Author: Robin Hinnen

  • 20 February, round #2

    I wanted to strangle the person in the next room last night. She and her friends were talking and laughing loudly until 11pm and I seriously thought about either calling the charge nurse or marching over there myself and asking them (nicely, of course) to shut the hell up. I have NO idea when visiting…

  • 19 February, round #2

    I had another good night’s sleep! I’ve been seeing small daily improvements in my overall stamina and I’m incredibly grateful for this. I must have bottomed out earlier this cycle than in the first and I wasn’t expecting it so soon, but now it seems that I’ve turned a corner and my strength is slowly…

  • 18 February, round #2

    This is amazing. I actually SLEPT last night, getting up only twice to visit the loo. I was still snoozing at shift change this morning at 7am. This is unheard-of. I must’ve been completely knackered because not even the midnight and 4am interruptions for blood labs and vitals did much to put a dent in…

  • 17 February, round #2

    After the near-fainting incident yesterday, today turned out to be very low-key. I stayed in bed for much of the day and read, watched movies and slept. At one point the doctor came in, waking me out of what must’ve been a sound sleep because it took me a while to become coherent and the…

  • 16 February, round #2

    Today should have been a better day and I suppose it was overall, but I’m still feeling crushingly lonely. Rory, Lauren and Leyna arrived this morning for a visit and it was wonderful to see them. They brought Valentine’s cards that are now brightening the window sill of my room. I wish I’d thought to…

  • 15 February, round #2

    Today hasn’t been such a good day. I’ve been low-energy and groggy for most of it and I’m beginning to find it hard to eat again, not so much because of mouth sores but because once again, nothing sounds good. I’ve had to force myself to eat today and believe me, that isn’t pleasant. I…

  • 14 February, round #2, last day of chemo

    Things I’m grateful for: 1. I received a call today from my oncologist. After consulting with another oncology specialist, they have declared the following: I’M IN REMISSION!!!!!!!!! WOO-HOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is all. 🤣🥰🎉🎈🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 Alright, so a little detail is in order. The spinal tap and bone marrow biopsy from Monday showed no leukemia cells in my…

  • 13 February, round #2, 3rd day of chemo

    Things I’m grateful for: 1. Waking up to a beautiful clear morning after days of gloom and actually having the sun stream through my hospital windows. 2. My new water filter pitcher. Beats the heck out of the bottled water I was being given here at the hospital and I no longer have to fret…

  • 12 February, round #2, 2nd day of chemo

    I had a better night’s sleep last night. The vampires (or in this case, a singular vampire, my nurse) appeared shortly after midnight and woke me out of a sound sleep to gently sip my blood. So far, I haven’t experienced any sudden urges to sneak down hallways and steal into other patients’ rooms to…

  • 11 February – round #2, 1st day of chemo

    So it looks like I’ll be given only two different types of chemotherapy drugs for this latest round. They’re nasty buggers though. The first one can cause kidney and bladder damage and the second can cause blurred vision and is a neurotoxin. Great, right? EEEP. I’m already tanking up on water and I’ve been given…