Author: Phillip Branch

Stem cells tomorrow.

In after some gagging. A good thing too as my appetite has gone.

Done. A half a dozen shots of local anaesthetic in my lower back, a needle into my spine, tap off a few drops of spinal fluid followed by an injection of chemo into the same hole. I then had to lie on my back for a couple of hours.
The local didn’t sting much. The only little discomfort was caused by hitting a nerve when the needle went into my spine. I felt a nerve twinge in my leg and right bottom. No after effects though so not too bad.

Let me see, 4 weeks for my leg infection, 4 weeks for the first chemo, 4 weeks for my lead up chemo for the stem cell transplant, 4 weeks for the stem cell transplant, 4 weeks for various other events, 4 weeks for chemo at the end of 2014, and around 5 weeks for this stem cell transplant. A total of around 29 weeks or 7 months!
Almost all of this was in the isolation rooms. No leaving a single room for 7 months.

They are holding up well. In fact, best they have been for a long long time. I.e., in the normal range. I can’t remember the last time they were normal.
Must have been 24 hours of continuous IV fluid at 250ml/hr that flushed them clean. Should I call it a detox? Essentially that is what it was. It was used to flush out the first chemo from my bladder and kidneys.

Finally after I don’t how many months in hospital over the last few years I have a room with a hot shower! All the others have been luke warm which is very unsatisfactory especially when there is a breeze blowing from under the shower door.

Another of my favourite albums, this one is by Van Morrison. Bought this one on a vinyl record when I was 18.
Astral Weeks

Will last for around 5 days. The chemo that is, hopefully I last a bit longer.

A handy little cycling machine, perfect for rolling my legs over for some gentle exercise whilst in hospital.

Back in for the stem cells. Five days of chemo and then the stem cells. After that I wait until blood counts recover. If course it is never that easy but I am stuck with it so stiff upper lip and survive the journey.
If you come in to visit make sure you don’t have flu etc. If unsure then it is best if you stay away as any viruses are very bad for me.
If you want to bring something in for me the best things are twirl bars, cans of soda water, chips, those little packs of precooked rice, small tins of tuna with onion and tomato as these are less oily, up&go or sustagen. No fresh food, flowers, etc. Long life milk products are also good such as UHT choc milk.

Turducken, this dish should have gone all the way and put this inside a swan which is inside an ostrich.

From Wikipedia:

Turducken is a dish consisting of a deboned chicken stuffed into a deboned duck, which is in turn stuffed into a deboned turkey. The word. turducken is a portmanteau of turkey, duck, and chicken. The dish is a form of engastration, which is a recipe method in which one animal is stuffed inside the gastric passage of another.

Transplant is delayed until end of January due to the corded blood having some sort of mismatch. Fortunately it appears there are two more available, hopefully these don’t have the same problem.

It appears I am in remission aka the chemo worked.
The next stage is having a stem cell transplant. This will be happening on January 14. So, I get Xmas at home.

Sly and the Family Stone, There’s a Riot Goin’ On.

Now I am totally zonked.

Lots of waiting. The actual biopsy is quick.

An amusing little story about IKEA furniture done in the writing style of Ernest Hemingway.

Ernest Hemingway Assembles an IKEA Daybed Frame With Three Drawers