The week that didn't go to plan

Well this was the week that didn’t go to plan……

Having been warned that this process was going to be a bit of a rollercoaster, we’ve experienced our first little dip.  (and there was I thinking I’d rocked the first stage!)

In my last post I wrote that my neutrophils (the first responders) had packed themselves off for a long weekend leaving me vulnerable to infection.  Well it would appear there were some opportunistic bacteria waiting in the wings, ready to take full advantage of this temporary hole in defences.

Last Sunday we set off for London again to stay in the flat ahead of the harvest of my stem cells.  I’d been feeling a little bit “off” in a “day after an overindulgence of prosecco” kind of a way.  In the evening I took my temperature which exceeded the “go straight to hospital” level.  As luck would have it the hospital flat (clue in the title) is just adjacent.  We phoned and in what seemed like a very short time I was in hospital attached to an IV of several sorts of antibiotics, bloods taken for culture, chest x-rayed and generally fussed over.  Chemotherapy can leave you vulnerable to sepsis which can leave you vulnerable to ….. well ……. dying so a post chemo infection gets you quite a lot of attention.  (and not much opportunity for sleep as IVs are changed and machines beep loudly).

We were a bit concerned as to whether the harvest of my brand new growth factor injection encouraged stem cells would go ahead.  It’s a small window so not much gets in the way, the good news is that it went ahead,

Stem cells are the “you can be anything you want to be” cells.  Stage 2 of this process will see my immune system obliterated  (not a medical term) and the stem cells returned to turn themselves into a brand new immune system.   Essentially the growth factor injections encourage your bone marrow to make millions too many stem cells that then end up in your blood.  The stem cells are extracted from your blood using a process call apheresis – you’re attached to a machine, (squeamish warning) blood comes out of one arm, is circulated through a clever machine call Optia and returned to you having extracted the brand new stem cells.  This takes several hours.  The apheresis experience includes, at no extra charge, a sandwich lunch and light refreshments. 

Thanks to Jess for turning this into a Princess moment!

The good news is that I am a stem cell over achiever – they need 2 million for the procedure and they managed to collect 7.04 million – no second day required even though it's always scheduled.

I stayed on IV antibiotics, passed my ultrasound and ECG tests and the fever abated.  On Wednesday the IV was taken down and I was given the challenge of not running a fever whilst on oral antibiotics & then I could go home.

The lovely Dr G came to see me on Thursday  morning and after lamenting that I was supposed to be a “straight forward and uncomplicated” case, granted me my freedom.  Have I mentioned the lovely Dr G?  I don’t think I have, he’s my consultant Haematologist.  Dr N is my Neurologist but it’s a Haematology Consultant that carries out the transplant, Dr G is mine and he’s a treasure.

So what should have been a day in hospital, turned into 5.  We were unprepared but the shopping Gods always have my best interests at heart as the hospital is moments away from the Westfield monument to serious shopping.   Himself was duly dispatched to Marks & Spencer’s for the every growing wardrobe of pjs. (and some rather lovely cashmere socks - Himself knows how to shop and only received one marriage proposal from sales desk at M&S!)

Tests before I left showed my neutrophils have returned from their mini-break bringing a clutch of relatives, which means I was able to go to a party and catch up with some lovely friends who I won’t see for a while.

We’re extremely grateful for the skilled and caring staff of Hammersmith Hospital – our NHS is something special we should do all we can on June 8^th to keep it.

So I’m back on the sofa – somehow Spring has forgotten her job but we don’t need much of an excuse to light the fire.  Looking forward to a more uneventful week.

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