I am so fortunate to have so many people that care about me and how I am feeling and managing through this part of my treatment. I do find it very difficult to let the many people up todate on what is happening. It is with that in mind that I am restarting “The Travelling Fish” blog to keep all of those who are interested, informed about what is happening. I believe you get an email notification when there is a new post so that you can check it whenever you have the time.
The most recent activities were, a nuclear bone scan, yesterday September 15th. I had an early morning (7:25am) appointment at the Jim Pattison Outpatient Clinic in surrey for this. They inject you with radioactive stuff, let that soak down to your bones for a couple of hours. After that they do images to see specifically what lights up. The purpose is to find target areas for the radiation treatments. This will also confirm the suspicion that the pain that I am experiencing is in fact due to cancer spreading to the bones.
As it was an early day, it was very tiring. The new chemo drugs that I started last week also cause fatigue. In other words I was just exhausted by the end of the day.
After the scan Michael and Alex picked me up for scheduled bloodwork at Ridge Meadows Hospital. I had these appointments set up for a while but decided that having bloodwork while I was at Jim Pattison made more sense, as I was already there. During the 2ish hours I waited until the radioactive goop made it’s way to my bones, I went to the lab there. As I didn’t have an appointment, I used the “walking procedure” Write your name on a list beside a time and they will try to get to you between booked appointments. My time was 9:15. Close, but I should be able to be back at Nuclear Medicine by 10am. I am sure that NOT ONE person arriving for bloodwork had all of the items they need for bloodwork. An appointment, as requisition for the tests, understood what “are you fasting” means, sometimes even their NAME!! 9:15 came and went. Every patient required so much time that I knew that I wasn’t going to get blood drawn there today. I really don’t know how the staff here kept their composure. Me, sitting there hearing all the same questions, with inadequate answers, was ready to start a brawl. I had to go back to the quiet calm if Nuclear Medicine where people seemed to know why they were there.
The san itself took almost another hour. Michael was then there to take me home for a short time before picking me up again for my previously booked and thankfully not canceled bloodwork appointments!!
Lindsey artived from Nanaimo for a few day eork visit. She arrived here about 6:30. Helped me with a few things and ensured thatI had an early and good sleep last night. Helped me with preparing for my chemo this afternoon.
Alex will be arriving at 10:30 to get me toBC Cancer Center in Surrey for my 12:15 appointment. I am feeling sooo much better today.
I hope the results of the bone scan are available for my Radiation Oncologist appointment on Friday morning. That appointment will help figure out what the next few weeks will look like!!