Day four of the Big A

It is fair to say, last night was the worst night I've had since I started this treatment. At about 11pm I started suffering awful stomach gripes and nausea. To try and put in a gentle manner, on attempting to ease the symptoms, my body was having none of it and didn't want to get rid of anything that was causing me to pace the floor, sweating, shaking and generally feel like a zombie.

In the end I resorted to taking an anti sickness pill, followed by a couple of codeine tablets and by 1am was finally feeling more like me. The flush on my cheeks reappeared briefly but apart from that, any other side effects were gone by the morning.

And so at about 8am I was hooked up to the drip again but this time it was minus the steroids which had been given on days one, two and three before the alemtuzumab. This also meant that the infusion of the alemtuzumab was given to me over three hours rather than four and a half.

Feeling quite tired with a general lethargy, I slept through most of the infusion – being woken up every 15 minutes to get my blood pressure, pulse and temperature checked as has been the norm so far during the treatment.

I’ve been feeling fine in the hours following the infusion so far and it has been particularly nice not to be plagued with the awful metallic taste brought on by the steroids. The nausea has eased and I haven’t felt the need to ask for any other medication to combat any side effects brought on by this morning’s infusion.

So far so good. Even better news is that I am to be getting my fifth and final infusion of alemtuzumab first thing tomorrow and should be able to leave hospital at about midday clutching my hospital bag in one sweaty hand and a bag of anti-viral pills in the other. And with any luck, tonight will be problem free, and the next eight weeks will also be bug free.

All in all, the one word that springs to mind to sum up today’s events is: Phew!