Glomerular Filtration Rate Test ..... Going Nuclear!

..... Which sounds an awful lot worse than it was ..... (in fact the worst part was probably the hanging around!) .... this was the last test Im going to have for a while, and was just to measure how my kidneys are working.

Im now booked in to have my "transplant" early in January, and so I don't have to go back to the Marsden at all until then..... thank goodness! So far I feel pretty good... a bit tired sometimes.... and maybe the weather doesn't help much. The doctors and staff are all very confident and pleased with results so far .... so .... keeping everything crossed!

Theres therefore not going to be much medical news in the next week or two.... but Ill try to find something of local interest to keep you up to date with what Im up to.....

An Early Start!

... and on a monday too!

So today it was all about collecting some stem cells ( if there are any!) from my blood, and I had to be at the Marsden first thing.... Well the two possible outcomes I had been told about were :

1) You will have no stem cells .... in which case we will talk to you about plan "B" ... (whatever that is!)

2) That there are some stem cells and we will collect them over the next three days, until we have enough for your transplant.

So the the first thing the nurses did was a blood test to see about the stem cell count.... and because that takes a couple of hours for the results I went to a meeting about preparing for the transplant. I was also shown around the rooms on the ward, and there was one which was like a small living room.... for the patients ... which will make a nice change to being stuck in my room.

Anyway... back later for the results and they were all very pleased as my cell count was 45! ..( thats quite high apparently!) ... so immediately hooked up to the machine you can see... all very painless ... and I sat chatting to my nurse Amy for the next three and a half hours while the machine did its stuff. She checked its progress continually.... and at the end made me a cup of tea... sent me home to ring in at 5.30 for the results of how many cells they had collected that day.

So .... later when I phoned I am pleased to let you know that they have collected all the cells they need for the transplant today....at the first "sitting".... an outcome they hadn't told me about ... and so Im not going back tomorrow! .... so a good day ... and a great outcome!

Red sky at night......

..... shepherds delight .... (actually theres a warning of snow coming!).... had to pop back to the Marsden today as apparently one of the tests I had was now out of date .... amazingly they were all really apologetic ... the nurses ..the matron .... even the doctor! .... they thought they should have realised last week. The other surprise was that everyone seemed to know my name! .... even the receptionist .... didn't know if I should be pleased or worried?

I'm also now on blood boosting injections (for five days)... so I feel really good.... now I know how those cyclists feel..... and I go back on Monday for the next bit!

So since its friday..... its off to the pub ..... but only for one..... honest!

The Old Ruin!

.... And no! Im not the old ruin! .... So this morning because the sun was out.... (you have to take advantage of it when you can! ... rightly as it turned out later)... I went for a walk in a village nearby called Old Basing.

Im not supposed to be hanging around in enclosed spaces, where there are people .... to reduce my risk of picking up an infection ... So a walk seemed a good idea ... and prevents me going "stir crazy" ..... The pictures are some of the things I saw on the walk.... The Great Barn has still got the cannon fire damage caused by Oliver Cromwell when he flattened the Palace that used to stand in Old Basing .... The pond is an old Saxon fish farm ....

So... two days after the first chemo Im still feeling pretty good.... no nausea... that I was told might occur .... bit more tired than usual maybe .... and Im not due to go back to the Marsden until next Monday .... so still got my fingers crossed.

Ready.... Steady..... GO!

Well it was a pretty early start today.... and the beginning of the stem cell mobilisation ..... so there were a couple of transfusions .... the first just hydration and the second the first real "chemo" ... theyve given me anti nausea stuff ..... and so far ... a few hours later ... so good! as I feel fine...... fingers crossed.

Now Im supposed to stay at home and keep out of trouble for a week..... Hmmmmm ..... will try very hard to...... but!......

On the mend!

Okay... feeling much better ... and even went for a walk today by the canal ... the Basingstoke canal that is ..... well lets call it more of a ditch! ... as you can see from one of the photos it was just a little bit windy today as well!

The old ruin with no windows isn't where I'm currently staying.... Its called King Johns Castle, and is apparently the place King John left in 1215 to head of to Runneymede to sign the magna carta.

The marsden appointment has been rearranged for Friday coming .... so fingers crossed....

Here comes the sun!

..... Well it came out for a minute or two anyway! .... so ... pleased to report that today I feel significantly better. My local GP, who has been very caring, thought that I had a stomach virus in addition to the chest infection over the last few days.... so you can imagine how bad I felt.

Anyway... today the appointments at the Marsden have been rescheduled for next week ....

So! as Victoria said.... just a sidestep on the road to recovery .....

Grey, Grey, Grey.....

I had quite forgotten how grey the skies can be, here in November! .... And they match my current mood in some way, as I have managed to pick up a chest infection from somewhere .... which has left me feeling pretty rough. The doctors have given me some antibiotics to sort it out ..... but they have the side effect of .... well you don't want to know! I'm back to see the doctor tomorrow ..... hopefully feeling a lot better.
In the meantime.... better retire to bed ...

Bringing you up to date.......

I arrived back in England on the 19th October just as the clocks are about to turn back an hour .... boy! does it seem to get dark early here!

There was just the one appointment at the Marsden .... which didn't seem too tough... as I thought... except that it was for a bone marrow sample.... so not quite that nice! Anyway on the plus side they are using my french xrays .... rather than bombarding me again! .... and it was very nice to have all 17 examined and explained to me by the registrar; together with an analysis of my latest blood test .... and reassuring to hear that I am an "early" case, whos response to treatment has been very good; because up until that point I had been very much "in the dark" about my situation....... so that was good news!

So the next stage in treatment is scheduled for the first week in November; and so I was looking forward to some R & R ...... But with visitors from France and family stuff as well ..... kept me pretty busy. I did manage to go for day out last weekend to see the Historic Dockyard in Portsmouth ...... Except! ... I had not been told about the South Coast Run .... so Portsmouth was gridlocked! .... Headed off to Bosham instead and had lunch at a place called "The Anchor Bleu" ... which wasnt French at all!

The othe picture I took on my day out..... I may have discovered what the english do with their barges ....... Should give some of you some ideas!