Now, thanks to Wendie, I have another 38 to consider and this one is a tad more sinister, not that TC isn't.
Once I start my chemo, my immune system gets knocked around rather nastily and I will therefore become prone to infections. If there infections are not kept at bay, things could turn nasty.
My new 38 is body temperature. If my temperature hits 38 degrees, I will need to call an ambulance and go straight to Wellington Emergency. Why? If I don't I could end up with full body sepsis. This isn't negotiable either - if I feel under the weather and decide to sleep it off, odds are stacked that I might not wake up the following morning. Newest addition to the armoury will therefore be a digital thermometer.
On the plus side, I now have a VIP card for Wellington Hospital that will see me attended to ahead of the normal drunken rabble. Once they've got intravenous drugs going into me, they might put me in a corner and forget me, but I won't have to wait hours to be seen.
Another potential issue with the chemo is the post-treatment vomiting. Apparently, if I vomit once, that's fine, but twice is another red flag that involves speedy medical intervention. Because the chemo is so toxic, it is critical for me to get fluids consistently through my system to dilute the chemo and help the kidneys pass it as quickly as possible. Vomiting means not retaining the fluids needed, means nuked kidneys.
I've already been given a medication chart that sets out what drugs I will take when after each chemo session. Part of this regime involves me having some ampoules of one of the drugs on site, so the district nurses can administer it.
In summary - Chemo is nasty shite and Wendie has laid out the rules in very clear terms. Given I'm in this to win, the rules will be followed to the letter - if in doubt, scream out.
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