A grotty couple of days

Wednesday my feet were so painful that walking was almost an impossibility. I decided not to take my morning dose of Xeloda. I rang the oncologist's surgery and the nurse-receptionist said that it was the best thing to do and she would tell the doctor. She rang back later and said the oncologist would ring me later in the evening. So I rested my feet until it was time to go to Haddon's funeral. It was a brief, but moving, ceremony. I wrote the basic eulogy, but our friend Dennis found many more anecdotes to relate. Afterwards we went back to Haddon and Margaret's house where I spent a couple of hours sitting down. I managed one drink, but was unable to eat anything.

After the doctor's call in the evening, when he said that I had done the right thing in stopping the Xeloda and that three days without it wouldn't make a difference and that I could expect an improvement in my feet in two to three days (all of which was a great relief to me) I went to bed without eating any dinner.

Thursday morning I vomited shortly after I got up - first time in a long time - but managed half a bowl of porridge for breakfast. Then it was off to the oral surgeon for the removal of the decayed wisdom tooth. It was done under local anaesthetic and went well. There was no bleeding, so I haven't had to use the special mouthwash. But I felt so unwell afterwards that I went to bed without any lunch for the afternoon. I slept till nearly five, when Kevin got me up because he thought I wouldn't sleep at night. I didn't feel able to eat any dinner and vomited again, but drank a glass of Sustagen about an hour later before going off to bed again.

I slept well, but vomited again in the morning. Breakfast was a couple of spoonfuls of tinned fruit. I had another session of Bowen therapy this morning. The last one certainly helped my hip/leg pain, so she concentrated today on my shoulder. It felt good by the end of the session, but it did last time too. We will see how it goes - I have another appointment next Friday morning.

When I got home there was a letter of appointment for my next CT scan. It is not till August 3rd, so I will be seeing the oncologist before it happens and we won't have any information on how effective the Xeloda has been with the tumours. Disappointing.

Another dentist

I went to visit an oral surgeon yesterday morning. The Xrays I had taken about a month ago show there is infection in my lower left wisdom tooth and at the base of a root canal filling on the lower right. There is no sign of infection at the base of the other root canal which was previously infected - big relief!

After scaring me with talk of what would be involved (procedures and COSTS) if I decided to have the the two root canals redone, he assured me that they were not essential procedures, and if they flared up antibiotics were probably all I would need. But the wisdom tooth was an urgent problem. So now I have an appointment for an extraction next month. It will be done under local anaesthetic and he has prescribed a special mouthwash that will help inhibit bleeding, so I don't need to stop Clexane. Not looking forward to it, but it is a necessity. I will get about half the cost back on my insurance.

I am still aching badly in my shoulders and hips, but have increased my intake of Panadol which is helping. I will finish this round of Xeloda tomorrow evening.