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My arrival at Antrim Hospital Monday 29th April 2002 My
first of many visits to Fern House at Antrim Hospital was on Monday, and it
was the first time I met my consultant, Dr Kyle. My wife went with me, and it
was an intimidating experience. We went into the waiting room, and guess
what; everyone there was sick. This was a complete surprise to me, I expected
to see healthy happy smiling people. I
suppose that all the sick folk there were looking at me and thinking
‘he looks sick’. Blood
samples were taken and analysed straight away and then we met Dr Turtle
(another consultant) for a brief talk, and then Dr Kyle, who again confirmed
that I had lymphoma. I
think that it’s very important to both like your consultant, and have
confidence in him/her. (I wrestled with putting ‘like’ before ‘confidence’,
but I decided that that’s my preference) I was
sent home, and an inpatient appointment was made for the next day in the main
hospital. Tuesday 30th April 2002 Nothing
much to report. I was given a bed, and started to learn the
nurses names. Some bloods were taken, and a cannula fitted, but
that’s it for today. Wednesday 1st May 2002 Today
I had my bone marrow and lymph node biopsy’s. I had
my lymph node biopsy first thing in the morning. I was taken down to a
separate room, and given a small injection in my belly, which numbed
everything; the biopsy was taken, and I was sent back. Simple as that. I had
been given lots of books on Non Hodgkin’s to read by Bernie O’Neill, who was
my allocated chemo nurse, and who promised to look after me (A promise she
kept), and I had read all about these biopsy’s and was panicking by the time
Dr Kyle came to take the sample, but all was well; she gave me a sedative and
I slept through everything. Thursday 2nd May 2002 Another
relaxing day reading books. Dr
Kyle confirmed that chemotherapy would start tomorrow and would last for 6
sessions, 21 days apart, and that I would be in until Saturday. The
chemotherapy regime I was to have was called
CHOP. I read up on it from the notes Bernie had given
me. I was
started on steroid pills and had to take 16 of the little red things every
day. Friday 3rd May 2002 News
came back to me that my 1st biopsy didn’t produce a malignant sample and had
to be done again, and after that, I started my first CHOP chemo with Bernie,
my chemo nurse My
CHOP Chemotherapy Regimen consisted of: C Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan®) Plus
Rituxan - a monoclonal antibody; just to finish things off nicely. Saturday 4th May 2002 No
problems to report, and I was allowed home at 5pm. Glad
to be getting home, but the nurses were excellent, and very nice, and I felt
a bit guilty leaving them, although they were probably glad to see the back
of me. Sunday 5th May 2002 I was
constipated. Boy was I ever! Sunday 12th May 2002 1st
sore chemo day. Spent most of the day in bed. Sick
and out of sorts but not sick, if that makes sense. Thursday 16th May 2002 Head
shaved today, 13 days from my first CHOP. Thursday 23rd May 2002 2nd
CHOP was given today Walking
very slowly after 2nd chop, even leaving the clinic Thursday 15th August 2002 Finished.
That’s it my whole CHOP treatment is finished. I had six in total and
throughout the whole treatment, I waited to vomit as predicted, but it never
happened. I felt bad, but not sick, a couple of times, but no big deal.
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