Evening Phalanx.
((( Hearts ))) and ((( Mummy ))) 
I've been taking it easy. I have managed one trip to Craven Arms. I have another planned for tomorrow morning. I'm a bit stronger every day but still have a long way to go.
Here is a summary of my hospital stay:
After feeling increasingly poorly over the last 10 days or so of April I finally rang the Oncology helpline on the 30th. An ambulance was dispatched and I was taken to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) where I was admitted to the Acute Medical Unit (AMU).
I was immediately started on IV antibiotics and IV fluids whilst various other tests were started. In all, it appears I received 8 litres of fluid over 2 days. I was also given an inhaler (Spiriva) although I didn’t realise that for a couple of days. I was diagnosed with pneumonia. I spent 2 days in AMU and was then transferred to Ward 23, the Oncology ward.
For the first few days on Ward 23 I was mobile. Treatment with the antibiotics continued. Blood and sputum cultures failed to identify the infection that was causing me to spike temperatures above 38C. The blood results did show that there was infection / inflammation lurking somewhere in my body.
One morning I woke up with oedema in just about every part of my body. I had a chest x-ray and an echocardiogram. These confirmed that I had fluid around my heart and lungs. Both feet and legs were very swollen as was my left arm. I had difficulty breathing and was put on oxygen.
Frankly the next couple of weeks are a bit of a blur. I was semi-delirious for part of the time. Every time they seemed to get on top of one of my problems, another one would kick off. My temperature would behave for several days and then spike again.
I had a couple of episodes of feeling that I was unable to breathe at all. That was very scary. I think it was one of those episodes that triggered atrial fibrillation and a heart rate in the 150s. I was started on Digoxin to slow the heart down.
Eventually someone decided to put me on Furosemide to eliminate the fluid. I was soon catheterised as the effort of getting out of bed and on to the commode was too much for me.
I also experienced a thankfully brief spell of pleurisy. That was painful!
Throughout all of this there were almost constant scans and other tests. Very, very slowly things began to improve.
I was finally discharged on 3 June. I came home on all the meds that had been started in hospital. I am awaiting various outpatient appointments. I see my oncologist on 18 June and have an echocardiogram and spirometry (Flow Volume Loop) appointment on 19 June. I’m still waiting for a cardiology appointment and an appointment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham to assess if I’m still fit for the liver resection.
I’ve not made much mention of my cancer. My oncologist confirmed that one of the CT scans I had in hospital showed no change in the liver mets. However, because this is the second time I have been ill following a Kadcyla cycle, it is unlikely I will be able to continue with that. If I do, it will be at a reduced dosage. More likely is that my oncologist will pull something else out of her armoury.
Love and ZombieHugs™ to all.