T. -7

The anti-sickness infusion started a little later today - 6.10 am. It didn’t feel quite so ‘middle of the night’ as yesterday’s 5.30 am rousing. I need to get ahead of the game with this hospital routine. Undoubtedly I’ll be drowsy by early afternoon so I can catch up on sleep later. So with that in mind I just got up and did the Tai Chi hand-form twice. It was still rubbish despite the ward being quieter until after the staff change over at 7.00 am but it meant I was all showered and listening to the morning news bulletin on the radio when breakfast arrived an hour later.

Blood pressure was 153, first thing this morning, no wonder I had a headache and the Tai Chi was disconnected ! Mine is usually 108 but it climbed steadily throughout yesterday’s initial onslaught of Campath and overnight sleep was difficult. In the night I imagined standing on Carrick Shore in a howling gale, looking out to Murry Isles, and just filling my lungs with all that fresh sea air instead of all this filtered stuff in here.

10.20 am and the anti-histamine is in, the 1/2 hour Fludarabine drip has started, and Campath is to follow. Almost got through the ‘Form’ a third time before they came in and hooked me up, It was more focused without a headache but I still couldn’t get ‘in the zone’, however the exercise is good.

GOOD NEWS: Everything was through before 4 pm and a second dose of anti-histamine headed off the Urticaria rash before it got to yesterday’s state.

BAD NEWS: one of the nurses that came to my room earlier may have Swine Flu so all ten patients on the ward are to be protected with Tamiflu tonight and tomorrow morning as a precaution. Ye Gads... some cocktail I’m on !!

But the day outside just got more and more beautiful as it progressed. The light on the buildings around my window was quite impressive.