Out of hospital and back to normality (whatever that is!)

After a week in hospital and a successful blood transfusion alongside various antibiotics, I found out that I had been a victim of sepsis and that I have a high risk of readmittance to hospital in the near future. My temperature and blood pressure have been low, but this has been put down to loss of fluids through the general heat and the ridiculous night sweats I’ve been having. On the plus side, I met some amazing fellow cancer sufferers on the ward, who helped to make the stay much more entertaining and we also learnt a lot from each other about our various experiences with the disease. These ladies are sure to remain lifelong friends of mine. Since coming out of hospital I’ve had a few other visits too from friends, which has given me a morale boost.

I can feel my physical health deteriorating; I can’t walk anywhere near as far as I used to be able to and I get out of breath doing simple household tasks. I’m now on permanent slow-release morphine, which is managing the pain a majority of the time, 

I did manage to ensure I was well enough to have some level of chemo on Thursday, although it was not the full compliment of drugs (due to the PICC line not being fitted in time). I had the PICC line fitted on Friday, which was actually a lot less of an ordeal than I had imagined it to be, so I am now fully ready for my next round of chemo (Irinotecan and 5FU for those who are interested in such things) and.... best of all... no more needles (or almost as there are some things they can’t do through a PICC line)!

I had a meeting with the Macmillan Family Support Worker from the palliative care team last week, and today an initial assessment visit from a specialist nurse at the St Elizabeth Hospice. Both were very helpful and I was surprised at all of the services they can offer to help me maintain as active and ‘normal’ a life as possible.

Wedding dress shopping is rebooked for tomorrow, which is a good job as it’s only three weeks away! Pretty much everything else is sorted thankfully... just a wig to find, as I’m likely to have no hair by then. The Cancer Information Centre have been fantastic in signposting and making referrals for me for everything from financial advice to counselling to wigs! The Macmillan Benefits Advisor has also applied for a blue badge for me, which has been a godsend, meaning I can continue to do things like the weekly shop and go to the hospital without having to use a wheelchair.

Hopefully this week will be a bit calmer! 🤞