h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It is such a horrible thing to go through with loved ones. Nothing I can say.

Its one of the strangest feelings in the world I've ever had, turning up for chemotherapy, and knowing Im' sitting down to have a mixture of synthetic, and plant, and in my case algi-derived poisens volentarily pushed striaght through a port and into my blood.... I suspect in a decade or two, people will start looking back and soon do so with disbelief, that we ever put such poisenous substances into people to 'treat' cancer... as good as they are to kill cancerous cells, they are basically just as effective at killing healthy ones... but for now, its basically all we've got for the most part I must have been so lucky not to get any real nausea from the horrible stuff... I don't know a single other person who had my chemo without sickness, none of the nurses and Drs could understand how I didn't get sick from it all

You must have an iron constitution 2legs. Have you ever seen the film Star Trek 4, the Journey Home? The original crew travel back to the 1980s to whale-nap a couple of humpbacks so they can tell a whale-speaking space probe in the future what to go do with itself (Dr McCoy's words). They lose track of Chekov who, injured, gets taken to Mercy Hospital and they cause chaos there when they try to steal him back. Doctor McCoy gives a pill to an old lady on a trolley awaiting dialysis and she grows a new kidney. He complains about the Dark Ages. Then he overhears two young doctors discussing chemotherapy and radiotherapy and mutters under his breath something which sounds like swearing and the word "barbaric". It's my favourite Trek film and I have long wondered what future medical literature and teachers in med schools will say about our era, "in the olden days people were pumped with poison to kill off cancer cells", and students expressing disbelief.

Ian was sick all day yesterday and today and he's had enough. He has talked about no more chemo and letting nature take its course now.

oo, I'd forgotten that film, yes, I actually saw that, when I could still see too Not sure about an iron constitution,.... I think exposure to err.... recrenational drugs in my younger years perhaps just built up tollerance to toxins

for Ian... can they not use a stronger anti sickness medication?; I know often they tend to use the least effective, as in least strong to start, then use stronger ones if needed, just an idea...

I'm very sorry to hear Ian's body reacting badly to palliative chemo

So for Ian's discomfort, we all have to do what we think is best for us. Please let him know that he has friends all over the world who are rooting for him, no matter what he decides.



I think it was in the first series 'The City on the Edge of Tomorrow' Dr McCoy looked at a local hospital (in Chicago, USA) and made the disdaining comment 'They stitch up people like garments in there!'

F S

I'm so sorry to hear how bad Ian's feeling. It's awful to see someone laid so low by something that's supposed to be helping them. I can understand his reluctance to continue, sometimes quality has to win over quantity, a tough choice to make and a tough choice to allow him to make. I feel for both of you.

I would second 2legs's comment about stronger (or different) anti-sickness meds. I know my husband had a few. At the time, IIRC, Ondansetron was the gold standard they gave him if he was particularly bad. Things have probably moved on a lot since then though, that was over 11 years ago.

I also second Florida Sailor's comment. A lot of us out here "in real life" (as it were) are thinking often of you both. If only good thoughts and well wishes could power up your strength, but hopefully it will at least offer a tiny bit of comfort to know so many are rooting for you both.

Deb

I had Ondansetron and domperion (sp), as my antinausea, they were the hospitals first line, of moderate strength, but as I ended up not even needing them, I don['t know what stronger drugs would have followed..... there is one beginning with an 'A', that I've heard mention on various internet forums, but I can't recall its name...

Best of luck, hope he can find something that works, and you can both have some quality time together, if at all possible

thank you everyone

After I did all my mother's housework & lunch I was with Ian for 4 hours this afternoon and he was sick twice. He'd not had a milkshake since yesterday, but he had no chemo tablets this morning, only his anti-sickness tablets. He now weighs 14st 4lbs. Helga has booked us in tomorrow morning at 10.30am, in oncology, we were going during the morning anyway to have his picc line flushed through. We will be seeing Val, a nurse Ian is not fond of, because previously, when he has complained about something, she hasn't taken a lot of notice. This is someone I've not yet met so I will be watching her like a hawk tomorrow. He had asked to see Dr Roy (chemo chief honcho) who is wonderful, but the clinic is full all week

I'm currently practicing my death stare.

