Living with Ovarian Cancer

Sorry, had to get that off my chest! I didn't even watch the match yesterday, as we (talking as an ex-pat Taff) NEVER beat England at, well, anything except male voice choirs And now my mum's just phoned me, and she said we wiped the floor with 'em! Yay Wales!! Go Cymraeg!!

OK, apparently we were getting pasted in the first half, but we came from behind and we seriously prodded their derriers! Woohoo!! Course, we still ain't gonna win the Six Nations (or at least it's highly unlikely!) but what the hell - we beat England! Don't care if we lose every other match - WE BEAT ENGLAND!!!

Blimey, I'm in shock....

Other news: I've got the first dose of the second cycle of chemotherapy, if that makes sense to everyone, on Tuesday at 1 pm. Went to see Oncologist on Friday with Sylv for the between chemo's checkup. He said he was gonna up the dose from 2.5 mg to 3 mg to see if it works a bit better, although how he can say it doesn't seem to be doing much when I've only had one dose and he didn't have that day's bloods back I don't know. Just cos I'm reacquiring the pregnant silhouette thing from fluid build up don't mean it ain't working, it took a couple of doses in 2004 before the fluid started draining away. But hey, he's allegedly the expert. However, I'm also getting a Pick line put in on Tuesday which means no more pissing about with canulas and sharp needles trying to find veins in the back of my hands! Yay!

He actually agreed that as I'm having chemo three weeks out of every four, a central line would be a good idea as my veins in my hands bugger off at the first HINT of a needle, so he took me to see the nurse who fits Pick lines and she said she'd have no problem getting one in, so to come in an hour early on Friday (more like three seeing as I'm getting collected by hospital transport!) and she'd put one in before chemo. Plus they're gonna give me some iron as an injection as I'm a bit anemic (no surprise there!) and that'll be easier through the Pick line as well.

Miracle in its own right - every other consultant has always tried to talk me out of central lines etc, but Dr Perren was like "Well, OK, from what you say it would probably be a good idea so let's go speak to the nurse about one"!

So, there you go. I won't be able to go swimming, play golf or raise my arm over my head, and it has to be flushed twice a week (once on chemo day and once by the District Nurse at home) but otherwise we should be sorted. It'll certainly make chemo a lot easier and a lot faster if they don't have to hunt for a vein and then end up sticking the canula in the underneath of my wrist. Now THAT hurts!