ABVD - 1b (2/8)

Had treatment two yesterday. One quarter of the way through treatment now!

The order of events was the same as before, as I think it will be from here on in.
Received my lovely cannula and got going about 12. They always look so bionic:

Cannulas: bloody bionic

Your next model?

[also visible are my beautiful Forever 21 (MEN'S! DEFINITELY MEN'S) sweat pants - chemo fashion is totally cutting edge, with loose sweat pants paired with long anti-compression socks worn under my electric blue trainers, plus a black thermal top with another check top over it... with my shaved head I'm sure I was the most fetching chemo patient in the land... see me on the left... model scouts take note]

I felt okay during the infusions. I was variously light headed, hungry, and irritable. And then, at the end, I began to be overcome with an awful, awful nausea. The same as last time I think, but lying in hospital rather than in my own bed, with the bright lights and the thin blue blanket over me, made me feel pretty bad.  I'm fairly sure if I was more conscious of my behaviour my random moans of pain and tossing and turning in the hospital bed would've been embarrassing. But I wasn't, so it didn't feel that way.

Ondansetron drip

The doc prescribed me one final drip (my arm was getting seriously sore by this point) of an anti-sickness to help me get home, which did seem to alleviate some of the nausea by the time it was done (it's the little bag on the right). Next time, I'm going to be given another, more intense pill called Aprepitant which will hopefully ward off the nausea. It is seriously bad, not just me being uber moany - the nurse said it's often bad in younger patients. So I hope it'll be better for 3/8.

We then got in the taxi home about 8pm (10 hours in hospital!) and I went to bed.

This morning I feel kind of groggy but not too awful - I took an anti nausea pill as soon as I woke up, but really all I felt was hungry after missing dinner due to being pumped full of anti-cancer drugs, which aren't particularly filling. My mouth is also a bit metallic again, meaning goodbye to my morning coffee. But, other than that, I'm on a familiar cycle.

The only concern now is that I am neutropenic, which means that the infection fighters in my blood are particularly low. I'll be at risk for the next few days - a chemo cycle takes in 2 treatments over 28 days, meaning after treatment 2 (i.e. the one I've just had), from days 15 to about day 23 (so to next weekend) are the points at which your system has been pretty decimated by the chemo. Any cough or cold or flu becomes serious for me and I have to go to hospital and be treated. Ugh. I'll just have to be fastidious over hand washing and avoiding crowds etc. and hope for the best :)

Will rest up over the weekend and hopefully be able to go out for a short walk or something on Mon or Tue. Not much else doing now, though, except recovery. How boring. I do hate cancer.

T