NINETEENTH INJECTION

NINETEENTH INJECTION

After the previous week’s fiasco, the pattern was different.  It baffles me how unpredictable this tx is regarding the way side effects affect me personally.

It was a good week until Friday morning, when I woke up really tired and breathless.  This was followed by a very sleepy weekend; even if I pushed myself to get out for inspiration, it was hard to keep awake.  At least I know I am not staying in bed due to depression, I would be quite happy if was awake; just that little entity that takes my batteries out.

On Monday I went to the hospital and had more blood tests.  My platelets have not gone any further down and my hemoglobin is 11.6.  It seems the results are good.  So another scare over.  I had some valuable advice from the forum which helped me through the weekend.  The information I got has also made me more aware of what can go wrong.  My calf is still bruised and not a pretty sight; at least it is still winter!  Still bruising easily at the slightest bump but no other problems.

EIGHTEEN INJECTION

EIGHTEEN INJECTION

I have just spent three days in bed, unable to get up, in a stupor on and off, and with violent headaches which the painkillers have not touched. Nausea was a problem the first two nights.  Seem to be better today so far.  

On Tuesday morning I woke up with a sore right leg, and on later inspection I saw my whole calf was covered by a very large bruise (with no recollection of banging it).  My daughter rang NHS direct and the emergency doctor was called out.  According to him this is due to my low platelets and related to my recent nose bleeds and newly appeared burst blood vessels on my face; he also found bruising in other areas of my back, where my body had contact with the bed.
Following his advice I contacted my nurse on Tuesday but she has not got back to me yet.  My normal nurse has left the hospital for now and the new nurse seems to adhere to the club we hear so much about, too busy to care.  
I have rang her again and this time I pointed out to the clerk the advice of the emergency doctor and his concerns; we shall see if she rings back.
It came to me that I have not seen the specialist in eighteen weeks, since the day I started tx, and I now feel I need an urgent consultation.  I have another thirty weeks pending and although my emotional state is fine, and I cope with the sides overall, my body seems to be breaking down.

INJECTION SEVENTEEN

INJECTION SEVENTEEN

Last week went quite well, considering.  Went to see doctor and started on mixed inhaler as well as salbutamol; inhaler looks quite trendy, good since it is steroids.

Side effects started again on Thursday, with another ‘small’ kick from my asthma, but more controllable this time.

Had my 12 week test results on Monday.  They lost my thyroid one so had to dado it.  My blood sugar is quite high and, #*#8#* the virus is still detectable, so it looks like in for the 48 weeks.  Was given the amounts but lost the paper and nurse has not rang back with them yet.  I think it was 15 international units per mil (which nurse said was low) and cannot remember the rest.  Will ring her again tomorrow.

I am finding that I am generally much better now, but trends are changing.  I seem to be very tired the first few days and do nothing, but wake up on Saturdays very energetic and attack the house like on a mission (which I don’t mind) apart from the fact that I also get a bit manic.  Just waiting to take my next injection in a while, and start the next turn of the merry go round.

My weight is still dropping but also is my muscle tone disappearing.  My skin is bearing up but aging rapidly; I am getting lots of brown liver spots (the first have appeared on my face this week) and just, to my horror, have found little red veins on my face.  I guess this is not reversible so looking in catalogues for pretty carnival masks, hehehe!

INJECTION SEVENTEEN

INJECTION SEVENTEEN

Last week went quite well, considering.  Went to see doctor and started on mixed inhaler as well as salbutamol; inhaler looks quite trendy, good since it is steroids.

Side effects started again on Thursday, with another ‘small’ kick from my asthma, but more controllable this time.

Had my 12 week test results on Monday.  They lost my thyroid one so had to dado it.  My blood sugar is quite high and, #*#8#* the virus is still detectable, so it looks like in for the 48 weeks.  Was given the amounts but lost the paper and nurse has not rang back with them yet.  I think it was 15 international units per mil (which nurse said was low) and cannot remember the rest.  Will ring her again tomorrow.

I am finding that I am generally much better now, but trends are changing.  I seem to be very tired the first few days and do nothing, but wake up on Saturdays very energetic and attack the house like on a mission (which I don’t mind) apart from the fact that I also get a bit manic.  Just waiting to take my next injection in a while, and start the next turn of the merry go round.

My weight is still dropping but also is my muscle tone disappearing.  My skin is bearing up but aging rapidly; I am getting lots of brown liver spots (the first have appeared on my face this week) and just, to my horror, have found little red veins on my face.  I guess this is not reversible so looking in catalogues for pretty carnival masks, hehehe!

ASTHMA INTERLUDE

ASTHMA INTERLUDE

An asthma attack has interrupted my tx honeymoon.  It started on Thursday, with what I thought was a tummy bug, really sick for 48 hours, unable to keep anything down.  And then it struck, an asthma attack like I thought I would never experience again.

I had bad asthma as a child; spent many winters off school or in hospital under an oxygen tent, but it tailed off as I hit puberty.  I had forgotten what the warning signals were, and the triggers.  There were four things I had to avoid as a child: cheese, chocolate, exercise and fumes.  We had to move away from Buenos Aires to the country when I was seven as the doctors said I may not survive another winter.  I did not know what it was like to sleep laying down till I was twelve because of it.

Now I see that my violent coughing (clear lungs according to X-ray), which started on the 6th week of tx, were the start of the build up to an attack.

I had felt so well that Monday and Tuesday I did short work outs to loosen up and tone up my disappearing muscles.  I used to run up to 40 miles a week a while back in training, and trained on the hills; my asthma was never a problem.  I also did every exercise video and class going, so my fitness was not bad.  I can only put this down to tx and now that I know, I shall ask for the ‘brown’ inhaler, the preventing ones, as the others are not helping.

My old demon that gave me a miserable childhood is back and I hate it!

FIFTEEN AND SIXTEEN

FIFTEEN AND SIXTEEN INJECTIONS

Wow! Cannot believe I am now on the sixteenth week, time has just disappeared.

Last week I had a good one, apart from the headaches (still on six painkillers a day) which are not nice.  But after my experience of the 12th and 13th week, nothing can be as bad.
The New Year is here and I feel I have more energy; even my appetite is returning, and my love of chocolate.  I even bought an exercise dvd to start toning up (albeit a gentle Pilates one with 10 minute workouts); I have found that my muscle pain and tension is helped by gentle stretching movement; it kind of oil the joints.  An inside job, someone told me; quite right.
However, still enjoying my new lazy lifestyle, in bed till late, TV, etc.  all I need now is to find someone to serve my breakfast in bed, hehehe! Down, girl.

I must say that whatever my reservations on antidepressants, I can now see their benefit.  They haven’t changed who I was before tx, they have actually taken me back to who I was then, just normal but with my love of life.
Skin itchy today, but no rashes or breaks (I have been lucky and so has my vanity); hair a little dry but nothing that conditioner can’t help.

Will report back if things change during the week.