This is my final night in hospital! I'm currently hooked up to my penultimate bag of chemo - the final one being administered tomorrow morning. When that's finished I should be allowed home for a week or so until my counts drop again. Then I'm back in the hostel for the last time and then normal life will resume! Right now I'm pretty excited. It's like the light at the end of the tunnel is a couple of meters away (and that light isn't death, haha) Although, that's a light too...
Anyways...it's all gone pretty well this time round. I've gone out everyday this time. Have had numerous walks to the river, gone out for coffee's etc. Last night I managed to spike a temperature which was annoying (especially since I went for two rounds of chemo with no side effects) but that's settled down now. I have one more dose of antibiotics to take for that in the morning and then it's off home.
So, that's the latest update. The end is nigh!
Thanks for the continuing support and prayers!
Saturday 26 March 2011
Monday 21 March 2011
Final Push...
Well, it's been a while since the last post and a lot has happened since being back home! I've been going into Colchester hospital for regular blood tests which have always been fine and I had an appointment with a consultant on Wednesday. An outcome of that meeting was that a suitable bone marrow donor has been found. There are 12 categories that need to be matched and this donor ticks 11 of those boxes. However, the area which is not a match isn't very important so they'd be happy to use him/her. The results of my last bone marrow biopsy had also returned which still showed that I am in remission - Still no sign of any leukaemia cells (but they know there are still a few hovering around. Just praying that don't club together and kick off again).
So since being at home I've spent most of my time back at Fellowship Afloat. It's felt like nothing's different (apart from the odd afternoon where tiredness kicked in) but towards the end of my time out of hospital I've felt better than I have done in ages. I've got back up to my previous weight thanks to some good food, and lots of it. And my fitness is increasing too.
At the moment I'm in my hospital bed waiting for a visit from the doctor. Tomorrow I'll have another bone marrow biopsy and will begin my fourth and final round of chemotherapy. Only another six days of these life saving drugs! In about two and a half weeks I should be out again FOR GOOD!
I'm also back in Bodley Scott 1, the ward where I was at the very beginning, which is brilliant as the staff are top notch and I have my own room.
This last time at home has had it's downs as well. With everything feeling like it used to be, with nothing wrong, made it hard to think of the coming next weeks in hospital. But hey! In the grand scheme of things it's nothing, and if it keeps me better I think it's worth it!
Horatio G. Spafford was an American lawyer during the mid 19th Century and following the death of his only son, the collapse of his business and the death of his two daughters in a shipping accident he wrote these words in the well known hymn 'When Peace Like a River'
Below are some photos from the last couple of days:
So since being at home I've spent most of my time back at Fellowship Afloat. It's felt like nothing's different (apart from the odd afternoon where tiredness kicked in) but towards the end of my time out of hospital I've felt better than I have done in ages. I've got back up to my previous weight thanks to some good food, and lots of it. And my fitness is increasing too.
At the moment I'm in my hospital bed waiting for a visit from the doctor. Tomorrow I'll have another bone marrow biopsy and will begin my fourth and final round of chemotherapy. Only another six days of these life saving drugs! In about two and a half weeks I should be out again FOR GOOD!
I'm also back in Bodley Scott 1, the ward where I was at the very beginning, which is brilliant as the staff are top notch and I have my own room.
This last time at home has had it's downs as well. With everything feeling like it used to be, with nothing wrong, made it hard to think of the coming next weeks in hospital. But hey! In the grand scheme of things it's nothing, and if it keeps me better I think it's worth it!
Horatio G. Spafford was an American lawyer during the mid 19th Century and following the death of his only son, the collapse of his business and the death of his two daughters in a shipping accident he wrote these words in the well known hymn 'When Peace Like a River'
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,These words (and those in the rest of the hymn) have comforted and strengthened me in the last few weeks. What the future holds I do not know, but in whatever life throws at me, through whatever storms I go, God has taught me to recognise that 'it is well with my soul'. My soul, the core of my being, is secure in the certain hope that I have; namely that God is in control, has a purpose in everything and will one day take me to be with Him. But, I'm praying I have many more years here first! And I have no doubt I will!
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Below are some photos from the last couple of days:
 |
| Frinton beach before going into hospital today |
 |
| Father and son |
 |
| Sailing on Saturday |
Wednesday 9 March 2011
Out again
On Sunday afternoon I was told that my neutriphils had gone up from 0.2 the previous day to 1.3 allowing me to go home.
