Delays, Heart Scans, Transfusion and Hair Loss…

I saw my oncologist this week to make sure I was fit and well for my second lot of chemo. He said that one of my chemo drugs can cause heart damage so I need a heart scan to make sure it is working correctly, particularly as it is the same drug as I had first time round. Oh joy!! I can’t get an ‘urgent’ heart scan until this coming Friday and as they need to do the scan before my next lot of chemo they have had to delay it! Fantastic!! I know that it’s for my benefit and they are only looking after me, but what they don’t realise, is that when you are going through cancer and treatment your life becomes revolved around them and all the subsequent appointments so you plan the rest of your life around them. I bought a really nice diary for 2018 and have all my appointments written in it neatly up until June (I can be very organised!!) and now I am going to have to put a line through them! That means that it’s going to look all untidy now!! And now I have no idea when my next treatment is etc. so I’m all out of sync! So I need to phone the hospital tomorrow to find out the plan. Perhaps I will write my diary entries in pencil from now on!!

I am also quite anaemic and my doctor said that if it drops any lower then I am going to have to have a blood transfusion. Your normal ranges for women is between 120 and 150 g/l (grams per litre) (a bit higher for men 130 to 170) and mine is 83. If it drops to 80 then I have to have one. I have been anaemic on and of for a few years and I cannot take iron tablets as they make me very sick so I am taking liquid iron – but I have only been taking them consistently since January! So to help raise my levels I have increased the liquid iron, but I eat quite an iron rich diet anyway – lots of greens, fish, meat, veg etc. So I thought I would give liver a try. (I don’t like liver!!) I bought a liver and bacon ready meal to give it a try (I couldn’t cook it myself!) and OMG!!! I thought I was going to be ill!! The smell, the taste, the texture – absolutely gross!! (Sorry to all those who like liver – but I really really don’t!!!) Maybe I should start drinking Guinness!! (I quite like Guinness and black!!)

A further update on the old hair loss situation – it is definitely coming out and rather quickly now! Yes I am upset but I know it’s happening so I’m going to stop feeling sorry for myself and moping about and accept it for what it is and carry on. I think I will start wearing my wig at some point this week and my funky turbans!  Watch this space for pictures.