Bah humbug?

This is my Christmas message, for anyone who is feeling a bit bah-humbug! Thanks to the NHS and medical science I am lucky enough to be sat here writing my blog tonight, about to go for dinner with my friends, but this time last year it was a different story, I had a crap Christmas.

On 13th December 2013 I was in hospital, I had already been there for two days and ended up being there for six.  A week after my first chemo I had a temperature spike in the night and had to go to A&E . I was given IV antibiotics to combat any possible infection, but I developed an allergic reaction to these and had to be kept in.  Then my white blood cell count plummeted and I wasn't allowed to be discharged until my levels were safe again, I was given daily injections to boost them.  I had another temperature spike again on Saturday afternoon so they gave me a different type of antibiotic, thankfully this one worked and I started to feel better.

I was scared, this was only one week into four months of chemo and things had already gone tits up.  I was lonely, I'd never been in hospital for a long period before and visiting hours just felt far too short, I had no phone reception, but thank goodness I had a TV.  I was in isolation as my immune system was so vulnerable, I couldn't even leave my room for a walk about.

I wanted to call this blog 'the one where I watch X factor in hospital wearing an adult nappy' this episode was one of the moments of the last year that was so surreal it was funny.  I hope some of you see the funny side? On my second night in hospital I had to beg a nurse for an 'adult nappy', the allergic reaction I had to the antibiotics had such a bad effect on my digestive system that I had to deploy extra reinforcement.  I called it an adult nappy, it was really just a very big incontinence pad.  It was a lifesaver, they gave me several and I took one home which I keep in a drawer for posterity.  So I sat in my hospital bed on my own that evening, enjoying the X factor final, over the moon about my nappy.

Once I was discharged I was paranoid about getting another infection and having to go back into hospital, so I hardly left the house, that was where I stayed until my next chemo on Boxing Day...house bound.  No carol service, no parties, no German markets, no ice skating, no shopping for presents.  On Christmas day I couldn't even join my family for dinner because my brother in law's Dad was coming and he and a cold, it was too risky for me to be exposed to germs.  I ate dinner on my lap in front of the TV with my little sister.  It was rubbish, I love Christmas and I couldn't get involved in any of the fun stuff....oh, and my hair had just fallen out!

So if you're having a bit of a moan about battling through the crowds to do Christmas shopping, or having to listen to Slade for the fiftieth time, just take a minute to think, things could be worse.....you could be stuck in hospital wearing an adult nappy!

Merry Christmas