The best laid plans...

Just had my second dose of Docetaxel this morning - no dramas - they all happened yesterday!!

Jo came round to take my bloods - just a routine pre-treatment procedure...or so we all thought....but my red blood count was low so I'm a bit anaemic. I was ok for the chemo as my white cells and the infection fighting neutrophils are ok (not great but good enough) but Dr B thought I should have a blood transfusion. Unfortunately, that takes at least a day to sort with cross-matching the blood so that is now scheduled for tomorrow and it is a bit of a slow process. I'm very impressed by the communication between everybody - Dr B, Nicky the nurse and Pat, Dr B's secretary. They all knew that we were due to go on holiday today so were really trying to move things on - Nicky thought that because I haven't been symptomatic of an anaemic (breathlessness and unusual tiredness) I might get away without a transfusion but Dr B is concerned that I might deteriorate while I'm away and, apart from feeling knackered, we will be a long way from any health services so he doesn't want to take any chances. I wouldn't consider not going with what Dr B says - we trust him implicitly. I was so surprised because I have been feeing so well although the first thing Martin said to me yesterday morning was that I looked a bit yellow!

Although, we're gutted we totally understand that this is what happens, so no real complaints. We decided that Martin should still drive up to Edinburgh today with the girls (his and mine) - they've just left - and I will fly up tomorrow evening re-energised and revitalised!! I'm not sure that there was any room in the car for me anyway! We have tickets for Fringe shows tomorrow, all of which have had rave reviews, so it would be a shame for us all to miss them.

The Disability Living Allowance people rang in the morning and asked about my outdoor mobility to assess me for benefits - I didn't dare say that I went for a bike ride on Sunday and we are planning a 6-mile walk on holiday to visit where my Dad's ashes have been scattered. I'll be more considerate when my time comes!!!

The good news is I'm back on the steroids for a few days..so I've got a few extra hours in my day!! Oh joy!!

So, assuming all goes well tomorrow, I'll be off until 2nd Sept and will catch up when we're back.

Vicky x

Five days off

Five days without drugs...not that I've been having a bad time with the oral chemotherapy but it feels good not to have to think about it. I'll be back on the steroids for three days from Monday and then round 2 starts on Tuesday. We've got Nicky the nurse booked in to come round early on Tuesday and do the deed and then we're planning to jump in the car and drive up to Edinburgh for a few days at the Fringe and then a week in a cottage on the west coast with Anna, Ed, Ewan and Caitlin and lots of games. Hopefully, I'll feel as well as I did last time. It'll be good to spend some time with Martin - at the moment he comes home from work, we eat and I go to bed!

We saw Dr Braybrooke on Tuesday - he's very pleased with the way that I'm tolerating the treatment. My reward is that he's now thinking that we might go for 6 or even 8 rounds of this combination although the scans after round 3 or 4 will dictate that. He is confident that I will show a good response. When I told him that we had a holiday booked that clashes with treatment number 5, he said that we could delay the treatment by a week. I'm liking him more and more!!

I've been a bit paranoid that three weeks of steroids had made me put on weight but I was feeling confident that I'd got away with it until I came downstairs the other morning and Iona was staring at me. When I asked what she was looking at, she said, 'Your face looks even rounder!' The truth hurts!! She and I have been having a ball this week - Iona has had a riding lesson, we've been to the cinema, seen lots of friends and last night we went to Scooby Doo Live on Stage. I'd forgotten how much I fancied Shaggy when I was younger!!

Not going to work is great but I've had to set myself a few rules - no daytime TV unless it's cricket, Rugby World Cup or any other good sport and no trashy magazines unless I'm feeling rubbish. I think I need to add internet shopping to that list - even the postie has commented on the number of parcels being delivered!! Well, it is Iona's birthday in 10 days and it was the Fat Face sale!!!

So, all is well with us.

Vicky xx

No more bad hair days..

One week on and I still feel ok - not 100% - I feel a bit jaded and glazed but it's not stopping me doing much at the moment. Iona is at my Mum's until Friday and is having lots of fun with her cousins. We did a handover at her grandparents' house in Lancashire. Helen and Andy helped us with the transport logistics and then helped us get hooked on Nintendo Wii.....ours has arrived this morning so games night for us tonight!!

Not only did we leave Iona up north but I left my hair there too!! After a couple of days of excrutiating itchiness and soreness, my hair started to come out in clumps so Helen clipped it all off. It was quite traumatic but quite a relief when it was all off. So, I'm getting used to my new look - I've got a supply of bandanas and Martin and I went to Cardiff yesterday to choose a wig. Hopefully, it will arrive in the next couple of days..in time for the wedding this weekend. I'll post a picture when it comes!!

Other than that, yesterday, I met with Lynne from St Peters' Hospice - interesting to find out what they do but something I can park for a while. She had some good ideas about stuff to do with Iona and top of her birthday list now is a digital camera so that she and I can make a holiday diary when we go up to Scotland later this month. Martin and I also had a very positive meeting at the solicitors - good to get more stuff sorted - and I had a lovely night out with Karen and Kate.

Vicky xx

Waiting to see what happens..

I had my first treatment of round two yesterday - by the time Nicky the nurse got here after 6 o'clock we'd already managed a bonus day in the sun which was lovely.

To me, it seemed like so much less of an ordeal than the previous treatments - no needles in the back of the hand, just a quick plug into my line and off it went, no giant syringes of pink liquid, just one small bag of clear fluid (taxotere/docetaxel) and no shivering under the blankets because of the miserable cold caps. And,no sickness at all!

This morning I started on the oral chemotherapy - 1800mg of delightful-coloured pinky/orange capecitabine tablets to be taken twice a day 30 minutes after breakfast and supper. The main side effects of this combination of drugs are expected to be debilitating tiredness and aching joints but, in my book, anything is better than nausea. And, from tomorrow, I can start to wean myself off the steroids..so I might even be able to look forward to a decent's night sleep!!

So, I'm just waiting to see what happens next but in the meantime, Iona and I will just keep on enjoying the holidays. I might even go out tonight!

Vicky xx