Rachel's leukaemia

[fanf]

Rachel has been in hospital since Monday, and on Thursday they told her she has Leukaemia, fortunately a form that is usually curable.

She started chemotherapy on Thursday evening, and it is very rough, so she is not able to have visitors right now. We'll let you know when that changes, but we expect that the side-effects will get worse for a couple of weeks.

To keep her spirits up, she would greatly appreciate small photos of cute children/animals or beautiful landscapes. Send them by email to rmcf@cb4.eu or on Twitter to @rmc28, or you can send small poscards to Ward D6 at Addenbrookes.

Flowers are not allowed on the ward, and no food gifts please because nausea is a big problem. If you want to send a gift, something small and pretty and/or interestingly tactile is suitable.

Rachel is benefiting from services that rely on donations, so you might also be about to help by giving blood - for instance you can donate at Addenbrookes. Or you might donate to Macmillan Cancer Support.

And, if you have any niggling health problems, or something weird is happening or getting worse, do get it checked out. Rachel's leukaemia came on over a period of about three weeks and would have been fatal in a couple of months if untreated.

Comments

[fanf]

For added fun Nico vomited several times yesterday evening and couldn't keep anything down, even water. (Yay to washing machines and tumble dryers.) So we have cancelled the hospital visit we planned for this morning. Bummer. Rachel's dad made a flying visit and we avoided contaminating him so that is some compensation.

Nico's tummy settled by midnight, so he slept OK after that, and this morning he is happy and has eaten some egg and toast without problems. No runny bums either.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

My best wishes and support to your whole family.

[andrewducker]

I hope you have emotional support yourself. It may not be as hard as going throgh it yourself, but being the partner of someone with cancer is still really hard.

[kotturinn.livejournal.com]

Seconding the comment about making sure you too have emotional support. Macmillan are good at that as well as supporting the person with cancer. Also your comment about getting things checked out (and repeating 'things aren't right' if you know they're not and at first the response is 'nothing up'). On a practical note I've already offered gopher-type services to Rachel, am also happy to offer same to you given that I have day/worktime hours free now.

[uitlander]

Similarly if you need help at home/with the kids just say. I drive into work every day, so if you need stuff shuttling about, kids collected/dropped off - let me know and I will do what I can to help.

Weekend Keep My Spirits Up thread

[livejournal.livejournal.com]

User rmc28 referenced to your post from Weekend Keep My Spirits Up thread (http://rmc28.livejournal.com/462879.html) saying: [...] longer or writing much probably going to wait. See also: http://fanf.livejournal.com/135958.html [...]

[kaberett.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the update. Offer of dropping off a meal-or-two's worth of food for the home front stands; if helpful I can put together a list of things I can make that freeze well et cet.

[rbarclay.livejournal.com]

Our kittens are more prone to being cute on video than on pictures - would that be fine, or is bandwidth/playback limited?

Granny help

[(Anonymous)]

Hi Darling, I am looking into house sitters now and can change my flights on Ryanair, so as soon as I can get sorted out I can come to Cambridge to help with the house, washing, cooking and child wrangling to give you time with Rachel and to work and some other essential support. I think, while Rachel is in hospital is the best time for me to help you and then we can see how things go when she is discharged to outpatients. OK?
Love to you all, Mum xxx

[techiebabe.livejournal.com]

Is there anything we can do for you and your sons? For example I have a Thermomix, a posh all singing all dancing cooking device which leads me through making exceptionally tasty food. If you have any favourite meals it would be easy for me to make and freeze in batches.

Not sure what else we can offer, but it is only an hour door to door from our house to Addies, and not too much more to yours, so we could easily make food for you and deliver, if that would help?

The Thermomix means it would be of higher than ready meal standard, y'see.

If there is anything else at all, let me know?

Meantime we will send a card and something small to Rachel this week.

Any time there is anything, just ask: I know we arent in Cambridge, but we arent far away.

[atreic.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

Thinking of you all. So sorry you got the vomiting plague at exactly the wrong time on top of all this.

Don't want to be a pushy 'tell me what to do so I can think that I've helped so I feel better' type, but would really like to help if I can. I don't get enough time in my life with kids, so I really would be happy to spend an hour or two after work looking after C and/or N if you want some time off and you think it'd help.

[ms-cataclysm.livejournal.com]

Sorry you're going through this. Much love.