Groundhog day

G'day, G'day!
I have been a bit slack lately with my witty and hilarious blog posts (...) so thought it was about time I hit the keyboard to bring you all up to speed. I was all phsyced up to write to you all an awesome piece on the mysterious Kidney stone ordeal, which might i add, the drama was seriously down played by Dad on the blog, but his screams are still ringing in my ears.. heh heh heh! He will do anything to stop me from eating my delicious yellow thai curry, 6 hours in A&E is obviously proof!

Chemo 4 started on Tuesday 7th Feb with a session in Day Oncology and then straight up to the ward to be pumped with Cycle B drugs.
I'm sure you can remember cycle B from last time - exhausting, nausea and the big rash. This time it didn't fail to deliver yet again. Bed bound for a few days, suitcases under his eyes, vomitting and diarrhoea (yum) and the infamous rash, all making an appearence. The punishment for all of these symptoms? ISOLATION! Much to Dads dismay (and boy oh boy did he let the nurses know!) he spent the hours climbing up the walls, getting very frustrating for not being able to even leave his room. After completing his sentence of 48 hours in isolation after the symptoms has passed Dad could be heard from our house 15 minutes away negotiating with the nurses, time to go and sit in the sun!
Geoff, dads new friend, who is also suffering with the same type of Lymphoma who was in isolation at the same time as dad for the same condition, was let out of isolation after only 24 hours. Dad is still making reference to that one, days later...

Then Wednesday 15th hit and the neutropenia kicked in, the white blood cells dropped off the charts and it was back to lock down for dad. He is allowed out of his room this time, but he has to wear a mask. As he is feeling well and normal, he has been inventing new cheeky ways to pass the time. If you happen to be up on ward 31 anytime soon you will most probably notice a bald man with a series of different pictures drawn onto his face masks! (Avoid him at all costs! kidding!)

So now we sit and wait until Monday, which will be almost 2 weeks straight in hospital! Monday will see the stem cells hopefully being harvested to be frozen for future use. Once enough stem cells have been harvested he will be free to come home! The big key to harvesting enough stem cells is to avoid infection, which is why he has been kept in hospital for these couple of weeks. A small price to pay if the stem cells can be harvested correctly!

Hope this has filled you in a little bit!
Love to you all,
Hayley :)

Chemo 4 delayed...

Hi again, just to let you know that my planned chemo has been delayed by a week. My blood counts were all good apart from my platelets which were in the mid 70's but had to be above 100.  So I'm on hold for a week going back in next Tuesday.

Silver lining = I had previously bought a ticket to see Roger Waters performing the Wall, I had to sell this ticket. However I have just bought an equivalent ticket and saved $50!!! Yippee!! Prog rock here I come tomorrow!!

Also I can go up to Caloundra at the weekend to watch Kyle compete in his triathlon. So a positive there! Of course later in the the cycle sequence this week trips me up so I'll have to cope with that as it happens.

Check back in a week or so..
Alan