My busy schedule...

Well OK it's not that busy, but it is just starting to hot up a bit, prepping for the radiotherapy. Today I had some sort of cardio scan - they inject you with a couple of products at half hour intervals then you lie in a machine without moving for 10 minutes. This is because the chemio can affect one's heart, apparently, so they do before and after tests; if they see anything wrong happening I assume they react accordingly.

10 minutes is actually quite a long time not to move at all, especially as there was nothing to rest one's left arm/elbow on - I had my thumb tucked in a belt loop on my trousies, and just had to sort of hold it still... this got very wearing!

Tomorrow I meet the gastro-nutrition team in the radiotherapy department. That'll be good.

Monday, I'm seeing my surgeon again, they brought the appointment forward because my lovely nurse is not happy about a strange round blob that continues to grow, on my graft donor place on my wrist. This spot has always been different, initially it was a sort of hole in the skin, now it is rather weird, 3 nurses have looked at it and said 'don't know what that is', so I'm very pleased to be going to see my future husband tomorrow.

Can't say the courtship is advancing well otherwise, though.

On the 8th I have 2 appointments, one with a Dr who I have no idea what he is or why, then with the hospital dentist - they again wish to be sure I have good mouth and dental hygiene before I start getting zapped. And on the 10th, I have my simulation scan and mask fitting.

That's the end of the flurry of activity until the 28th (unless they decide they need to do something about my wrist). On the 28th, I go in for my first treatment, which is chemo and radio. I'll be in for 3 days. This is so they can do a pre-treatment urine quantity/quality check, and a post-treatment comparison, because apparently the chemo can damage the kidneys.

I'm very glad I'm only getting 2 lots of this chemo considering the possible side-effects! I mean, do I really want to be cured of cancer (because I'm sure the treatment will be successful), but left with a heart and kidney condition? really!

But you don't lose your hair, so that's ok.

I calculate that the treatment ends after the 1st week of February. I guess there will then be post-treatment tests, scans, etc, to see how it's done. I then have a month to recuperate, and then I should be back to work! Trying to decide if that makes me feel enthusiastic or not ;)