chemo

[Connemmara]

My friend who is undergoing second time of chemo has now found whatever is in the steroids has put her sugar level sky high and feels terrible. I believe she has been given medication to reduce it.

Sent me an email to say when she was at cancer ward there was only standing room only - how awful for them all.

Health is wealth isn't it?

[Infomaniac]

Too right. I have a number of friends either undergoing chemo or who have had chemo. One of them described it as "medieval" treatment, but unfortunately at present it appears to be the only way of prolonging their lives.

[jake-the-peg]

Hmm - where is she?

My wife went for her first round of Chemo yesterday in MK

There were about 5 or 6 others there spent about half an hour with the McMillan Nurse - very professional as relaxed an experience as I can imagine in the circumstances!

My wife is diabetic too - and yes the steroids will put sugars way up - make sure they know that she's diabetic though as some chemo drugs are normally done in a glucose solution which they'll change if they know the patient's diabetic

[Connemmara]

No Jake - she is not diabetic - the chemo has put the sugar levels up.

[ummmm]

Are you saying that there was standing room only to receive treatment?

[Connemmara]

Yep, waiting to be treated - unbelievable.

[jake-the-peg]

Well it will - I just assumed that she was diabetic because they monitor their sugars all the time.

If she's not diabetic how did she know?

I presume "standing room only" was a turn of phrase - I can't imagine someone getting treatment standing

[jake-the-peg]

Where was she?

Certainly very different from my experience yesterday

[Connemmara]

She knew because she shook vehemently after 1st chemo - by the way she went through all this year but the sugars remained ok. Bridgewater Belfast.

[Mamyalynne]

When my Husband was receiving Chemo, we were given a pager, so could pop to the café or walk in the gardens etc and they would bleep when chemo was ready - may be worth having a word with PALS at your point of treatment for something like this. Many waiting areas are tiny.

[Connemmara]

Mamy I have heard about the pager but personally if it was me I would be too upset to go awandering to fill in the time.