed at about 11.30 as it was an 8.00am bloods at hospital. I gave up trying to sleep at 3.30am and went to try to sleep on the couch.....no...no sleep there either. I figured I was a bit concerned about the change of drugs and the side effects. The new drug sounds like an Italian midfielder...Taxotere. In fact I´m sure Roberto Mancini has tried to sign him!! Sounds OK til you start to read the possible side effects! I shall quote a couple:

Firstly it can have serious or life threatening effects! Or maybe bringing on the onset of type 2 diabetes ( not very good considering my family history) A definite but small chance of causing another cancer...skin rash...ulcers...flu like pains ..etc etc. No wonder I didn.t bloody sleep I didn´t think I was going to last the day out!!! Actually, my lack of sleep was nothing to do with any of these. It was because I should have taken all my steroids before lunchtime as they stop you sleeping. Lesson one taken on board!!

Blood tests were swift and painless...result! Saw Dr Howell ( who is very nice, like all the rest) and he made my day by saying that they could use my shonky, unusable arm for my cannula due to the fact that I no longer have usable veins in my left arm. I like him!!!

Had a bit of brekkie in the Wilmslow dining room, then up to the chemo ward. Had an hour delay which gave me a chance to catch up with Wendy my chemo buddy. She is doing fine too and not struggling too much, which is great!. This new drug is just given straight from an IV bag as it isn't as toxic as the first 3. The nurse got a heat pack for my arm, which didn't do much apart from burn me and the needle went in first time...pain free...RESULT!!! It takes an hour for the drug to go in, and 5 minutes extra for a quick saline flush. I even got a pork sandwich and a cup of tea. I´ll go there again!. Mikey went and picked up my needles for me, so I shared my sandwich with him, besides I have to be nice to him so he doesn't hurt when he gives me my jabs.

All in all, it was a positive day. 4 down, 2 to go. I know I still have a long way to go but its all heading in the right direction.

Fell asleep on the couch when I got home and caught up on some much needed kip.

Even better news today...abscess almost healed so I don´t have to go back for one week and it looks like my Halloween soak in the bath is definitely on the cards...woo hoo!!!

Keep in the pink and more importantly.......KEEP CHECKING !!!!!!

1st October. Much needed break.

With Dad on the mend and seeming ok, we decided not to cancel our weekend in Blackpool which had been organised by my very thoughtful Auntie Ann and Uncle Baz. We went to visit Dad on the way and then headed off to the camp site. Arrived just in time for a fish 'n' chip supper, which I do believe is obligatory on your first night in a caravan. We later had a stroll down to the club to watch the entertainment. The sign said it was a band called 'Grovestar´, which as I suspected was a misprint and they were actually called 'Groovestar'. They were OK but got a bit samey and we weren't sure if anyone other than the drummer and the singer were playing live, which was disappointing. Ann and I exercised great restraint and did all the retro dances ( i.e Agadoo, Superman and more amazingly the cha cha slide!!) whilst still sat down. Baz and Mikey were more like Statler and Waldorf from the Muppets , totally bemused by it all. By 11.00pm we were ready for some Karaoke, so we nipped off to the cafe bar to sing a bit. 3 hours, many songs and copious amounts of lager later, we headed back to the van.

Saturday, we did a tour of the Fylde coast, basically because we didn´t fancy staying in Blackpool all day waiting for the illuminations to be switched on. We went back and had some tea in Tommy Ducks ( though there was not a pair of drawers in sight!!! You´ll only get that if you are a Manc!!!) and then drove through the lights. Sadly we were all shattered when we got back to the van so we had a cosy night in.

Sunday morning Ann and I ( on a very tight budget) went to play on the penny shove machines in the arcade. I was shocked to find that they had doubled in price since I last went in an arcade....20 years ago!!!! Needless to say we left 3 quid lighter but enjoyed it.

We said our farewells and headed off to see Dad at the hospital, then off to Ange´s to watch the Southport Firework finals. Ange was making ´tater ash´for tea which we were looking forward to...until she mentioned the butter beans!! Butter beans???? in ´tater ash¨? whats that all about?? We talked her out of it and as a result, had a splendid tea, just in time for the fireworks.

Fireworks were great and it was quite mild too, much warmer than last year.

Like I said a much needed break with my lovely folks...thank you xx

29th September 2010. Dad

Today was a day I have dreaded for a long time. The phone rang at about 6.00pm. It was Ash, my younger sister. Her opening line was " Ok, don´t panic..but...Dads been taken into hospital with chest pains" The last time I heard that opener was 7 years ago, in Spain at 10.00am. That time it was my Dad on the phone telling me that my mum had been rushed into hospital with a heart attack, but not to panic. A day later, I no longer had a mum!! That's such a dumb thing to say, the first thing you do is panic! Anyway, we were mid way through dinner, so we finished and headed off to Southport. Picked up my sisters en route to the hospital. To be honest Dad looked fine, he just kept getting a little weepy because he was worried and like everyone over the age of 70ish , despite pretending to be ok with the idea of dying, when push comes to shove we are all scared of leaving.They hadn't found out what was wrong. There was talk of blood clots and heart attacks but the tests hadn't shown anything conclusive so they started him on injections in case it was a blood clot.

After 6 days and numerous tests, they decided he has had a mild heart attack and have finally sent him home with lots of tablets. I don't think it was caused by anything physical, he just stresses out over really insignificant things. He is aware of this and says he will try and chill out a bit. So with meds and lots of TLC from us all, he will be back to full strength again soon. Love you Dad x