BREAKING NEWS

Definitely going home today!

CT scan done this week suggests that lesions in lungs are smaller! Yippee!

Just relaxing while waiting for GT and the chariot to arrive.

Jail break today!

Yes, it could be today - just got to tick a few boxes and I'm out of here this afternoon.

But I can't escape without my drugs ,,,,, interesting colours eh, and nothing recreational!

Here's the results ,,,,

Wanted to go to the shearers, but ended up at the butchers!

Day plus 12

I'm back, last few days was feeling really flat and spent most of them sleeping.

Besides feeling flat, I've been doing really well and have not suffered any usual side effects at all - including spiking temperatures! Quite amazing really.  However I'm not complaining, and "touch wood" I hope it continues.

Glenn is coming in with the shearers today, I've decided to have an "number 4" all over, as my hair has started to fall out, and dropping DNA everywhere is quite disgusting, particularly on your pillow - every time I rolled over last night i was blowing hair out of my nose!

Thanks to everyone who have called, sms'd and left comments on the blog!  A special thanks to Giles/Jo and Jo/Tim for having the girls over the weekend - they had a fantastic time!  and to everyone - especially in the St Patrick's community, who have been helping us keep our household running while I've been in hospital ,,,,, we truely are blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful family, friends and strangers (or friends we haven't had a chance to meet yet)

Engraftment will happen soon, and they are making noises about me going home on Monday.  

Day plus 7

Ground-hog day again, doing really well. Its all about doing as I'm told, walking and sitting, saying a prayer or three each day and taking every day as it comes.

Thanks to my Mr Wonderful, who fussed over me today.

Thanks to Giles and Jo for burning some movies for me!

Day plus 6

Another day has passed, with very little change. I even asked Dr Will yesterday if he's given me placebo!?

Glenn and my mum and a ward 12 friend chris visited today.

Resting now, waiting for dinner.

Day plus 5

Every day feels like ground-hog day, I'm doing pretty well and I'm taking every day as it comes.  Lots of talking hurts my mouth, and upsets my stomach (even causes nausea) so I have been keeping that to a minimum. 

GT has been here keeping me company, and he's been whipping my butt at cards.

Dr Will has asked me to do laps of the ward, so twice a day I do the corridor shuffle and I've been told to sit in a chair as much as I can during the day to minimise chest infections. 

My neutrophils are zero and my platelets and heamoglobin are dropping, so its important for me to stay out of germs' way.

Day plus 3

Another day, staying busy in a non-busy way. Gt is here and whooping my butt in a game called 'sequence'.

My girls drew me some lovely pictures.

Day plus 2

Day Plus One

Two bags of cells all sorted over the last two days.  Babs survived her ordeal - very stressfull having to lie in the one place with hugh needles in your arms for 6+hours at a time.  Thanks babs for your life saving donation!

Today is saturday, I forgot the nurses start annoying patients here early - 5am obs, 6am drugs, 7am breakfast, 8am drugs, 9am shower ,,,,,, on and on it goes, only after dinner do you get some respite - until 8 pm when more drugs turn up. 

Lovely Glenn has been here keeping me company.  Nearly time for him to go home,,,,, that's the toughest part of the day.

Day zero (yesterday)

Babs harvest went well, however didn't get as many as we'd hoped so, I got what was available, and babs is in again today for another harvest.

Day zero - a new beginning!

Babs is on the machine, reting as we harvest stem cells today.

Day "minus one"

Today my room has been very much like pitt street, visitors - thanks Babette and Glenn, Dr's, nurses, med students, and wonderful suppot/resource staff.

I told the girls that I really missed them and their hugs last night and asked them to send me a soft toy to cuddle tonight - brookie sent the christmas bear and jt sent the bunny! My big cuddly toy boy is in the background.

Finally in,,,,

It was a rush to get here this morning, but we made it for 9am PICC insertion.

See photo, my bicep is in there somewhere. There is a 45cm tube inserted into a vein that is pushed via the armpit into a main artery near my heart somewhere.

Got to 12D around 1pm and only in the last hour was my room ready. There was a steady flow of hospital staff visits while I waited, including the Boss Man (Dr Will) to keep me occupied.  GT was patiently waiting with me, and thanks to dad, elaine and patty for visiting before their big trip to Russia/Scandinavia and to poppy-jack, vicki and jack snr for their visit on Saturday before their big trip to Croatia. 

As per the photos above, I have lucked out again and gotten myself a single room ,,, with my OWN bathroom! (I must sound like a complete princess. I'm not usually, however past experiences have made me very "potty shy"!) Check out the brown tiles?

You will also see, I have computer and internet all sorted, even got my own beer fridge - GT's gonna be happy with that, and the floor to ceiling "mirror" would be "fun" except for the fact that it is only reflective tint on a window! 

Thumbs up from the girls for the future!

Ready and raring-to-go for another round of stem cells!

Friday had a lovely lunch with girls from uni et al!  And I remembered to get a photo of the event (thanks Sam for sending it).

Sunday evening, my Baptism into the Catholic Church was an amazingly spiritual ceremony, thanks to all those who supported me! I am truely blessed to be surrounded by such a wonderful community.  Special thanks to Sheridan for being my sponsor, and to the family for the lovely gifts! 

Taking care of business

So, disappearing into hospital until the end of August has its draw backs as far as keeping the house hold administration running smoothly.

Credit card paid
Tax stuff sorted
Birthday pressies for up coming parties done
Hubby ready for my absence
Baptism organised

This week consists of a couple of visits to RNS, meeting with Father Borg, coffee and lunches with family and friends.