I was still awake at 7 this morning - steroid insomnia, though it’s never been that bad. After a cup of tea, I’m ashamed to admit I took 2 diazepam and got in 3 hours sleep.
My ribs were seriously painful (same as last week, definitely how Paclitaxel affects muscle and joint pain so nothing to worry about). My GP practice declined the request to complete a bloods request card on the grounds that they ‘aren’t trained to that level’ - all it required was copying the details from the computer from last week! So I didn’t see much point in asking if they could duplicate the A&E prescription for anti-inflammatories. I rang Oncology and Rachel was so helpful, after she’d checked every possible symptom and more to rule out other issues. She suggested she ring my GP practice to explain the situation and ask them to issue a prescription. The alternative was to go back to Ward J95, my place of residence when I had neutropoenic sepsis. I really thought that was a waste of their resources as they would have to assess me from scratch, including more xrays, so I was grateful for her offer to ring the practice. She rang back, said she’d explained it all and a doctor would ring me this afternoon. Did they buggery. I carried two phones with me everywhere so I know I didn’t miss a call. I gave up at 6.30 when starvation drove me to my Tantrum Stew,
This is the third time I have felt let down by this practice but there’s no alternative. I was in serious ‘agony’ with every arm movement firing up the pain, not to mention trying to shift myself into lying, sitting or standing up. Moving round is fine. I resorted to Nurofen. I wonder if this unnamed doctor was the one who made me so angry when I saw her before chemo.
What I just don't get is how two organisations, both part of the same Trust, will not work together. As far as my GP practice is concerned, the hospital is treating me and they won’t get involved. It’s ridiculous.
On the good side, I made my Tantrum Stew with a little help from Dennis as I can’t lift heavy pans and don’t trust my hand with a sharp knife (watching D, I can’t trust him either!). I did snap at him a couple of times as he questioned everything I was doing and added “I could do that.” Aargh. Funnily, Sue had mentioned the mood swings as a serious side effect for her mother and I blithely said I didn’t get them. Not sure Dennis would agree!
I also rang Cookridge Hall (now Bannatyne’s) and have reactivated my membership from 1 May, book group day. Even if I just sit and move my legs on the bike for 2-3 minutes, it will be a start but it will hav to be one-armed tai chi and I can’t see me being able to stand for long. Anyway I had a lovely (?) chat with Sue on Reception - she’s always friendly and always asks how I am but I understand more now, as she lost her mother to breast cancer - it came out when I was was saying the treatment is way worse than the disease. Then I spoke to Jez, the manager (?) who helped me on accident day and he’s arranging vouchers as gifts to the two whose cars were so badly damaged. So I was able to text them to apologise at last and ask them each to accept a lunch for two as a tiny gesture of apology. I got lovely replies - the owner of the black car, which I went directly into, received her new car last Thursday and loves it! I can’t apologise yet to the owner of the third car as I had no recall and sort of disputed how much damage there could have been. However, I’ve checked with Maureen who described where it was and what the damage was (‘slight’ but is that slight relative to the other cars, two of which were write-offs?). Anyway, until I hear from the insurance company I can’t contact her to apologise but I don’t think a small paint job warrants a gift. Am I being tight? More than anything, I think it’s just that I can’t relate to the car in the accident so she kind of doesn't feel real to me.
So no anti-inflammatories, no scheduled 3pm oncology call...and the steroid boost has gone. What lies ahead?
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