Today was long but not to bad.
I was connected to the machine that goes bing for about 5 hours and in the end we had all the shiny and clean stem cells we needed. They will now be frozen for up to 10 years. I hope I never need to use them.
I feel ok although pretty washed out. Pleased its all over.
In a couple of days I will be back to normal.
Sorry about that smile. I think I was nervous!
That’s what stem cells look like. Reddish/yellow.
The process of 4 jabs a day is not that bad. I started to do that myself Friday night as it was just easier to do and less painful. You can control the entry of the needle and the flow of the drug so it’s less painful. Once you get your head around pushing the needle in, it’s quite easy. Kids love to watch!
Today is my last day before spending the day hooked to the filter tomorrow.
The bone pain in my pelvis, lower back and head can be severe. Fortunately I only had one episode where my sternum ached so bad it felt like a heart attack. The nurse did warn me about that. My hips are the worst at the moment and getting up or standing can result in sharp, deep shots of pain. The drugs take the edge of it slightly.
I expect today will get steadily worse as I top up the drugs another 4 times. Hoping this discomfort means its all working as it should and tomorrow will yield all the fresh stem cells we need. Would not want to do this again.
Day one of a four day process to harvest my stem cells for potential future use. It has been sold to me as an insurance policy for the future. If the cancer returns the Dr will have the option of using my now clean and shiny stem cells to replace the cancerous ones.
Sounded like a good idea so I signed on the dotted line.
I fronted up to a new hospital this morning to start the process. After some more blood tests etc I was handed what I thought would be a frozen lobster salad but instead was a freezer pack containing 20 pre prepared needles.
Petra needs to jab me four times a day until Monday when the nurses take over. So far so good, Petra’s attempt at the first 2 needles were not to bad but I can see the need for some improvement. She basically threw the second one into my stomach which was character building.
I feel like a woman on IVF!
There are a range of side effects but mood swings is not one of them. Time will tell how I get on.
Monday will see me hooked up to a machine were I have been told my entire blood volume will leave my body three times and around 2 million clean stem cells will be filtered out to be frozen. Sounds interesting.
Since my last entry I have been focussed on getting match fit for work. It’s getting better. I am not as tired as I was and the last 2 weeks have been ok. A little frustrating at times but better.
The coming week will be a little disjointed. I have one final procedure to undergo this week which will see miss 3 or 4 days of work. After this I will been fine to focus on the run to Christmas.
Family is well and all is moving in the right direction.
My Unplanned Sabbatical 