Update on oggbashan's health

[R. Richard]

You're a fighter, Ogg. Best wishes.

 

[oggbashan]

Not a good day. Last of five self-administered chemo injections left me tired and wobbly on my feet.

I hope tomorrow will be better. Just getting into and out of a car was almost more than I could manage.

 

[Voboy]

Not a good day. Last of five self-administered chemo injections left me tired and wobbly on my feet.

I hope tomorrow will be better. Just getting into and out of a car was almost more than I could manage.

Hang in there!

 

[GreenandGolden]

Not a good day. Last of five self-administered chemo injections left me tired and wobbly on my feet.

I hope tomorrow will be better. Just getting into and out of a car was almost more than I could manage.

I hope tomorrow is better for you too, and hope you get a good nights sleep. I work in radiotherapy, and I know the chemo is generally so much rougher.
It’s all fucking horrible stuff though, only slightly better than the prospect of not having it.

All the best

 

[oggbashan]

I hope tomorrow is better for you too, and hope you get a good nights sleep. I work in radiotherapy, and I know the chemo is generally so much rougher.
It’s all fucking horrible stuff though, only slightly better than the prospect of not having it.

All the best

Thank you. I have had radiotherapy too and didn't notice any side effects. Generally, chemo doesn't affect me either but I have had some days of tiredness and being wobbly on my feet, like today - but that's all.

I have no nausea, no loss of appetite, and this time I'm not even losing hair. Being tired is acceptable.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

 

[GreenandGolden]

Thank you. I have had radiotherapy too and didn't notice any side effects. Generally, chemo doesn't affect me either but I have had some days of tiredness and being wobbly on my feet, like today - but that's all.

I have no nausea, no loss of appetite, and this time I'm not even losing hair. Being tired is acceptable.

That sounds like you’re doing really well then all considered!

Always seems like adding insult to injury when you lose your hair on top of feeling shit.

Keep well

 

[oggbashan]

That sounds like you’re doing really well then all considered!

Always seems like adding insult to injury when you lose your hair on top of feeling shit.

Keep well

At my age, getting a larger bald patch or even losing all my hair would be no problem. After the first set of chemo, I lost most of the hair on my head but kept a straggly beard.

Afterwards, the hair grew back, even in places that had been bald for a decade.

That irritated some of the female fellow chemo patients who had lost all their hair. I felt sorry for them. For a woman that can be very distressing.

 

[GreenandGolden]

At my age, getting a larger bald patch or even losing all my hair would be no problem. After the first set of chemo, I lost most of the hair on my head but kept a straggly beard.

Afterwards, the hair grew back, even in places that had been bald for a decade.

That irritated some of the female fellow chemo patients who had lost all their hair. I felt sorry for them. For a woman that can be very distressing.

It can be, I’ve never been particularly attached to my hair, having cut it very short several times now, but who knows how I’d feel until I was in that position.

you seem really upbeat about it though, which I’m sure your fellow patients will also appreciate.

Always nice to have someone like you brightening the outpatients department!

 

[oggbashan]

It can be, I’ve never been particularly attached to my hair, having cut it very short several times now, but who knows how I’d feel until I was in that position.

you seem really upbeat about it though, which I’m sure your fellow patients will also appreciate.

Always nice to have someone like you brightening the outpatients department!

My oncologist thinks I'm amazing. I never have anything to complain about and am always upbeat even though my particular kind of lung cancer is aggressive and usually fatal. I also bring her, and her staff, boxes of chocolates which is why she never arranges a telephone consultation!

I also provide chocolates for the chemo team which is why I am always welcome.

My appetite immediately after chemo does annoy some of the other patients. After one of the first chemo sessions I was hungry so I went to the hospital canteen for a full English Breakfast and several cups of strong coffee. Next to me was another chemo patient who was nibbling a biscuit very carefully and sipping weak tea...

 

[GreenandGolden]

My oncologist thinks I'm amazing. I never have anything to complain about and am always upbeat even though my particular kind of lung cancer is aggressive and usually fatal. I also bring her, and her staff, boxes of chocolates which is why she never arranges a telephone consultation!

I also provide chocolates for the chemo team which is why I am always welcome.

My appetite immediately after chemo does annoy some of the other patients. After one of the first chemo sessions I was hungry so I went to the hospital canteen for a full English Breakfast and several cups of strong coffee. Next to me was another chemo patient who was nibbling a biscuit very carefully and sipping weak tea...

Aw you sound like a model patient, I’d be more than happy to have you in my department if you come bringing chocolate
I work in pretreatment so we often get forgotten on the ‘goodies and gifts’ front.

Hope you continue to fare well as you have done so far, all things considered!

 

[oggbashan]

Aw you sound like a model patient, I’d be more than happy to have you in my department if you come bringing chocolate
I work in pretreatment so we often get forgotten on the ‘goodies and gifts’ front.

Hope you continue to fare well as you have done so far, all things considered!

Every three weeks I go for pre-treatment checks.

