Got a date for my new Portacath-Monday 20th october at 11 am - that's today! However , I got my new port in on Friday due to the forward thinking staff of the NHS . There were talks of a strike by radiographers , and it was set for today , so the charge nurse from interventional radiology was checking the lists and phoned to see if I would be able to come in sooner. I went for blood tests on Thursday to check my clotting screen was ok , and had the procedure done on Friday morning . The staff were incredible , as ever , so I am now in my own house waiting for the incision sites to heal up , and will start chemo next week - bring it on!!!
A bit of a sad day today , as the actress Lynda Bellingham has died following year long treatment for bowel cancer . Unfortunately ,when her disease was found , it had already spread to lungs and liver . I had a few conversations with her on Twitter , and she always seemed upbeat and positive . God bless her x

My little

Chloe

granddaughter is over four weeks old now - time flies ! She is the apple of our eyes and a real delight !

I should really keep this up to date , because so much happens that I forget about!
I had two doses of chemo , and everything was going well until the second week of my second  chemo. I noticed on the Wednesday  that the area over the portacath was quite pink looking.I had never noticed this before, and it didn't feel uncomfortable , so I just ignored it! The next day it looked a bit worse so I phoned up the Beatson helpline for advice. They advised me to go in to the hospital and to bring an overnight bag in case I was kept in.
I got expert attention from the moment I arrived , and was subjected to a lot of different blood tests , mainly to find out if there was an infection anywhere . I was started on IV Vancomycin and IV Gentamicin , which meant regular blood monitoring to check I was receiving the correct dose . I was kept in hospital for eight days , which I wasn't really happy about , as I wanted to get out and visit my new

Chloe Harper

granddaughter .
I always hear lots of complaints about hospital food , but I must say that the food was always tasty and warm ,and i even put on weight while I was in !!

Chicken and mushroom casserole ,with Brussels Sprouts and baby potatoes-Hospital food is good!

Roast pork,with potato croquettes and broccoli - lovely!

 After about a week , the doctor said that my portacath would have to be removed , because , by this time , there was a lot of pus oozing from the site . The prof who inserted the device came to see me on the Thursday afternoon and said he would remove it that day. He was true to his word and removed it on the Thursday evening .
I was getting quite impatient about being in hospital , despite the excellent care I received. I had tickets for Still Game at the Hydro and had been looking forward to it for so long . The doc had said that they would let me out for the evening if need be . As it was , I was discharged in the afternoon and was able to make the show , and it was hilarious !