Images from Chemo ward

Firstly, fabulous news.

The oncologist couldn't find the lump!!!!!! So Barbarella the breast bump bitch has shrunk to oblivion (I loved that word when I was a teenager, very dramatic). He said it was a fabulous result and very promising for surgery. Less invasive. Still have to have all the lymph glands removed but he explained a bit better so I feel less uneasy about it.

Im in the chemo ward, hooked up with all the chemicals dripping. Here are some photos so that you can see what its like. I didn't take any photos of people because I thought that was a bit invasive.

Sitting listening to meditation music (currently pan flutes) having a very hot flush, and feeling the chemicals going through. Drinking soda water to try and calm the tummy down. I can't explain the chemo rush except you have a cold chemical feel in your brain???

About 15 people having chemo. More women than men. A mixture of people. An older lady with a brown beanie. Her grandson (nice looking electrical instrumentation guy) is keeping her company. She's not reading or anything. She's just looking around and when one of the nurses asks her how she is, she replies "im fine lovey"

Lady next to me, comes down from York each chem session (1.5 to 2 hours drive). I can't imagine having to put up with bumps and corners after chemo.

There was a guy here before that had the same birthday as me. The nurse recognised it because hers is just before mine. She's my favorite nurse. She gave me my first chemo and has a fabulous bedside manner. No surprisingly, she's a queenslander and a cancerian!

Also next to me is a Japanese couple. She's very young and looks about 5 months pregnant. Can't imagine what it would be like being pregnant and having cancer. It really makes me feel like I have so much less to complain about.

In fact, when you think about this place is all very humbling and makes you think about complaining less, and one of my favorites sayings is already DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF. I think that will be my new mantra because so many people get stressed about alot of very unimportant stuff.

What else....
Here's some personal stuff. So if you don't want to here about Kay's biological functions then skip next paragraph or two.
I'm menopausal!!! Why do they call it MENopausal. And for that matter MENstruating. I think some man doctor named them thinking they were gifts to women. One you are a woman and fertile and well, the other barren and old!!!
so, just when I was feeling like I was ready to have a child (only joking) I now am barren and sterile. But will save a fortune on sanitary products (again) is the name of the product saying that we are unsanitary???

Apparently I will have most of the symptoms whilst going thru treatment. Its also the best for the tumor because it's estrogen receptive so they don't warn any of that around.

Hot flushes.....

Mmmm. Not sure if I'm getting hot or cold flushes or even if you can get cold flushes. Basically, all this sweat comes out and then I feel cold. Because I'm bald, once the sweat arrives, feel like someone's put a bag of cold peas on my scalp.

So all night I alternate between my woollen sleep cap (yes, very much out off "little house on the prairie) and being bald. Its interesting (and I'm sure the readers will be as well) that the only place I don't sweat is under the arms. So, my theory is.....

The tale of Barberella and how she influenced my sweat glands

My lymph glands who have been bombarded with chemicals, are talking to my under arm sweat glands.

Sweat glands, sensing hot flush coming up, prepares to react, takes a deep breath and gets ready to squirt out the sweat. The lymph glands look on anxiously and exclaims "don't, keep absolutely quiet!" The sweat glands look quizzically and their team leader asks "why"?
"Well" number 1 lymph gland replies "Its like this. We have spent the last few years sitting around, doing just what was expected from us and basically having an easy time. And then, this bitch called Barberella came to us and said "Boy, have I got a deal for you. I can show you a way to get bigger and fatter and basically have a whale of a time. I'm just about to invade Kay's breast and with you on board we can conquer and take over the whole body"

He (I can't think of a having a female lymph gland) continued " well, it all sounded cosher. All we had to do was take on a few cancer cells, pass it down the line and then let nature takes its course. We were doing it well, very covertly so not to attract attention. But Barberella got too big for her boots and tried to grow too quickly. Kay obviously noticed and raced straight to Breastscreen".

Anyway to cut a long sorry story short. We were having a pretty cushy life and then all of these nasty chemicals have attacked us. Most of us have suffered pretty lethal wounds a few of us are just surviving but I don't think it'll be long... Anyway, there going to cut us all out so there'll be nothing left"

"so, my advice to you, is keep your heads down, don't squirt out that sweat. Otherwise you'll also be a casualty of barberella's megalomanic campaign"

Apparently, the sweat glands were scared shittless and made an overwhelming vote to remain sweat less for the next couple of months.

So, now you know how my brain works. For my family, they all know that I can be a bit strange, but for co-workers and newer friends, you'll be getting to know me a bit more. Don't worry - I'm still sane!

What next
Well, I've just had the 5 of 6 chemo - all going very well. It's day two (didn't obviously finish this whilst having chemo)and still have all of the anti-nausea stuff in my system so not feeling too bad. The next 3 days are my worse and basically I run out of energy and feel like crap. So that's what's next for me...

It helps me by thinking that all of these chemicals are storming all of the cancer cells in my body and I often picture a small "Luke Skywalker" - the good chemical going through all of my veins saying " I have the force"!! And he's blasting all of the bad guys.. It helps.

So, that's it for now. Hope you enjoyed the update.

Love Kay

+ Luke Skywalker and a very sad, depleted Barbarella the breast bump bitch!!!!