A quick update...
The Hambleton Suite staff fixed the CADD pump. Turned out that they had filled, primed and programmed the pump properly, but whoever had turned it on had, for some unfathomable reason, forgotten to press the "start program" button. It put me a day behind schedule and meant that the last dose was still going in on Ella's 21st birthday but it wasn't too much of a spoiler.
So, that was the Cycle 4 chemo all finished!
On June 10th I felt that I wasn't firing on all cylinders during the thrice-weekly consultation so they admitted me back on to Ward 41, did some blood-cultures and pumped me full of Vancomycin. The following day they said that they had grown a gram-positive bug from my PICC line. The Vanc was changed to Teicoplanin. By Monday I felt much better so I was discharged, but I would have to attend daily for Teicoplanin shots.
It didn't really work. On June 17th I was admitted again.
The day after, the bug had been identified as coagulase negative staphylococcus. Ooer! They pulled out my PICC line due to sepsis. From then onwards, IV Tazocin and IV Teicoplanin meant cannulation which, as previously, didn't go down well with me... it took seven attempts to get a line in, it worked only once and there had to be two more attempts before a good placement was found. Nine holes during 24 hours. No wonder I don't play golf 🙁
The day after was Fathers' Day. Another key calendar day trashed by the NHS. Well, half-trashed... the kids came in to see me, but it's not the same as being at home. I didn't get to see my dad. Then again, he was on holiday in Italy.
Anyway, the daily CRP infection-markers rose again and again. The doc said that I'd probably be in for the full week. That led to another problem - I had to apply for an emergency proxy vote in order to exercise my democratic right on Thursday. I had to get my case worker to find out about the process and to print the required form, and then get one of the staff nurses to support the application.
Typically, as soon as the application had been posted my infection markers dropped and my blood counts started to rise. I was discharged on Wednesday and managed to vote without proxy on Thursday.
I went back in for a quick blood-test and consultation on Friday, it was all looking good so I got sent home.
So, I have a weekend of not being allowed to do much at home, followed by a Monday consultation.
I suppose it could be worse.
