Dear Millie: Diary of a seven year old with cancer by Marco Previero

Author:Marco Previero
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd
Published: 2015-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

15 ) Day 29 – Friday 3rd May

Whilst under the care of GOSH for the treatment of her brain tumour, Millie (and us) will be assisted by a team of four community nurses. District or community nurses mainly visit patients at home. Their role includes supporting the patient and carer at home, administering treatments such as wound dressing (in Millie’s case, the dressing covering her Hickman line, which needs replacing at least once a week), taking blood from her Hickman line, injections (none at the moment, but there will be some a few weeks down the line), monitoring health and offering general practical advice on aspects of healthcare at home for Millie.

We are visited today, for the first time, by one such nurse. She is great, and Millie takes to her immediately, which helps. She has some trouble taking blood from Millie’s Hickman line, which can sometimes be temperamental, but thankfully always ends up working. Taking blood and analysing it plays a vital role in between chemotherapy sessions. Chemotherapy has a violent effect on blood count (red, white, neutrophils and platelets are all affected), so it is critical to take readings every couple of days. If the community nurse cannot come (on bank holidays or weekends) and blood is due to be taken, then we would go to our local hospital instead. These blood test results are then stored in her file, and GOSH reviews this weekly to establish when to start the next course of chemotherapy. Millie’s neutrophils are beginning to show signs of life, so starting to recover. They told us this would happen but there is always an element of reassurance when the body does as it is expected to do.

Vanessa and I are still taking turns to sleep with her, and Millie is generally still weak from the cumulative assault of surgery and chemotherapy. We were warned that chemotherapy would be tough on her, and it is. Millie makes an effort to be up and about, and Vanessa takes her for short walks to the local church and back – not to go in and pray, it just happens to be a nice walk.

Still, the toxic substances that have been injected into her over five days have enveloped her in a fog, dark as night, depriving her and most of her cells of pure air.

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