Short update

I'm part way through my chemo now. I had two drugs at the beginning but one of them was only to be given three times and I'm glad that that has ended as it was quite a rough one. I finish the first round of treatment either today or tomorrow - am not sure yet, but hoping it's today!

My spirits are staying high and I'm so looking forward to being better and life resuming again - I'm pretty bored of all this now!

My blood counts are dropping and I need transfusions to keep my blood products up, so I wont be coming home in between this set of treatment. I can imagine there will be another 2/3 weeks being here before I'm allowed back home.

On the plus side New Zealand won the rugby this morning which I was able to watch in my room - even if it was a bit of a disappointing game!

My weight is coming up and I weighed 63kg yesterday. I'm eating lots and having lots of build up shakes (they have about 900+kcal) which seem to be doing the trick! I'll be back up to my normal weight soon I hope.

I think that's all for a now, just a quick update - I'm still around and doing a lot better as I was pretty sick at the beginning of the week but am fine now. I also had an MRI scan at the beginning of the week which was positive with no signs of regrowth! Some great news!

Thanks for the continuing support and prayers!

Latest news...

Yesterday I went to Bart's for a clinic appointment. I saw Dr. Smith (my consultant) who told me a number of not so great things. Firstly my bone marrow biopsy results were back and the Leukaemia has come back there too, which apparently is not uncommon. He reckon's that the chemotherapy I'm having will treat that as well though. They've also decided I'll have the bone marrow transplant as well. He said that realistically things didn't look great and that the result's for a cure aren't very high, but they are still treating me to cure me and there are a small minority of success stories.

But just as I was in the small minority concerning the FLT-3 result, I'm praying I'll be in the small minority again. It'll take another miracle to heal me!

I'm doing fine but please remember people in your prayers.

I'm reminded of the metaphor of God being a potter and we're in His hands - He can do anything with us.

Today I went back to Bart's again where they put a PICC line back in, in a slightly different place though and with the use of an ultrasound! That pretty much was fine.

What happened next??

Yesterday I travelled up to Bart's to find out what the plan would be. I had a blood test (and my blood's all fine! - Everything's in it's ranges, apart from the platelets which are a bit low, but they're always like that) and a bone marrow biopsy - done by Deo who's the 'king' nurse. He's very good and I was happy to let him practice!
I saw Dr. Smith too who told me what the plan would be. Firstly, I'll be at home for a bit so I can be fattened up a bit and hopefully recover too. I go to the clinic on Wednesday the 12th October with the view to admit me on Monday the 17th, so that's nice! When they admit me they want me to have 2 cycles of high dose cytarabin chemotherapy, the same as what I had last time, just a bit stronger, and probably a month of radiotherapy. All depending on how I respond to it I might have a transplant, I might not. They're going to look at it though.
The Dr said it'd be hard to treat, because the AML is clearly 'a bad boy' and is very vicious but they're treating me to cure me and it's do-able. I asked Deo if he knew of any success stories, and he does. He told me that Dr. Smith was right to say it's not easy but it is very very do-able! So that's good news!

I think that's all for a now! Thanks for your prayers and support everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!