CARBOPLATIN + GEMCITABINE CHEMO - CYCLE 2 DAY 1 - 30 JUNE 2022

 If you care to count, you'll find this is a delayed chemo day. Should have been three weeks or thereabouts, allowing some shimmying for bank holidays etc. At the three-week stage, however, neutrophils were very low so I was excused for a week to allow filgrastim injections to boost production again to prevent some horrible infection from getting a hold. 

Getting the injections was a bit of a palaver - bloods hadn't been analysed when I saw a doctor in clinic, and I was toiling away on the allotment in the late afternoon when he rang me to say I needed to start the filgrastim asap and could someone collect them from the hospital before pharmacy closed. (This doctor was the first person who seemed to think that I ought to have a fever and I had to reassure him that I really didn't.)  I explained that we'd already done one drive in on a tube strike day and we could really do without another, but he was adamant, and arranging it for a local pharmacy would mean too much delay. I started phoning around - might son be able to pop in on his way back from work? ... I'd forgotten he was already at Glastonbury; then daughter had already cycled home from work in Islington to Old Kent Road, was preparing for Glastonbury and I could just tell that the East Finchley run did not sound good. Luckily, Christopher was up for a cycle ride on a nice evening after a day in the car and in front of a screen, so he took on the mission and completed it, despite being shunted by a car on the way home and nearly falling off. Bike accidents 101: always take the driver's details and the car registration number - after walking for a bit to let the adrenaline abate, he found that his rear wheel was out of true, fouling the brakes all the way home, requiring retruing and a general bike check. Infuriating!

Filgrastim has worked though - white blood cells in general are now above normal range and neutrophils very respectable, so we go ahead today.

Before all this, of course, I had had the extra session with gemcitabine. After effects were not as bad as the main double session but still needed anti-sickness meds for a couple of days. The filgrastim, which I don't recall being a problem the first time round, made me ache all over with extra pains in hip joints after sitting down or standing up. And headaches, and hot, restless legs in the night. As it'll probably be needed every cycle, cross fingers this all wears off. 

Sociability has increased - Christopher organised a succession of visitors for Wednesday lunches in the garden during the lovely weather, and before this chemo I had late elevenses with a friend at the reopened Friends House cafe. I know this is good for me, within reason, but with Covid waves resurgent and the neutrophils episode, when even one's own germs are a threat, I seem stuck in an almost permanent state of timidity.

Today's chemo all done - they did carboplatin over one hour today and no arm pain as yet. I've been sat facing one of the nurses' stations today; maybe it's the ondansetron or the dexamethasone, but the air vents and the lines of lights won't stop looking like a benign caterpillar-like creature regarding me.