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Brenda5's avatar
Brenda5
Member
10 years ago

Day 21 after chemo

Day 21 after chemo, Thurs 4th Feb, the last day before the next dose of chemo tomorrow. I am on the steroid tabs to help with side affects and to help the chemo drugs infuse and work better.

I saw the physiotherapist who measured my arm and checked the cording and muscular seizing and said I have lymphodema but mostly in the forearm where its been sore. They are going to make up compression sleeve for my whole arm. Take your time guys; in this heat it will take some convincing to wear it.

I also got to meet my new permanent oncology Dr Hayden Christie who is fantastic. Just the right blend of dry humour and medical expertise I like. He said tomorrow I will be sent home with a nearly $3,000 injection to administer just under the skin on Saturday. It is to bring up my white blood cell count as apparently the low nadir blood test on day 10 said I had absolutely no disease resistance whatsoever, not even 0.2 or 0.8. Lucky he said it’s not winter or I would have for sure caught something going but this time I didn’t yay!

He read through my written down side affects and said he would write a script to combat the heavy chest and throat swelling side affect as it was uncomfortable and I really didn’t want to eat much with reflux pressure in my sternum. When I mentioned the skin cancers all going haywire he cleverly said all part of the service, two for one killing of skin cancers with chemo no extra charge lol.

6 Replies

  • I googled looking for the Aust link on it but this is a pretty medical write up on it. I think I took in maybe half of it.

    http://www.australianprescriber.com/magazine/17/4/96/9

    Written from 1996 so I think the costs are way higher now and the needles don't keep for an extended life so they wouldn't have a big ready supply or there might be expiry date wastage.

    I think if there were any out of pocket expenses they would notify me immediately as the chemo mob (well mine anyway) are very good at not upsetting me in my fragile mind state atm.

  • Hi Brenda - Good luck with your second round.

    Can I ask? Is that the G-CSF injection? My Onco advised that Medicare will cover once your tests show the low white cell count (which will be after the first treatment) - wont cover the first one as there is no evidence it is needed, doh go figure :(  

    This is the same for public or private patients.

     

     

  • I've had two of those injections Brenda. So proud to have done them myself. Didn't hurt a bit. Made my WBC/neutrophils high but still ended up with fevers - go figure -  have not had a repeat of 6 day stay in hospital with zero WBC/neutrophils since. Good luck with the next cycle.

    Nadine

  • Good to hear you're progressing relatively well Brenda. The cost of the treatments is astonishing and yes thank goodness we havee a health system that can help for no cost to the patient... We really do live in the lucky country... Good luck with your chemo tomorrow..... June starting seems light years away! Things seem to be going in slow motion this week! 

    Love an light 

    tracy

  • Yeah I get it for free with public health as I have no insurance. I never get sick before remember, didn't see the need for insurance.

  • Wow! Brenda, $3000? The hospital pharmacy only charged me $67 for each of those injections, yay public health. We had cooler days on the GC today, hope things start cooling down for you too.  Best of luck for tomorrow, Tracey??