It's time to return to Barts." for the second round of chemotherapy home for the next four weeks I am now getting to know all the nursing staff on the ward ( 5c) they now think that I am on some mission the drugs that I am taking at the moment have started to keep me awake so now I find myself walking around the ward the hospital at all times of day and night at bit like forrest gump lol.
The chemo has started and now has some unpleasant side effects namely the headache from hell this was the worst thing I have ever suffered it was so painful and lasted the whole time I was in the hospital and no matter what they gave me to try and relive it wouldn't work in the end it was put down to the side effects of the Cytarabine chemo and unfortunately had to put up with it
Once again, in the second week, everything starts to change blood and neutrophils drop and then the fun starts you begin to spike and you will get a high temperature and are very likely to get an infection the chances are it's your own body that's given you the infection it's not pleasant but the intravenous antibiotics you get work well and its fair to say quickly one thing I have learned about AML you can become ill quickly and recover just as quick.
the hardest time on the ward is when you become neutropenic the nurses don't like you coming out of your room someone like me I found it frustrating not being able to go make myself a cup of tea or coffee I hated pressing the buzzer to ask for a hot drink as I mentioned earlier the nursing staff are fantastic having a joke and a laugh with the staff is a great tonic and always light-hearted banter student nurses were great to wind up.
I haven't mentioned the stress and worry that this illness puts on your family and friends You are so wrapped up in your world my wife Jennie would go to work and travel a sixty-mile round trip to spend time with me every day I say to hear you're like a little swan serene and calm on top but going one hundred miles an hour underneath I still to this day do not know how Jennie managed it and found time to bring me home cooked food as well I am truly humbled by the love and devotion my Jennie has given me and still gives to me today as we both face this journey together its harder I think for the ones you love rather than me I am just getting on with it your loved ones are sat thinking about your illness all the time ist on their mind that's way harder.
So the four-week stay is up the consultant is on ward rounds and the magic words are mentioned would you like to go home today hmm let me think about that for a minute whats for dinner tonight hmm of course I want to go home even though you feel like hell second session of chemo in my opinion is harder than the first round and takes your body longer to recover at home but trust me you will.
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