The last supper

... at home for a while!

We have opened a bottle of 1998 Vieux Telegraphe, a Chateauneuf du Pape wine from the Rhone region of France. It is another lovely, rich, powerful wine; as Rose put it, "a wine to drink and put the world to rights to". We will dine outside - it is a very pleasant English Spring evening.

Tomorrow I will check in to Ambicare, and have a new PICC line inserted. The chemo starts on Thursday. I will spend 6 days in Ambicare, and then be admitted to hospital one day before the transplant. Meanwhile, my brother Harry starts his course of injections to stimulate his stem cell growth on Sunday; one per day until next Thursday, the day of the transplant. Then he comes to UCH for the stem cell harvest, and the cells will be given to me as soon as they have them. I very much hope we will see each other on the day; if I am well enough I can visit him whilst the cells are being harvested, and after he has finished he can come and see me in hospital. There is a very low risk to Harry throughout this, so I hope it all goes well for him.

This morning I vomited. It is really peculiar, because I did not feel nauseous until right before it happened, and then I just knew it would happen. I have stopped taking the anti-sickness meds - perhaps this was a mistake. I will start again this evening.

This afternoon Pete and Sharon came to visit. We sat in the garden and had a very pleasant time, although I was hoping that Pete would be able to solve one of the IQ puzzles that Rose and I cannot do; Pete is cleverer than me:) - we were at school together so I should know! Sadly he failed, but he has taken a copy of the puzzle; I have high hopes.