Thursday, my last day of waking up in York, I only have bits and pieces to pack as I did most of it last night. So I get up and go for breakfast. I was not in the mood for a full English so went for a restrained muesli and toast meal. With that out of the way I loaded Elsie the car, paid my bill and set off for home but not before I had a staring match with the local squirrel that came to see me off.
The drive back home was smooth with just one stop. I’ve decided that Elsie is a quite laid back car as the electronics at just a tad slow to respond. The brakes are fine but the infotainment system is a big sluggish and not very intuitive, but I am getting used her. I get home safely and unpack my stuff immediately including a late birthday present from one of my friends who described it as an unseasonable birthday present.
There is post waiting for me, including a scan appointment in October and some other bits and pieces that need seeing to. I have drugs to collect from the hospital pharmacy but I am not up to driving so I decide to Uber it. This is either sheer laziness on my part or a piece of self kindness that is reasonable. Once dropped off at the hospital pharmacy I am dealt with very quickly. The pharmacist is very thorough and takes care to ensure that I am aware to carry my steroid club card with me everywhere, especially to the doctors, dentist and any hospital appointment. So I have another thing to juggle in my life routines. She hands over the drugs and wishes me luck, never a good sign. I go the nearby hotel and order a return Uber that arrives very quickly. The driver is nice guy, I know this because he switches from the dreary news about zero emissions to a classical music station playing the Scottish symphony. When I arrive home I compliment the driver on his choice of music and he tells me about the German composer responsible for the piece.
Once in I spend time reading about my new steroids. I have been prescribed Dexamethasone. Of course the first thing I do is Google it and read the information leaflet that comes with it. As usual the side effects section is horrific along with al the precautionary notes about time scales .and not being able to just stop it. Its a scary read. My main issue was to decide whether it is going to be better to take it in the morning with breakfast or at night. Having read all the possibilities I decide to take it in the morning.
Having made the decision on the morning for the slot for the new steroid I refill the dosettes to include the steroids, just an add on to the meds admin to be done from now on. As I have decided to take the steroids in the morning so I shall start taking them tomorrow morning, so the blog with its new heading becomes a reality on day 2 of cycle 30 and Friday the 26th will become the first day of denying myself all the sweet and processed things in my diet along with more rowing and exercise. I am really very apprehensive I hope this is going to be worth it in terms of holding my PSA in check otherwise the next oncology review in November could be bleak.
With the admin done I start to draft the bog nibbling my last treat of jelly babies before tomorrows start to abstention, and as I do so the garden guy turns up to mow the lawns. I am hoping for a quiet evening and an early night, perhaps some football and the last day of steroid free medication.