Since then I've had a blood test, been sailing and today I attempted a day of work but only managed to keep going to lunchtime. Am a bit tired now but that could be due to a low hemoglobin level so I'm not worried.
It's just been good to be on the water again, do a bit of painting and get back to normality.
Tomorrow morning I have another routine blood test just to see how things are going and I may need a blood or platelet transfusion depending on those results.
My further plans for my time out of hospital (not at home because I've scarcely seen the place!) include working a bit more (if my body allows it - which I'm sure it will) going to Leeds at the weekend and whatever else may arise. I'll be going back into Barts next week for my bone marrow biopsy too, but that's not something majorly exciting...
So that's an update on me at the moment. I'm still infection free and things are going well! Life is very good! And God is even better! All this is down to his doing.
Will keep y'all posted!
Since then I've had a blood test, been sailing and today I attempted a day of work but only managed to keep going to lunchtime. Am a bit tired now but that could be due to a low hemoglobin level so I'm not worried.
It's just been good to be on the water again, do a bit of painting and get back to normality.
Tomorrow morning I have another routine blood test just to see how things are going and I may need a blood or platelet transfusion depending on those results.
My further plans for my time out of hospital (not at home because I've scarcely seen the place!) include working a bit more (if my body allows it - which I'm sure it will) going to Leeds at the weekend and whatever else may arise. I'll be going back into Barts next week for my bone marrow biopsy too, but that's not something majorly exciting...
So that's an update on me at the moment. I'm still infection free and things are going well! Life is very good! And God is even better! All this is down to his doing.
Will keep y'all posted!
Saturday 5 March 2011
On the up!
There's been little news over the last couple of days. I've been going in for my morning blood test and afternoon obs, and in between the to-ing and fro-ing have got lots of reading done amongst other things.
This afternoon I went back in for my observations and they had the results from this morning's blood test showing that my neutriphills have gone up from 0.00 to 0.2! When it hits 0.5 they send me back home. So it's a step in the right direction and I'm hoping they will have made the extra jump tomorrow!
It's really not that bad here but it will be good to get back doing normal things again, even if this does feel like an odd kind of holiday.
Other than that there's not much news.
Thanks for the continuing support and prayers!
This afternoon I went back in for my observations and they had the results from this morning's blood test showing that my neutriphills have gone up from 0.00 to 0.2! When it hits 0.5 they send me back home. So it's a step in the right direction and I'm hoping they will have made the extra jump tomorrow!
It's really not that bad here but it will be good to get back doing normal things again, even if this does feel like an odd kind of holiday.
Other than that there's not much news.
Thanks for the continuing support and prayers!
 |
| Yesterday's afternoon excursion. |
 |
| The result of yesterday's excursions... |
Tuesday 1 March 2011
The waiting game...
I had another blood test yesterday afternoon in Colchester which resulted in me coming up to Barts last night. Thankfully I'm in the hostel this time and not on a ward. All my levels were down and I needed a top-up of platelets. My neutrophills are down to 0 today so I'm going in every morning and afternoon for a blood test to see when they come back up! Hopefully it'll be by the weekend. I'm just trying to get through another period of not having an immune system without an infection! If that happens the doctors will be really confused. They said I was lucky not to get anything last time but that I would get something this time round. Well, so far so good. Only a few days to go and they'll be wrong! Maybe they'll wonder whether or not it's 'luck' or something bigger?
It's so nice to have the freedom of the hostel. I'm getting reading done and other such things. My aim is to finish 'crime and punishment' before my last load of chemo.
I'll be going back to have my observations done this afternoon and as soon as there's more news I'll update!
Thanks for your continuing support and prayers. Perhaps you could also remember 'D' in your prayers who is also undergoing cancer treatment and is going through a rough patch at the moment. Thanks!
It's so nice to have the freedom of the hostel. I'm getting reading done and other such things. My aim is to finish 'crime and punishment' before my last load of chemo.
I'll be going back to have my observations done this afternoon and as soon as there's more news I'll update!
Thanks for your continuing support and prayers. Perhaps you could also remember 'D' in your prayers who is also undergoing cancer treatment and is going through a rough patch at the moment. Thanks!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)