Clean Car & Red tape

Today, I woke up early, and got up at 8:30am..

After breakfast and a nice bath, I decided a bit of car cleaning was in order.
My poor little MGF was well overdue for some TLC.. she hasn't been cleaned in months, because I just haven't had the energy.
But today, she got a wash, dry, alloy wheels scrubbed, and plastic rear screen polished.
I'd have liked to have given her a bit of a wax too, but decided that was enough from one day.

Then I gave the inside of 'Project Barn' (see http://www.funkybanana.net and click on 'Funky Banana Property Developments', for more info on that one) another lick of paint.

Not bad for the day after chemo, really!
Although I suspect the steroids are keeping me going at this point.
I take them for three days, every chemo cycle.. starting the day before chemo, then the day of chemo, and the day after chemo.
Judging by how the first three chemos went, it'll be downhill from tomorrow, for about a week. Then getting better after that.
I then tend to get a decent few days/week, before it all starts again.

After my first two Taxotere cycles, I was blessed with infections, from having a collapsed immune system, and a white blood cell count of 0.
After Taxotere number 3, my onc was gracious enough to prescribe Neupogen injections, to boost my white blood cell count, and hopefully keep my immune system somewhere close to normal.
I have to give these injections to myself, starting on day four or five after chemo.
I have to have them every day, for seven days.
Injecting yourself isn't much fun really, but it's better than the infections, and it's certainly nowhere near as bad as having chemo!

My oncologist called this morning, wondering why no-one had told him I'd been talking about going to see the liver specialist, in London.
I said I didn't know why.. he said he was going to slap the registrar I saw on Tuesday, for not letting him know.

The registrar seemed to want to put me off the idea of seeing a liver specialist/having surgery, saying that it was a waste of money, and there's no evidence to support it giving any better outcome, than chemo alone.
Today, my oncologist said liver surgery in such cases, wasn't the 'usual' route.

Well, incase anyone hasn't gathered by now, I don't seem to be a 'usual' patient. Or even a 'usual' person.
Secondary breast cancer certainly isn't 'usual' in someone my age. It's pretty unusual.
And as for the wasting money.. well, my unwasted money isn't going to do me much good if I'm dead, is it!
I'd rather waste some and take a chance, than just not bother doing anything.

My oncologist also informed me, that to get hold of the liver scan films (that are needed by the liver specialist in London, before he can see me), I'll need to ask my GP to write to the radiology department of my hospital, to request them. Then I may well have to pay a fee for them.
What is it with all this red tape? I can't see why the oncologist couldn't have just requested them!

I often wonder if these medical people actually realise it's a real persons life they're dealing with.