Stem Cell Transplant Day Journal 20 – 20 December 2015 (Cancer and Me 61)
No sermons today, you’ll be pleased to hear. I actually slept better last night than I have the whole time I’ve been here – still only 5.5 hours though, but it’s something. The reason it wasn’t a bit longer is that last night there were workmen repairing the road literally underneath my window – at…
Stem Cell Transplant Journal Day 19 – 19 December 2015 (Cancer and Me 60)
Mind numbing day 19 – where nothing actually happened. Here’s how interesting the day was – I resorted to playing patience on my laptop – and I wasn’t even supposed to be working! Netrophils are 1.9 today – yes, that’s not a typo, it really is 1.9! I was not expecting that at all. Apparently…
Stem Cell Transplant Journal Day 18 – 18 December 2015 (Cancer and Me 59)
My sore throat got worse during the night, so I was prescribed some Oramorph, which only just about took the edge of the pain. By the morning, with not much sleep behind me, I also had a splitting headache. I was not looking forward to a day of not being able to eat or drink…
Stem Cell Transplant Journal Day 17 – 17 December 2015 (Cancer and Me 58)
The night wasn’t too bad, although being connected to the IV made it less restful than it would otherwise have been. But in contrast to yesterday I spent the morning feeling tired and lounging around doing nothing. I’d made up my mind I was going to try to eat today. The smell of food was…
Stem Cell Transplant Journal Day 16 – 16 December 2015 (Cancer and Me 57)
I didn’t sleep well really. The pain in my gut and my headache started to come back half way through the night, once the codeine and paracetamol had worn off. It’s probably the most painful nights I’ve had, and I felt quite sorry for myself in the morning. 6am every morning is blood tests (taken…
When You Choose to Suffer
One day during my stem cell transplant, probably while I was waiting to feel rubbish, I remember chiding myself that I chose this. I was in pretty good health when I came into hospital, and yet I’d decided to come to hospital and be made sick, and then to be off work sick and unemployed…
Stem Cell Transplant Journal Day 15 – 15 December 2015 (Cancer and Me 56)
I have almost constant discomfort, bordering on pain, in my gut. It feels like bad heartburn or indigestion. Apparently this is expected, and is due to the Melphalan, the most potent of the chemo drugs I’ve had. Prof Johnson was on ward rounds today. He’s the top consultant for blood cancer in Hampshire (so I…
Stem Cell Transplant Journal Day 14 – 14 December 2015 (Cancer and Me 55)
In relation to how I’m feeling, things are still getting worse. And I’m now at my most vulnerable too, so things could get even worse quite quickly. When I got up for the toilet in the night I came over with a cold sweat and almost passed out, and I’ve just been lying in bed…
Stem Cell Transplant Journal Day 13 – 13 December 2015 (Cancer and Me 54)
If Tuesday was Day Zero, this must be the Day of Zeroes. WCC and neutrophils were 0.0 today, as expected. That means I have no immune system. There’s nothing much interesting to say really today. I’ve felt so washed out that I haven’t really done anything. I haven’t been able to eat again, but have…
Stem Cell Transplant Journal Day 12 – 12 December 2015 (Cancer and Me 53)
I lose track of days, but it must be Saturday today. Heidi came to see me this evening rather than during the day, because of all the kids stuff on (and bits of Christmas shopping still left to do). And she’s staying overnight in the relatives’ room so that she doesn’t have to travel back…