T + 17 Lights, Camera, Action! (PG)

Yesterday the doctor explained the plan of action to deal with my diarrhoea. Firstly I was put on a clear fluid diet, i.e. water ( or black tea or coffee but I'm off hot drinks at the moment ) no food at all.

Secondly because inflammation of the gut can reduce it's efficiency at taking up ciclosporin I was switched back to having it in a drip twice a day. This meant having a canula fitted in my arm as I no longer have a Hickman line.

Saving the best until last the doc said she would arrange a bowel biopsy to confirm or not the diagnosis of graft versus host disease (GVHD). This involves having a camera with swiss army knife style attachments inserted up my bum to take some tissue samples.

When this will be is not certain but as soon as possible.

I didn't have any diarrhoea yesterday at all and only a little bit this morning which the doctor was pleased about and might mean things are settling down. Today I am allowed bread and soup to see if that sets anything off.

I still had a bit of a temperature over night at 37.7 . Although my blood cultures haven't come back yet to say if I have a bug my general blood tests do not show any infection markers. This is another indicator towards graft versus host disease as that can cause fevers on its own.

I'd say the balance of probabilities is that it is GVHD and will need a few days steroid treatment before I can go home, but you never know.

Sorry there is so much talk about diarrhoea in the blog of late, but at least you only have to read about it and not live it. :o)

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