Treatment starts

I started writing this yesterday when I was very content, laying in bed at my parents' house watching TV, not because I felt ill, but because I'm just plain lazy sometimes. Once I found out I had to have chemo again my Dad sorted out the Sky multi-room for me and there I was enjoying all kinds of trash.

I had my first chemo on Friday and still feel perfectly well.  Overall it's been a good week, the sun has been shining, I've spent some very happy times with my family.  It's now a month on from my diagnosis and things aren't half as bad as I thought they would be.

Last week started with a change of plan to my treatment.  I had an appointment with my oncologist on Tuesday, she had some more information and as a result had taken some decisions on my behalf.  The bone scan I had as part of the screening for the clinical trial had picked up some small areas on my spine and skull that showed cancer, she made a point of telling me that this is nothing to worry about and is very common, she reassured me that the chemo would get rid of any cancer in my bones.  Because of the new discovery, I would be required to have more scans to my head to get a baseline of my cancer for the trial. This would mean a further delay to starting treatment, it isn't a good idea to keep delaying so she has been decided to take me off the trial and give me the standard drug alongside the chemo.

It is disappointing to not be part of the clinical trial as it would have meant more regular monitoring of my progress for the next few months but I was relieved to finally start my chemo on Friday and have the extra information about my bone scan.  Although I do tend to live in a semi informed bubble a lot of the time, I have to admit that knowledge is power.  

It was a long day on Friday, they gave me my two drugs separately through a canula in my hand.   I had Avastin (Bevacuzimab) first which took an hour and a half.  This is a targeted treatment that aims to prevent cancer cells developing a new blood supply. Then I had some pre-meds for my chemo (steroids, antihistamine and other stuff) and a further hour waiting for the Paclitaxel chemo to go in.  I was in a daze by the end of the day because the antihistamine made me very drowsy but sitting in a comfy chair all afternoon with magazines to read wasn't really too difficult.

So that's the deal, chemo will be every week from now on and providing I still feel alright I will keep carrying on as normally as I possibly can.