Finally she's home again. Fever spiking seems to have settled. Her neutrophils are up (immune resistance) so she went out to see "Summer of the seventeen dolls" tonight at the State Theatre with her AC Arts friends. Whilst being in a crowd right now is not encouraged, sometimes you have to do something 'social' to feel human. The outing did her the world of good.
If you're wondering why she hasn't been posting on Facebook or responding to txt messages - the screen on her mobile has (& still is) playing up so she can't key/type reliably on it for the time being.
Wednesday 29 April 2015
Tuesday 21 April 2015
Day finished better than it started
She had some day leave from hospital today and got her first chance to drive a car in the last 2 months. Best therapy after her escape from the ward today.
Went back in at 6:00pm tonight for antibiotics for some 30 mins, home for dinner and now going back in (10:00pm) for the night. She has an isolated room and own toilet now.
Funny how they get her to wear a mask leaving the hospital or being moved around or when near people but were prepared to put her in a ward with a shared toilet from people with chemo wastage and next to people who have fevers etc...go figure!!
I'm sure she'll sleep well tonight. Fell asleep in the car on the way there.....lucky Lauren was there to wake me up!! :)
....and thanks to Mitre 10 Unley & staff for the blocks of wood to raise Lauren's car off it's tyres whilst it sits idle. I can understand why Lauren enjoyed working there during school and her studies since.
Funny how they get her to wear a mask leaving the hospital or being moved around or when near people but were prepared to put her in a ward with a shared toilet from people with chemo wastage and next to people who have fevers etc...go figure!!
I'm sure she'll sleep well tonight. Fell asleep in the car on the way there.....lucky Lauren was there to wake me up!! :)
....and thanks to Mitre 10 Unley & staff for the blocks of wood to raise Lauren's car off it's tyres whilst it sits idle. I can understand why Lauren enjoyed working there during school and her studies since.
She's back in hospital...again
Yesterday Lauren spiked a temperature and was re-admitted into the RAH. Only this time she's in a Bay with 'other' patients who are ill (various illnesses) - (not her usual haematology ward C6). She's ready to discharge herself because she had no sleep last night with people coughing through the night in the Bay. I'm surprised they firstly mix unwell patients together in Bays and mix young and old, male & female in the same bays. I thought we were in the 21st Century for medical care in Australia (& SA!!).
Anyway the Doctor has seen her this morning and he was surprised as anyone she's in a shared bay with patients with various illnesses, given they're trying to get her ready for a stem cell (bone marrow) transplant and has apparently 'requested' she by moved to an isolated room. Got to say the staff are professional at the RAH but stuff ups still appear to happen occasionally. (Not under Emily's watch!!! :) ) This is only the first one (stuff up) I can sight. Would like to know how, if it's so important someone is ready for a stem cell transplant gets put in a mixed room with other people having fevers etc. I would have thought that would potentially make the prospect of getting better worse!! Surely she's better to be home and isolated than in that environment?!?!?!? We'll see what transpires today as they apparently don't want her coming home just yet - until the reason for the fever is found.
If this sounds like a whinge post - I've got to say I'm surprised by the admission into the Bay (I can understand the usual ward being full) - but she'd be far better off at home!!
Anyway the Doctor has seen her this morning and he was surprised as anyone she's in a shared bay with patients with various illnesses, given they're trying to get her ready for a stem cell (bone marrow) transplant and has apparently 'requested' she by moved to an isolated room. Got to say the staff are professional at the RAH but stuff ups still appear to happen occasionally. (Not under Emily's watch!!! :) ) This is only the first one (stuff up) I can sight. Would like to know how, if it's so important someone is ready for a stem cell transplant gets put in a mixed room with other people having fevers etc. I would have thought that would potentially make the prospect of getting better worse!! Surely she's better to be home and isolated than in that environment?!?!?!? We'll see what transpires today as they apparently don't want her coming home just yet - until the reason for the fever is found.
If this sounds like a whinge post - I've got to say I'm surprised by the admission into the Bay (I can understand the usual ward being full) - but she'd be far better off at home!!
Saturday 18 April 2015
Home again from Royal Adelaide Hotel
Lauren got discharged again from the Royal Adelaide Hotel last night after her chemo for the week was finished. Hopefully now she'll be home, except for spiking a temperature, until early June!! Transplant is planned at this stage for 10 June 2015!! Chord blood from overseas (I think) is the donor.
Whole body radiation which always concerns me personally is the day before.
Photo is Lauren previous week (prior to last stay in RAH) with her Canteen friends. She's always up for a drive. Any friends who want to take her out (can't be where crowds are gathered) please feel free. I'm sure she'd prefer going for a drive with friends rather than her boring parents!! Just contact Lauren direct.
Whole body radiation which always concerns me personally is the day before.
