Every day is full of unknowns. It’s nearly midnight and I am in hospital!

This morning it was Sebastian’s turn to rehearse for School Spectacular at Homebush. After dropping Cordelia off at the railway station, the directions given by Maps took us through a different tunnel so that we came out near Roselands with 10 more kilometres to Olympic Park and about 50 traffic lights. Sebastian had to be there by 9 am (or else) and as the time of arrival approached we all grew increasingly anxious. We made it with 8 minutes to spare.

I settled back, preparing to enjoy the trip to Wollongong when my phone rang. It was the hospital asking that I come in for a biopsy of both breasts. Does that mean I could have breast cancer as well as lymphoma?  Anyway, I made an appointment for Tuesday afternoon and felt somewhat depressed as a result. 

The phone rang again. It was the Haemotology Registrar who asked if I would consider going into hospital tonight. He was worried the lesion on my back put me in imminent danger and I could become a paraplegic at any time. He wanted to start me on steroids which would reduce the inflammation on the spine. Then on Monday or Tuesday I’m to start chemotherapy. I was tempted to say, couldn’t hospital just wait until I take the children to The Shiralee, but it seems not.

I had left my bathroom bag in Sydney but managed to rake up some moisturiser, tablets, a toothbrush and toothpaste from our house in Wollongong. We made a mad dash around the shops for pyjamas and slippers.

I had to inform the other grandparents and ask if they would take over the teen sitting. Fortunately, they were on standby and even volunteered to take the grandchildren to the Opera House. 

The doctor thinks I have Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma). Chemo starts Tuesday. Chances of a complete cure are around 70 to 80% so that is comforting. I’m so relieved it’s not as bad as I first thought.

Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) is an aggressive, fast-growing type of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) that affects B-lymphocytes, the immune cells that create anribodies. While aggressive it is often curable with modern chemotherapy regimens, even at advanced stages.

As there were no beds available at the hospital I was advised to go to Emergency and wait. We arrived at about 3 pm and waited and waited. I nearly discharged myself at one stage as I thought a bed would never become available.  After all, who would go home after 10 o’clock at night? I had a hydration drip from 4 o’clock onwards which started beeping every time I bent my arm.  It made a racket until a nurse came out to reset it.  She smilingly called me a troublemaker but the second time it happened she didn’t comment.  The third time another patient showed me how to reset it.  Press the bell button first and then the green start button.  Pity I wasn’t shown that earlier.

At 11 pm I received the good news that a bed was available.  Apparently an eight hour wait for a bed is considered quite reasonable.  I was wheeled to the Procedure Room which is used when no other beds are available.  It has no windows but right in the middle of the box like room is a bed which I longed to lie on.  It also has no ensuite. I had to walk miles down the corridor to the disabled bathroom but the shower felt so good I’m not complaining.   At least I’m in a room by myself.  Now I will try to get some sleep.