update 24th March

Back in January, I knew what side effects to expect from the medication that I was about to start on, those which were probable and those which were possible, and I was steeling myself to face them. I felt sure that my world was about to change significantly. In the event, however, what surprised me most was that very little did change and gradually it became apparent that I might not have to spend the rest of the winter under a duvet or within dash range of the bathroom after all. I was able to work, walk the dog and carry on all the usual things; just with a much greater frequency of journeys to the hospital: alternate Mondays to the chemo room for immunotherapy, with blood tests and so on the Fridays before. And a TKI tablet twice a day at home.

This Friday, I go for a CT scan, the first since this combination treatment began, which will show if or how well it’s working (although I won’t get the results for another couple of weeks). Followed by another intravenous session on Monday. Aside from some mouth blisters, a recent development, my body has coped very well with the chemicals. So, what I thought would change everything, didn’t, much. But what has unexpectedly changed the world, literally,  is what is affecting all our lives: Covid-19. But you know all about that.