Round 15 Day 1 AND Young Surviors: Celebrate survivors and loved ones

Chemo was booked for 9am today. So at 8.30am we started walking into town.

We arrived at 9.01am I think. My chemo drugs arrived at after 10.30am. I think I've said before about how they have to be sent from the mainland. 

My next chemo is booked for 8.30am. But I'm developing trust issues about these early appointments now, I might just happen to be fashionably late next time.

I got very nervous about the needle going into my port today - when the nurse came to get it ready, she saw that the emla cream had not turned my skin white - which is generally your indicator that it has worked. 

I was very nervous - but it had worked, and I didn't feel a thing. Looking back now, I wonder if the combination of the walk to town and up the stairs, into a very warm ward, plus that my skin seems to be becoming more sensitive to dressings, had just made my skin redder. Also the nurse commented about how well my port scar had healed up, which surprised me, but when I looked I could hardly see it at all. It's back now - my skin must have just gone the same shade of red that morning.

Once the drugs arrived, it's only another hour or so before we're done. I'd missed my gym appointment due to the delays, but they squeezed me in anyway and I'm really glad they did it was a great session.

Then Dave and I had lunch at The Standard. Locals will know this is a Burger Restaurant. So bit a deviation from my usual eating guidelines. I've actually reached 60kg again, but I'd like to get a good 'buffer zone' of weight on me. 65kg would put me right in the middle of my healthy BMI range, and I can be as heavy as 72kg before I'm overweight. I've been making a real effort to eat as much as I can to put on weight recently. This sounds like heaven, but it's never fun to eat more than you want to. The goal posts have moved.

While we were in hospital the dietitian came and had a chat, which is always good. We talked about shakes and powders I can use if I ever go back on the Irinotecan, which I may well do at some point. It's good to have some plans in place.

I was pretty tired by the time we walked home.

Here's the final part of Young Survivors Week from Bowel Cancer Australia:

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Celebrate survivors and loved ones

Wrap up the week by organising a get-together with friends and family during Young Survivors Week to recognise and honour people in your community who were diagnosed with bowel cancer under the age of 50. 

You may also like to make a donation to Bowel Cancer Australia or organise a #Never2Young fundraiser (online or offline).

Additional support from Bowel Cancer Australia Launched in 2014, Bowel Cancer Australia’s ‘Bowel Cancer... You're Never Too Young’ initiative was created to provide bowel cancer resources uniquely designed for younger people.  Offering practical and emotional support for the growing number of young people affected by bowel cancer (and their loved ones), championing what matters most to young survivors, while challenging perceptions through dynamic campaigning that raises awareness and motivates action in all young Australians. 

Useful links: 

Download our patient resources 

https://www.bowelcanceraustralia.org/free-bowel-cancer-patient-resources#Never-Too-Young-Resources

Never Too Young website 

http://nevertooyoung.org.au

Chat to a Bowel Care Nurse or Nutritionist https://www.bowelcanceraustralia.org/finding-support

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I have not organised a get-together. I hope to attend to Dark MOFO's Feast at least once next week, does that count? I'm sure I'll see some of you there. 

There are a lot of great links here if you want to find out more (I think I've finally worked out how to do links properly on blogger!). If anyone has any questions for me, or does want to organise a proper thing, let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Like you know, blog about it? Does that help? Not sure!

But thanks for reading! I'll try not to hassle you with charities and awareness and the like until next Friday.