Expedition number three to the ‘Friends’ proved interesting yet again. The coffee was equally good (tea still isn’t hitting the mark). This time I took a novel over with me and sat in the sun until I cooked and had to move to the shade. Not an option back in my own room.
When ‘Sue’(I think that was her name) came to take away my empty cup and half nibbled Kit-kat she struck up conversation. How far away I lived, occupation etc. ? Soon I discovered that Sue was a Royal Academy of Music violin graduate from here in Glasgow and had been taught by Hester Dixon, Christine’s Aunt on her father’s side.
Sue was now heavily involved in running the ‘Friends’ and with hypnotherapy for musicians as well as cancer patients. Hypnotherapy is not something I have ever experienced first hand and was keen to learn more. She was dismissive of the Derren Brown TV, ‘snap-of-the-fingers-and-gone’ type nonsense. But I may get to learn a little more depending on just how long I remain here next week. My Goodness it could get so interesting I might look forward to staying an extra day or so ! There’s positive reverse thinking for you ! The latest ‘maybe home’ date from a different, more senior doctor is next Wednesday; so still the illusive 5 day gap remains.

Today a possible return home date was mentioned for the first time -next Tuesday ! (if all remains well). Five days from now, maybe; if we can keep the temperature low and stable over that period. Fingers crossed for that one.

The rest of the day has felt like steady progress; I think Christine managed to inject a bit more of a spring in my step on her visit yesterday. And the blood counts have continued to make steady progress over the last three days. The haemoglobin holding steady at about 94 while the white count has shown small but steady progress moving from 1.63 to 1.70 of which the neutrophils moved from 1.47 to 1.52. Finally platelets have held steady at about 25 which has not been much of a fall away since the last transfusion, when they were 30. But still well short of a nice safe 80.

My adventure for the day consisted of an expedition to the ‘Friends of the Beatson’ for a repeat of yesterday’s delicious cup of Coffee Latte. I also went with my Mac iBook under my arm hoping to do a USB connection to a printer. However the place is run by a bunch of non tech women who have to call engineers out for all their PC machines. They were too nervy to let me start touching any wires what so ever, so I had to beat a hasty retreat; defeated I’m afraid. Pity they don’t just have a spare printer. I have so many fragments and ideas written out on the lap top it would have been nice to have them out in the real world to peruse at leisure.

Christine made the 2 1/2 hour trek up from Galloway this morning and arrived mid morning, she insisted that we should take a walk and see some new horizons. The sensation of walking, taking myself from A to B via C, felt like a new experience although perhaps more of a shuffle than a walk. The Friends of the Beatson brought us two delicious coffees on a tray, frothy with chocolate on top, which I tentatively tried along with half a kit-kat. It is first time I’ve had either for over a month. They went down surprisingly well. We sat by a window overlooking some gardens and views of snow on the distant Ochil Hills. It made for a very pleasant change from the claustrophobia of my room back away down the corridor. It also meant I did not need a sleep until 3 pm.!
The night before had been uneventful, as was early this morning, thankfully no nausea and no temperature. We just need a couple more days without spikes of temp. and they might start to reconsider a discharge date for me. I feel ready for a change. The place is beginning to weigh heavily on me. Three weeks now since Transplant and oh boy are the days beginning to tick by slowly.

And I just want to say a big thanks to all for the lovely get-well cards.

For those of you requiring continuity of plot line (and there’s more than one would imagine) here are the facts and figures that help outline just where we have got to in the space of a week. On the 2nd Nov, Haemoglobin was 94 it has held fairly steady throughout and on the 9th Nov. was 95. The white count was 0.11, of which neurophils made up 0.03, has now risen to 1.34, of which neutrophils now make up 1.18, so steady progress on that front. Finally platelets, were 15 then struggled to get to 19 then fell back to 13 followed by a platelet transfusion which has boosted them to 30 by the 9th Nov. So steady progress all round. Well short of normal counts but enough that by the end of another week they may well allow me out of here. If only we can clear up this grumbling infection.

Well here I am in the CT- scan holding area; computers screens arrayed in long lines through a door to the left. A recorded american man’s voice booms through leaded doors behind me: ‘Breath in, hold your breath - breath out’. Fragments of conversation escape from other doors as I sip water and wait.
Then it’s my turn to go through the doughnut. I get a different one with a friendly male North of England accent. I never knew they came in such varieties. I wonder if they have names ? The Dumfries one sounds like the queen.
Finally comes the wait for the illusive porter - precious as gold dust. Twenty five minutes this time. It is the same one that brought me. I give him a friendly greeting and decide to break the ice and discover that Bert likes a nice bit of a joke on patients relatives and the maze of subterranean corridors which are his home.
The lead up to all this had not been so good. More sickness last night and again this morning trying to drink the trace liquid they need for a good scan. Plus another 38 O C temperature spike. Later today they swapped to a second alternative pair of antibiotics to see if they could nobble the little blighters causing the problem.
And so the day ticked by, one of gradual improvement from a very shaky start. Now it is dusk once more. Blog time.

Today started at 5 am. with a pounding headache. It seemed to be making sleep impossible so I decided to press for nurse. Francis came and took my temperature... it was 38.2 hence the headache. Some soluable paracetemol was gratefully recieved. When I woke again just before breakfast I was soaked in a feverish damp and had to change my top. But the rest of the morning progressed well and I felt bright enough to carry on with some more research and writing. And managed Tai Chi exercises after my shower. By late lunch I was whacked and so put on Jan Gabarek’s Rites and floated off into dreamland. Now I am staring at this screen and writing, one eye on the clock which tells me supper is barely 45mins away, and thinking I do not want to eat. While this other little voice in my head keeps urging me to have a go, knowing what the weight loss and muscle degeneration can be after something as major as this. Maybe I will just settle for a CalShake (fortified milk shake) this evening, they go down so easily compared with all the stinky savoury mush on offer here.

Did I really say: ‘and nothing happened’ yesterday ? I had barely published the blog when my temperature crossed the 38 centigrade ‘thin red line’ on two consecutive tests. That meant mobilising the emergency rescue plan. Another platelet transfusion plus two broad spectrum antibiotics to be administered every 6 hours; Piperacillin - Tazobactam and Gentamycin. They will continue for the next 4-5 days to see if they can head off what ever the problem is. Oh goodie ! Watch this space for more crazy antics in the life of Rodg. It is very humbling to consider how many people are devoting bits of their life to keeping me alive just now. I feel a great weight of responsibility to lead a life that reflects this when I eventually emerge on the other side.