Photo is Lauren previous week (prior to last stay in RAH) with her Canteen friends. She's always up for a drive. Any friends who want to take her out (can't be where crowds are gathered) please feel free. I'm sure she'd prefer going for a drive with friends rather than her boring parents!! Just contact Lauren direct.
Tuesday 14 April 2015
Update #7 by Lauren. Expect the Unexpected!!
Expect the unexpected. That's what you do when you're still on treatment because... I've just had Hungry Jacks for dinner and it was amaaaazzing 
as I haven't been able to have fast/takeaway foods since I relapsed due to my low immunity (nomnomnom it was great and such a surprise to hear that my blood counts were high enough to do so) BUUUUUTTT (there's always a but) have landed myself another stay at the Royal Adelaide Hotel.
So I came in for my next lot of chemo today at the outpatient clinic when the docs come and see me. They of course ask about how my sinuses are feeling after having my sinus infection and the truth is my ears are still feeling blocked and I sometimes feel the need to blow my brains out. So they send me off to have a CT scan and the results were that the infection had only budged a little. So before I start any chemo or even any pre-transplant examinations/tests they want this infection gone and hence why I am in here again. This time at least they know what it is so they're hitting me up with some pretty awesome antibiotics until the ear nose and throat dudes come and see me sometime this week.
As for my week at home - gaaaahhh it was just what I needed!! Pulled out the old Nintendo Wii, went for drives to outlooks, beaches and botanic gardens, ate too many chicken nuggets and also had a chance to catch up with some of my closest friends as well as my little canteen squad. And even though being home is certainly better than being in hospital - I've certainly noticed the pressures/fears/doubts a young person has when dealing with the effects of cancer more so in this past week than in recent weeks.
It's really hard - at a time when you are meant to be at your most independent, beautiful or talented you feel like you're just not because let's face it, at the end of the day you're sick and you sometimes feel and look sick. And I know this is quite a morbid thought but it's my reality and I'm sure it's the reality for other young adult patients as well. Not being able to drive, having a bald head and stopping my studies were all things I thought would be some of the easiest challenges I would face, but in the past week I have found that not having independence, not having society's version of average beauty or not being able to continue being normal and studying something I dearly love has really started to bug me. And I'm not asking for sympathy and I'm certainly not turning into a negative bastard but youth cancer in its own right is something that is still just starting off and needs a little more recognition because it is so different going through this journey as a young adult compared to going through it as a child or teenager. Thankfully there are some amazing organisations out there who help just us young people out (Canteen, Youth Cancer Service, Redkite) so if you're a young person or know a young person going through something similar then please either contact me (I'm absolute crap at replying but I love having a good chat once I get to it) or check out one of the organisations listed above!!
Anyway, I've had a pretty awesome week and it looks like I won't be in here for too long!!! And like always, but this time in capitals cause it deserves it and looks way more intimidating, #FUCKCANCER
So I came in for my next lot of chemo today at the outpatient clinic when the docs come and see me. They of course ask about how my sinuses are feeling after having my sinus infection and the truth is my ears are still feeling blocked and I sometimes feel the need to blow my brains out. So they send me off to have a CT scan and the results were that the infection had only budged a little. So before I start any chemo or even any pre-transplant examinations/tests they want this infection gone and hence why I am in here again. This time at least they know what it is so they're hitting me up with some pretty awesome antibiotics until the ear nose and throat dudes come and see me sometime this week.
As for my week at home - gaaaahhh it was just what I needed!! Pulled out the old Nintendo Wii, went for drives to outlooks, beaches and botanic gardens, ate too many chicken nuggets and also had a chance to catch up with some of my closest friends as well as my little canteen squad. And even though being home is certainly better than being in hospital - I've certainly noticed the pressures/fears/doubts a young person has when dealing with the effects of cancer more so in this past week than in recent weeks.
It's really hard - at a time when you are meant to be at your most independent, beautiful or talented you feel like you're just not because let's face it, at the end of the day you're sick and you sometimes feel and look sick. And I know this is quite a morbid thought but it's my reality and I'm sure it's the reality for other young adult patients as well. Not being able to drive, having a bald head and stopping my studies were all things I thought would be some of the easiest challenges I would face, but in the past week I have found that not having independence, not having society's version of average beauty or not being able to continue being normal and studying something I dearly love has really started to bug me. And I'm not asking for sympathy and I'm certainly not turning into a negative bastard but youth cancer in its own right is something that is still just starting off and needs a little more recognition because it is so different going through this journey as a young adult compared to going through it as a child or teenager. Thankfully there are some amazing organisations out there who help just us young people out (Canteen, Youth Cancer Service, Redkite) so if you're a young person or know a young person going through something similar then please either contact me (I'm absolute crap at replying but I love having a good chat once I get to it) or check out one of the organisations listed above!!
