Radiotherapy week 1

So I just hit my first milestone of 1 week of radio and 5 to go. It was a little nerve wracking but made easy with my friend, Heidi accompanying me offering plenty of distraction and support. It does make a huge difference when someone is there with you, as independent as I like to think I am. My appointment yesterday, I dragged john and the kids with me. The radiation team are brilliant and took the kids through to show them where I go and explain what happens before whisking them out as they de robed me on the table. I was holding back tears as the reality of my kids seeing it sunk in. Kids always make everything that much more emotional as your connection to them and the importance of you as a mother is in their little lives.

Anyway, after radio the nurse meets with you to check on you. I casually mentioned labored breathing, the swelling of feet and legs and rapid weight gain - which put me in hospital!!!! I feel well so it seemed like a lot of fuss. The kids were dropped off to Heidi's after school with nothing but their uniforms, and ended up sleeping there as John didn't finish until midnight with me when the doctors finally had a plan.

It was precautionary as Docetaxol can damage your heart. So they were looking for clots possibly causing my leg swelling. The good news is that they found nothing sinister, I'm yet to do a 'echo' of my heart on the 29th which specifically checks the heart valves. It was funny though, in emergency chilling out and minding my own business and they called a code alert on me. I thought they had the wrong cubicle but it was because my blood pressure got down to 85. They asked if I was dizzy - no nothing. So they started tipping my Bed up and doctors kept coming and a saline drip started. Tamika, the nurse did apologies for doing it afterwards, but it's procedure.

i was taken to a ward about 2am, when my blood pressure got to 100, after arriving at ER about 6pm.

The wards are lovely at Olivia Newton John as well. A nurse is stationed in your room with 3 other beds. I had 3 blokes with me. They were characters. I overheard 1 of them telling his wife "a girl came in my room last night"!! He was a bit of a joker and had everyone in stitches. 1 of them I knew had advanced stages of cancer throughout his liver and kidneys from a melanoma that was removed 8 months before. He was hopeful and we discussed some of the more miraculous stories with the latest immunotherapy treatments. i felt like a fraud taking up a hospital bed when I felt perfectly fine just lying around amongst these guys.

But again, giving me another opportunity to remain grateful and lucky.

So at home, with my Fat feet back on diuretics, because they said so and occasional tight chest.

Another opportunity to feel so lucky to have wonderful supporting friends with text messages cheering me on, swelling reduction product ideas, free babysitting of both my children, and me and a Home cooked meal Of yummy cacciatore to come home to from hospital from Leanne and pizza from Heidi.

Now a week of Christmas preparation, Luckily I did most of my shopping online already. Have a great Christmas preparation week. Xx