Epiphany

As you all knew at the start  (well you could have all sat there and worked it out), Mike's day +12 has turned out to be the festival of Epiphany, day twelve of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Traditionally it is said to be the day that the three Kings presented their gifts to the baby Jesus. So what present did Mike receive? His hair falling out! There is still plenty clinging bravely on, but with every move a couple more fall softly onto the bed.

Mike also had a bit of a surprise when he discovered that Sharon, a member of the MM under 50 club is in the women's bay next door. Sharon had an auto transplant last February and at the age of 40 had hoped for "at least 10 years." Unfortunately she had some pain at the start of December and they found a plasmacytoma on her sacrum which she had biopsied. On Tuesday she decided she could take the pain no longer and so at her appointment yesterday they decided she should be admitted to start on the dreaded dex and radiotherapy. Mike tried to visit but the sister said male patients are not allowed in female bays even though he WAS wearing his slippers..... get her!

Yesterday's counts were as follows:
WBC: 0.5
Neutrophils: 0.4
Platelets: 29

Today's are:
WBC: 0.9
Neutrophils: 0.6
Platelets: 21

PS. I forgot to mention that Mike has folliculitis!

It's all so quiet.

Well I'm sitting here all alone contemplating life, the universe and everything. I've come to several conclusions but I'm not sure that most of you would want to hear them.

Life is so fluid. I'd sort of noticed before but the last fortnight has been like watching the sea come in and out. The first week we were relieved by the care Mike received and privately celebrated how safe we felt. The second week and we have wondered how different things might have been if we lived further North or further South. Or I guess if we had known more and asked for that second opinion elsewhere. In essence the second week has landed us with a doctor who for some reason cannot abide Mike. I haven't imagined it all. I heard what was said by the consultant and I then saw how she deliberately disregarded his decision.

What would Mike's state of health be if he had been given his SCT in Liverpool, or London, or Nottingham, if he'd had a room to himself, had a team of doctors who only wanted the best  and will the questions continue as we find out the results of the last year's treatment?

I have come to one very important conclusion. I'm proud of the blog Mike and I have written. It hasn't always been pretty, but it has told it how it is sometimes. For patients and carers there are rough times on the journey and if we don't accept that, we can't move forward to pastures new, where we can sit quietly and hopefully not hear the ticking.