Here we go again….

Good morning everyone, I hope you slept well.

I hardly slept, tossing and turning, hot, then cold, covers on, then off, I nearly got out of bed at 00.48am.

Yes, I’m totally exhausted this morning, I’m still coping with the side effects as well.

I woke up at 4am, ate breakfast, a quick shower and then ready to go, all of that done on autopilot.

Our journey started at 6.30am, there’s traffic, looks like M25 has accidents. Sat nav says 45 minutes to get to the hospital.

We’ve arrived, took us 50 minutes. Only staff around, this time we’ve gone straight up to the Apheresis check in desk and here we’ll wait until 8.05am ish to be precise, can’t forget yesterday, the receptionist has to arrive at 8am, put her bags in a safe place somewhere under the desk, log in to the system and then she’ll be ready, she won’t look at me, just ask me my name and enter it into the system, even when my name band is printed out, while looking at her screen, she’ll just reach across to the printer, and with the thumb and forefinger just lift it to the top of the desk ready for me to collect. 🤣🤣🤣

Well, you could knock me down with a feather…a different woman and the total opposite, a smile, a little chitchat, eye contact and she even wished me a lovely day, and she arrived at 7.55am!!

I’ve checked in, the nurse also knows I’ve arrived so now I wait until I’m called.

I’ve been called, here we go…

A cannula has been inserted and bloods taken, we now wait for the results. I think it will be all systems go…

My count has increased from 13.6 to 59 today…so yep, it’s a fantastic response and they can even keep some stem cells in reserve…All systems go!!!

The machine is set up and ready for me…I will be attached for approx 4 hours and I won’t be allowed to move my left arm so no blogging when it starts.

Last visit to the loo and then it starts…good luck all 🙏🏽❤️

Hello hello, the harvest has completed, I have been disconnected from the machine and soon they’ll take more bloods to check all of my levels and also check the stem cell harvest to make sure they have enough.

I’m feeling good. Lunch was a lentil cottage pie with peas, quite good for hospital food. Dr N had a bagel from a local store, I asked her to get something for the nurses as well so she brought back a large marble cake and it went down very well with them.

One of the results are back, my stem cell count has to be 1.5 million or above, anything less and it would mean I’d have to come back again tomorrow. The nurse has informed me that my count is 4.8 million!!! Now I’m waiting for my full blood count before I can go home.

Everything is fine so it’s time to go home!!!!

Journey time estimated to be 1hr 20 minutes.

We’ve arrived home, nothing but school traffic.

I am totally shattered now, the side effects of the injections are easing off which is good. An early dinner and nothing but rest for the evening.

It’s been a very good day, we’re both really happy. Every single nurse was exemplary, we chatted to everyone and they really liked that, they are all special people.

Another milestone has been achieved, so much has happened and changed since diagnosis back in June, still a long way to go.

Time for bed, I’m so tired yet too tired to fall asleep. Let’s see how it goes. I’m feeling good, much better than this time yesterday.

Good night all, sleep well.

❤️🙏🏽

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