Anyway, I've had a pretty awesome week and it looks like I won't be in here for too long!!! And like always, but this time in capitals cause it deserves it and looks way more intimidating, #FUCKCANCER
Monday 13 April 2015
Consolidation chemo starts today
Lauren starts consolidation chemo today...as an outpatient. So still comes home each day. This is to clean up any rogue cells between now and transplant. She'll be here each day until Thursday, then a week or two for the chemo to have the desired effect, then transplant. She's currently having her bloods checked before proceeding with her chemo appointment later this morning. Been home since Easter now - no fevers, which has been good. Any friends want to volunteer to take her for a drive away from people, please feel free....
Tuesday 7 April 2015
Update #6 by Lauren
UPDATE #6:
What A Week!!!!
Let me just say that despite all that's happened to me - I am an extremely lucky lady. As most of you already know the chemo (that had a 50/50 chance of working) has worked and put me into remission!! This means the treatment plan that they originally had in mind for me can go ahead!!!! (Would have been a completely different story if it hadn't of worked so I'm counting my blessings) Therefore a bone marrow transplant will happen in 3/4 weeks time at the RAH once they finalise and bring in (I'm assuming it's coming from overseas) the cord blood match they have found. In the meantime, not this week but the week after, I have another round of less intense chemo just to keep any nasty cancer cells that potentially want to come back away.
Some other good news was that I was also discharged from hospital on Good Friday last week after having been admitted the week before after I spiked a temperature. The doctors eventually found out I had a sinus infection. The treatment for it is hilarious though - I have a douche and no not the one you're all thinking of, I have a nasal and sinus douche that shoots water up one nostril and comes out the other with all the slimy gunk!
You can't really see it in the photo but I'm actually pissing myself laughing whilst 'douche-ing' my sinuses - it was a sight to see! Anyway enough about my 'douche-ing' experiences, the main thing is I've been feeling better and more like me day by day and they let out just in time for Easter where I've been helping keep that chocolate stash to a minimum - mmm chocolate never tasted so good.
Anyway I won't keep you much longer
but that's the plan and I'm so grateful I have a cancer where I can have a plan in place. Have met a few people on this journey who don't have that option, or any options at all for that matter, so I'm just so thankful this has all worked in my favour! So #fuckcancer In the meantime you can lol at this photo of my Dad and I - I have the same bloody haircut as him now...Obviously I'm the prettier one and have a nicer head tongue emoticon #whohascancer?? #whoworeitbetter #fuckcancer
What A Week!!!!
Let me just say that despite all that's happened to me - I am an extremely lucky lady. As most of you already know the chemo (that had a 50/50 chance of working) has worked and put me into remission!! This means the treatment plan that they originally had in mind for me can go ahead!!!! (Would have been a completely different story if it hadn't of worked so I'm counting my blessings) Therefore a bone marrow transplant will happen in 3/4 weeks time at the RAH once they finalise and bring in (I'm assuming it's coming from overseas) the cord blood match they have found. In the meantime, not this week but the week after, I have another round of less intense chemo just to keep any nasty cancer cells that potentially want to come back away.
Some other good news was that I was also discharged from hospital on Good Friday last week after having been admitted the week before after I spiked a temperature. The doctors eventually found out I had a sinus infection. The treatment for it is hilarious though - I have a douche and no not the one you're all thinking of, I have a nasal and sinus douche that shoots water up one nostril and comes out the other with all the slimy gunk!
Anyway I won't keep you much longer
Saturday 4 April 2015
She's home again...and in remission!!
Yes, she's home again. Hopefully this time for a bit longer than last weekend. Fevers stay away!!
The good news this week is her 50/50 chance of getting into remission has eventuated. The Doctor was so excited, she told Lauren on Tuesday - 2 days earlier than when we were supposedly getting the 'official' results. From here there'll be a short consolidation of chemo around April 13 for the week as there were a few 'blast' cells present in the marrow - less than 0.08% (I think) which is good according to the Doc - she expected a higher percentage. Then into a second bone marrow transplant - using a chord blood stem cells this time is the current plan.
Her whiteboard quote for the week was:
Funny to see a get well card from an Aunty of Lauren's in Sydney - 83 years old and never uses the word Fu%k herself, write on Lauren's card #f...cancer!! We have an awesome family!!
The good news this week is her 50/50 chance of getting into remission has eventuated. The Doctor was so excited, she told Lauren on Tuesday - 2 days earlier than when we were supposedly getting the 'official' results. From here there'll be a short consolidation of chemo around April 13 for the week as there were a few 'blast' cells present in the marrow - less than 0.08% (I think) which is good according to the Doc - she expected a higher percentage. Then into a second bone marrow transplant - using a chord blood stem cells this time is the current plan.
Her whiteboard quote for the week was:
Funny to see a get well card from an Aunty of Lauren's in Sydney - 83 years old and never uses the word Fu%k herself, write on Lauren's card #f...cancer!! We have an awesome family!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)