But in terms of school and that you missed a lot of
school or college?

Yes I had to
leave college because obviously I’m in animal care. So I mean I couldn’t like
by animals or like pups or anything like young animals. And I was like mucking
out and like cleaning the cages; I couldn’t be by like the dirt in cages.

So did you have to stop that course altogether?

Yes, I’d only
been there for like two weeks hadn’t I? And I had to stop.

Right, did you choose something else to do?

I couldn’t, I
couldn’t go back into college.

Not at all?

No.

So what happened there on that side of things?

The Macmillan
nurses went into the college and explained that I won’t be back in because I
couldn’t go back in because of I weren’t out of hospital to really go to
college.

So after the,
when it all ended the trial, the treatment and everything did they tell you the
results and everything then?

Eden’ Yes I went back I had to get like
x-rays on my heart and my kidneys and the consultant looked at it and he said
that it had gone but it hadn’t fully gone I was just in remission. Then I have
to go back every three months to have chest x-rays.

Do you still do
that?

Eden’ Yes I went; my last one was the 8th
August that was my first one since I got the all clear.

You’ve got the
all clear?

Eden’ Yes.

Oh brilliant, so
is that good, you’re pleased now?

Eden’ Yes.

Yes and how long
will, do you still have to go back?

Eden’ Yes every three months isn’t it?

Yes you still go
back to keep an eye on you yes. Were you, you say you were pleased to take part
in the end?

Eden’ Yes.

it’s all worked
out okay, did it, how did it feel when the trial ended; you know you wasn’t
taking part or the treatment had ended?

Eden’ Relief.

Was it? Just
pleased to try and get back to some normality?

Eden’ Yes, didn’t have to go to hospital
every day. I get on and I could go away on holiday.

And
did you?

Eden’ Yes.

Where
did you go?

Eden’ My
uncle lives in Spain so I went to his.

Oh
fantastic, yes. A well deserved break I think.

Mum’
I think when it ends though you’re lost. Because you’ve got all these
professionals and all this advice all around you and people there and then it
all ends.

Yes that’s what
I’m just wondering how it felt.

Mum’ Your
life pattern is just, I had to leave work for six months her dad had to move
back in to look after her as well because it was becoming too hard for me
throughout it, through her illness. Everything changes and then you’re just
meant to go back to normal and it’s very hard going from sort of being closeted
and nurtured by these people and they don’t turn their backs but it’s all just
gone, it’s so intense, you’re life revolves around it, your times, everything
has to stop. Your holidays, people coming to the house, we couldn’t have people
at the house there was always fear of infection.

Did you miss, you know not miss that’s the wrong
word but you know, not having that you know intensity and somebody to call?
Were you still able to call on them?

Eden’ Yes.

Yes, so it wasn’t like they’d completely?

Eden’ No because when I finished my treatment to start
I had my line in for a bit and I used to phone in because it used to get dead
itchy so I used to pani

Eden’ Because I didn’t know
about the line and how it would be and they showed me on, they had a doll and I
got a bit scared of it and started crying and felt dead sick. So they explained
and they asked one of the kids and asked them to show me it so I got showed
just how it went in and that then. So I weren’t that like sacred.

When he said they took you to one of the children,
was that somebody who had had a central line in? (Yes.) And they showed you what it was like on them?

Eden’ Yes because it looked
different on like this doll.

Mum’ We were devastated she was going to refuse the
treatment she was going to walk out the hospital. She was absolutely, she
became so angry it wasn’t going to invade her chest.

I can imagine yes.

Eden’ Because I already had two
scars on my neck and there is a hole now, I didn’t really want it so.

Is that what you were worried about having the
scars?

Eden’ At first yes. And then,
and then like they took the plasters off they looked dead big and I started
crying and that’s why I didn’t want a central line and they just faded. it’s
just a mark and you’ve got to get over it.

But at the time it was quite a bit daunting?

Eden’ Yes, yes.

And so did you have questions to ask about the
central line, did that reassure you that they can explain it?

Eden’ Yes, I felt better then
when I’d seen it. But there was a kid about four and he was running round and
he had crayons in his hand and he was going Look, look it doesn’t mean
nothing, it doesn’t hurt you, it doesn’t hurt you’ and was just running around
so I was like well if he can do it I can do it.

Do you want to
explain what happened each day, you know, how, what they did to you?

Eden’ You
had to go, you got weighed, you went and got weighed and then the consultant
had to come in and check you over to make sure you were fit. And then the chemo
would get sent up from the pharmacy and then you’d get plugged into the machine
and it would, then it would just start going in.

And into the
line?

Eden’ Yes.

Through the… a tube into where they’d made the…

Eden’ Yes like it clipped
together.

And how long did
you have to have that for, how long did it take?

Mum’ Over
five days, day one would be all day with all the drugs.

Eden’ Yes
like day one would be every drug because that was like five hours weren’t it?
Day two would just be two so it would only be like two hours. And then day
three and four would be just two and then day five you’d have all the drugs
again together so that would be another five hours.

And when you, so it changed every day?

Eden’ Yes.

And when you say
the drugs is that the chemo, the chemotherapy?

Eden’ Yes
but there was different types wasn’t there? There was vincristine and a red one
that used to go in as well.

A red one, did
they all have colours?