09/03/03
Since I had the implantable device fitted, this second chemo is easier than the previous one.
First, they put an anesthetic patch on my skin, above the chamber. An hour later, they insert a right-angled syringe with a catheter and do the same thing, except that it's not in my arm, so there are no unnecessary alarming beeps (or almost none) and I can surf the internet or write on my computer while the drugs are being injected.
This second round of chemotherapy could have been perfect, if the radiator in the room hadn't been broken. Oh, it heated well, if only it hadn't been so noisy. During the day, I hadn't really noticed it, as it blended in with the outside noises: people, the air conditioning from the cafeteria, the TV... But once everyone had left, the cafeteria closed, and the TV turned off, that's all you could hear. PLus I had forgotten to bring earplugs...
Once you've taken your medicine, you toss and turn, toss and turn, toss and turn in your bed, realizing just how small and uncomfortable it is. At around two in the morning, you finally call the nurse, who has no solution apart from turning off the radiator, which doesn't stop the noise completely but reduces it a little, and giving you a paper blanket to finish off your crazy night. Needless to say, I slept for a grand total of three hours.
The aftermath was pretty similar to #1, not too many hiccups this time, but the same period of fatigue, two or three days later, and the same return to normal on Wednesday. Just before another adventure 😉
