A busy weekend clearing the study so we can have the carpet laid meant I didn't get chance to redraft anything of my Novel but this evening I have managed to get chapters one and two online:-
The phone rang at 16:45 and I knew it would be the hospital. It was the doctor from the Bone Marrow Transplant unit. My ciclosporin levels were about twice what they want them to be which is caused by the itraconazole anti-fungal medicine I'm taking. My kidneys have coped well with this extra level and I put that down to the fact I've stuck rigidly to the three litres of water a day edict I was given when I came out of hospital. That and the fact I've not drunk alcohol for eight years. Well I think I average about four units per year. So now I have to halve my dose of ciclosporin down to 75mg morning and evening. Things are going to be up in the air for a while with reducing steroids, fluctuating ciclosporin levels, gvhd and blood counts all interacting. Hence going to the clinic every week again after previously dropping to every two weeks.
I managed to cut the tip of the index finger of my left hand with the bread knife yesterday. After my initial exclamation of "Ooh I say, that stings a bit!" My next thought was "possible source of infection!" something I wouldn't have given much thought to 18 months ago. It wasn't a very deep cut but it was right on the fleshy tip so bled a fair bit and was in a place that would open up again easily. When your immune system is low your first line of defence is the physical barrier of your skin. So I was a brave little soldier and rinsed it with a some alcohol gel, more "Ooh I say", and then stuck a plaster on it. I tried taking the plaster off this morning but that was a bit premature and it was back on by lunchtime as the cut had opened opened up again, probably due to using a keyboard all morning. The current status is I've taken the plaster off and the wound is holding up ok. Now the foregoing might seem more information that you could pos...
Tomorrow I am at the transplant clinic but I couldn't get my usual appointment slot of 10:00, instead I have a later one of 10:45. Given that the time you actually get seen slips more the later you are because of how appointments overrun , I'm expecting quite a delay tomorrow. Add to this the fact I'll need drugs from the pharmacy which is another hour and I'm going to be at the hospital for quite a while tomorrow and again on Thursday when I am having three units of blood which will take about four or five hours. So to cope with this I'm getting prepared for things to keep me occupied. I haven't listened to any of my usual podcasts this week and will take them loaded up on my iPod. I'll have my book with me, The Algebraist by Iain M Banks and as I am getting down to the last 100 pages I'll probably take a slim volume of short stories and a magazine to give some variety and make sure I don't run out. Item one on the agenda with the doc tomorrow will...
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