What happens after Chemo?



Apologies for poor quality of photo and the reflection of my hand.



I've talked alot about how my specific chemo regeime works but I haven't told you about all the other drugs I have to take to ensure that my body copes with the chemo. Before every chemo I get a nasty injection. When I say nasty I mean one that actually causes about 5-6 minutes of pain after it is injected. The nurses try to couter act this by slapping your arm after they have performed it. But it still causes pain.

Then there is the plethora of anti sicknes drugs. 4 tablets in total. I am lucky I do not seem to suffer with sickness during the chemo, but I have seen people vomiting while their chemo is being administered. It truely is horrible stuff. You cannot predict how someone will react until the chemo is being administered.

Once chemo is finished you get your bag of drugs. Yesterday, due to some of the staffing shortages I have mentioned before I had to collect mine from the oncology pharmacy. No great problem, it is on my way out, but it closes at 5pm and I was cutting it fine. The previous three chemo's I wouldn't have made it as my final infusion didn't finish til 5.30. As it is it wasn't ready for another 40 mintues so I was still waiting at 5.40.

So, when I get home I have to sort my drugs. Some have to be taken before food, some after food, some before a certain time. Some have to be taken 3 times a day, some 4 times a day and some twice a day. It is a real nightmare remembering what to take and when.

At the top of this post is a photo of all the tablets I took this morning.

The top two are the most important.

Morphine has to be taken 2 times a day, about 12 hours apart. This is slow release morphine and I can really feel it working now. I take this when I get up and before I fall asleep.
Paracetamol is standard over the counter paracetamol. No more than 8 tablets in 24 hours. What I also have to run alongside this is liquid morphine (oromorph) which I can take as and when I need it for 'breakthrough' pain relief. It works within 15/20 minutes and is amazing. The main problem is it is so liquid I need to take it with a syringe which looks a bit dodgy when you are out and about and need to take some.

The busacopan is a new addition this time as towards the end of this cycle of chemo I was suffering more and more with excessive cramping and discomfort. This has to be taken 4 times a day. I think that means Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and before bed.

The next three are antisickness. All have to be taken with or around meals.
Domperidone is the nicest of the three. It has no nasty side effects and I can continue to take it if I feel sick through the whole of the cycle.
Dexamethasone is a steriod. Steriods keep you awake if taken to late in the evening. This I have to remember to take before 6pm otherwise I spend most of the night in fitful sleep rather than nice restful sleep.
These 2 I have to take for three days.
Ondansatron is another steriod. I have this before chemo and as a one of dose the morning after.

Finally Loperamide, better known as Imodium. I am sure you know what this is for!! However my dosage instructions are far more intense and to all intents and purposes I don't think it works. I take 2 after the first 'loose stool' and then 1 tablet every 2 hours, until things firm up. I normally only have to take this for 2/3 days as it is to counteract the evil side effects of the Irinotecan.

Finally I have my 5FU pump. Which some of you have seen and starts of as a hard tennis ball sized pump connected to my PICC line and gradually deflates over 46/48 hours when I go and see the most annoying IV nurse to get it disconnected.

So you see, chemo is much more than long day in Guildford!!!

After the flushing

Wow, what a difference a week makes.


This time last week I was suffering the side effects of the chemo, confused about the mis commuication between NHS professionals & generally feeling a bit down.


I picked up my prescription on Wednesday and cannot commend enough the staff in Boots in Maidenbower. The lady I dealt with there was amazing and really showed excellent customer service which makes a massive difference when you are going through what I am going through.


So to Thursday & 'the flushing', @craftyguider commented that it sounded like something the bullies would do at school.  Having been through it I can definitely  say it is not something that you would want to have done on a regular basis but I have definitely had worse medical procedures over the last 3 months!!!!


I was a bit worried because I had to take the kids to the appointment. I needn't have been. Liz, the IV nurse, was brilliant. 


She had to start off by taking my blood pressure, O2 SAT's & temperature and offered to let Isaac or Imogen put the O2 'thing' (technical term there :)) on my finger. They didn't want to, but it helps make the procedures less scary and medical. 


The actual flushing & change of dressing is a bit of a time consuming process. Everything has to be cleaned and sterilised multiple times. In order to flush the line through a little bit of blood has to be drawn into the line. Liz checked that this wasn't going to phase the kids and they were fine. They both had a look at where 'mummys wiggley' (its new name) goes into mummys arm and Isaac proudly declared 'Mummys special medicine goes in there so she doesn't have to go to hospital again'. 


The dressing was then replaced and appointments set for the next few weeks, including the district nurse coming out on 25th October to take Blood for the next chemo from my PICC line rather than having to have a needling. Then in future weeks Liz will come and do it rather than me going to have to go and sit in the hospital for ages.


Things are finally starting to come together. The pain in my neck and shoulder is lessening & Liz also reassured me that this is normal and I should only start to worry if when the line is flushed I hear a rushing in my ears.


So I have 3 1/2 more days of tablets to take and then a 'rest' week