Hi All

Welcome to my blog, as most of you know I was diagnosed with Bone Marrow Cancer in July 2008, after 6 months of treatment with Chemo and Steroids my cancer has reduced tremendously, I have now had a stem cell transplant which will keep the cancer dormant for longer, my stem cell treatment started on January 5th with Chemo and I had the transplant in March. I am now home but having to take life very slowly while my cells build up, I will be back to hospital several times over the next few months for blood tests and treatment.
Please feel free to pass this address to anyone and to add comments and join in to help keep me sane (or is it too late for that).
Thanks to all at Royal Liverpool Hospital who have made this year possible, and to all the staff who have worked so hard to eventually harvest the cells and the wonderful staff on the transplant unit, A special thanks to Jamie who is as daft as me when I need humour but an absolutely fantastic support from day one (shame he and most of the staff support LFC but I can't hold that against them).

Ivan 07957361356
ivan.thomason@ntlworld.com

31 March 2009

Visitor goes missing

Ann and Jean (eventually) came to visit today, not the most difficult instructions Jean, Through the door, pass the reception and sit down!!!!!! so why was it through the door, turn right, sit down and wait till security find you in the Ambulance waiting area?????????
Good to see youXXXX

After a good sleep (Day 9/5)

A good nights sleep did me the world of good, I have a very dry mouth but can live with that for the short term.
Will see how the day goes and let my body tell me what to do next.

30 March 2009

Drugs Kick in

Today is the first day off the drip, No chemo, no steroids, glad that part is gone now but as the day goes on I can feel the tiredness hitting me and the day time passing by, I was told earlier today that I probably wont feel like blogging by Thursday/Friday (Watch this space) if there are no blogs you will know I am under the weather.

Trouble Sleeping (Day 8/4)

A week into treatment and now I am starting to have trouble sleeping, No its not because of Chemo or steroids its this new game called Bejeweled2 that Ann and Mick suggested I downloaded for my iPod, I am trying to better Ann's high score but have only got a third of the way there yet.
Joking apart, my mouth has really started to dry up and eventhough I am on a really strict mouth regime with at least 4 aplications a day it has started to make its presence felt, the good part of this is that the staff have confirmed that this is expected and does show that the drugs are doing their naturally expected job.

29 March 2009

Sunday (day 7/3)

I hope you all managed with the hour less last night or just had a lie in this morming, I was up at 7.00 for the F1 woken on request by the nurse, different staff last night but all fab.
I am now on my last steroids this morning and that should be it for drugs via the drip. I will have cell boosting injections later next meek to help the stem cells.

28 March 2009

An Hour Less In Bed

Just a reminder that the clocks go forward at 1.00am Sunday.
An hour less in bed, how will I cope, think I will have a lie in.

The Bathroom (day 6/2)

To complete the tour of my home we have the bathroom, shower, loo and basin, all nice and simple with a shelf full of bits and bobs mainly for oral care.

Last night about 10.00 I was in bed and feeling as though the steroids of the morning were really kicking in, so a quick check over with an anti-sickness tablet and a cup of tea and all was ok for a good nights sleep. Its steroids this morning and Sunday morning so lets get those doses out of the way and take it from there.

27 March 2009

The Stem Cells

They are all in now, 16 bags of my own stem cells back where they belong. It will take about 14 days +- for the cells to find their way home, no one seems to know how, but they do, so we will go with that!!!!!!!
Its now the waiting game, I will probably feel a lot worse over the next few days and then start to improve when the cells settle down.

Days in and chocolate vote. (day 5/1)

Its about 7.00am on hospital day 5, in hospital speak its day 1 because its day 1 after transplant so for blog speak I will be calling it day 5/1 and so on for future days. (simple)
As the F1 season starts I see that the race on the chocolate vote is getting close as at the time of writing 3 chocolates are all in poll with 8 votes. You can change your vote at any time if you find you feel your vote might be better used on a different chocolate as we enter this final 2 weeks, I see that most of you bloggers are girls, how can I tell? "YORKIE IS NOT FOR GIRLS " and only has one vote. (you can tell that I am feeling fine this morning, if I was feeling off colour I don't think I would be doing chocolate talk at 7.00am).
Have a good day all, I think I will have a day in today and wait round for some more stem cells.

