Poorly PieLady 2

[Woolley]

Originally Posted by Shelagh

Now setting up for a "French-themed" weekend watching Le Mans. OK, takeaways don't count, but we will be having proper coffee, croissants and Bucks Fizz on Sunday morning! I won't be staying up all night but Bill will.

First time in years I've been in all week-end. Live timing on the laptop, Radio Le Mans on the PC and Eurosport running. We've got friends coming round but they'll have to put up with it!

Keep going, Sheila, Jan sends her best wishes.

[MacGWC]

Originally Posted by Shelagh

Steroids have kicked in again - take them around treatment time (No 3 completed yesterday; half way through the chemo now), so hitting the internet time again, now I'm not sleeping all the time!

Great day last Sunday at Cholmondley. Made it to the start-line and lovely to see and speak to various folk (Fay & Alan; Margaret S and Gill S; Mick Avery amongst others). Did find it a bit much but was able to find a comfy seat in the "Pageant Pub" so let Bill have a wander around while I just rested. Good view of the BofB display.

Now setting up for a "French-themed" weekend watching Le Mans. OK, takeaways don't count, but we will be having proper coffee, croissants and Bucks Fizz on Sunday morning! I won't be staying up all night but Bill will. It is 6 years since we were there and, seeing the weather, I think I know where I would rather be. Last time I acted as a downspout whilst holding out the SC board! Good luck to all there and hope you're having a wonderful time.

Got to have a blood transfusion for anaemia and another round of DIY tummy injections but, as said, if it keeps me out of hospital, it has got to be worth it!

Not sure when I'll next be "out", so don't forget me!!!

Yep! steroids did the same for me but the cumulative loss of sleep gets on your wick after a while! Happily I am off steroids now.

Take them on Saturday and keep Bill company while watching Le Mans. We are currently in the USA where the race is on Speed for the whole 24 hours. I may not stay awake for all of it but at least if I fall asleep it will be on the sofa and not leaning on a fence in France, as I have done in the past! Toilet facilities will be better, too!

Keep taking the tablets and don't worry about the hair, many of us have managed without for yonks! Your last re-growth was very fashionable.

Regards to Bill - how are his housekeeping skills coming along?

George

[Shelagh]

George,

Bill is doing a fantastic job looking after me and sitting for hours at the hospital, so if the house is a bit dusty/messy then neither of us really mind at all. There is more to life than a bit of housework!

Just heard the dreadful news from Le Mans - puts a dampener on the weekend and again puts what I'm going through into perspective.

[Shelagh]

I am convinced that I had sent an update here but if I typed it then I mustn't have saved it. Things are such a huge blur at the moment that it wouldn't surprise me if I'd done something silly like that!

Blood transfusion went well and have eaten better in the past week than over the last 6 put together. Over-did things Friday (going to the shops) so have had to take things very gently since. Good excuse for lying down/sleeping - as if I need one!

TV marshalling this weekend watching the GP. Seen various folk we know and everyone seems to be doing a grand job. Glad the weather has improved!

Next stop the Classic.

[Shelagh]

Well, what an exciting evening we had yesterday and just what a girl needs to get the blood stirred up (sorry, Bill)!

I watched the fire engine pull up by our house with blue lights flashing and wondered where they were off to - only for them to knock on our door! Turns out that the neighbours behind whose garden backs onto ours had not put out a bonfire properly so there was something of a conflagration in the trees between their's and our's.

What's worst is that I had not long shut the lounge curtains (it was around 10:30pm) and not seen anything amiss - despite the flames being twice as tall as me by the time the firemen arrived! Now you know why I should never be asked to observe/act as post chief!!!

So donation made to Firemen's fund, even though we didn't call them - and two of them were ladies! And many thanks to them because they had actually spotted the smoke and called off a trip into Stafford so they could investigate. Mind you, the fire station is only round the corner from us...

[Shelagh]

No 4 treatment now completed. Not very well afterwards but feeling much better now so should be OK for Silverstone.

I'm like a mobile chemists when we head home - steroids, anti-nausea stuff, injections and this time horrible effervescent tablets as my potassium levels are down. If I wasn't a law-abiding citizen I could set up in business! At least no blood transfusion this time around.

So - only 2 more chemo to go but 12 more Herceptin thereafter so I think this is another year of not doing, which will stretch into next season. I hope this doesn't mean I have to go back to being a trainee for when I do get onto the bank again......

[MartinSmith]

Just wanna give ya a big hug!!! xxx

[Shelagh]

Originally Posted by ClaireSmith

Just wanna give ya a big hug!!! xxx

You're on a promise next time I see you. Has to be a gently big one though! Still a bit numb and sore where the line is in and boob is out (same side though)

[Shelagh]

Quite upset that I couldn't make it to Sue Whitlock's funeral - there in spirit if not in body. I know she would understand and probably tell me off for being a sentimental old fool. I won the "discussion" which meant that Bill did go.

