1 readmission to hospital since discharge following stem cell transplant (average is apparently three in first year post-transplant) 2 times as bushy: my eyebrows seem to have thickened dramatically; fine hair has also appeared on the bottom of my nose, my ears and, to a lesser extent, the rest of my head. I'm not sure why... … Continue reading Day +50 (and +47 to +49): Treatment by numbers
Days +27 and +28: Better safe than sorry
I suppose all good things must come to an end – or at least a pause, in the case of my most recent wonderful time at home. One of the 'rules' I have to follow in order to minimise risks is to go straight to A&E when my temperature spikes over 38 degrees, which it … Continue reading Days +27 and +28: Better safe than sorry
Days +17 to +19: On parole
When I reached a point in my leukaemia treatment the first time around where I was able to get out and about and look to start working again, going back to my old job at Literary Review wasn't going to work out very well, not least because my replacement was doing fabulously and resources at the magazine were limited. In addition, … Continue reading Days +17 to +19: On parole
Day +14 (and +13): Selective memory
While browsing a forum for stem cell transplant patients, I was fascinated to read about one woman who has absolutely no memory of her transplant or the days before and after the procedure. She was looking for reassurance that there was nothing untoward in her lack of memory, particularly given the detailed stories being recounted by … Continue reading Day +14 (and +13): Selective memory
Bring on the transplant!
Sixteen years ago, Mariacristina was happily tied up in a serious relationship with an Italian boy (and to give an impression of what a serious relationship means in Italy, you should know that Italians use the same word – fidanzato/a – for boy/girlfriend and for fiancé(e)), I was a shy English teenager living in Naples … Continue reading Bring on the transplant!
A sting in the tail… or two
Headlines first: I've finished this phase; I'm home again after a couple of inpatient stays (in different hospitals); I'm no longer neutropaenic; and my care has gone back to St George's, where I'll need another bone marrow biopsy to confirm how successfully the MARALL trial cleared out the leukaemic cells. After my last post, you … Continue reading A sting in the tail… or two
The trouble with anticipation
As far as I remember, my very first bone marrow biopsy took place on the evening of 31st October 2005, an ambush manoeuvre not long after I arrived at St George's for the first time. It's not the most comfortable procedure, and it quickly went to the top of my list of least favourite medical … Continue reading The trouble with anticipation
Bone marrow superheroes / Supereroi del midollo osseo
Clicca qui per saltare alla spiegazione italiana A lot of people have been asking about getting on the bone marrow registry, which is fabulous to hear as the more people who sign up, the more chance anyone needing a match (such as, I don't know, a relapsed ALL patient) will do so. As the Anthony … Continue reading Bone marrow superheroes / Supereroi del midollo osseo