Chemo day 2

I survived my first intravenous infusion yesterday and started the 2 weeks of tablets today.  I am also taking steroids for 3 days, not entirely sure why.  The nurse gave me a dose of steroid into my cannula and said it was to make the chemo hit the spot better.  She warnd me I might not sleep too well after it, and indeed I was a bit restless but nothing disastrous.

At the end of my two hour infusion I had a sort of hot flush and took a swig from Dave's water bottle, bought when we arrived at the hospital 3 hours before, so at room temperature.  One of the possible side-effects of the drug is laryngeal spasm, and it also makes you very sensitive to cold.  Even as I was swallowing I felt my throat closing up and feeling like dry crisps stuck in it.  The I tried to breathe and made a noise, at which stage the nurse attending to the patient in the next bay asked me if I was okay and I had to admit I wasn't.  Suddenly I had three nurses focussed on me, no panic but blood pressure taken and the anaphylaxis box of tricks placed on my table.  I didn't need it, but it meant I had to stay an extra half hour to make sure.  This turned into a full hour because all the nurses involved went to lunch and no-one seemed to think it odd that I was still sitting there with a cannula in m y hand, the anaphylaxis pack at the ready and no drip running.  Actually I was in no hurry to go home after that experience - no adrenalin at 38!

They told me that for me room temperature was not enough, and I should have only hot drinks for 5 days to avoid triggering another episode.  This suits me well, apart from having to take a flask to bed.

My main identifiable side effect is the tingling of hands and feet, which I was warned about, and told not to use the fridge or freezer as cold makes it worse.  What a joke!  The carpets feel like ice through my socks, my bed is freezing, I'm having to use Mum's fat-handled cutlery warmed on the Rayburn, and wear gloves most of the day.  It's supposed to last 3 days or so, but bearing in mind my extra sensitivity to the room temparature water I am not banking on it.  It's called peripheral neuropathy and if it doesn't resolve I have to report it because there is a small chance of it becoming permanent.  That would cramp my style!  Interestingly I have typed this with no problem, probably because my laptop has been running most of the day watching the webcams on Springwatch, so it is nice and warm.

I have one side-effect that is not listed on anything they have given me.  The first mouthful of anything tasty that I eat produces breath-holding pain in both jaws.  It reminds me of the mouth-drawing effect of tasting something acidic, but multiplied about 100times.  My guess is that it is an efect on the parotid glands.  It lasts about 5 seconds and then I can finish the meal with no problem.  I need to mention it at my telephone review before the next infusion.

I doubt if any of this is very edifying to anyone else, but you'll have to forgive me for making this record in case any of it is important later.

I managed to make a teaching clock to go with the watch we have bought Joe for hiw 4th birthday on Monday.  I made the face with a printout of a free clockface from the internet, mounted on  thick card with a second strengthening square of card underneath.  I decorated it with scrapbooking motifs and Dave made the hands.  We even managed a trip to town to buy sticky-backed plastic to help make it child-proof.  I managed pretty well with my tingly fingers, but Dave had to help with the wrapping and selotaping.  I had an hour in bed this afternoon and that was when I was almost symptom-free.  Speaks for itself I suppose!