So for you who are reading this I will catch you up with what happened when I first got diagnosed…
After a couple of years of having back problems I had an X-ray which resulted in my doctor sending me to hospital for extra tests after work on a Friday night… I went in thinking I was just having some blood tests taken and hopefully a quick MRI scan then go home but ended up staying in hospital for 12 days.
Over those 12 days I had multiple X-rays, ultrasounds, MRI scans, CT scans and blood tests, oh and a biopsy.For those who know me well you will know how well I deal with needles…when I only cry, that’s a good day for me. By Wednesday, after all their tests and the biopsy, they had decided I definitely had cancer but they had to wait for more results to tell me exactly what kind. Originally on the X-Ray all they could see was that 2 of my vertebrae were crumbling/collapsing which was causing my pain but it was not the bone infection they originally thought it was.
On Thursday 26th November 2015 they told me I had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma…
The good side to this is that this type of cancer apparently reacts well to chemo and is one of the nicer types, later I found out it’s a type of blood cancer not just a lump somewhere on your body. From the scans we found out I have areas of cancer in my spine, on my lungs, spleen, sternum and under my armpits (and other places but these are the main ones I can remember). Being me, I didn’t want to know too much about the problem I just wanted to get on with fixing it, Dad asked the questions… as usual.
So the plan was made: I would be having 6 months of chemotherapy once every two weeks (which is pretty nice compared to some peoples treatment). I would have a check up scan after two cycles (a cycle is two lots of chemo) to check if the chemo is making a difference, if not I will have a change of plan. Hopefully after the 6 months my bones in my spine would start to heal themselves, this is the best case scenario. Alternative case is that I have radiotherapy on the spine and then if that doesn’t work I have the bones removed and replaced with a bone graft and metal.
That Saturday I started my chemotherapy with the help of my lovely nurse Yvonne which started off swimmingly going into my new pick line (I had the pick line inserted on the Friday… The wuss that I am cried because it involved local anaesthetic and more needles). My lovely besties Tabby and Alastair kept me company while this happened and as I was on the last hour and last drip I noticed my hand was tingling, I looked down and noticed that my hand looked like Aunt Marge’s from Harry Potter (book three, the beginning part of the book) and started giggling. When Tabby noticed what my hand and arm looked like she pressed the nurses button but then decided that she would just find one instead. Back she came with Yvonne who informed me, ‘no your arm is not supposed to swell up like that’ and promptly stopped the drip. Sadly this meant she had to put a cannula into my other arm (more needles) and finish giving me the treatment through that arm. What I have learnt is that nothing goes to plan when I am involved. (Previously my pick line didn’t go quite to plan, the line did the loop de loop which they hadn’t seen before, typical me.) But anyway the treatment was done and as long as I was well I would be allowed to go home on Monday. Yay!
Monday came and to say I was sleepy and away with the fairies would be an understatement. I got told when they did the doctors round that I needed two units of blood and my blood count was low. Another joyful piece of information I learnt when I entered the hospital was that I am anaemic, yay go me! So this set me back a little, they still intended to send me home but after they had done the transfusion… Dad was not happy about this! 6 o’clock came and they started the drip (Mum and Dad had spent the day with me but I spent it asleep, I was such enthralling company). Half way through the drip and my temperature spiked, this meant they stopped the transfusion as I may be taking on some antibodies from the blood and may have to have antibiotics (joys of a low immune system, thanks chemo). Half an hour later and my temperature was back to normal so the drip was started again, at this point Mum and Dad decided to leave and told the doctor that there was no way they were taking me home when I was like this. Half twelve came and the blood transfusion was complete! Yay I can finally sleep! No I can’t! Half an hour later they came back to take blood from me… seriously you only just gave me that blood! What was the point? Anyway next day I was finally allowed to go home, along with my new collection of teddy bears and colouring books!
So I would like to say a HUGE thank you to all who visited me or sent me anything while I was in hospital you are all very sweet and I am very thankful for all of your good wishes, gifts and love that you sent.