It's Moments Like These

I actually feel like we're getting somewhere at last.


Today is a milestone moment as it represents the first day where there were no morphine top-ups administered overnight.  Sunday we cut down  the 8pm to 2ml (from 4ml) and did away with the 2am 4ml dose all together.  Last night, we did away with both all together and I'm feeling just fine .i.e. no withdrawals / side effects.


Why the hoopla?  Well, the need for the top ups has a direct relationship with the dose of morphine, etc that goes through the pump.  While I still need top ups, they won't look at reducing the "main" dosage.  With me not needing the top-ups, they can now look at the process of weaning me off the main dosage, and eventually off the pump all together.  That represents Freedom.


While I appreciate that the pump is a lot more user friendly than the alternatives people would have had available to them say 5 years ago, reality is it does restrict quite severely what you can do.


I have an appointment with the gang of seven on Wednesday, so this will be good news all round I hope.


Only obstacle to overcome now is the eating and efforts in that area have been hampered over the last few days by my throat.  When they changed the entrance site for the pump last Tuesday, I developed blood poisoning in the area and that has required a rather heavy dose of antibiotics to get under control.  One side effect seems to have been my throat is now a mixture of either very dry or very gooey-phlegmy, so trying to control that has been fun.  Not an environment I wanted to be trying something as important as relearning to eat in.


Don't know where the site is going today, but the outgoing site has already developed a lump, just hope it doesn't develop the tell tale rash as well.


Overall, I'd have to rate this as a good week, merely for the progress with the top-ups.


Appointments this week are Wed with the head and neck gang of seven.  Thursday is with dietician and next Monday is with medical oncology.  Not sure what tests if any will be undertaken, just think it is more follow-up to check on progress.