Half Life – 49 – trials and tribulations October 8th, 2021 As a connoisseur of the skills needed to insert cannulas and take blood, it was a relief to discover that the capabilities of Big A, the nurse in charge of the drug trial, were right at the top of the tree. Having endured rough handed former abattoir workers pretending to be nurses dig around for a vein, the smooth elegance with which he inserted the needle was, almost, a pleasure. Cancer sufferers have arms like pincushions and, when blood seekers get it wrong, the bruises stay for days and the veins dive deep into the arm to hide. Big A’s size belies his gentleness and dexterity, and my veins offered themselves to him without complaint to allow the last blood tests for the trial to be taken. Finally, it was done. The boxes were ticked, the questions answered, and all the signatures scribbled and witnessed. The trial to see if an immunotherapy drug when combined with chemotherapy would help prostate cancer sufferers was getting me and all my data. Not a day too late. Pain has been ramping up to tear generating levels as the weeks of Nobby enjoying uninhibited growth have gone by. Schedules were discussed, planners started to be filled and, although looking forward to months of feeling sick is a curious concept, the news that we were to get started was the best we’d had for some time.
good luck and lots o love to all xx
Focus on those Fjords and everything crossed for the trial xx
Never stop dreaming . Good luck with the trial
Cannulas area pain in the butt or where ever they try to stick them. Good to hear the trial is proceeding.
Poor Sam! What bad timing but sounds like you all managed it amazingly. Good luck. When you feel up to it we can do a virtual writers' coffee.xx