04-06-2008, 03:40 PM
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An early 'Good Morning'
No....I did not we the bed! I was very tired and fell asleep a 8pm and so come 3.00am....I am wide awake!
I wanted to give you the update on yesterday's test.
I had an isotope injection (low dose radiation) which is brought to you in a lead container. Once injected, you then need to drink 2 litres of water. I imagined after an injection of nuclear material I would 'glow in the dark' but no such thing :o)
Once the water and radiation material have done their stuff of coating the bones, (sounds like a recipe Grant!)you are taken into a restricted area, you lay on a bed and are strapped down do you don't move. The machine then is lowered over you and you are scanned from head to toe....a bit like a photocopier :o)
The scan has shown I do in fact have a brain, but the best news is that there has not been any spread of the cancer to my bones which was a huge relief to know. It also highlighted some bone degeneration in my left shoulder but that is normal and it just means I need to watch what I lift in future so all is well.
There are no real side effects to this treatment and the radio-active material is out of your body within 24 hours, which is probably due to all that water you are asked to drink.
So, I wait now for the heart specialist to tell me I have a heart and then my treatment will begin.
I have been shown the Chemo treatment room which is at the Hopelands Cancer Centre and it is a bit like a large lounge with high back leather arm chairs. People sit hooked up to two drips for their session of treatment. I am not sure how long the session lasts but it is probably a couple of hours.
The clinic have asked that someone accompany me on the first session and then I can go by myself. Apparently, hair loss occurs after the first session so I better get myself some warm head gear for the winter. Then I was told that my immune sysystem would begin to be attacked by the Chemo (similar to what happens to HIV inection) so,with a weaked immune system I nee to be careful who I come into contact with. So if people have colds or flu, I need to try and keep away until my immune system regains it's full capacity.
For me this is going to be difficult because many of you know, I love being with the children on builds but I am going to have to be sensible as in winter especially, so many of the little ones have runny noses with colds and some of the little ones have TB so it will be a case of trying to keep my distance during the treatment phase and I was thinking I could wear one of those masks like the nurses and doctor's do because that will help me not breathe in any germs. The other issue is of course the sun and the need to stay out of it as much as possible....how do you do that in Africa?
I thought of a plan for that too. I have a very wide brimed straw hat so I can attach a neckerchief around the brim and wear a long sleeved shirt over my arms. I will look like a bald bee keeper :o) so I can get round these challenges in one way or another because for me, the way I will get through this is to live my life as normal. To stop doing the things I love would not help me one little bit. So with a bit of creativity and adaption (and some common sense) I am sure the next six months, whilst challenging, will be just fine.
Oh...and one final piece of information, I was told that after Chemo your hair can grow back 'curly'....how's that :o)
So please continue to pray and send positive thoughts to all who are walking my walk!
Sue
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Good evening supporters of the GET SUE WELL club
Today I went to meet the heart specialist at Entabeni Hospital. You will all be glad to know I do have a heart, it's the right size, pumps lekker and is in the right place!
So armed with a piece of paper that said the above...or something very similar but in medical terms, off we go to Hopelands.
The room was full of people on drips!
It was a bit like going first class on an aeroplane. I was shown to my highback leather chair and given a cushion to rest my arm on, magazines were placed before me and I was asked if I was comfortable.....and this is where the plot changes (air hostesses do not stick needles into you, or at least not on the flights I have been on).
So needle in and then comes the bombardment of clear plastic bags hooked up to a frame. You are first given a saline bag, then comes the cortisone bag, followed by another saline bag. The cortisone has the effect of making you hyper active and so sleep is difficult. Anyone that knows me will know that that's normal for me!
Then comes the red bag. The sister called this the 'red devil' as this is the first of the 3 chemo cocktail and the one that makes the hair fall out 14 days after :o). It also turns the urine bright pink!
Then comes the saline once more and then the second chemo, then the saline and then the third chemo...are you getting the picture????
At the same time I am drinking copious cups of water because I want to flush this stuff out of my system as soon as possible. Once this session was over, I was given two sets of tables for nausea, one mild and one strong.
I was OK for a few hours after I got home but then at supper time, the nausea set in and the cooking smells and food made me feel worse so still downing lot's of water I succumbed and took the mild tablets. As their is no master chef on TV, I made a beeline for the computer because food preparation and people eating food is the last thing I want to see right now.
Brian is away from tomorrow for the weekend (a pre booked trip) and so I have a friend coming to be with me as the next 3 days are the 'bum' days and I have already apologised to her in advance for the mood swings they say I will experience :o)
I have been given a card for a wig maker....fancy a Tina Turner !!!! :o)
So, first session over and I am on my way to good health...one step at a time.
Thanks again for all the emails and text messages.....you will never know how great it is to receive them!
Chat soon
Sue ( A member of the chemo club!)
