Chemo 7

Chemo 7

I was allowed to return to my original dose of chemo - but not without a certain amount of drama.  At each visit the staff weigh me, take my blood pressure, and temperature. On last Thursday when it was hot, I had taken a taxi as both of my daughters were unavailable  (one having covid after her trip to Iceland and the other carless as her husband who had gone to visit his father who also has cancer).  I was wearing a light jacket and when the taxi dropped me off, I decided to walk around the hospital periphery as I was quite early. So I guess by the time I finally arrived in the cancer suite, I was hot.  So hot that instead of my temperature being the usual 35.9, it was 37.5.  They have a rule that nobody with that sort of temperature can have chemo.  The nurse put the thermometer in one ear, and was quite concerned. Then she tried the other ear, and it was sub normal as usual.  So she decided her machine was broken. But trying two others and getting the same results, she was ready to tell me to go home.  But the chief nurse said they should wait half an hour and try again, and luckily my ears then coordinated at the lower level.  

I was awakened one night during the week by a regular rough sort of noise. I immediately recognised it as my neighbour snoring. I live in a semi-detatched bungalow and the man beyond  the wall’s speech is sometimes audible to me.  As the snoring went on, I became more awake and realised it was my own poor stoma  making the noise. But I can’t remember ever hearing such a regular noise from her - and it was just as well that I woke up because she was full to bursting.  

When I was trying not to get up this morning, I made up a little children’s story  in my head  - although I very much hope no children are acquainted with atomas.

It was Midnight, and I had not slept yet.  I felt awful in a vague sort of way.  I suddenly heard a little noise.  “Slush, plop, flup”.  That roughly translates in stoma language as “Dear Hostess, I feel awful. Nausty is bothering me. Please help.”

So since I had had no sleep myself and knew how she felt,  I got up and putting on my torch climbed down the stairs to the kitchen, and dug into my huge box of medicine until I found some little while pills - almost like pearls. 

I swallowed one, and went back to bed.  I will translate for you what I heard.

Effie: Please go away, Mr. Nausty.  I now have Prill here to help me fight you off.

Nausty: Your Pretty Pill doesn’t scare me. I am staying put, so lump it.

Fifteen minutes later

Effie: Please leave now, Mr. Nausty.  Prill and I want you to go. 

Naustry: I’m probably going to stay awhile more. You should get used to me.

Fifteen minutes later

Effie: Mr. Nausty has gone finally, and Prill is staying by my side to make sure he stays away. Thank you kind Hostess. 

And I didn’t wake up until 9.