27/11/25 Something strange...

.... happened during yesterday's chemo session, although I rather doubt it had anything to do with the treatment. 

For months now my walking has been getting gradually worse. A year ago I thought nothing of walking into the High Street and back (that's about 15 minutes when it was good, twenty or more recently). Hard to say exactly what's been wrong, I just don't seem to go any faster or for longer without needing a rest.

The moment I left the Chemo Unit for the short walk back to the car, it felt very different. Faster with no sense of strain, the whole movement seemed easier and more natural than it has for a long time. Later at home ai found that turning on the spot was also much better. Previously that required two or three shuffles for a 90 degree turn, now I just do it in one go.

In the shower last night I found something else.For a long time I've been unable to get my left fingers into my right armpit or much past the top of my right shoulder. But now I can, and painlessly as well.

I feared that both improvements might not last through a night in bed (even a short one, it being a dex night) but all is good again this morning. Remarkable. I don't understand it. Must try to sit in the same chairs again next week...

The problems of last week are now resolved and I started Cycle 10 yesterday with both Dara and Velcade. My potassium level is back into good territory and the haemo doctors were happy to go ahead even though the cough is only marginally improved. I gather the chest X-ray didn't show anything too horrible, which is a weight off my mind. I had been having unwelcome thoughts about lung cancer. I did smoke too much for a long time and although my risk is down to non-smoker level after 34 years, that doesn't mean that it's zero. I'm also very aware of the recent death of a friend in the Netherlands who gave up cigarettes much more recently but paid the ultimate price.

Anyway, news is all good this morning. Nice to have a day like that, long may it last.

20/11/2025 Updating...

Things went wrong - or at least unexpectedly - in my chemo session yesterday. For a start I had an hour's wait after the appointment time before a nurse called me in. Then I decided it was time to tell about a chesty cough I've had for three or weeks now and which isn't going away on its own. I nearly talked about it the week before but as there are no indicators of infection I didn't. Anyway, the nurse summoned a doctor from Haematology to have a look and a listen. Fortunately he arrived quickly, and not the same one as I've seen before. This one was much better. He got his stethoscope out and listened to my chest, concentrating on left side but wouldn't be drawn too much on what he heard. But he ordered a chest X-ray and more blood tests (!!! - I only had three blood draws last week!!!) and went off upstairs to talk tvo my consultant.

Then what I already sensed was inevitable happened - no treatment this week "just in case" - of what I'm not quite sure but presumably some lurking infection. I got a printout of my last few bloods, and they do show a number of the white cell counts being very slightly above normal, but not enough that anybody had commented before.

Was pleased to get a phone call yesterday with an X-ray appointment next Monday, which is pretty fast and will let the consultant have a look at the results before making a decision about next Wednesday's chemo. Even better that the times work out so I can combine it with my next Zometa, so only one trip up Broomfield Road required.

I had a 'phone consultation earlier today - she was almost two hours late, which did not please me very much. Hanging about waiting for important phone calls is not my favourite thing.

Free light chain ratio is good, paraproteins still too low to measure, so that's all good. The Velcade / Bortezomib will stop after the next cycle (which I hope will start next week) and the Zometa will continue until two years done, which will be June 2027. I think NHS funding limits is the main reason for stopping the Velcade...

Otherwise things go on as usual. No dex this week, so it will be interesting to see how the fatigue issue develops. I would have welcomed a dex sleepless night tonight, as Day One of the first Test in Australia starts at 2:30 am. I intend to stay up for the first hour or so whatever happens, maybe catch a bit of sleep first.