********************************************************
So there we are.........now tune in again for the next exciting update.....Sue goes to try on wigs!!!:rofl:
An early 'Good Morning'
No....I did not we the bed! I was very tired and fell asleep a 8pm and so come 3.00am....I am wide awake!
I wanted to give you the update on yesterday's test.
I had an isotope injection (low dose radiation) which is brought to you in a lead container. Once injected, you then need to drink 2 litres of water. I imagined after an injection of nuclear material I would 'glow in the dark' but no such thing :o)
Once the water and radiation material have done their stuff of coating the bones, (sounds like a recipe Grant!)you are taken into a restricted area, you lay on a bed and are strapped down do you don't move. The machine then is lowered over you and you are scanned from head to toe....a bit like a photocopier :o)
The scan has shown I do in fact have a brain, but the best news is that there has not been any spread of the cancer to my bones which was a huge relief to know. It also highlighted some bone degeneration in my left shoulder but that is normal and it just means I need to watch what I lift in future so all is well.
There are no real side effects to this treatment and the radio-active material is out of your body within 24 hours, which is probably due to all that water you are asked to drink.
So, I wait now for the heart specialist to tell me I have a heart and then my treatment will begin.
I have been shown the Chemo treatment room which is at the Hopelands Cancer Centre and it is a bit like a large lounge with high back leather arm chairs. People sit hooked up to two drips for their session of treatment. I am not sure how long the session lasts but it is probably a couple of hours.
The clinic have asked that someone accompany me on the first session and then I can go by myself. Apparently, hair loss occurs after the first session so I better get myself some warm head gear for the winter. Then I was told that my immune sysystem would begin to be attacked by the Chemo (similar to what happens to HIV inection) so,with a weaked immune system I nee to be careful who I come into contact with. So if people have colds or flu, I need to try and keep away until my immune system regains it's full capacity.
For me this is going to be difficult because many of you know, I love being with the children on builds but I am going to have to be sensible as in winter especially, so many of the little ones have runny noses with colds and some of the little ones have TB so it will be a case of trying to keep my distance during the treatment phase and I was thinking I could wear one of those masks like the nurses and doctor's do because that will help me not breathe in any germs. The other issue is of course the sun and the need to stay out of it as much as possible....how do you do that in Africa?
I thought of a plan for that too. I have a very wide brimed straw hat so I can attach a neckerchief around the brim and wear a long sleeved shirt over my arms. I will look like a bald bee keeper :o) so I can get round these challenges in one way or another because for me, the way I will get through this is to live my life as normal. To stop doing the things I love would not help me one little bit. So with a bit of creativity and adaption (and some common sense) I am sure the next six months, whilst challenging, will be just fine.
Oh...and one final piece of information, I was told that after Chemo your hair can grow back 'curly'....how's that :o)
So please continue to pray and send positive thoughts to all who are walking my walk!
Sue
**********************************************************
Good evening supporters of the GET SUE WELL club
Today I went to meet the heart specialist at Entabeni Hospital. You will all be glad to know I do have a heart, it's the right size, pumps lekker and is in the right place!
So armed with a piece of paper that said the above...or something very similar but in medical terms, off we go to Hopelands.
The room was full of people on drips!
It was a bit like going first class on an aeroplane. I was shown to my highback leather chair and given a cushion to rest my arm on, magazines were placed before me and I was asked if I was comfortable.....and this is where the plot changes (air hostesses do not stick needles into you, or at least not on the flights I have been on).
So needle in and then comes the bombardment of clear plastic bags hooked up to a frame. You are first given a saline bag, then comes the cortisone bag, followed by another saline bag. The cortisone has the effect of making you hyper active and so sleep is difficult. Anyone that knows me will know that that's normal for me!
Then comes the red bag. The sister called this the 'red devil' as this is the first of the 3 chemo cocktail and the one that makes the hair fall out 14 days after :o). It also turns the urine bright pink!
Then comes the saline once more and then the second chemo, then the saline and then the third chemo...are you getting the picture????
At the same time I am drinking copious cups of water because I want to flush this stuff out of my system as soon as possible. Once this session was over, I was given two sets of tables for nausea, one mild and one strong.
I was OK for a few hours after I got home but then at supper time, the nausea set in and the cooking smells and food made me feel worse so still downing lot's of water I succumbed and took the mild tablets. As their is no master chef on TV, I made a beeline for the computer because food preparation and people eating food is the last thing I want to see right now.
Brian is away from tomorrow for the weekend (a pre booked trip) and so I have a friend coming to be with me as the next 3 days are the 'bum' days and I have already apologised to her in advance for the mood swings they say I will experience :o)
I have been given a card for a wig maker....fancy a Tina Turner !!!! :o)
So, first session over and I am on my way to good health...one step at a time.
Thanks again for all the emails and text messages.....you will never know how great it is to receive them!
Chat soon
Sue ( A member of the chemo club!)
********************************************************
So there we are.........now tune in again for the next exciting update.....Sue goes to try on wigs!!!:rofl: