My experience of my second alemtuzumab infusion

As a lot of you know this week I’ve been getting my second round of treatment. Strange to say but it’s exciting when this time of year comes round knowing you’re getting the treatment you need to live your life to the fullest. But it’s also very scary knowing you’re sitting on a ward where people of all ages are getting chemo and life changing treatment - it really makes you appreciate what you have a lot more.

The treatment itself wasn’t actually too bad.

It starts with steroids for an hour which gives you a metallic mouth - my best advice for that is drinking coke, it takes the edge off it. Steroids also make you very hungry so all I’ve done is eat ... oh and they keep you awake too so I haven’t been having the best night's sleep!

Then it’s 4 hours of the treatment, which sounds long but when you have Netflix it doesn’t feel that long. There are loads of side effects with this drug, some serious and some not so serious. The main ones that I’ve had the last few days are:

- A rash which looks like chicken pox

- A headache which has some weird sensations (I feel like these are just the treatment doing their thing in my head)

- Exhaustion, this is a mixture of sitting in a hospital all day and the treatment itself

- Being hot and cold - (I’m not talking about Katy Perry here) One minute you’re shivering and the next you feel like you’ve sat in the sun for 4 hours

- Aches and pains - everything hurts, again that is just because my body is going through a lot

More serious problems are thyroid problems and cutting an artery in your neck, so really I can’t complain about being tired and having a headache haha!

After three days of sitting with a drip in my arm seeing Mark walk into the ward to pick me up on my last day was the best ... well until he nearly collapsed when they took the needle out hahaha!

Today is my first day out and I’ve been told to rest (if anyone knows me well, I hate resting) but it’s what I need to do to get myself back on track.

But I woke up this morning, very tired, with a splitting headache, a sore kidney and a very big rash so I think staying in bed is the best place for me. My body has been through a lot and I need to remember that.

I just want to also mention how grateful I am right now for all the well wishes and gifts I’ve had the last couple of days. I have so much support from my family, my boyfriend and his family and some of my closest friends.

I think the drugs (prescribed) are making me soppy so take it while it lasts.

Overall it was a successful week getting my treatment and hopefully I will start getting my strength back in the next couple of weeks but for now I’m off to sleep... goodnight.