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Nets/carcinoid Syndrome, Uncategorized

Lanreotide Injection with a special delivery

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As usual the run up to my injection was met with even more trips to the bathroom.  Bowels  working in overdrive.  The day my nurse suggested I get incontinence pads delivered, I was a tad reserved, now I couldn’t do without them.  Before I started getting the jab every three weeks I had total uncontrollable running to the loo, more than ten times per day every day.  Now its greatly reduced.  On a really good day, its three times a day, the week before my injection is due I’m met with a rapid increase of visits to the little room.   This week as well as my usual company of my companion dog, Buddy.  We had Bella getting up with us too.  Bella is our 4 year old labrador retriever.  Who is heavily pregnant.  And lets just say the puppies were moving around in a way that she couldn’t hold the loo in for too long.  Poor girl.

The night before my injection Bella starts getting even more restless, comes to me and gives me a big hug, goes into her large birthing box bed and starts digging the bed to make it comfortable.  She is going to go into labour.  Boy its going to be a long night.  Bella starts to pant and shows all signs of first stage labour and then second stage.

At 0045am the first pup is born a little girl.  She is a perfect fox red labrador retriever.  Just like her daddy.  Bella is so good, bites through the sack, cleans the little one up and welcomes her into the world.  I give Bella a reassuring cuddle.  And make sure the little and Bella are ok.  They are.  I take a photograph of them,  I tell Steve first of course, and then send proud messages of the exciting first birth.  My friend Louise lives three miles from me and asks if she can come and observe Bella giving birth and be of any assistance to me.  She is there for the rest of the litter delivery.

 

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By 0725am there are 8 puppies born into the world.   Steve comes in to see Bella and is there for pup number 9 and 10.  Bella feeds the puppies and a big rest.  Despite being on cloud nine and so happy I’m shattered and feel like I can hardly put one foot in front of the  other. I get myself washed and dressed my nurse will be here this morning to check over my gastrostomy tube, change my dressing, and give me my lanreotide injection.

10am my nurse Evelyn walks through the door.  At first Bella barks, only until she realises who it is.   Evelyn pops her head into the room to view the pups, and then walks along the hall.  She scrubs up and then does all the needful for me.  As my faithful labrador retriever, Buddy, sits by my side and watches everything my nurse does.  I get ready for this painful deed to get done.   Tummy first I think she says.  The soiled dressing taken off, site all cleaned, helan cream and cavilon applied.  And then my nice new clean dressing put on, carefully with tape not to touch my skin and cause a reaction.  Evelyn  then picks up my lanreotide injection.  I get this every 21 days.  Its your left side this time she says as I slip down my knickers.  I then have to work out which way to lie so evelyn can inject my left buttock, I have enough problems with this at the best of times, put lack of sleep into the mixture and we have a recipe for disaster.  I was this way and that way on the sofa. Evelyn said, just a minute and listen to me and then lie down like I tell you,  it worked a treat.  As she administered the injection of lantreotide buddy sat a few feet away watching all, making sure all was good.  Which it was.  All done.    Everything put in the sharps box.  A good discussion between me and my nurse, as always.  Notes written.

 

 

 

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Steve calls my name along the hall.  I take myself along inviting my super nurse with me.  Bella is having a contraction, and as in previous seems to want me to work with her as a team.  I rub her tummy and reassure her that I am by her side.  Come on Bella, one big push for mummy, I say to her.  I can see her body contracting, the pain in her eyes.  My lovely dog looks so tired.  I can see a little tail appearing and a foot, one last push Baby belle.  And so she did.  Out comes the most beautiful little puppy.  Puppy number 11.  Bella is exhausted, I hold it while Bella bites the chord, cleans him vigorously, suddenly a little squeal comes from the puppy.  Bella wags her tail.  He is perfect and she is happy.   Puppy number 11 was born at 1118am.   What a team, you both make.  Evelyn says to me.  I feel very proud.  Bella gave birth to 8 boys and 3 girls.  I’m so pleased that things have gone well.  My dog is well, her puppies are healthy and of a good size.  Buddy, the daddy, watches on eagerly, I know he is desperate to play with the little fella’s.

