Needles and Neutrophils: The Hobnob Chronicles

[biscuitsandbandages]

Four weeks today I woke in my own bed with my 8 week old daughter in my arms and waited for the inevitable sounds of approaching 4 and 6 year old boys. I had everything I had every dreamed of. Life was difficult and tiring but we were getting there and I had plans for the summer and dreams for our family's future together.

Twelve hours later I was on CCU plugged into a monitor with fluid around my heart secondary to a diagnosis of adult T cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. I've not been home since.

Statistically my chances aren't great but statistics don't apply to individuals and leukaemia hasn't met me before. My personal survival statistics calculated by me and based on stubbornness, amazing support from family, friends and my mumsnet backup crew and the healing powers of 3 small children are 100% and I won't accept less.

I have superpowers. I have grown three entire human beings. Piddly little leukaemic cells haven't got a hope.

But.....at times I am very scared. This should not be happening to me. It's was not how I planned to spend my maternity leave. My precious year when I was just going to be their mum and nothing else.

This is my second thread but I'm not going to link back as I'm moving forward. Thank you for moving forward with me.

Biscuits x

I'm sorry about the sickness and conjunctivitis but it's good to work towards baby r half birthday!

Im hoping not to get the conjunctivitis hence the eye drops but argh im not very good at them. The nurses offered to help but I cant let people near my eyes either.

Its been a long day. Still 30min of chemo to run then more anti sickness drip before I can be unplugged.

I'm tired.
2 days down.

and a large cuppa.( Are you still ok with tea or do you have fried taste buds?)
Glad you got through another one, Hang in there, 2 days done...

Biscuits....you are different though!! Remember all the meds you had at the beginning that you were fine with but had horrible side effects?? You'll pull through I bet with little side effect compared to others. Keep smiling. Xxx

Oh no - I hate eye drops too!

Still you have done 2 days already....that's 48 whole hours, almost a third of a week....and a bit closer to baby Biscuits half birthday...."just keep swimming" as Nemo says!

I haven't posted before biscuits but check in every day to see how you are doing.
Hope you can sense the support & hope there is for you in MN world.
You are doing brilliantly & whether you are down or smiling, you are surviving.
One step at a time, one day at a time...we'll be here to cheer you every step of the way

2 days done, well done you! Eye drops - what will they think of next? Daily pap smears just for the hell of it?
xx

Biscuits well done on coping so well. I think its a great idea to countdown to babyR 6 month birthday!

Take care today and I hope those bloody eye drops get easier too.x

You're such a strong lady, leading a strong family, who will thank you for putting up with all this when it's all finished and you return to normality.

With the eye drops, try closing your eyes tight and dropping the liquid into the corners. When you open your eyes the liquid will spread, without that awful splash.

Hope you have a good day today. Stay strong, strong lady.

x

Few tricks for sickness might be worth a try. Spearmint and lemon essential oils, 'queasy drops' sweets, acupressure on inside of forearm, three finger widths up from wrist, press between tendons or get seasickness bands to put on in same place.

Well done for getting through day two. Eye drops are awful, in fact I'm the same, anything to do with eyes makes me feel squeamish.

You are doing brilliantly. Hang in there brave biscuits and I hope Day 3 isn't too bad.

Oh sorry to hear about the sickness. That's really rotten.

Are you already on the strongest of strong super-sickness medications available?

But two days down already. That's good going.

Have been away for a bit, but thought of you often, biscuits.

Sorry to hear you have even more to go through.

Like so many others on MN I am willing you on every step of the way.

Hi Biscuits,
How's day three going?
We are willing you on - you can nail this!

Thanks for all the tips :-)

Getting the hang of eye drops although I almost wish they were coloured somehow so I could be sure they got in the eye itself. Thats probably a bad idea though may catch on as a teenage fashion trend.

The sickness is under control with a combination of medications and chewit sweets. If I live long enough to get diabetes I will be happy.

Im still in an exceptionally bad mood and struggling to retain my impulse to post on almost every thread in AIBU with "yes, get some fucking perspective and compassion for your fellow humans and possibly an iq test to see if you should be allowed on the Internet" but I recognise thats my chemo (and the progesterones im still on) talking

biscuits I get that urge all the time and I have no excuse. I think you should go for it, you get a rudeness free pass

Post away biscuits - you have the Freedom of Mumsnet to be as grumpy as you like!

Another day nearer to Baby R's half birthday! x

Another day almost done and another day nearer to home!

Glad the sickness is better: I remember morning sickness (not the same I know but bear with me) when the thing that kept me the least hideous was large amounts of Raspberry Krusha milkshake: I remember going to the large Tescos (only place that sold it near us) and lining up three one litre bottles at the checkout feeling like a closet alkie....

As for the AIBU : I suggest a namechange...maybe Don'tTeeOffTheBiscuits? And then you can post a squillion retorts to all the petty BU's.... V satisfying!

Aha, biscuits, YANBU to see the U amount of U-ness in AIBU!

Keep ploughing through the difficult days, good lady.

and possibly an iq test to see if you should be allowed on the Internet This did make me laugh . Please post it on some threads in AIBU.

Glad to hear that chewit sweets are helping you out. Are you nearly done with treatment for Day 3 yet?

'With the eye drops, try closing your eyes tight and dropping the liquid into the corners. When you open your eyes the liquid will spread, without that awful splash.'

This, I do this with my kids, they are 24 and 21 LOL they hate eye related anything and it does work best if you're lying down.

Keep going X

Day 3 must be nearly done by now. Well done biscuits!

And I did have a at your plans for AIBU!

Hey biscuits,

Did you get any good thunderstorms your way last night? Does your room at least have a big window?

Hope day 4 is going well for you. Start issuing biscuits to folk on AIBU, and we'll all smile inwardly at the double meaning.

Chewits are good. how about black jacks too?!

Xx

Am I right in thinking that it is 7 days of chemo drips biscuits?
That would mean that after today you are more than half way through this awful treatment.

Thinking of you

Hope today was bearable especially in this heat.