40. What’s better: chocolate or chemo?

So I’m having this debate with my chemo nurse, Marcel. As it’s Christmas, we rocked up to the hospital with a bag full of goodies for the team – chocolate, cakes, Haribo… And what did they give me in return? A cannula in my arm and a hit of carboplatine. Not sure who got the better deal there, but we eventually agreed that, whilst Marcel loves chocolate, I’m probably getting the more important ‘gift’ (although if the chocolate is 70% pure or better, he reckons not much much beats that).

So we got the green light?

Yep – Friday’s blood tests told us what we already knew (that we’d need to test again on Tuesday), and Tuesday’s results told us that my platelets were 92… 

Hang on, that’s lower than 100, so how come we went ahead? It seems that the Golden 100 isn’t set in stone. Two years ago, the threshold was 80. And they feel it’s better to reduce my dose and keep going, than have a second delay. 

Hang on, they didn’t say that after cycle 1, when I was 97? It seems that 97 was in fact 79 (the Dutch language constructs numbers as “zeven en negentig” (7 + 90) rather than how we’d say in English “ninety-seven” (90 + 7). So although I was told 97 (by my Dutchie nurse, Monique), when I saw it on her screen, it was in fact 79 hence why chemo 2 was delayed (it was below even the old threshold of 80, let alone the current threshold of 100). 

All make sense? Clear as mud! And when you throw in translations and language differences…ahh I’m so glad I’m a geek for the detail!

Merry Christmas Mutley!

The medical upshot of all this, is that we’ve managed to avoid any further delays to treatment – I’m still on plan (and aligned to my beloved spreadsheet!) and underway with chemo cycle 3. On 3rd January, I’ll have a CT scan to see what impact the first three cycles of chemo have made on Mutley in my lung, and we’ll get those results on 7th.

If Mutley’s taken a beating, we’ll give him some more [insert sinister laugh here], and carry on with three more cycles of chemo👊👊👊

If Mutley’s playing at being Tyson Fury, we’ll change plan – no more chemo, we’ll go for surgery to cut him out, then radio to flatten his tyres (so any remaining little Mutley’s cannot cause mischief in my lung after he’s gone).

Driving home for Christmas

So yes; despite all my requests for anything but, I have a sneaky suspicion that Clare’s playlist for tomorrow night was curated with me in mind, and features (much to my frustration) a spot of Chris Rea 😏 

But yes, I will be home for Christmas in Yorkshire with my folks. It’ll be right in the middle of my weakest days, so I’ll be as much use as Marcel’s chocolate on a beach in Barbados, and unable to do much. But I’ll be with my folks, and that’s what matters. 

Right, I better start packing… where’s that Chris Rea CD…? 🤔

#BoxyOut