The first 48 hours

Hello

Just thought I'd write an update on how the first 48 hours have gone.

In sum: not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I had envisioned myself lying in bed unable to move. As it turned out, that bit was only on the night after I got the treatment; for the rest of the time, I've been relatively sound.

Here's what happened.

On the night after the treatment, as I've said before, I was pretty damn bad. Unfortunately, the strong anti-nausea tablets I've been prescribed - domperidone (aka domperignon) and ondansetron - had not managed to get to my gut on the night on account of me hurling them straight back out again. I also had the chills pretty bad. I was thinking to myself "if this is how it's going to be for the next little while, it's going to be really bad" They have a 24 hour haematology helpline with regard to what's going on with me, and I could hear my Dad sounding a little panicked on the phone to them... obviously it's all new territory for us. They were apparently very good, and just said that I had to ride it out... I can just about remember Dad saying "there's no quick fix for this, Tom" and feeling a bit dejected.

But, after finding a comfortable position on my really aching back (aches from the marrow biopsy), I kind of settled after a while and stopped feeling nauseous. I felt relieved. I even managed some bread. And, from there, it all got a bit better.

One incredible remedy for all this kind of stuff is ginger. I've been downing litres (well, cups) of green tea and ginger... it's amazing how much of a stabilising effect this has on the belly - especially a sensitive chemo patient such as me :)

Since that first rocky few hours, the last two days I've been surprised. I've felt relatively strong. The nausea's been kept in check by pills, I'm monitoring my temperature daily, and I'm keeping the regimen up.
I'm recording everything I'm taking and my temp ---->

The only detectable thing other than nausea (the chills abated on the first night) is fairly pronounced tiredness.

Now, I'm not used to tiredness at all. I'm used to being constantly switched on like a vacancy sign at a dodgy motel, buzzing away. I'm the sort of kid who would never sleep on trains, car rides or planes, for example. I could stay up late and watch Match of the Day from an early age. But, instead of that feeling of constant wakefulness, I can feel a slight shadow over my waking psyche, like something's not quite right at the moment, which'll probably be with me for a little while. I'm not falling asleep at the drop of a hat or anything, but I feel like I could if I didn't consciously try to get up and do stuff - even if it is just going on my Xbox. It's a bit disconcerting, but definitely not insurmountable.

All in all, if this encroaching sense tiredness and containable nausea are the only side-effects, I'll take them!

And also - MY LUMPS ARE GOING DOWN A BIT! I CAN SEE MY JAWLINE ON MY LEFT SIDE!!
[Okay, I sound a bit exuberant but, apart from tiredness, the neck lumps have been the key symbol of my cancer for the last few weeks. It's just so good to see the little buggers slowly being destroyed]

This week, I'm going to keep a watch on myself for a few more days, see if I can see peoples, then, hopefully, return to work for a day trial (10-4 again) on Friday! Just hope I can stave off the boredom... but I do feel quite tired, so my days are shorter anyway, meaning I don't have as much time to waste as I normally do :) every cloud...

T