Afternoon Folks,

Just back from my second cycle of chemo and its already making itself felt. Shaky hands and muscle spasms. Made an error in a previous post regarding the drugs that I am taken. I missed out Leucovorin (folinic acid). This was given at the same time as the Oxaliplatin (Eloxatin®). So I had 4 drugs today the other two were Avastin and Fluorouracil (5FU). The latter one is on me at the moment and it takes 46 hours to infuse into my body. I have to go back to the hospital on Thursday to disconnected the pump.

As ever the staff at the oncology day ward was most helpful today. Met a few more staff that were off on holiday last time I was there.

I also had an ultrasound scan done on my thyroid gland today. This is located just under the adams apple on a male. Nothing unusual was found. They did find some nodals but the radiotherapist said that is normal in all people. We wait on the oncology department says. They didn't call me in today so I gather its good news at no news.

I met a fellow cancer patient there today. He had the same type of rectal cancer as me and is on the 6th cycle of chemo. But he had a totally different cancer treatment. The major factor in his diagnoses is that his cancer was caught much earlier than me and it did not spread anywhere else. It was good to speak with someone about it. The chat offered some insight to my treatment. It is also good to hear about other cancer patients perspective on their illness and how they had cope with the side effects. The best advice he give me was to rest and ask for sleeping tablets. Which I did. I now have 5 post chemo drugs to take and sleeping tablets for the night time.

Well it time for dinner and then bed for me..

Nite all,

Sai