We got through Sunday and Monday we were moved back onto the 4 bed ward, hell for a night but they promised we could go back to our local hospital. It was so hard to sleep but i reasoned it was just for on night, I could get through it, Billy was the important thing. It sounds silly but this to me was amazing news being able to be near home would be fab. Nearby the hospital was a park so I was looking forward to seeing some fresh air.
Although Billy had to have another lumber puncture and IV chemo before we went it was the end of the stay up there. Billy was looking forward to going back and hopefully seeing some of his friends again. He was getting better at taking his meds without arguing and had even started to help by pressing buttons when the blood pressure was done! I had started to notice that the side effects from the steroids that I was warned about had started. His appetite had suddenly increased hugely he seemed to be eating so much more than normal. He had started to get awful mood swings and would snap and get upset for no reason.
I would find in the next few weeks and months the side effects aren't easy to cope with but the first time I was relieved in a way because to me it showed the drugs were working. I was quite pleased we were on the ward as I could imagine Billy might not be too pleased about having to be starved for the anaesthetic for the Lumber Puncture.
We were used to the routine of Piam Brown, used to seeing the consultants every morning and have them give Billy a complete examination daily. Used to the nurses only dealing with cancer patients and knowing what they are going through. In some ways it was a safe cocoon for us and as much as I wanted to go I was a bit apprehensive as well.
On the day we were due to leave they had one of the leaders of the political parties who were campaigning in the election doing a broadcast from the ward. They took over everything they had a massive entourage and film crew, you couldn't move without beign in 'their' way. This annoyed me a lot, this was a cancer ward not somewhere to score political points!! They wanted to film Billy but I refused. If they had really wanted to do some good they should have had a look at the real state of the ward, the broken and leaking showers etc and fixed them.
My lovely friend Lauren came up and helped us to pack and then early afternoon they said we were allowed to go! The first time we had been out in the air for 8 days!! I was so glad to get in the car and go away, it was sunny and lovely and we were off!! Billy was really pleased to be going nearer home, he had had enough of the ward and wanted different toys and people and I think he was getting fed up of being looked at! We had bags of belongings and meds and off we went...
The next chapter began!
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