Wednesday was chemo and look at this: my own Personalised Care Sheet. It's filled out on Both Sides. Not only did the oncologist tell me (write me) which medicines I'm having, but what they do and what side effects might occur.
I'm getting Taxol (side effect: no hair) and Avastan (side effect: no capillaries). (Remarks simplified for literary effect.)
Taxol is chemeotherapy. Avastan is a medicine. I don't know what the difference is. Anyway, treatment is 3 weeks on, 1 week off. I started with 1 1/2 hours of therapy which will be reduced week by week to 1/2 an hour. Plus the cleansings and anti-nausea stuff. Whew! No more all day at the hospital.
Instead of all the nurses treating all the patients so I never learn their names, I had my own nurse. This one is Sylvia. I think. Sigh.
Lunch was good. Real cheese in a container, not plastic-wrapped industrial stuff.
I finally found something to talk to the psychologist about, so I asked to have my day changed. She/he/it doesn't come in on Wednesday. I'm still pissed off with the other hospital and lack of care. It has occurred to me that if I can get answers from the doctors about any deterioration or lack thereof in my condition, I won't really need the psychologist, but I might as well start somewhere. I think it makes them unhappy when you tell them you don't have any problems.
No nausea, no nothing. Went to market and lunch at a friend's house on Thursday. Cooked lunch for volunteer workers (on our house) on Friday, and had a 5-hour nap. Today, the little market in Rémuzat and voting against the privitisation of the post office. Why does the government want to privatise an efficient service which also makes a profit?
Life is a vast improvement.
That looks so old fashioned-y....maybe it's the rubber stamp.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you've got a better plan, better care and you're not getting wiped out by the treatments!
Everything -- and I mean every paper in existence -- has a rubber stamp in France. Be the first on your block to order your own -- and that's no joke, either.
ReplyDeleteSent from the home of the bureaucracy. (The word is French, you know.)
It does look old-time. I'm used to printed computerized forms.
ReplyDeleteChemo attacks rapidly reproducing cells, as you know-which cancer is. As are hair cells, mouth cells, blood cells, stomach, etc, which causes all those fun-filled side effects of hair loss, nausea, anemia, low platelets.
Avastin prevents blood vessels leading to the tumor from forming-these are needed to deliver nutrients to the tumor to grow. No nutrients to the tumor, no tumor growth.
Glad to hear no nausea!
Karen
All sounding positive Margot.
ReplyDeleteBureaucracy is just the same Italy. Every official document here needs a special stamp purchased then taken back to the original office that told you to go off and obtain it from elsewhere, before it gets its rubber stamp!!!
Having had a colleague who was posted to Italy and had to return after 2 years because it was giving his wife migraines, I know that Italy is the worst. Just thought I wouldn't go there. LOL!!
ReplyDelete