Sunday, November 7, 2021

1st Round Of Chemotherapy.

17/09/2021
So my 1st round of Chemotherapy is scheduled for 11am. I'm due to have 2 hours of intravenous through a drip, The drug I'm going to be having is called Oxaliplatin. I sit in the chair my choice and make myself comfortable, I've brought my Kindle with me to do a bit of reading to pass the couple of hours.
It turns out I'm going to be longer than 2 hours, The 2 hours is just for the Oxaliplatin to be administered. The first hour is spent double checking I'm the correct person due to the strength of drugs I'm having. The pharmacy also prepare all the drugs that I'll need at home after the intravenous session and their is plenty of them!!.
The Cannula is fitted and my veins are flushed and also I'm administered an anti sickness drug to help. After about 15 minutes that drug is complete and the nurses come round in pairs to start with the main drug the Oxaliplatin. Another double check is done before I actually start. I reach for my kindle and carry on reading the Morrissey autobiography. Probably not the best book to read on an Oncology unit but I'm a fan and find him fascinating despite his miserable demeanor coming across in the book too.

The 2 hours pass, The nurses remove the Oxaliplatin and flush my veins again before letting me wait for 15 minutes because it's my first session to make sure I'm ok. From start to finish it takes about 5 hours and I tell myself that's going to the normal from now on. Good job I like reading.
I'll leave wrapped up in my woolly hat, gloves and my Hellas Verona Scarf and all my drugs in a big plastic bag.
This is because I need to protect myself from the cold straight after intravenous.

I also feel like the local drug dealer, I have a collection that would make me rattle like Bez's Maracas.
For anyone interested the list of drugs I've been prescribed over the course of my Cancer journey now reads:

Oxaliplatin - Chemotherapy.
Capecitabine - Chemotherapy Tablets.
Dexamethasone - Steroid.
Chlorpromazine - Hiccups.
Lansoprazole - Stomach Acid & Gastro.
Domperidone - Anti Sickness.
Aprepitant - Anti Sicknesss.
Loperamide - Diarrhoea.
Peptac Liquid - Heartburn.
Mirtzapine - Anxiety & Sleeping.
Codeine Phosphate - Pain.
Zopiclone - Sleeping Tablet.
Pyridoxine - Vitamin For Fingers/Nerve                              Endings.
I'm taking these each day, Some are twice a day and others are even three times a day. It's a mission just trying to fill my pill box correctly!.

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