Been home ten days now, so far so good, no sign of any infection. This is largely down to great care from Karine and to me avoiding groups of other people. The house is awash with cleaning agents, though Karine sticks to the environmentally friendly ones as much as possible. The main risk is everything we touch around the house, appliance handles, door and cupboard handles, taps, TV remote controls, telephones, hand rails etc. The more you think it about the more paranoid you get!!
Meanwhile I live on blood and platelet infusions and a cocktail of antimicrobial drugs. There is no sign of the bone marrow recovering and the consultant thinks this should be happening by now. The upshpot of this is he is considering a repeat BM Biopsy probably next week but nothing is decided yet.
There are hospital visits for blood counts and transfusions on Wednesday 28th and to see the consultant on Thursday. The crucial question is have I got any neutrophils back? If so this changes everything and I will be absolutely over the moon, thrilled to bits and heartily relieved because this means the bone marrow is waking up and it looks as though the chemotherapy is working, at least to some extent. It will mean I could mix a little with other people.
No neutrophils suggests the opposite so there is no point in continuing with the chemotherapy for the next three to four months. The leukaemia would have a field day, well at least that's my understanding of the situation. Hence a BM Biopsy to properly assess the situation. I just hope they can get a useable sample quickly, it's been a real struggle recently. If it's bad news I don't know what happens next and until now deliberately haven't asked.
Christmas celebrations went ahead joyfully chez nous. Karine decided on a no stress Christmas so no big meal as such but plenty of good food. Charlotte and Stewart, Bethany and Eden joined us for the day. We all sat down together for a slow meal in the conservatory (it was a lovely bright sunny day) and ate things like smoked salmon, foie gras, home made little savoury tartlets thanks to Karine and Charlotte, olives, delicious home cooked cold sliced gammon, little chipolatta sausages made by the local butcher etc etc. All this washed down with champagne and a special prosecco which Charlotte and Stewart had bought at a Chatsworth food fair earlier in the year. I don't really drink alcohol, the taste puts me off which is a pity but does mean I get to drive people home!
Today they are all back again and Lucy and Alexi have zoomed down from Newcastle to see Lucy's family yesterday and us today. Lucy is back on a twelve hour shift in A&E this evening so they will leave early. She's already done the night shifts in the run up to Christmas including Christmas Day night finishing at 8am on Boxing day morning, an exhausting schedule. Alexi also worked over Christmas. We also have one of my nephews and his partner popping in on their way up to the Peak District, we haven't seen them since August so it promises to be a great day.
We have also had friends come round during the Christmas break, mainly in ones and twos and the change of company is a real tonic for both of us. If anyone would like to visit they would be most welcome. Please call first unless you don't mind finding us out, as there are hospital visits two or three times a week. Infection is a big danger so please stay away if you are coughing or sneezing or think you might be going down with something. There is some flu and some norovirus about at the moment. If the weather is half decent you may get dragged off for a very short easy walk. The muscle loss whilst in hospital earlier in the month has been dramatic and it is proving hard slow work to regain the lost ground.
The next post will probably be later this week to report how the hospital visits went and what happens next.
A belated Merry Christmas from Karine and I to anyone still awake after reading this!
* George Michael - "December Song" - the title track off a 2011 EP
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