I am used to shoving drugs down my gob. Prior to my diagnosis, I was rather terrible at it, which the multi-vitamin tablets with a sell by date of March 2010, I found in my drawer would testify. I am now pretty good at remembering. I may have forgotten one or two doses after PADIMAC ended, but on reviewing the bag of drugs I was given yesterday for VTD, forgetting is not going to be possible. There are a lot of drugs and I fear I am going to have to be stringent with the timetable. I hate a timetable. It is day two and I am already behind schedule with the steroids. I would have liked to have taken them three hours ago. I’ll pay for that tonight.
My name is Emma Jane Jones and I am a drugs fiend. Apparently.
The above is my month’s supply of drugs. Well, 28 days to be precise. The pile contains all my VTD meds bar the Velcade, which I get to go to the clinic for once a week. The bag itself contains 502 pills and 20 pre-made injections. I also have a further drug left over from PADIMAC, which I also have to take three times a week.
I just did a quick calculation in my head and I do not have enough syringes for 28 days. I will need to sort that. For this incredibly interesting exercise, that though is by the by. Honestly, this blog is so interesting, I am setting you up for a day of fun.
Now you have been warned, I am imagining that my daily drug routine is going to look something like this. Brace yourself.
I wake up, stretch, look at my phone and take one Lansoprazole to protect my stomach with a bit of water. Wait for 30 minutes to an hour before I take two 10mg and a 5mg tablets of MST (morphine), one Aciclovir, which I believe helps to fight of infection and a Allopurinal tablet, which even after a Google search, I do not have the slightest clue what it is for. I know I was told what it’s use was in September. I have since forgotten because the drugs made me, and I have thrown away the piece of paper telling me its purpose in my life.
On Velcade Days and the day after, I also need to take 10 2mg Dexamethasone tablets (steroids, sorry FUCKING STEROIDS!!!). I like to take these as early as possible, so they do not keep me awake. History tells me that they may well still keep me awake.
At some point in the afternoon, I treat myself to another Aciclovir tablet. Three times a week, on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday, this will be accompanied by a large glass of water and a Co-Trimoxazole tablet to prevent chest infections.
Around 19:00hrs, I will gently caress the skin around my stomach with an anti-septic wipe before I stab the area with a blood thinner known as Fragmin. This is required because the Thalidomide can cause blood clotting as well as birth defects in babies. You have been warned.
At Bedtime Garden, I then get to finish my day with another Aciclovir, one 30mg and one 5mg tablet of MST and two Thalidomide tablets. Apparently, it is best to take the latter at nighttime because it makes you sleepy. I can confirm that I had no issues with sleep last night, but it was only day one. I will assess over the next week when it is best for me to take this drug. Interesting huh?
So, the survey says that on a good day I am prescribed 12 tablets and an injection. On a Monday and Wednesday this increases by one to 13. On a Friday, which is currently my Velcade Day, I take 23 and the injection. On a Saturday, I take 22 pills.
It’s nothing really is it?
Well, I also have in my Drug Drawer some Domperidome, an anti sickness pill, that I can take as and when required and the good old faithful Paracetamol.
Remember, you British Tax Payers are paying for all of this and for that I thank you.
Must dash, my stomach is now lined with a fibrous milkshake, so I must take the ‘roids’.
Boom.
EJB x