I've been a bit quiet on here because I've just spent 5 nights in hospital and don't do smartphones etc so haven't had access to t'internet. I felt bad from word go following treatment #4, got triaged last Tuesday while having line care, picked up a cold from somewhere and by Friday had lost my voice (yeh yeh). Phoned the clinic and subsequently got antibiotics from the local doctor but by late afternoon my temperature was up to 38.3C (38=100F and is "bad" number) so was told to get to the hospital. Tried to faint while being admitted and was just feeling generally poorly.

Blood tests were rubbish - red, white (but not blue) off the scale, so have had a blood transfusion, am taking various pills and potions to build up potassium/magnesium (why do these things taste awful) and a further test today re platelets (clotting). And loads of antibiotics to head off any infections.

At least being Neutropenic I got a room to myself with an en-suite bathroom - so I didn't mingle with the other patients. It was almost, but not quite, like being in a Premier Inn!

So glad to be back at home and so wonderfully looked after by my darling Bill, who is a complete star, especially when you realise that I am actually ticking all the boxes when it comes to "possible side effects" of the chemo.

If any of you end up in a similar situation, which I sincerely hope you won't, then do, please, get in touch for tips and hints. I'm learning the hard way so why not pass on the lessons?

And thank you for the best wishes passed on via other means than this forum.

[MartinSmith]

HUGS ...massive hugs hon and Well Done Bill!

[johngee]

It was good to see Bill on Wednesday (although not because of the occasion) and get news of you and your treatment. I hope that your continued progress will allow you to get back to normality (whatever that is????) before too long and we'll get to see you again soon. Big hugs. xx

[Shelagh]

Well, I was very greedy yesterday. Not just one drip but two! The Potassium went in through my Hickman Line on the right-hand side while the Magnesium went in through a cannula in my left hand. It all took 5 hours (had to go in slowly) and was quite amusing when I needed the loo. Pushing two drip machines with 6 "feet" apiece is not easy. I had to be rescued when I got them all tangled up!

Will find out on Thursday if #5 chemo will go ahead as planned or be deferred due to the bad blood counts. Only one more after that, hurrah!

[MartinSmith]

Am wishing and praying hon xx

[Shelagh]

Saw the Oncologist yesterday and she has decided that it is not in my best interests to continue with the chemo - HURRAH!

Apparently 4 is the usual number of treatments for the type I have been on. 5&6 would have been "belt and braces" but as I have reacted so badly she reckoned I would have had to book my hospital bed from now until October if I had continued.

So just the Herceptin today (I still have 14 of those to go) and I hope to have my Hickman Line out in a month or 6 weeks' time - once I know I will definitely no longer need it. Don't want it out and then have to get another fitted.

So now to get the yeuck out of my system - will take a while longer - and wait for the hair to start growing back. I want curly and coppery but will put up with straight and grey!

So good news all round and let's just hope we've nailed it this time!

[pauln]

Good to hear that, Shelagh. Hope all is now clear.

[Mark Mitchell]

Originally Posted by pauln

Good to hear that, Shelagh. Hope all is now clear.

[JimW]

Yeah! Hope things continue to go well.

Jim

[MacGWC]

The last time your hair grew it was quite fashionable! I would settle for short and grey.

To you and Bill, very best wishes for continued recovery - you from this vile disease, Bill from housekeeping duties.

George

[dave vass]

Good news indeed Shelagh. Here's to a full recovery, taking things gently, and that you will pass the MOT (marshal on track) again soon! Regards to Bill also!

[Paul Newns]

Excellent news, Shelagh. It will be good to get you out and about more when you are feeling better. And find away to bottle your good spirits. Nothing seemed to get you down, which I'm sure helped.

[Shelagh]

Originally Posted by Paul Newns

And find away to bottle your good spirits.

That might be what kept me going!!

I believe you have two choices: one is to curl up in a ball in a corner feeling very sorry for yourself. The other is to bring out the black humour and just get on with it and life in general.

I like to hope I've gone for the latter. You also need "A Bill", so aren't I glad I have one on tap!

PS: The Champagne is in the cupboard waiting for the nausea to abate. There is space in the fridge for it (now the poo samples have gone)!! (Told you it was black humour....)

[Shelagh]

I have just noticed that folks have looked at this thread over 13,700 times. Either one very sad person or an awful lot of you are interested in my well-being, and I know it is the latter.

Thank you so very much for caring and taking that interest. I have said before that we are "a family" and this is yet more proof of that. I am very emotional at the moment so I will now go off for a little blub as I appreciate it all.

Can't wait to be fit enough to get back to the circuits (if only to visit) just to see you all. I'll have to get the "hugging muscles" into training.

[Gerryc]

I am sure that I speak for a whole load of your marshalling family when I say hurry back, we miss you and look forward to seeing you out and about as soon as possible.

[Shelagh]

Originally Posted by Gerryc

I am sure that I speak for a whole load of your marshalling family when I say hurry back, we miss you and look forward to seeing you out and about as soon as possible.

Thank you. Off for more blubbing.

[theracegypsy]

As one of the travelling members of The Family it is great to hear how well you are getting on - with both treatment and life. I can assure you there are far more than just the Brits following your progress. The black humour is the way to go, curling up in a ball gets you squashed by the next race car which hits the post. We're all supporting you Shelagh.