Matt's Cancer

Chemo Round 1 Week 1

Page 13

14/08/2020
First day of chemo, round 1, week 1. Mum & Dad take me to Burton hospital. As I’ve been shown around this ward before, I have an idea of what to expect, so I’m not worried about what's going to happen.
I’m advised that someone brings me to hospital on my first day of chemo, because nobody knows how I’m going to be after the treatment, since I’ve never had it before.
Mum comes in with me, we’re offered sandwiches, we say “no thanks”, as we’ve brought a little picnic with us.

We were there from 09:30 hrs until about 17:00 hrs, some of the time we were waiting for my blood results before they could start the treatment. You have to have a blood test the day before your chemo treatment, on the day of your treatment, you have to wait for your blood test results before having chemo. This is because your blood results have to meet a certain criteria.
If you have an infection and need antibiotics, your chemo treatment may be postponed.

I had to wee in a container, so they could measure how much I weed, they wanted me to wee a certain amount before having the chemo.
The chemicals going through my body really aggravated my bladder, I was in and out the loo every 10 minutes.

After going home, over the next few days I would feel the effects of the chemo. Sometimes I would feel tired, so I would have a nap for about an hour or two. I felt much better after that.
I was given some steroid tablets and anti-sickness tablets to take home, I had to take these every day for four days, then the anti-sickness tablets as and when required.
I never felt sick, but took them anyway, just in case.
As soon as it said take as and when required, I stopped taking them.

16/08/2020
It’s now Sunday, I have to take my first injection, 1 of 4. I don’t like needles, I grab the side of my stomach with one hand, the needle in the other. I just can’t do it, it’s not happening. My wife says “let me”, I give her the needle.
But everytime she holds the needle near me, I move away. She tells me she can’t do it if I keep moving away.
I take the needle off her, I realise one way or another I’m going to have to do this. In my head I count to 3, then just do it, to my surprise I didn’t feel the needle go in, as it’s very fine. This gave me more confidence for next time.