I bring chocolates for the receptionist, the phlebotomist, and the nurse who does the final assessment.

As I live in a seaside town, I also bring sticks of rock. Apart from the pre-treatment staff, all the ambulance drivers get sticks of rock too...

My local sweet shop gives me a discount. They know because I am diabetic, that I don't eat the rock myself, but give it away to health workers. I tend to buy twenty sticks a week.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Sorry, “sticks of rock?”

 

[oggbashan]

Sorry, “sticks of rock?”

A traditional UK seaside candy. It is peppermint flavoured, usually with the name of the town running through it:

 

[GreenandGolden]

Every three weeks I go for pre-treatment checks.

I bring chocolates for the receptionist, the phlebotomist, and the nurse who does the final assessment.

As I live in a seaside town, I also bring sticks of rock. Apart from the pre-treatment staff, all the ambulance drivers get sticks of rock too...

My local sweet shop gives me a discount. They know because I am diabetic, that I don't eat the rock myself, but give it away to health workers. I tend to buy twenty sticks a week.

I should have said sorry, I work in radiotherapy pretreatment, so besides the initial ct scan, I work in a lowly office planning the treatments! No patients around to bring us lovely sticks of rock!

They must be over the moon when they see you coming though

 

[oggbashan]

Extravasation:

Three weeks ago, during my second treatment of this set of six, the cannula bent and deposited the whole chemo drug, all 500ml of it, in any arm, not the vein.

Apparently, it was the worst (or best - depending on your point of view) extravasation the chemo staff had seen in a decade. My lower left arm was solid from knuckles to my elbow. All the chemo ward staff had to come to see and multiple photos were taken on mobile phones and by the hospital's official photographer.

I had no pain although the arm was very swollen. Three days later I developed two dime-sized clear blisters on my arm which went down after icepacks. I now have a half-dime size red patch, healing well.

I had to return on the fourth day for an assessment and they were surprised that three-quarters of the swelling had gone and I had no issues.

 

[oggbashan]

Ouch!

Last night the stepfather of one of our friends died.

He was about 25, maybe 30 years younger than me.

He was on holiday in Wales, from Manchester, with his two daughters, my friend's half-sisters. The holiday was to reset family relationships which had been strained in recent years.

He went to bed early last night, complaining of feeling unwell. This morning he was dead with no known health condition.

 

[sirhugs]

....

He went to bed early last night, complaining of feeling unwell. This morning he was dead with no known health condition.

best way to go, but hopefuly not too young.
too late for me to have no known health conditions though.
there is never a good time.

 

[oggbashan]

best way to go, but hopefuly not too young.
too late for me to have no known health conditions though.
there is never a good time.

One of my bookselling friends had the ideal death. He was celebrating his 80th birthday surrounded by friends and family. After a chef-prepared meal he was sitting beside the fire in his favourite armchair, smoking a Havana cigar and sipping a vintage Cognac. He leant back in his chair, carefully finished his drink, put the stub of his cigar in the ashtray - and died.

 

[oggbashan]

Great!

We don't normally get any post on Mondays. I had one letter sent from Coventry dated 22 June advising me that my next CT scan is on Wednesday evening. If the post had come on Tuesday I would have had one day's notice.

My wife is leading a meeting that evening so she cannot take me. If my daughter isn't available I will have to take taxis - about £60.

 

[oggbashan]

Wednesday's scan went well but I won't know the results for three weeks.

Today is pre-chemo check and the next chemo session is scheduled for Tuesday.

Blue Badge:

My Blue Badge (disabled parking permit) expired on 14th June but there was a six-week delay because of the volume of applications. I have still been using it with a copy of the email saying the council is six weeks behindhand. Today I had two emails. One said the badge had been approved. The other gave details of the new badge which should be within me within 10 days.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Wednesday's scan went well but I won't know the results for three weeks.

Today is pre-chemo check and the next chemo session is scheduled for Tuesday.

Blue Badge:

My Blue Badge (disabled parking permit) expired on 14c June but there was a six-week delay because of the volume of applications. I have still been using it with a copy of the email saying the council is six weeks behindhand. Today I had two emails. One said the badge had been approved. The other gave details of the new badge which should be within me within 10 days.

Good luck with those, Ogg. Hope the results are all great

 

[oggbashan]

Thanks, Chloe.

Don't know the blood test result. If there is a problem I will know on Monday.

Blood/Oxygen 100%

Blood Pressure: 135/58

Weight and height unchanged.

 

[KeithD]

Thanks, Chloe.

Don't know the blood test result. If there is a problem I will know on Monday.

Blood/Oxygen 100%

Blood Pressure: 135/58

Weight and height unchanged.

Hang in there. Still getting better results than I get.

 

[sirhugs]

Thanks, Chloe.

Don't know the blood test result. If there is a problem I will know on Monday.

Blood/Oxygen 100%

Blood Pressure: 135/58

Weight and height unchanged.

excellent start