D+12 months - "Up, down, turn around" *

1. Up

A mixed week, the GvHD has come back.  It seems that dropping the Prednisolone to 1mg was a step too far.  The hospital upped the dose to 2mg three days ago with little effect.  As a result Karine & I went to an extra clinic appointment this morning and the Prednisolone has been bumped up to 5mg with a review in one week's time.  If this burst of steroids works I'm hoping they will reduce the dose back down to 2mg quite quickly - this is very similar to the way we treat people with an asthma attack except the steroid dose is higher.

2. Down

At the same time I've been getting increasingly tired and was starting to get more short of breath on exertion (SOBOE).  My haemoglobin has been falling since stopping the EPO injections a few months ago and is now about 10.5g/dl so it's back to the EPO twice a week to stimulate the bone marrow graft.

3. Turn Around

No news on the microscopy of the Bone Marrow aspirate from last week and anyway the fancy 'FISH' test takes two to three weeks to turn around.  To be fair, with the GvHD and anaemia problems I forgot to ask.  In any case if there was any sign of a relapse the department would have been on the phone immediately.

Karine has just come back from a week in Provence staying with her sister and brother-in-law having managed to fit in some swimming, an excellent evening of entertainment in the village arena by 'gardians' from the Carmargue (horse riding and rounding up bulls), a visit to the weekly village market and some much needed French retail therapy in Salon de Provence.

Whilst K was a way I was very well looked after - supper with Charlotte and Stewart one evening, a barbecue with Steve & Janet next door another evening and a visit to Sherwood Forest (yes there is some of it left!) for some very very gentle cycling followed by a picnic.  Another day I was invited  to share breakfast in the garden with some other neighbours, Lyn & Tim.

My school friend Rob came to stay at the beginning of this week and we had a lovely time talking about everything under the sun.  He drove me to the audiology clinic two days ago which meant not having to be concerned about parking in town.  We go back 51 years which is a somewhat sobering thought.  (There is an appropriate Jimi Hendrix song title here, '51st Anniversary' - the B side to 'Purple Haze').

Just before the weekend our former neighbours, Jane & Tom called in for a couple of hours and we caught up with family news.  All being well (actually that should really read - 'me being well enough') we are going to stay with them for a couple of days in early August.


* New Order - A line from the 1980 single, "Temptation"