EP0057-201 Phase 2A Trial - Cycle 3, Day 15, sixth infusion day - 6 January 2022

 Happy New Year!

Cannulation first time of trying! Probably all down to Nurse Mimi and a small needle, but just possibly a successful experiment in drinking hot choc just before pour encourager les veines. 

Looking back, the transfusion did improve my oxygenation a lot.Speaking relatively, I sailed up North Hill on my way to have bloods taken a week later. Still slow, still in lowest gear but the steam train impression was more of preparing to draw out of Paddington rather than going full pelt on the straight broad gauge to Bristol. (I understand I. K.  Brunel is buried in the family vault in Kensal Green Cemetery - did we know that, West Londoners?)  Haemoglobin was 73 before and I took a phone call in Pets At Home  from the research nurse which I heard as reporting the after Hb as 203. Later I wondered if she had said something like, 'it's gone up to a hundred and three'. 203 sounds an awful lot when normal reference range fo women is 120-160. I should have been able to take off unaided. (Post script - it was 103.)

Looking up, the atrium glass is looking a bit grotty. I haven't been up to the roof garden for a while; there was a sign at one point saying it was closed for maintenance. But it's always interesting to see it from below. Today amongst the chair feet, algal growth around the tree boxes and other detritus, there's a perfectly formed leaf - from a London plane I think. Like some of the other bits and bobs up there, it seems to have a narrow halo around it - something to do with light refraction through water around the leaf maybe?

So now, it's a month since the last treatment, i.e. two weeks missed out of the fortnightly  treatment cycle. On the plus side, I probably did enjoy Christmas and New Year more than I would have otherwise, even though both big kids were at some stage of having Covid and plans for us all slobbing out together for a few days were slashed. Luckily, Maddy (just out of isolation) was up to cycling and Luke (just starting isolation) has a very well placed window at head height above the pavement. We gathered  underneath it and used the car boot as a treasure chest of hot drinks in flasks, mince pies baked that morning, crackers to pull, honey and lemon to distribute to the sick and presents to present. There were proper terrible cracker jokes and cracker charades performed on the pavement. We empathised with a poor chap walking by who got soaked by a badly behaved car driver using a puddle as a weapon. We warmed up by walking the dog up and down the hill to the loo in Finsbury Park. Finsbury Park has been tarted up since we lived nearby - new playgrounds and cafe and loos with hot water at the sinks, even on Christmas Day. 

On the down side, I seem to have gone back to the battle of the bowels which doesn't bode well. At Tuesday's clinic, we agreed to give the trial drugs another chance and see if they calmed things down. I'm a bit concerned about when the bone marrow gets to regroup - there was talk about reducing the doses of the trial drugs but if the bone marrow is already knackered, could it be expected to recover even on a reduced dose regime?

And here we go - chemotherapy daycare is all done with me for another day. Hydration, glucose, premeds, EP0057, glucose, hydration, disconnection, wait for a pee or three and take a snooze. Now just waiting for a call from my lift and I'll be off.