Chemo 3

3

My
first week of 5FU as my drug is called was relatively good with being
even more tired, the biggest side effect. So I went to my Thursday
session without much trepidation.

My
other daughter came with me this time. She is very informed and
interested in medical things so I knew she would question everyone
about everything.

We
arrived early, with the traffic being very much less than usual, so
went and sat in the room and waited. I had my blood tested about
half an hour later, and it went off to the lab and the report was
back in just under an hour that my blood was showing good enough
results for me to have another dose.

But
soon a problem arose. The van which comes with the special medicines
from a place about 30 miles away had problems with its refrigerated
unit, so my poison was not suitable for purpose. So we had to put
in another order and it was finally delivered about 1.

One
of the very nice nurses was going to do my veins for the IV – but I
have very cold hands and apparently that means that my blood is more
scarce and they have to use the hands for some reason relating to the
drug – something about not wanting it to go backwards. So after 3
failed attempts which still produced pain if not blood, they decided
to emerse my hand in hot water to warm me up and get my blood more
active. Then they tried again, and failed again.

Another
nurse, the boss, then tried after putting my other hand in hot water
for another 10 minutes or so, and hallelujah, the blood did its
thing. And half an hour later, it was all over and done with and we
were on our way home.

I
have done some reading on websites about my problems and my
treatment. It made more sense of the doctor’s harsh statement that
my cancer had an 85% chance of recurring.

People
who have right sided colon cancer are very different from those with
left sided or rectal cancer since they were originally created from
different places. Because the right sided ones, like the one I have,
are the farthest away from the rectum, there is seldom obvious blood
loss, so those who find it are usually older and the cancer, having
gone undetected for much longer, is bigger and more aggressive.

I
have read lots of people’s stories on the forums and so far have
found nobody with as many lymph nodes involved as I had.

The
literature says that by the end of the first year most will survive
if they have chemo, but into the second and third year, most will
have metastases – those from the right side, like me, having
perhaps 6 little cancers forming in the liver, while someone with a
left sided cancer, probably only one. That is because the right side
is closer to the liver and the disease is already very gung ho.

If
the six or so little cancers are in close proximity in a non-vital
part of the liver, they can operate and resect that portion of the
liver, and things will be hunky dorry. But this is unlikely and if
they are over a large area and well spread, chances are not great for
surgery, as there are so many huge blood vessels in the liver that
would make it all very awkward.

The
other place my cancer might metastasize to is the peritoneum, the
lining of the intestinal tract – and that is not good news.
Although some new research is on going which might help.

My
daughter is a scientist and is very interested in my case. She found
out there is a very much better treatment I could be on but is not
available in Britain yet. Still if I am around in five years time,
and there is anything left of me to save, who knows.

I
think it took me awhile to admit to myself that when I finish my
chemo in six months time that things will probably not all be good.
But I was prepared to die in March when I first heard I had cancer,
and again in April when the surgeons struggled to keep me alive. So
knowing that I probably have a year or so to read and write and eat
and drink and see my grandkids grow up and hopefully a lot more than
that has to be good.

(Don't know why the funny format happened but I quite like it.)