05/12/19

I had my weekly Velcade injection at Springfield yesterday. No adverse reaction as usual, although some of the people on the forums make it sound like a close relation of death by lethal injection. Maybe they just don't like needles? It's curious, I read a lot of those things and can't remember anybody complaining about all the injections and canulas and blood test needles. I've had more things stuck into me these last few months than in as many past decades. Except, perhaps, for the three-monthly B12 shots I've been having for several years now. Maybe it's because we all know that with myeloma the lengths of our lives, and the healthiness of what's left of them, depend on just going through with whatever our doctors order, like it or not.

I've just thought of another regular one, if only once a year - I have a 'flu jab booked for the 18th, in the steroid-free week between chemo cycles 2 and 3. Doctors advise that it shouldn't be close to steroids.

As yesterday was a Velcade day, tonight is the first of the week's two sleepless dex nights. Either I'll stay up until 4 or 5 and then get two or three hours, or I'll go to bed early (by my standards) and wake up unable to sleep at 5 or 6. At which point, I'll get up. Luckily there's nothing in either of our diaries for the early morning, so not much time pressure either way. Sue has a wind band  gig at 11:00, which means her leaving about 10:00. I can deal with clearing up the remains of breakfast after she's gone.

Someone identifying only as Richard (could be one of two, I don't know yet) has suggested Betadine for the finger splits. It's an antiseptic and appears to be basically good old iodine available in a wide variety of forms. Neither Amazon nor Google have made it easy to decide what version to go for. An antiseptic seems a good plan as these tiny splits must offer an open route for infection before they heal. Think I'll go to a Boots (big chemist chain) later and see if a pharmacist there can justify his/her existence with some good advice apart from "You should see your doctor". It would be a first. OK, maybe a second.