Today did not start well with the arrival of yet more snow. Ridiculous. Even the children are fed up with it now.
We weren't quite up on time either as it is sooooo cold I didn't want to get up so I managed to persuade the youngest to stay in bed with a few cuddles. He does give possibly the best full on body hugs in the world, ever.
I just about got the children dressed, hair brushed and eating breakfast before I realised I wasn't at all organised, the car was still cold and not packed with nursery things, and I hadn't yet had a shower. Hey ho. Plenty of time to drop the children off at nursery, go to the GP at 9.40 then get to the hospital for 11am. All was moderately calm until I was packing my notes and realised that I had mis-read the time on my appointment letter and I actually had to be at the hospital at 9.50am. Botheration. With bells on.
Fortunately, someone must have been looking out for me, as I managed to get the children to nursery without getting stuck in snow (no mean feat with our country lanes, trust me), and myself to the hospital, with about 90 seconds to spare. Phew. Time for a sit down.
Amazingly, the amazing hospital staff seemed to be running everything completely under control and certainly, all seemed to have managed to get to work despite the awful roads - something many many many people in Norfolk really ought to learn how to do. My appointment was pretty much on time and I was taken through for an ECG which was quick and painless, then I was called to wait whilst my consultant looked through what appears to be an extremely thick file which apparently, belongs to me!
So, apparently my consultant is extremely tall, for a lady! She is however, lovely and doesn't beat around the bush at all. I decided that we'd get on well when I saw a pair of Le Chameau wellington boots just inside the door.....similar interests and all that.
Having had a look at the ECG, echocardiagram results and listening to my heart, taking blood pressure etc it would seem that my heart is improving with the drugs, despite the chemo, therefore we've decided that the lower EF is what is "normal for me" as other than a few odd feelings here and there, the heart function seems to be okay, and there is no leaking from the valve.
So, celebration time in many ways, as not only am I allowed to "exert myself" i.e. exercise normally, get on a horse, that sort of thing, but my cardiologist is also going to advise that I can try Herceptin, which is fantastic news.
Much relief.
The only other chore to get done whilst at the hospital is a blood test via the Chemo ward, so I popped round and was seen fairly promptly. I forgot to put Emla (numbing cream) on before going to the hospital which was annoying, as I do find the big needle that goes into the port quite sore, but it will serve as a reminder for Wednesday.
Rather annoyingly I seem to have developed a physical reaction to being in the Chemo ward, which is nausea - as if I didn't already have enough of this going on already. I've spent the rest of the day feeling on the verge of being sick, so I'm going to have to develop a coping mechanism rather quickly. Very pathetic. Quite what I'm going to be like on Chemo day I don't know. Hopefully the sedatives will have kicked in by that point, as I've got to start taking them and the steroids tomorrow.......either that or I'll have to dunk my head in the snow.
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