Chemotherapy Diary #4: Cycle Four

Well, this is the last one, but I'm not sure whether to feel relieved or anxious.

Annie's final shot of chemotherapy poisons was delivered on Wednesday. Not much to report really, except this time there was a much longer wait, caused it seemed by the shortage of nurses who could locate the veins with the intravenous needle!!

So, Annie came out after over three hours feeling as sick as a parrot. And wouldn't you? We took her straight home and as I write she is still having the vomits and feeling weak.

She has one more hurdle to go in her cancer treatment - radiotherapy. Now, I have no idea what radiotherapy involves, but apparently they aim some sort of radiation source at the place where the cancer tumour originally was and they zap it with radiation. Don't know how long or how much, but some people I have spoken to say there will be some blistering of the skin.

Sounds pretty scary, in the light of some highly disturbing reports I read recently from France, where the government is investigating a number of cases of radiation overdose that go back over twenty years. Some patients died because they were given too much radiation, and others are still suffering great pain to this day.

As you can imagine, I hope to God that they don't microwave my wife's mammary too much. The thought turns me cold! Or hot, as the case may be...

Just to let you know, Prof. Madder and his darling wife will be taking a holiday from 15th to 29th December. As we are going to a place without an internet connection, it is most probable that I will not be able to provide you with the usual morsels of delight that you have been accustomed to. Don't worry, after 29th, normal service will be resumed as soon as possible. In any case, there are still 7 days to go before I go away, so I'm going to cram as much in before the end of the year as I can!

Don't get too excited now!!