Tag Archives: critical illness

Cycle Two – complete

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Unfortunately Cycle Two did not go according to plan.  My blood work came back low which caused a delay in the treatment to the next week in order to allow my white count to come back up on its own.  On one hand this news was very disappointing and then on the other it meant a second week without chemo.  I was also being weaned of Dexamethasone which is a steroid that prevents the release of substances in the body that cause inflammation, which is often given into the vein before chemotherapy to help control acute nausea and vomiting. It is also given as an oral tablet for patients to take for the two or three days following chemotherapy to help minimize delayed nausea and vomiting.  In my case I was given oral dexamethasone to help increase my appetite and reduce pain at the beginning of this journey.  So, I have been on the drug for almost three months and it was starting to have negative side effects one of which is I look like porky the pig with my face so swollen. The weaning was a very difficult withdrawal and at the same time I was receiving Cycle two part one.  So to the say that following weekend was hard would be an understatement.  Acute fatigue set in and  I had literally had no energy, was not hungry and for the first time felt the nausea.  I slept for most of that weekend which was ultimately the only way to get through that period of feeling drained and sick.  I must admit during that time I really began to question why anyone would put themselves through this.  I also developed some sort of mouth infection (caused by the chemo) actually cancelling part 2 altogether.  Is this a good thing or a bad thing, I’m not sure.   To track my progress I had a CAT scan yesterday and and will be receiving a bone scan at the end of this week.  Hopefully the scans will show that the chemo is doing its job.

For now I’ve been off the steroid for three weeks and starting my second week of no chemo and I’m feeling better with a little more energy and a better appetite.  My next cycle is scheduled for next week along with the review of my CAT scan and bone scan.  I will prepare for my blood work next Tuesday and take it one day at a time and say a few prays that the chemo is holding the cancer at bay and I have the strength to complete Cycle three.

snoppyIn the meantime,  I’m looking forward to spending time with my daughter over Christmas and will try and make the most of the festive season.  I am certainly working on that by watching every Christmas show on the TV for the first time in years.  Not surprising most of the shows are about hope and faith and the belief that all will be well.  So, I can’t go wrong indulging in the Christmas spirit at this time.  It helps put me in my happy place.  Happy Holidays everyone…

Northumberland Hills Hospital, Cobourg, ON

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NNH EmergencyI know there have been times in the past where I have ranted and raved about the wait times and care I’ve received at the Northumberland Hills Hospital emergency department.  Just recently I was required to wait for over 10 hours. Dealing with the frustration of all that waiting when you are not feeling well is at times overwhelming.  From the initial triage in the red chairs to endless hours in the blue chairs before being moved inside to wait yet again.  But, in all fairness to the staff and the hospital, in the past three day I received a wake up call which told me that each of my previous visits did not put me in an extreme crisis situation. Hospital Emergency Services is really for crisis emergencies and during poor health we as individuals are so focused on what our personal  medical issue are in that moment, (which is a perfectly normal human response given we are not medical professionals and can’t fix ourselves) and all we know is that we don’t feel well.  We sometimes miss that emergency services is defined as “A serious, unexpected, and often dangerous situation requiring immediate action”.

Was I in need of seeing a doctor at the time, oh yes.  Could I have gone to a walk-in or my family doctor, no not really due to my many complications and the need to be seen as soon as possible,and/or the simple fact that it was a weekend, or late evening.   We baby boomers know our healthcare services  is in crisis, but that’s a topic for another day.  I had at the time of my previous emergency visits no alternative; I needed to be seen by a medical professional.  So I brought my book and prepared to wait.

Today though I am putting into prospective what Northumberland Hills Hospital, doctors and staff really do for real crisis emergencies and to say thank you to  Dr. Gibbons, Dr. Moorsom and the hard working wonderful nursing staff for being there for me this past Monday and Tuesday.  You saved my life or at least prevented me from losing mobility through my neck and spinal column and brought clarity to a very serious situation.

Dr. Gibbons whom I had never met before was able to go above and beyond my original diagnosis to investigate, analysis and research my symptoms for which I had previously received several scans over a period of months.  He used his powers of deduction and analytic skills to realize I had a potentially fatal situation going on in my neck.  His quick thinking and consulting with Dr. Moorsom resulted in a next day MRI and a rush to start treatment the following day at the Oshawa Cancer Centre.  His calm bedside manner, dedication and concern along with the aid of the nurses over those two very scary days resulted in my being here to write about it and say thanks because I know as medical professionals their jobs are tough and sometimes as selfish human’s it’s always easier to criticize then to give praise when it is due.

I now understand what emergency stands for.  I can’t promise that I won’t complain about my next long wait time, but I’ll know if I’m waiting, there is probably someone in your care in need of emergency services  with a capital “E “and that I need not worry that you will be there for me should I be in a health threat crisis again.  Here is a link to the Northmberland Hills Foundation.  

Thanks….