Second chemo treatment

I had my second chemo treatment on the 22nd March and what a fucking nightmare that turned out to be.

I left to catch the BCC bus and as I was about to walk out the drive way a Mater Hospital courtesy bus pulled up. So, I went over and asked them who they were picking up and low and behold it was me. Lol Apparently I'd organised a bus but forgotten I had, or maybe someone organised it for me..no idea tbh but I was very grateful.

Got to the hospital for 11.30 am blood tests in time. I'm still not 100 % sure about the routine but I got called into a room to get my porta cath checked and got them to have a look at where my wound was from the original cut that was made by the surgeon which was looking pretty dodgy. Anyway, the nurse or whatever her job title is had a look and was like "OMG this doesn't look good, I'd better get a Dr, it looks infected"... FFS yeah righto love go get a Dr. So Dr Kaaren came and had a look and it was decided that I'd have to get it re stitched and put on antibiotics as well. The nurse lady continued to freak out asking if I'd been stretching up with my arm, like when you hang out washing and I was like well yes I do hang my own washing as I don't have a servant. She also said I'd probably have to get a canula inserted as they wouldn't be able to use my porta cath site. I'd had enough by this stage and burst into tears and said I felt like I'd done something wrong. She finally realised she'd gone OTT and started comforting me.

Dr Matthew eventually came and got me and took me to his room but then someone decided that I had to get blood tests done (finally, these get done in a different room) so I had to then go back to where you get blood tests done then go back to Dr Matthew for stitches. Finally got all that done, then Dr Matthew and I had a consultation about how I was coping with chemo and of course the female Dr that I dislike tremendously came in to see me. I almost threw up when she walked in the door. Anyway, got that over and done with then I had to go back to the nurses desk to tell them I was ready for chemo. I had to sit down because by this time I was starting to feel dizzy. I told the nurse I hadn't eaten and felt like I might collapse, so she sends for a nurse with a wheel chair and she wizzes me off to my "pod" for treatment. She asked me what I'd like to eat and I told her. Then my nurse for the day turns up and "holy fuck" she was a nightmare. Ok, she was obviously stressed so I feel for her but she was really unprofessional and also caused me to burst into tears a few times. So she had to find a vein to put a needle in for the canula and she wrapped my arm up with a heat pack because that brings your veins up apparently. Her first attempt did not work, in fact eleven days later and I still have bruising from where she tried to put it in (I bought some hirudoid cream yesterday and it seems to be working). Anyway, she eventually decided to get another nurse to try. She got a male nurse that was good at finding veins and thankfully he did. So, I got my chemo treatment.

Anyway, the young nurse that was meant to get me food walked past and asked me if I felt better after eating to which I replied "you haven't' gotten me anything to eat yet" lmao thinking about it now in hindsight it is pretty funny. She went and got me some food, I thanked her and I finally got to eat.

Nightmare Nurse continued to ask me a series of questions which I found upsetting but tried to not let it get to me...that is until she asked me if there was any other way I could get home because I might miss the courtesy bus. I was like "Nup, got no one" so she started flapping her wings like a chicken getting all flustered because I guess I was being a difficult patient. She eventually calmed down and went and rang Transit came back and said they don't close till 5 so you will make it.

Treatment finished at about 4.15 pm the young nurse came and got me, put me in a wheel chair and proceeded to charge through the hospital at lightning speed because she thought Transit closed at 4.30 pm ( I kid you not). She actually took me to the old Transit room and no one was there so she rang someone and asked if it would be ok to leave me there....again I kid you not. They said No and made her chase up some staff...and they told her the Transit centre was now next door.

So finally get to my destination and thankfully...thankfully my wonderful volunteer bus driver is there waiting for me. She told me there was never any need to worry because she was there till 6pm.

I did miss a few things that happened to me this day, I may add them in later not but all in all it was a shit day and I was very happy to get home.