279/365 : Keep your arms and legs inside the ride at all times
Today—exactly 6 weeks after my last dose of chemotherapy—I went for a full-body CT scan looking for any remaining lymph nodes after 6 months of treatment.
The Ottawa Hospital
237/365 : Bang a gong
The Ottawa Hospital’s MDCU (Medical Day-Care Unit) has a fun tradition for its patients just completing their last treatment: banging a gong.
203/365 : Upstairs, Downstairs
Every time I park at the Ottawa Hospital’s multi-level garage, I’m always taken in by how the light plays in the stairwell.
181/365 : At least I didn’t forget my meds
Today is Day 1 of Round 4 of my 6-round chemotherapy treatment for small lymphocytic lymphoma. Day 1 treatment always involves a trip to the “medical daycare” at the Ottawa Hospital, where nurses administer a Rituximab injection. The rest of my chemo drugs (cyclophosphamide and fludarabine) are oral, with pills I pick up at the pharmacy (with a prescription, naturally).
I’ve been documenting my journey and always bring my trusty Fujifilm X100V with me to the hospital, and today was no different. Almost.
153/365 : Hazardous material
Into the Medical Daycare for Round three — of six! halfway there, yay! — of FCR chemotherapy to treat my CLL/SLL lymphoma.
So it turns out this rituximab injection is very, very nasty stuff. I think if the nurses could wear hazmat suits when dealing with it they’d consider it, and I wouldn’t really blame them.
147/365 : Hot Wheels
At the hospital for a checkup with my haematologist prior to next week’s scheduled round of chemo.
As I was leaving, I noticed that someone left this wheelchair in the parking garage, and I was immediately attracted to the light playing against the wheelchair and the soft shadows it cast. Daily shot done & dusted.
125/365 : Not quite a punch in the gut
Today is day 1 of the second round of FCR chemotherapy treatment for my CLL/SLL lymphoma. Unlike in the first round, when the Rituximab was administered in a 6-hour IV drip, this time around the 1,600mg dose is injected directly into my belly fat over the course of about 5 minutes. The nurse had no …
97/365 : The Medical Daycare
Suffice it to say that the Ottawa Hospital’s Medical Daycare is not as fun as Daddy Daycare or any other daycare environment I’ve seen. No fun, no games, all serious. That’s not entirely true… the nurses are all incredible people with a very keen sense of humour and more compassion and empathy than one could …
91/365 : Rust Never Sleeps
My my, hey heyRock and roll is here to stayIt’s better to burn out than to fade awayMy my, hey hey Out of the blue and into the blackThey give you this, but you pay for thatAn’ once you’re gone you can never come backWhen you’re out of the blue and into the black The …
