Hunkering down
My Allograft 2018/19 – 12. 14th February 2019 By Andy Burrows, 14 February 2019 Feeling the Everest analogy It’s been a week since I last wrote. And I’ve really been feeling the Everest analogy! It struck me that when you’re climbing a mountain like Everest there’ll be days when you can think and plan ahead,…
Day Zero
My Allograft 2018/19 – 11. 7th February 2019 By Andy Burrows, 7 February 2019 A day’s delay Transplant day – the day I receive my donor’s stem cells – was scheduled for yesterday (Wednesday). However, I was told on Tuesday evening that my donor had not produced enough cells in one day, and they would…
Frustration and joy
My Allograft 2018/19 – 10. 5th February 2019 By Andy Burrows, 5 February 2019 Same snow, different hospital Well, the freezing, sub-zero, temperatures of the weekend have gone… not that I noticed much looking out my window on Southampton, which managed to stay clear of the snow and ice. It was weird feeling left out…
Not plain sailing
My Allograft 2018/19 – 9. 1st February 2019 By Andy Burrows, 1 February 2019 The Rhinovirus When I got a visit from one of the transplant consultants yesterday, I thought it was just the normal ward round. The junior doctors do the daily rounds and one of the consultants joins them once a week. But…
Are you bored yet?
My Allograft 2018/19 – 8. 30th January 2019 By Andy Burrows, 30 January 2019 Hoping you’re not bored already There’s part of me that feels like writing these blog posts every day isn’t worth it. It must make fairly tedious reading. Daily life is really not that interesting. I don’t know what you get out…
A difficult first day
My Allograft 2018/19 – 7. 29th January 2019 By Andy Burrows, 29 January 2019 Harder than I was expecting Today – the first full day of my allograft inpatient experience – was tougher than I was expecting. With the autograft three years ago, the chemo was not too bad while the drugs were being infused.…
The Start of the Climb
My Allograft 2018/19 – 6. 28th January 2019 By Andy Burrows, 28 January 2019 Is this a climb? I’m not going to say much today, other than that the day has finally arrived to start what I’ve been referring to as “My Mount Everest”. The extended wait at “Base Camp” is over, and now it’s…
Countdown
My Allograft 2018/19 – 5. Thursday 24th January 2019 By Andy Burrows, 24 January 2019 Back to CR I saw the stem cell transplant director in Southampton Hospital a few days ago. And she said she thought I’d done really well with the chemo treatment I had to fit in over Christmas. That is, considering…
Home for a Wonderful Christmas
My Allograft 2018/19 – 4. Wednesday 2nd January 2019 By Andy Burrows, 2 January 2019 Happy New Year! Happy New Year everyone! I just thought I’d do a little update. I have to say, last time I updated you I was still a little shell-shocked at the change of plan, and a little cautious thinking…
The perspectives you need to get through any adversity
By Andy Burrows, 19 December 2018 One of the things that is common when talking to people who have had a brush with cancer is to hear phrases like, “it certainly changes your perspective on things.” And people pick up on that and make all kinds of assumptions about the perspective we’re talking about. Sometimes…