5 down ...

The penultimate chemotherapy session: DONE!

So Wednesday saw me at my current second home, the Countess of Chester Hospital, for the fifth of my six chemo sessions. It's hard to believe that I'm just one session away from completing this course. Do I get a certificate for being a good patient? But what, I hear you ask, does it all entail?

Well, it's a very long day, having chemotherapy treatment. The hospital is just a 15 minute walk away, fortunately, but I've noticed the last couple of times that as I approach it, there has been something of a feeling of dread sitting in my stomach. More poison coming into my body ... however, it IS for a reason AND it does seem to be doing it's job. but it still sits heavily with me. I guess also there is some trepidation that my white blood count won't be good enough to allow me to go ahead with the treatment that day, and I'll be sent home, to come again another day, and so have even longer to go before this thing ends.

But I go in and take my place in the waiting area to be called to be weighed (so they can match my drug dosage to my size), then, with the form in hand, announcing that I've not exactly faded away over the past fortnight, I wander down to the treatment suite and select my chemo chair for the day. Because it does tend to take ALL day.

First, there is the game of "Where'll we stick the Cannula today?" Sometimes this is a direct hit, but three, four and five goes are not unheard of (ouch!). Then there is the interminable wait for the blood test results to come back, which determine whether or not the treatment can go ahead.

Actually, after speaking to my consultant the other week, as he seems quite pleased that I've been so healthy throughout the treatment, he is no longer particularly worried about my white blood cell count, and he's just going to plough on with the treatment, which is fine with me!

Then, once the treatment can begin, there are six different, shall we say, "infusions" to be administered that these can take three to four hours sometimes. So by the time the last saline flush has gone through and they release me from my chair, am I ready for home ... well, yes, if you must know!

The end in sight ... well, sort of ...

But with 5 treatments down, it feels so good to have the end of the treatment in sight. Or is it? Well, yes and no. Because after the chemo comes, guess what? The radiotherapy, of course! It's a case of "belt and braces" here ... the plan is to hit the Hodgkin's lymphoma hard with the chemo, then follow that up with what looks like being a three week course of radiotherapy, just to be sure (to be sure!). But once all that is done, then so will I be ... well and truly, I suspect. No, really, once all that is done, I'll be chomping on the bit to get back out there and resuming my 365challenge again. And that day is getting closer all the time *GRINS*

Wish me luck!