Its Chemo Time

First injection of chemo started today. Not what I expected at all. The nurse walked in with these big syringes that looked like they had been pulled out of the telly from Dexters Laboratory or the Power Puff Girls (cartoons).

These pictures DO NOT do the actual size justice. I kid you not thats how big they were!

This was literally my face when she walked into my room.

I have 11 days of treatment. The red one that I had today is every three to four days, and this is the one that attacks hair cells however this this actually takes about a couple of weeks to before you actually see any hair loss. Charlie Miller popped in today to discuss my wig plans which was pretty cool. The wigs that they provide are made from real hair, bought in from asian woman that sell their hair (thanks guys!). 

This is the confusing part, bare with me. Before doing chemo you have to sign away three big forms. I was given the option to take part in a trial called AML 17 or just get the standard treatment. I chose AML 17 as that is what most patients do. AML 17 is basically just a higher dosage of chemotherapy. In the trial you are either given drug A (higher dosage) or drug B (standard dosage). I was given drug A. The advantaged of getting treated on the trial is that you are more closely monitored and are given the opportunity to choose new drugs that the NHS don't fund at the moment. - This is the simplified version, I had to be talked through this several times to fully understand the jist of the whole thing.

You can opt out of it at any point you or your doctor don't feel you want to participate further. Another advantage is that all my samples of blood/bone marrow are taken in for future testing to help out future patients.

Why would you do a trial? They are carried out to constantly improve the drugs given to patients. AML 17 has been running for approximately two years, and there has been 16 other trials before mine, each one improving the success rate of treatment.

I've written this blog over two days because my first chemo made me really sick, literally spewed up everything I've eaten in the past year, not nice. I have a really embarrassing story and I don't know if I should write it. FINE. I had an anti-sickness drug to try stop me being sick but I swear it made me feel worse, you know that feeling after being sick and you feel so much better? Well anyway, the nurse came in when I was mid-spew and I did this MA-A-ASSIVE burp, on the loudness scale it was a clear 10! Ladylike and disgusting, I know, but it made me laugh and she didn't even flinch, what a nice nurse. No shame!!!