Help, I'm being attacked by my sister!!
To be more precise, I'm being attacked by her T lymphocytes - (they are produced in the bone marrow and then processed in a little gland called the thymus, hence "T cells").
Karine collected me from the ward on Tuesday 26th after 5 days as an inpatient. In clinic on Thursday it was decided I should have a baseline sigmoidoscopy prior to starting ECP in a week or two. This was arranged extraordinarily quickly and took place the following day - a wonderful experience - please leave your dignity at the door and collect what is left of it on the way out! This time the GvHD was described as mild and mainly in the lower end of the bowel so better than six months ago when it was much more florid.
Karine is finding it tough with the uncertainty of it all, having me in and out of hospital, being unable to go anywhere, the absence of warmth and sunshine and finding herself alone at home. We are hoping to have a week's break in Norfolk in the school summer holidays with our granddaughter Eden. Not exactly an exotic holiday but the change of scene and some sea air will do us good.
Next week it is two visits to haematology for routine follow up and also to see if I need platelets before a visit to X-ray for insertion of a central line (into the jugular vein)! After that I'm all set to start ECP - the photopheresis treatment to try and sort out my T cell problem and the GvHD it causes.
Two of the people attending the weekly rehab sessions have had ECP and found it very helpful although not completely curative so I'm hopeful that it will be worth the trouble.
* Nursery Rhyme - First recorded in the sixteenth century
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