My nurse managed to see the puppy being born, she got more than she bargained for on her home visits for this Thursday.   I certainly do not doubt that she has eventful days but I guess she doesn’t have puppies making an entrance into the world very often.

 

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Nets/carcinoid Syndrome

A Trip To Royal Free In London in April

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I had an appointment with the big cheese in London:  Professor Martyn Caplin.  He runs a neuroendocrine tumour clinic at The Royal Free hospital.   He is highly specialised in his field.  And people are referred from many different countries,and travel great distances to see him.  My mere 400 miles, is starters orders for some.  I have a lot of faith in our Prof Caplin.  He is very thorough, takes time to listen to what you have to say.  And most importantly remembers you are a human being and have feelings.   I know when I go down to see him I will most likely be seen later than my appointment time.  This is because he gives every patient the time they need and deserve.

For my appointment in April I need to get myself organised. Firstly we need to book a hotel for a night before and a night after the hospital.  I’m not your average human than can just jump fly down to the smoke, get seen at at the hospital and then travel back.  I tried it once.  It took over a month to recover from the exhaustion.  Premier Inn Booked.  Now time to sort the train tickets out.  It’s great that you can book everything online.  Train booked, and we can get the tickets at the station right up to the day we travel.  Cases are packed.  Lots to go in my case, feed pump, giving sets, feed, dressings, creams, medicines, clothes, etc.  Nurse has been to change my dressing,etc.  dogs are looking at the cases suspiciously.

There has been a slight hiccup with the dogs boarding.  They were scheduled to go stay together with Sally whilst we were in London.  Sally has Buddy and Bella’s son Harley.  The week before we are due to go, Bella goes into season.  Both Bella and Buddy only have one thing on their mind and it’s not walkies.  We have to put plan B into action.  Our friends, Louise & Keith look after Bella and Sally look after Buddy.    For both our dogs this is the first time they have stayed away from home.  Anytime we have ever been away one of our sons have looked after the dogs.  This was a big deal for both the dogs and Steve & I.   I have to say both dogs were looked after impeccably.  They were walked several times per day, played with.  And when we came home we could tell although they were very happy to see us they had enjoyed their time away.

Our train journey was eventful.  We met a very gutsy lady and her 7 year old son.  They travelled from York to London every Sunday.  The young lad attended Great Ormand Street Hospital for an injection.  He was under a trial drug scheme.  He has muscular dystrophy.  We chatted, shared stories, laughed.

When we got to the hospital we used the self check in.  Before I could take a seat in the busy waiting room the nurse called my name.  We walked down the corridor and into the room.   She took my weight. she said.  The Prof wants to see you, if you just take a seat along this end.  Steve and I parked our bums on the seats and waited on Prof Caplin calling me.

Fifty minutes passed my appointment time the familiar gent calls my name.  Prof Caplin kindly waits till both Steve and myself are in the consulting room.  We take a seat.   There is a lot to discuss.  Since I saw him last I’ve had my gastrostomy tube fitted, been hospitalised several times with sepsis/infections, had feeds, cream and meds changed.   After we talk, he helps me up onto his couch, he examines my belly and has a good look at the peg site.  Listens to my chest, feels my neck, under my armpits.  He says  quite a lot of granulation there.  The general all round site and your skin is healing well but you do have a long way to go yet.   I take a seat back beside Steve.  Prof mentions my last 5HIAA test was elevated. The result was 175.  A tad higher than he would like.  He says he would like me to get a scan.  Steve pipes up,  will that be a gallium scan.  The prof immediately answers us,  I can organise that for you, no problem.  You will only wait a few weeks on the scan.  I will book it now whilst you are here.   He then goes into the drawer in his desk and takes out a card and hand it to me.  This is the number for our specialist nurses.  Once you have had the scan and the result is in the nurse will phone you and discuss the results with you.  And what happens next.
We were back home in Scotland three days later.  Two days after  we arrived home the telephone rang, it was the nuclear medicine department of The Royal Free Hospital in London.  My scan was in eleven days time.  Certainly cannot complain about the quality of the service I am getting.