And we are off and running!

Just when my hot flushes had settled down I was administered my second 3 monthly Hormone Therapy implant last Friday. The latest Bone Scan suggests the removal of Testosterone courtesy of the Implant has reduced the size of Rupert in the Prostate but the sneaky bastard escaped into my bones and lymph nodes before we could slow him down so onto Chemotherapy we went.

I started my Chemotherapy this week and feel like I’m already on first name terms with half the Oncology Staff at Canberra Hospital. I had to attend the Rupert Centre on Saturday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The Saturday session was an Information meeting mainly dealing with how to cope with the anticipated side effects of my Chemo. I was told to make sure that if I vomit or cut myself no one comes into contact with the regurgitation and/or the blood. I was also told that unprotected sex was to be avoided and for some reason, Robyn found that instruction quite humorous and certainly superfluous.😄

At the Information session I was given 12 Corticosteroid Tablets (Dexamethasone) with 4 to be taken the day before Chemo, 4 the day of Chemo and 4 the day after Chemo. As explained, the Dexamethasone aids in lessening nausea and vomiting subsequent to Chemo infusion. They did warn me that the Dexamethasone would likely cause insomnia and oh boy, they weren’t kidding. Going forward, my Dexamethasone tablets will be referred to as “Dexy” in recognition of the band, Dexys Midnight Runners (Come On Eileen). For three nights I was awake well after midnight and whilst maybe not running, I certainly couldn’t sleep. Dexy is a prohibited Treatment under the Rules Of Horse Racing and I can well understand why. It would be the height of cruelty to make a horse race if he was as tired as I was from lack of sleep🥱.

Dexys Midnight Runners – I think I had hair like the girl in the upper right back in the day.

My first Chemotherapy session started at 10.30 on Tuesday morning and I honestly had no real understanding of what to expect as the Docetaxel was introduced into my veins. Subconsciously I think that I was expecting to feel a surge of poison as the drug moved through my body but nothing could be further from the truth. I felt absolutely nothing apart from surprise when the infusion was completed. The Docetaxel aims to slow down the growth of Rupert by giving him a bit of a clip whenever it finds him in my body. I’d equate it to a game of Whack A Mole – whenever Rupert sticks his ugly fucking head up, the Docetaxel will whack him down. In future, the Docetaxel shall be referred to as Arthur to honour the mighty Arthur, King of the Britons, in Monty Python’s Holy Grail. I’m hoping his dismembering of the Black Knight might be replicated with his attack on Rupert but I fully understand that unfortunately in my case, Rupert’s injuries will only be flesh wounds and not fatal.

As I like to imagine, Arthur doing his best work handing Rupert a beating.

My next appointment was on Wednesday to receive a Pegfilgrastim injection. This was to stimulate the growth of “healthy” white blood cells in my bone marrow as Arthur goes about his work. It should also lesson the risk of infection apparently. I think an appropriate name for the Pegfilgratsim is “Peg” after the name given to my late Mum by Dad. She did her best to promote development of a healthy moral compass growing up and I like to think she did a pretty good job of that, so Peg it is. Peg’s job now is to grow healthy white blood cells so she’d better be at the top of her game.

I feel pretty good right now but I’ve been forewarned that the worst side affects will start to appear around the weekend so I have that to look forward to. Hopefully those side effects will be the price I have to pay to stick around a bit longer.

Until next week when I will write about my wonderful daughter, live well.

Love Russ