22nd Feb Chemo Day 1

Chemotherapy is like living in a different world. I’ve never experienced it but I have walked with Jane through this ordeal once before. Deliberately poisoning one’s own body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, when for the past year we have lived on a very strict organic vegetarian diet is quite a challenge. We’ve been on the day-case ward today, a completely different environment from the in-patient ward Jane was on last time. Today folk were walking around making themselves cups of tea and watching TV in a lounge, two years ago Jane suffered not just her own ordeal but was surrounded by some very ill patients who on a number of occasions died there. I remember sharing some fruit with one elderly lady… a few hours later she was gone. The staff working there are true heroes in my book. A couple of nurses we met last time on that ward have now transferred to the day-case ward and it was nice to be met by a friendly face. I suspect that you can only cope with the more difficult environment for so long. Jane endured five week long visits over four months and ignoring the chemotherapy, which was very toxic and caused serious problems, we were both quite traumatised simply by being there.

A three hour wait after Jane’s 3pm appointment time before being seen by a nurse to start treatment was better than our recent experience in Derby but not ideal. I’m working on a way to avoid that next time but we’ll see. Anyway the actual treatment was quite straightforward if a little confusing due to a shift change. Probably an hour and a half of preparation and connection to a drip and we were done. The main side effects are usually nausea and sometimes vomiting but we are trusting in God and Jane is taking appropriate medication so let’s believe for no recognisable side effects at all. There should be no hair loss after this week’s drug. Next week Jane may try a special ice cap they now offer which freezes the scalp during treatment to try and avoid this if possible… sounds quite painful though.

11pm three hours after leaving hospital and Jane continues to feel quite normal. Thank you Jesus.

Hebrews 12v1 ‘And let us run with endurance the race that God that God has set before us’ (NLT)