You go, girl! Thoughts in your direction.

could hav done with your 'death-stare' this morning, here.... to deal with the receptionists at my GP surgery.... is their only function in life to make patients life hell? I really don't understand the organisation of the NHS sometimes.... - on a med, consultant at hospital wanted me to be on; she coulwn' wouldn't prescribe it; wrote to GP to prescribe it, so GP prescribes it, having not seen or examined me; and I need to know should I carry on taking it, should I get it on repeat, increase my dose as its not really working?; nah, this information is not needed apparently; I've never even seen the Dr who's prescribed it, so he's never examined me, and can't thereofre even know if the drug is working or not they don't seen to make it easy for either themselves or the patients sometimes

anyhow, hope you can get some help from the nurses or Drs one way or another

on your behalf 2legs!



Those who are on my Facebook friends list know what we went through on Tuesday when we showed up for the picc line flushing, I don't think the nurses who attended Ian could have done any better, I actually thought he was going to die, he was so ill. Before we even got to the ward Ian was too weak to walk from the front of the hospital to the cancer ward so we got him a wheelchair but he thought he was going to be sick so I ran on ahead (his daughter Caroline was with us) to alert the staff. We made it in time (just) but the vomit (sorry, those of a sensitive disposition) was bile and included his undigested tablets from earlier. The nurses checked him over, took bloods, declared he was dehydrated, had oral thrush, put him on a saline drip including a dose of anti-sickness in the line, gave him some steroids, mint mouthwash, by the time the 2nd bag of saline had gone through the tubes into his system it was 6 hours later and he was like his old self and was able to walk to the car from the hospital main entrance.

I cannot explain how terrified I was at the time and how grateful I am to the angels who work on that ward.

When we got back to his, I went home but Caroline stayed to cook him some pancakes (it being Shrove Tuesday) and he managed to eat two with lemon juice

for those nurses. And for you and Ian - you were both incredibly brave.

There isn't a day when I don't think about what you, Ian and his folks are going through. Those nurses did a wonderful job to stabilise him, and I really hope there are some good days to come

What Icy said... - 'proper' dehydration is aweful, no wonder why he was unable to even walk before he got the saline into him....

It gets worse.

Today I was doing my mother's housework (and had already cancelled the lunchtime carer as I was doing Mum's lunch) when my mobile rings, it's Caroline taking Ian to hospital as his right arm (the one with the picc line) is purple. But she has a training session for the restarting of her seasonal job at 9.30am so can I collect him when he's ready to go home? Of course (he isn't allowed on public transport while he's on chemo). Luckily the mobile didn't ring again until 12.30pm, when I had done all the work required of me at Mum's so I drove to the hospital and got as close as I could to the cancer ward exit as it was raining cats and dogs. Ian appeared and said he had a bloodclot - he had had bloodwork done and a scan and an injection in his tummy, and he has to administer his own tummy injections for the next 28 days (they showed him how)

Now looking forward to the appointment with Dr Roy (chemo chief) who will hopefully tone down the dosage for next week if Ian decides to have it. He is thinking about it now he has stopped being constantly sick. After that appointment it's back to the cancer ward for picc line flushing.

I found a picture on my Twitter feed when I came home, and, just for a moment, I forgot all the crap I am dealing with. http://twitter.com/Fascinatingpics/status/838585430660493314/photo/1
I hope someone else gets the same feeling I did (I wished it was a video, and the cat had been wearing a tutu, and there was Swan Lake or Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy music playing)

Gorgeous! Amazing how a cat pic will cheer you up. Twitter had Caturday on Saturday, and I think a lot of folks must have needed cheering from the kittehs.

Best to Ian.

Many to you both

I am sorry I missed Caturday but Saturday I was busy in the most pleasant way, at Mum's with my sister and who turns up but my older son with his two boys, growing like beansprouts they are, on their way to the Grimsby Town football matchafter they left my two daughters and pending son-in-law turn up with fish & chips (this had been planned) so we all tucked in then I led the girls & Steve to Ian's house, where they spent a pleasant half hour before popping to see other friends, Ian was chuffed to bitsI stayed longer and watched a film with him, it was dark when I left, and he was falling asleep, much like me now

Forgot in my last posting, the appointment with Dr Roy is on Wednesday so hopefully a stress-free day tomorrow, am off round in the morning just to spend quality time with him