PART 6
Getting home after such a long time was like being handed the winning lottery ticket, I know hospital staff and Doctors look after us when in need, but there's nothing like having family in close proximity. The Grandkids were pleased to see me and my wife stepped right back into carer mode, she is an amazing woman and the backbone of our family, she too had health issues but never once complained about anything.
It was around 2nd week in may the hospital histology dept called and advised me that NO cancer cells were present after the last tissue was taken, a massive weight lifted from my shoulders, we were all elated, we had been on edge for a few weeks wondering what was going to be said.
I had to attend the QE Birmingham on the 30th for a pre chemo check, bloods and COVID swab, a 28 mile round trip can be tricky on the M6 at the best of times. With that complete I went home and was put on "bed watch" again, sitting by the phone waiting to see if that morning or the next and so on, had a bed for me on the ward. 2nd of June I've got a bed, could I be there for 6pm same day. The wife and I had already packed a bag so we were ready in that respect. I arrived on the ward and the nurse booked me in and said my PICC line would be fitted in around an hour, I'd arrived at 5pm so the staff were also ready for me. After 2 attempts of pushing and pulling the specialist finally got the line in situ, I knew by tomorrow my arm would be black and blue from all the stress.
And oh boy did it bruise! But I was at least ready for what was coming, the next morning in came the two chemo nurses checked off the chemo and started the IV.
The cover on the outside is to protect the Chemo from UV, the first day went well without any complications, except for the arm, it felt painful and heavy. Day 2 and the cycle starts again, 2hr fluids, 30 minutes Doxorubicin, 10 mins steroids, 30 mins flush, 4 hrs Cisplatin, 2hrs fluids, 30 mins flush, 2hts fluids, Cycle 4 complete.
So 10hrs and I'm done!
Silly me, why did I say it was all going well? Day 3 it hit me like a brick, sickness, fatigue and one hell of a fever kicked in, I hated this part of the cycle, for me it was a given factor of receiving chemotherapy. Knowing I still had 2 full cycles to go was on one hand good news but on the other, not something I would look forward to. I was really ill this time and after several days of tests the Dr informed me that I had yet again got Neutropenic sepsis, commonly caused by bacterial infection with Gram-positive pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus sp, Streptococcus pneumonia e and S. The next week I was in and out of it, I can't really remember the day it ended, but I did remember the care and support from all the staff at the QE Birmingham, I'm sure without their intervention I would not be here today.
July soon came and went, most of it spent trying to get back some mobility and recouping from another bout of Sepsis, again the family, especially Nicola got me through some pretty dark days and I had found a bit of an appetite at last. I had noticed late in July that my leg had started to lose a little flexion, very slowly but surely by mid August it had almost locked up, one morning I woke up early because I felt something trickle down my thigh, I looked down and my scar seemed to be oozing. The following morning I rang Professor Abudu's secretary and told them what was going on, within two days she rang me back and said the Professor wanted to see me urgently, could I make it to the hospital tomorrow, I said I would and did. At the appointment Mr Abudu checked my leg over, looked at me and said “unfortunately David, this is being caused by a deep infection” we need to book you in quickly for a debridement and washout of the prosthesis, it will I'm afraid mean opening up your leg again (3) to access the problem. My wife and I embraced, we knew another long stretch in hospital was coming. I received a call two days later, can I come in today early for a pre-op and then stay in, the operation would be the next day.
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