At Last my Chest Infection is Gradually Going

Monday 8th to Sunday 14th October 2007

I have a 10am appointment at the RSCH for my blood tests and a check of my Hickman Line on Monday. I wait quite a long time for the doctors to check me over and have to go out to move my car! Ros Johnston saw me with Dr. Marta. She increases my Ciprofloxacin to 14 days, adding that Pseudomonas is an awkward bug and, if things are not better by 7 to 10 days, I might have to come in for i/v anti-biotics. I hope that is not necessary as I have had enough of hospitals! - 12 weeks in 7 months is plenty for anyone! My weight today is down a bit to 74.4 kgs and my blood results are - Wbc: 2.5; Neuts: 1.0; Lymph: 1.2; Hbn: 11.9; PLT: 99; and CRP: <5. So I resume with GCSF just for today and await Thursday’s test. I am slightly surprised with my CRP reading as I would have thought it would be much higher, with the infection my body is having to deal with. I have decided to resume the daily Furosimide tablet as my legs appeared to thicken over the weekend. I manage to get through today without an afternoon sleep.

I spend Tuesday on paperwork and the computer, but get a nice surprise telephone call from my old friend Digby - from my 1970s detective days. We chew the fat; it was good. I have a bit of a sleep in the afternoon. I am coughing slightly less each day, it seems, but my appetite is no bigger. I am trying to keep up having Fortisips regularly, but it often slips.

Tina and I take rubbish to the tip and then go shopping in Burgess Hill, Wednesday morning. I have an hour’s sleep before lunch and then another hour plus afterwards. I don’t get much done today!

I have an 11.30am appointment in the RSCH Day Unit today, Thursday. I have the stitch removed from the line entry position and a new dressing. I have a rash on my chest. I think it is the Tegaderm dressing as it is quite itchy there, but Jason suggests not. I will give it a few days. My chest is checked out by Natalie, a trainee doctor. She is very pleased with it. Each day is getting slightly better. My weight today is 74.6 kgs and my blood results are - Wbc: 4.0; Neuts: 2.5; Lymph: 1.1; Hbn: 10.7; and PLT: 91.

On Friday I give Andre Jansen a call at Kings to check on progress with my no. 2 donor. He will get back to me on Monday, but meanwhile he books me to go up for a pre-transplant clinic on Thursday 18 October. Otherwise I have a quiet day catching up on things like our Christmas card lists, etc.

I get my ‘flu jab at Hassocks on Saturday morning, followed by some shopping in Burgess Hill. It is a sporting day with England football on TV in the afternoon and World Cup rugby on TV in the evening, the latter watched at Matthew’s along with his home cooked chicken curry - delicious, but more than I can eat. I just wish my taste buds were better. I am still piling on the salt to give anything flavour.

A nice easy start to Sunday with Mass at 10.30am. I find out that Annie’s daughter Holly will be having her kidney transplant about the same time as I have mine. We have a beer and sandwich lunch at the Royal Oak, followed by a dozy afternoon and another rugby watching evening.