Round 7 wk 1

This will probably be much shorter than I had originally planned.  I spent over 1.5 hours writing a piece of literary genius, sure to win a Pulitzer, and then my useless gloved fingers accidentally touched the wrong part of the screen and in an instant all that beautiful wordsmithing was gone.  It has taken me 2 days to start again. 

Ok, the last 2 weeks of round 6 were not that flash for me. The trip to Twin Waters turned out to be just a different bed to be sick in.  Donna and the boys enjoyed it. The cumulative affect of the treatment meant the time was spent with severe constipation and or gas cramps causing referred back pain.  End result lack of sleep and a miserable time. I also found I it very difficult to get food I could eat so some weight loss as well.

On my return to Melbourne I had used the last of the Oxynorm for the flight home, so by the time I saw Niall and the nurses I was again not feeling well nor looking good. I had managed not quite 2 hours sleep the night before treatment by kneeling beside the bed, putting the heatpack on the edge of the bed so my stomach rested on it and then face planted into the pillow.  I thought this was quite inventive but the nurses were less impressed.  Needles to say I had already rung Niall about more Oxynorm.  A good conversation followed with the nurses re pain management and staying ahead of the pain not waiting for it to get bad and trying to recover. 

So I am trying to stay ahead of the pain and the constipation.  So far I have slept better, not a continuous 7 hours but generally 3 good 2 hour stints usually broken up to go to the toilet and sometimes to take medication. 

The severity of the pain has concerned Niall and he is worried that the cancer may have spread to the nearby bones. Given the proximity to the ribs and spine this makes sense.  So this week I have been for a bone scan and a CT scan. I'll get the results next week so look forward to that bulletin folks.  Niall did say that in my favor was the fact the pain for me was not always in the same place and that I could make it ease off with simple things, apparently bone pain doesn't ease off or move location, so here's hoping. 

Signing off now I'll let you know the results next week.