Day 15 - Delayed Intensification

What a day! Went into hospital this morning for the usual Monday chemo. We got there probably around 9:00 or so. Then they first had to put Bianca's wiggle into her port and they tried to draw blood from it. Nothing. Bianca tried flapping her arms like a chicken, lying back, flapping some more - nothing. It flushed fine (this is where they put fluids through with a syringe). So we decided to wait a little while. Tried again, nothing. Flapping. Nothing. So they decided to give her some or the other anti-clogging drug that is supposed to help with the blood flow. We then had to wait an hour. Bianca decided to lie on the bed for a rest.

After an hour, tried again, nothing, lie back, nothing, flapping, nothing. So we had to do a finger prick. Bianca decided to write the word "Finger Prick" because, as she said, "then I know it is coming". Regardless of this, she still screamed lots and thankfully finger pricks don't take too long. I think she is over needles after last week (but unfortunately she will still do finger pricks for a very very long time going forward). Bianca asked how to spell "Finger Prick" and wrote the letters herself. She battled a little bit with the "G" and the "K".



Of course, typical Murphy's Law, straight after this they managed to pull a little blood from her wiggle. Then they had to start the chemo. First Vincristine, which is just a squirt into the wiggle, then Doxorubicin, which is run through IV line (through her port / wiggle) and this unfortunately takes 2 hours to run. But by then it was 12:00 already.

Eventually by approximately 14:30 we managed to leave the hospital and finally by 15:30 arrived home.

I was hoping we'd be back home by say 13:00 so I could at least still do some things, but the day was pretty much spent at the hospital.

Pretty much the whole day was a grumpy day, and a hungry day. She was constantly asking for food. One moment she was happy and chatting, then the next she was quiet, grumpy, tired or just not in the mood and then in between the constant asking for food. It takes all my energy, but I know I can't get cross with her or impatient because this is the Dexamethasone. Just 6 more days of this Dexamethasone (and then 5 days each month from January for the rest of the 2 year treatment...).

At one point Bianca and Sanna were driving somewhere and suddenly a car pulled out in front of Sanna causing her to slam on breaks, so of course Bianca's baby fell onto the floor. Bianca looked at Sanna, "you have to say you're sorry". So Sanna said "I'm sorry, Baby".

What is quite hard to handle is that Bianca can literally go from being happy to being completely down in the dumps in a matter of minutes.

By 18:00 Bianca complained of a "sore wee" so Terence took her back to the hospital. Not sure exactly what it is, but it is showing some kind of infection so they had to put the Emla cream on (which takes 1 hour to numb the skin), then put the wiggle back in and then after that had to give some IV antibiotics. Bianca did not have to spend the night and now at 22:15 came back.

We need to be back at the hospital tomorrow morning for Doctor Anne to have a look at her. I will take a bag, her pillow and blanket anyway just in case she is admitted.

So much for the things I wanted to do tomorrow...

Medicines today:
Dexamethasone - 3.5 tablets in the morning, 4 tablets at night
Vincristine - Chemo squirted into wiggle
Doxorubicin - Chemo, 2 hours through IV line
Fluconozole - 10ml at night
Gentimycin - IV antibiotic