Week 5: w/e 25th October 2026
Welcome to the latest update and it was a health-impact filled week, which began on Monday afternoon with my scheduled chemo session no. 3. They took me two minutes ahead of time, a first!, and they were very efficient too, with plenty of staff around. I had asked for, and thankfully received, both the chemo infusion and the bone strengthening infusion, one after the other. That saved Sandra and I a whole separate journey, which was welcomed. I was done and dusted within 2-hours and on our way home for around 6pm. The one weird impact was the anti-sickness meds, which are put in ahead of everything else. I know that as soon as they start to flow through the veins, that an instant ‘tiredness’ descends over my body and makes me want to close my eyes, it also makes it hard to get comfortable. Whilst we know to expect this, this particular session produced an almost instant ‘lights-out’ effect. After leaving the hospital and on our way home, I could not keep my eyes open, then upon getting home, relaxed on the sofa and fell asleep. However, I had to take my evening meds and they have to be taken after food. Sandra had to fight to get me to wake up, then get some light food into me, so I could consume the essential medication. As soon as that was done, she got me into bed, where I fell asleep fairly quickly. That was around 20:30 hours and I was up a couple of times, as usual, during the early hours. I found myself awake at 2am, then decided to get up at 3am and get some of my tasks done; another disrupted sleep pattern week ahead.
The very visual impact of the ‘lights-out’ phenomenon was something that worried Sandra a lot, especially when we got home, due to the difficult struggle she had in waking me and trying to get me to eat. I was too, but one to watch.
The ‘swimming head’ began on Wednesday morning. Wednesday evening was a re-run of Monday evening, with extreme head tiredness and Sandra helping me to bed before 8pm, where I stayed through to 06:30. Thursday was a challenge, with more of the same, but I had unmovable things to cover off. The main one was my 3-monthly hormone injection with the GP (but we did some other quick tasks before and after that). This week can be regarded as a ‘pin cushion’ week, with three different powerful meds being pumped in or injected in. We are unsure of the combined side effect impact, but the most challenging week of this second round of chemo, since this new world began for me. Head tiredness and leg and groin pain continued. My muscles were sore, bones sore, my hands and feet slightly tingling, with the visual change in my finger nails beginning too. My taste was very, very flat this week and from Friday, was joined by a new phenomenon, the arrival of a new side effect, which was a ‘burning’ tongue that gave me constant issues. The overall tiredness was more evident and the latest I went to bed this week was 21:30.
Friday seen me in front of the laptop at my desk, with Alanna providing ‘remote baby-sitting’, which was the only way to persuade Sandra to leave me and go to work. She would have preferred Alanna to be with me, but we had a storm here on Friday and I did not want Alanna to go out unnecessarily, hence the compromise. She is very concerned and not enjoying watching what is unfolding this week, at all. I can see it in her face and the overall impact of this week is not easy for either of us. Add to that the burden of having to impact Alanna and her plans, adds to the overall ‘weight’ of this week.
The weekend was low key for Sandra and I, with Sunday morning being challenging. I woke up feeling very lethargic and with body pain, which lasted through to the afternoon and prevented me from doing pretty much anything.
Away from the medical aspects,tThe highpoint of the week was Monday lunchtime and Karl’s birthday, where we went out and enjoyed a nice bite to eat, with Alanna and Dan joining us too. It was superb to celebrate another birthday milestone and I regard each one as an important and essential way to spend time together; this week’s photo is Karl and I on the big day.
We got to see the grandkids for a couple of hours in the early afternoon, where nothing physical was undertaken, just some time together and low key activities. Karl and Rachel popped in, later in the afternoon, on their way back from being out and about. A nice way to round off a challenging week, seeing all of the family.
The books continue to progress, as that is one of the easier things to focus on when the chemo side effects kick in. Hazel’s manuscript is now at 90% completion and this should be done this week / before the end of the month. The ‘117’ also moves forwards, but as I am in the more detailed people who have dozens of documents, the pace is slower, but very interesting! Last,m but not least, the proof read corrections for the Münkemer book have been done and the completed files are with the printer, where we are liaising at the moment. In summary, the most challenging week so far, in this round of chemo and one that appears to be delivering the anticipated accumulative impact, which has been no fun at all; here’s hoping the coming week is a better one. RegardsPeter