Day 26 - More Medicine

I know Vic was looking forward to today, because after each Tuesday radiotherapy treatment, I see the Medical Oncologist. Vic was keen to attend this meeting with me to make sure she got as good an understanding of the pain medication and program that was available to me. I was glad because much of what I'm told is not retained, and that which I do remember, may not be sufficient to manage my pain. To be honest, she felt that I may not have been as open in disclosing the pain I was feeling as I needed to be, meaning the Doctors didn't really know what I was enduring..

From last week's appointment, we knew that the Oncoligist was working to a progressive program, meaning as the treatment is cumulative and builds up, so too does the pain management. We knew the the next step was to apply a morphine patch. This moderates the dose of morphine at a level which requires a minimal top up using the morphine elixer to cover all levels of pain.

I woke around 6.30am, cleaned out my mouth went directly to the study and logged into my work server. I tried to drink a little water and got ready for my next Vario exercise session, which was scheduled at 8.30am. My daughter very kindly offered to drive me to Joondalup ECU campus. This half hour session was to explain the routine and test my strength. I was pretty much useless because I was very weak having not eaten for, now , 5 days.

I didn't have anything to eat all day either, even after the Vario workout. Because I was not eating anything, I had lost 8kgs in a week.

Vic's dad drove me to the hospital and Vic drove straight from her shift at St John of God Hospital to meet me for the Medical Oncology appointment.

Importantly, I had arranged a dietician meeting prior to my radiotherapy session and Vic was able to get there for that too. The dicussion centred around what foods I have been able to eat, and what I haven't been able to, and why. It was difficult because it changes every day, sometimes within days. Nevetheless, the dietician gave me a bag full of this fibre rich, calorie enhanced drink/food called Resource. It can be mixed with flavours that I like but as it happens, I really liked the strong Vanilla flavour it came in by default.

The most important meeting was with the Medical Oncologist. It was scheduled for after the radiotherapy session, but they were three Doctors down on this particular day and hours behind. We had to wait almost two hours to see my Doctor. Fortunately, I was scheduled to see the leading Medical Oncologist for the Chemotherapy study I was participating in. She is very experienced and understood how each medicine interacted and how much could be taken without deterimental after affects.

It was an important meeting because Vic was convinced we should be doing more to manage the pain and help me to eat and drink. It turns out she was 100% correct. By the time we left, I had been in so much pain and vomitting that the Doctor was in no doubt I needed help. She prescribed the morphine patch without hesitation along with a heap of other medicines, for nausea, reflux and constapation. My collection was quite substantial.

After leaving, we drove to the late night Chemist in Mirrabooka and gave them the scripts I had received. I reckon the Pharmacist could go on an extended holiday with the money he made from everything I purchased.

I was so weak, I couldn't stay in the Pharmacy, plus I was chivering and feeling really bad. I went to sit in the car, but this didn't last long either. When Vicki came out of the Chemist, I was vomiting on the grass verge.

She put the patch on immediately. Vicki organised my medicines and I had them all before going to lie down in the lounge. I dozed off and woke up around 4 hours alter.

I completed my mouth, teeth, neck routine and went to bed. I still hadn't eaten or drunk anything other than a glass of Panadol Soluable.