A German doctor came into my room that evening to explain the course of my treatment. It was called "Protocol M" because it contained an extremely high dose of a drug called Methotrexate, hence the M. She said it was proving to be a huge success in Germany and in America, so they were beginning trials across the UK.
The next morning they began setting up the machine that would be infusing the drugs until they finally brought into the room a tube filled with yellow liquid. They put a black cover over the tube, explaining that the drug itself was light-sensitive. I was hooked up to the machine and the process began.
Within a minute of the treatment starting, I said "I have a bad feeling about this, it just doesn't feel right." I continued to feel slightly queezy, so I decided to shut my eyes and have a sleep.
I personally dont know what happened whilst I was asleep. But the exact detail is that my kidneys were shutting themselves down. I had suffered a massive alergic reaction to the Methotrexate (a very rare reaction), and things were looking bad.
I don't remember much of the next night and day, only waking up to vomit. I vaguely remember being rushed to have a kidney and liver scan to check the extent of the damage. I can clearly picture "Finding Nemo" being played on a DVD player above my bed. I was singing to myself "Just keep swimming"... quite appropriate, don't you think?
The heroic doctors on Lion Ward had a choice to make: either surgically fit a machine to do my kidneys' work for me, or ship in an antidote from overseas. They chose the antidote.
This antidote would save my life, undoing the effects of the lethal substance pulsing round my body. It sounds perfect, but there is a sting to the tale. This miracle antidote would have to be shipped from across Europe, and would cost no less than £60,000.
When the life saving syringe showed up to the hospital, it wasn't a moment too soon. Gemma, a nurse came into my room at about 2:00am... no pressure, just a £60,000 drug, and a patient in a pretty bad way to give it to.
She gave the drug, and within a matter of hours my body started to show signs of recovery. Gemma, and the doctors at Lion Ward, had saved my life. No other way of putting it.
After 2 weeks of letting my kidneys recover, I was sent home to start a very weak cycle of treatment. This was to allow my battered body to recover.
It was then back to the intensive stuff again, but no more Methotrexate, no chance mate... not after that!
After about 9 months of the intensive treatment I started "Maintenance Therapy". This was described as being a lot less intense, to let me get my life back.
That is the next section. Maintenance. I will describe what it was like, and how I managed to come to terms with getting more of my life back.
Still standing after "Protocol M"... and don't you forget it!
Andrew
:)
JUST KEEP SWIMMING!
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Glossary
Infusing - The process of pumping a drug/ product straight into a vein.
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EDIT
Here is a photo of me with Gemma, the nurse that gave me my antidote. (Taken in March 2010, I'm sure neither of us will forget what happened back in 2007)
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