It was quite daunting for Avril to go into her first chemotherapy session feeling perfectly healthy, knowing that in all probability she was going to feel very much under-the-weather afterwards.
We arrived early so that she could register in good time and feel settled and relaxed. The chemotherapy suite was very comfortable and well-equipped for the patient – a reclining chair, TV, bathroom and a couple of chairs for visitors too. A proper fresh-ground coffee machine just along the corridor.
The first problem was choosing what we were going to want for lunch – all served exactly when we wanted, to fit in with the treatment timetable.
Next, Nurse Margaret introduced herself and set about inserting a cannula into Avril’s arm (later she will have a more permanent Port-a-Cath to make things easier). It was hot in the room, Avril was a bit stressed and became quiet. Then she calmly announced that she was going to faint. Oh dear. The emergency alarm was pressed and ten medical staff ran in pushing two resuscitation carts. I was quickly ushered outside the room, but after they elevated her feet and reclined her chair her blood pressure started to rise to a near-normal level. A very tense moment!
The cold cap was fitted next and the chiller started humming. Luckily her mind was taken off the increasing cold by a reflexology volunteer working on her feet! The cooling took 30 minutes and then the pre-meds were administered and finally the chemo cocktails – bright red, one of them – were fed down the tube with saline. The chemo itself only took about an hour but with the cool-down time before it and another 90 minutes’ cooling after the chemo finished we were there for about 6 1/2 hours in total.
Next appointment, three weeks away, always on a Friday. Now to see what side-effects she gets.
