End of Phase 2

To my great relief I finally came to the end of Phase 2 of my treatment and was discharged from hospital last Monday! The first few days at home weren't very exciting as I was still recovering from the last lot of chemo and I was feeling very tired and nauseous. However, over the last few days I have really been able to properly relax and enjoy being at home, as the whole of the last week has been completely chemotherapy free. A couple of days ago I even managed to venture to the park for the first time in months to have a bit of fun in the sun (as seen in the various pictures). You will also be happy to know that since my last blog I have been enjoying the food at home and my craving for chicken nuggets has been fulfilled.

On Thursday I will be heading back into hospital for the beginning of Phase 3, but hopefully I shouldn't be there for very long. Unfortunately, this chemotherapy cannot be given as an outpatient because of its high dosage and possible effects on the kidneys, but I should only be in the hospital for 3-4 days, and then I can return home (as long as everything runs smoothly). The good news is that I will only receive two doses of this chemotherapy throughout the course of the month, so hopefully I will be spending most of the next few weeks at home.


Over the 3-4 days I will be spending in hospital I will firstly receive fluids, then a dose of methotrexate (the chemotherapy drug), followed by an antidote to the methotrexate and more fluids to control any side effects. This round of chemotherapy is very important as it ensures that no leukemia cells affect my central nervous system.

As the methotrexate can affect my kidney function, I had to undergo a kidney test yesterday. This involved being injected with a radioactive substance and then getting blood samples taken throughout the course of the day. When one of the blood samples was being taken, the nurse didn't seem to be paying much attention to what she was doing and spilled some of my blood on my jacket (luckily it was a black jacket!) The nurse then basically freaked out because she thought my jacket was radioactive and had to clean it furiously before checking its level of radioactivity - luckily I was allowed to leave, as long as I promised to wash the jacket as soon as I got home.

I always get a little nervous when I move into a new phase of treatment as I have to face new drugs and a whole new set of challenges. However, I'm feeling positive at the moment, and I'm hopeful that this month will run smoothly and I'll be able to spend much more time at home. So, everyone just needs to keep their fingers crossed for me that my kidneys are up for the challenge!