Well yesterday's transfusion procedure was a marathon. Started off fine, my sister and I loaded up with a picnic from M&S and nonchalantly parked up at the hospital and strolled in to the chemo factory for my 11.30 appointment.
Now I don't like to be at the chemo factory very long as although the nurses are great, I don't like the place and I don't like the smell.
If things go well with a chemo session I can be in and out of there in less than two hours. For this process I knew realistically I would be there at least 5 hours.
As above, appointment time was 11.30. Helen and I sat there until 1.25pm literally just waiting, then I finally heard one of the nurses wondering aloud where my notes were. Most people might have been miffed at this point but I was just relieved to hear that I still appeared to exist in their eyes as I was starting to wonder.
Ten minutes later the notes are found and I am hooked up to my drip. Oh don't get excited, it wasn't the actual blood. No, the doctor hadn't even been invited to prescribe the blood yet! After realising this glaring omission ie that the blood wasn't there and wasn't jolly well going to be until someone wrote up a script for it, one of the junior nurses was dispatched to get that done.
She reappears with blood, hallelujah. They plumb it in and the four hour transfusion starts at approx 1.40pm, two hours later than scheduled. Clearly the transfusion goes the speed it goes and cannot be sped up so I am majorly discouraged by the fact that I have spent the preceding two hours sat on my arse with no blood dripping in to my veins and now have to spend a further four hours doing the same but with blood this time. Maybe I am being a grouch but I do find it difficult to accept that everyone else who was attended to and had their drugs etc set up before me had an earlier appointment time that day.
Honestly, I think they might have forgotten I was there. But what would have been the point in moaning at them about it, as that is not good karma for anyone.
The procedure was uneventful save for a slight temperature spike at the start which then went down again after some paracetamol. Also one of the male nurses accused Helen and I of "plotting" behind our curtain, lol. More accurately, I think we were doing what is known as "bitching"... But plotting sounds much better.
Finally got out of that place around 6pm last night - seven hours after arriving.
Expected to feel completely spiffing this morning but temporarily forgot that erm, I had chemo last Friday. Blood transfusions do not override normal chemo side effects it turns out! Silly me. However I am feeling less lightheaded this afternoon so fingers crossed the red stuff will do its job and see me through to the next chemo cycle.
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