Ding, ding – Round 3

Seems like an age since I was last in Ward 8 at the Western.

In fact it seems like an eternity since I was told that first I had a lymphoma, and then a few days later that it was Mantle Cell.

Yet it’s still (just) less than two months since I got the diagnosis and started on this ‘journey’.

And tomorrow I’m back across Edinburgh for my third round of chemotherapy.

Although it’ll be my most intensive phase so far, I’m hoping to restrict myself to a one night stay, not least as it’s my daughter Millie’s 9th birthday on Tuesday.

So it’s back to the routine tonight – packing the bag and with a bit more focus on ‘goodies’ this time.

My cravings this week are for fizzy Limeade, shortbread, Harribo Bears, chewy bread rolls and chocolate. All healthy, cancer-busting super-foods…

I’ve been looking at the drugs I’ll be getting over the next 48 hours and it’s hard to believe they can get it all into your system in such a short period of time – though I know that the IV drip will be in pretty much in constant use.

There’s Prednisolone (steroid), Chlorphenamine, Paracetamol, Rituximab, Granisteron, Vincristine, Doxorubicin, Mesna, Cyclophosphamide and Potassium Chloride. That took me a while to type!

Assuming all goes well I’ll then be home for four days more of oral steroids then that’s it until round four.

Well, not quite. I also got my appointment through yesterday for my second CT scan, for 29 January. This was a bit of a surprise as I expected it to be after phase four of chemo.

The scan will show how much – or how little – the chemo has killed off the cancer so far. So a pretty big milestone but one I’ll try not to worry too much about in advance.

More generally, I’ve had a pretty decent period health-wise since Christmas. Tired, yes, but rarely exhausted and pretty much able to get up and about and do things with Louise and the kids.

The weather’s been our biggest obstacle and has driven me mad. But I’m thankful that we’ve not been disrupted by the terrible flooding in the south and north of the country. My heart goes out to those so badly affected by the heavy rain and snow over the festive period.

I’ve also missed being ‘at the coalface’ of the Scottish Government’s Resilience operation during my enforced sabbatical. Honest!

Looking forward to being home for Millie’s birthday on Tuesday. She had a small ‘party’ at the ice skating at Murrayfield on Saturday. I was feeling a wee bit out-of-puff so I opted to watch from the sidelines. Bloody freezing! But the kids enjoyed it.

Right, better get the bag packed and have an early night.

And remember, if you are still thinking about New Year Resolutions, have a look at my previous posts for some inspiration!

A x