Post date: 07-Jun-2012 07:51:23
No free pass to go home yesterday, I think that was a bank holiday special the day before.
As an experiment I stopped shaving for a couple of days to see if my facial hair had been affected. It would appear that the rate of grown and thickness is significantly reduced on pre-chemo days (Isabel will be pleased, see never likes it when I don’t shave). I still need to shave but it is taking a lot less time than it used to.
The consultant came round before the morning’s blood results were available but we asked a nurse later on in the day to have a look. The only one we are really interested in at the minute is:-
Neutrophils - Fight infections – up from 0.1 to 0.3 (need to be 0.5 to be sent home normal range 2 to 4)
All the rest are either inside an acceptable range or are close.
This is good news, the Neutrophils have been the slowest to recover and the main reason I can’t leave this room. It should be noted that while this is encouraging it is the result of the next bone marrow test (which should happen in the next four to five days) that is the important thing. That will be when we see if the chemo has had the expected result on the bone marrow.
I take a few tablets every day but they are intended to reduce the impact of any chemo side effects. Also I am still on antibiotics because my neutrophils are so low, but to the casual observer there is nothing wrong with me (bit challenged in the hair department though). One of the nurses said she could look after one hundred patients like me and another said I was a model patient (not sure if she meant I was 1:20 scale, held together with glue and required painting).
We have added a new visitors information details page to the website yesterday. At the beginning of all this it took a bit of time for me to be ready for visitors. I now feel comfortable with seeing people and we understand our new routines much better. So if you would like to visit let us know – Isabel manages all the bookings.
… 9k on the exercise bike yesterday, my updates from Les sounds like he has his bike set on up-hill…