Monday, 1 August 2016

The day before the first Chemo

12.7.16

A strange day today, I could not sleep last night and ended up waking up shattered.

Finishing our newly refurbished apartment is therefore a welcome distraction and I so want to get it finished before I become �brain dead�, as I half joke when referring to chemo. After 2 hours in a light shop I managed to select all light fittings for the apartment and dropped them off to the team of painters.
 
The rest of the day, I spent in Calerdon our little �hide away� in Malaga. I managed to sleep most of the afternoon, which I have never done in my life before. I think the build up to chemo, the stress of what might happen, the delay due to the infection has taken its toll a little.
I feel numb as if I am in a trance, struggling to read and understand any of the work emails piling in. In fact I had not dealt with any.

Having received a call from Jan, who I have been working with for 10 years, he gave me an update on his 13 year old son. I did not have the heart to tell him not to update me. Hi
s son who also was identified with cancer the same time as me, had just received his second chemo last weekend and the side effects Jan described, have panicked me. I know that each case is different, but why should I �get away with it�. I have no doubt sitting here now, that I will get them all. Now is this negative thinking? Or am I just preparing myself for what�s likely to head my way, avoiding any surprises that way?
For the moment, my biggest fear is that they won�t find a vein in my right arm. Historically speaking, most doctors have struggled to find one to take blood. I am worried that if they don�t find a vein, that I will have this �plug� inserted in my chest, which will delay the start of my chemo again and will in that case definitely ensure that I miss Kyla our daughter�s wedding day in September. I am worried that if I need this �plug� I will get an infection and that it needs to be cleaned  every 4 weeks. How his is done, I have no idea. 

I am just worried about everything ahead of me, dreading it and am trying to put on a brave face. I feel as if I am waiting for an execution and am wondering what people on death row feel like. Having just bought a bottle of water from the nearby small supermarket, I look at people as if I am just onlooking from another planet. It is a beautiful evening, the sun is shining, children are having a great time in the playground and the caf�s and bars are full of people enjoying themselves. I feel strange walking through what are normally such familiar streets.


Geoff is on his way into Malaga and even though initially I wanted to stay by myself, I am glad he is coming.

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