26 March 2009

It looks wet outside

I have finished having todays steroids and stem cells put back, more tomorrow morning.
Looking outside I think I am better off where I am.
It is only to be expected but today my get up and go has got up and gone. They say the next few days will be a steady fall until probably at a low early next week.
Tomorrow is another day.

The View from the bed

This is what the other end of the room looks like, just think, you still have the bathroom to look forward to.
I am waiting for steroids now and later the stem cells.

Transplant Day

I had a really good day yesterday with no problems, the only thing was that I felt ready for bed earlier than usual, still had tea and toast at about 11.00pm while Sister Julie was laughing at YouTube with me.
Today is transplant day, the stem cells are put back in via a drip, I have no idea how long that will take, I just know that it is due to start early afternoon.

Funny YouTube for anyone who has been a child or is a mum or both (think that covers everyone)(thanks for the link Joanne)
Funny Mum YouTube

25 March 2009

Chemo

A Large and a small syringe of chemo (they both look large to me).
It took 7 mins to pump the life changing drug in.
What a difference a day makes!!! What a difference 7 minutes can make!!!!!!
Lets see what the next few hours bring, I have been told I should have felt sick and light headed straight away, me, nothing yet but I am sure it will come.

They are just taking the P

Again I have been encouraged to drink and have had 1.5 litres of fluid by mouth and have also been given 3 litres of liquid by drip, then I was given an injection to make me go to the loo (and it works).
I am waiting for the chemo now, its expected about 12.30.

Chemo Day

Last night at about 11.00pm the sister Julie came in suggesting a late supper because I wouldn't feel like food later today, She is great, some people are just made for the job.
I slept with 2 pipes pumping drugs into me, (not easy showering with 2 pipes attached to your chest and a drip stand outside the cubicle).
The chemo later is fast acting and only has a usable life of an hour so has to be administered over a 20 min period, should be fun.
I am now waiting for room service to bring my full English.

24 March 2009

Syringe driver

I have just had this new toy fitted to the Hickman line, this is a 24 hour flow machine fitted with a drug to help prevent me feeling sick, its on a very long pipe so I can leave outside the shower but still administer the drug, clever stuff.

Hickman Line

I have just got back from having my Hickman Line inserted, it was a little uncomfortable with pushing and pulling but not much pain. the Hickman is a pipe inserted under the skin to the jugular vein, there are 2 pipes coming from my chest to make the flow easier when having chemo or other drugs in, or blood out. Click here for Hickman Line Information

Nil by mouth

I am up and waiting for my hickman line to be inserted, its been nil by mouth since midnight, I am expected to go to theatre early this morning but haven't got a time yet.
Its funny how the mind and body work, at the weekend it was "not more water" and now its "can I have a drink please".

23 March 2009

Monday 3pm

I wasn't in isolation as long as I thought, I have been out for a walk around the hospital grounds and to the coffee shop, I can't go out from midnight tonight so I thought I would get the last smell of the outside before lockup. (it smells better inside).

Monday

I am in, if you need me you know where I will be for the next few weeks, I will be in this 3 metre by 5 metre room called home. I will put other views of the room on the blog on future days, I don't want to spoil your excitement with showing everything all at once. My room is facing towards Warrington so no view of the river.
Ann brought me this morning at 10.00 and since then I have had blood tests and lots of questions. Lunch was Sausage roll with tomato and basil soup, lovely.
I will be having a Hickman line fitted tomorrow morning ready for the chemo and steroids later in the week. The chemo starts on Wednesday, if I am not bald now I am sure I will be soon.


22 March 2009

The time has come

Well that's it then, hopefully I will be in tomorrow at 10.00 to start this next step of treatment, I am sure it will be successful, my previous treatment has gone very well so this is the next step.
Please keep checking and commenting, I will try to keep the blog updated daily, I just hope I can get a signal inside the transplant unit.

21 March 2009

Three On The Run

Probably the last game I will go to this season. Trafford 0 Warrington Town 1. That's 3 wins on the run. Better than the run Man U are having.
http://www.warringtontownfc.co.uk/

20 March 2009

The weekend starts here

We went into Manchester after school for a quick shop in Primark for Jess. This evening Avi and I went to friends from church for our round robin meal, they are always good evenings, it's good having a social evening with people you usually just say hello to at church.
Saturday will be my last time at a Warrington Town game for a few weeks so it's an away game at Trafford, Mick and I know how to live the high life don't we.

