A busy treatment day

It has been my busiest day of treatment so far today, but before I tell you about it, I want to thank you for letting me know that my lost post was actually submitted under Jan 2001! The app author has not replied to any of my emails yet, but I have informed him. Meantime, I am going to use GoodReader for data entry and copy direct to blogger, until BlogPress is fixed.

They have been trying to get my blood in a fit state to give the lumbar puncture (intrathecal) procedure, and this morning I had 7 bags of various bloody bits, Plasma, Fibrin, Platelets etc. It is amazing how they can break down and recombine things. When all the blood was in, they took a blood sample to verify it had worked, and rushed it off to the lab, but time was getting on. Originally they said they would do the intrathecal before 5pm, but the clock rolled on by. Eventually, at 5:45 the doctor arrived with the kit, said the blood checked out and got started. They have a legal requirement to do it before 6pm! The actual procedure was only mildly painful. They drain off some fluid for testing, and then inject a small amount of chemotherapy just in case. It only took about 15 minutes, but then you must lie flat for at least an hour - I took 2 - otherwise you get a nasty headache. During this time I listened to Dark Side of the Moon, and an album from the 90's by a band called Suede that only Brits will know. Both classics, but the Floyd is just awesome. One of the all time greatest rock albums.

Whilst the intrathecal was in progress, I was hooked up to the anti-fungal stuff, and as soon as it was over, whilst I was listening to the music they started me on the PEG-aspariginase! This is still feeding into me as I write. My treatment schedule now contains only two more Rituximab doses, and then I am done for this cycle. 

After the treatment cycle is over, they will keep me here until I am no longer neutropenic, and then let me go home. About a week later I will come back to outpatients for a bone marrow biopsy to confirm the remission (I hope). The last Rituximab will be on Feb 1st, so possibly by the weekend (Feb 5th) I could be homeward bound. I have my fingers crossed. It all depends on how quickly my blood counts recover. The bone marrow biopsy is the next critical stage, as it must show I am in remission in order for me to proceed to the next stage.

Last night I had a long chat with one of the nurses because I mentioned our house in France. She worked as an au pair in a place in the Pyrenees and speaks French. I showed her the pictures of Collioure, that one day I will share with you all. 

Rose came to visit this morning, and brought more soup and clean clothes. I may have harped on about the soup a bit too much, but it was good! I will miss her tomorrow as she is having a golf day; so good luck for tomorrow! This afternoon, Alistair came to visit. Alistair had the great vision and foresight to hire me in 1995, when I answered the 2 inch advert he placed in Computer Weekly; my how times have changed! We had a great chat about lots of things, and he left when they finally came to start the intrathecal.

Marcio rang, but I was too busy to chat, so hopefully he will call tomorrow at a more convenient time. After all the stuff going on today, I expect tomorrow will be more quiet, with just the Rituximab.

I have bought BridgeBaron, and it is brilliant! It is a complete hog of the machine though, you need to close almost all the other apps to make it work, otherwise it just keeps saying it needs more memory. Fortunately I learned how to close an app - I had 13 running!! Before, the only thing I could do was reboot! I wonder when I will have the nerve to play online.