19 March 2009

No Grapes Please

When I go into isolation I will not be allowed any salad or any fruit that can't be peeled because of the chance of bacteria on the skin (sounds good so far), hospital have a very strick food rule in the transplant area, most food is cooked in the transplant unit.
I have been advised that when I go in I can only take new books, not any borrowed from friends or the library, I am not even allowed flowers (you can smuggle chocolates to Averil though).

If you are moved to send me gifts but can't because of health reasons please feel free to make a small donation to my friends Cancer research sponsor form for "race for life" http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/dianesouthworth1

I know I have mentioned this before but the only reason I can have this treatment is because of Cancer Research.

18 March 2009

Water water everywhere

Seems as though we have been here before. From Friday I have to drink 2.5 to 3 liters of water per day ready for samples and chemo, have been to hospital for a 24 hour sample bottle for Sunday (sure you can work the size out). Anyway I saw the nurse for the bottle and she recognized me and said "You're-In next week" I replied with "No, ur-ine Sunday" ---- sorry, the jokes don't get any better.

17 March 2009

In on Monday

I have had a call from the hospital today confirming Monday as my start day. Monday will be blood tests and doctors with the chemo probably starting on Wednesday depending on results.
Thanks for your continued blogging, prayers and support, we do appreciate it.

16 March 2009

Lovely weekend

Doesn't the sunshine give you that feel good factor. A weekend being out and about and enjoying the weather has been a great tonic ending with a Durban curry and a Chimenea, life isn't too bad.

Durban Curry Recipe:- http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/583961

13 March 2009

Have a heart

It's official, I have seen it working, I had the echocardiogram, ECG and respiratory tests this morning. It was interesting seeing and hearing my heart working, apparently it's working well. The respiratory test was hard just as GP Runner had warned me, if the man doing the test had just said blow so hard until it feels as though your eyes are popping out and you go light headed and feel as though you are going to faint I would have got it right first time. The tests seem to have gone ok, I am now just waiting for confirmation and a date.

11 March 2009

Provisional Transplant Date

I have been given a very very tentative date for transplant, the earliest possible date to go in will be Monday 23rd March. This date is variable because of my tests on Friday and because I will be waiting for an isolation ward to become free, let's pray for the person in the room now to make a very fast recovery.

9 March 2009

Chocolate

As chocolate seems to have become a bit of a theme on my blog, I have decided to run a popularity poll on favourite chocolate bars. I need your help, I need 6 chocolate bar names to vote on (only one per person Diane). I will set up the poll from now till Easter.

Ps. For clarification chocolate bar or packet of chocolate.

8 March 2009

Appointment

Have received my Echocardiogram, Spiro and ECG appointments for Friday morning, what's a spiro I hear you ask, answers on the comments section please, I am sure GP Runner will know, I will let you know when I find out.

7 March 2009

The Lake District


We left for the Lakes (via School for Jess) at 8 and had a great day in sunny, cold Cumbria. After spending a couple of hours in Windermere we traveled North to Mungrisdale near Keswick for lunch in the Mill Inn sampling their award winning pie (directions or Pie web site on request) returning home later via Keswick and Bowness. Just what the doctor ordered.

5 March 2009

48 hours

Maybe my immune system is better than I thought, 48 hours and it seems my cold is on it's way out.
We are off to the Lakes tomorrow to take in the fresh air while we still can before the isolation.

4 March 2009

Full of a cold

Over Tuesday and Wednesday I have been full of a cold and a bad throat, most of the last 2 days have been spent resting and drinking lemsip and honey, seems to have done the trick, I feel lots better now.

2 March 2009

10 Days later

10 Days after Avi fell in the shower her arm is still badly bruised, (still ok to paint though). It makes a change from me going on about me doesn't it!!!!!!!

1 March 2009

Value For Money

Another day at Chester Zoo using the membership cards we bought as our Christmas Presents, fantastic value when you feel you can just call for a couple of hours, it's a nice place to go for some exercise. My pedometer says I am doing about 7500 steps (about 3 miles) per day, its hard work because of back pain and I need lots of stops but it's worth the effort. May as well make the most of walking now because I wont get much chance when I am locked in my hospital room for 3 weeks (wont need a pedometer I will be able to keep count on a 5 bar gate). I went to the zoo with Rachael today and when I got home Averil was half way into painting the hall, she's good, glad Avi loves painting because I really don't.