Glad you are able to stay positive after the hospital ordeal, you have a great attitude.

Hi everyone.
Went to Christies on Monday for my 4th chemo.
First I had blood taken, and my stitch taken out - so now my line doesn't need to br dressed anymore, and I can shower normally!

I saw my consultant, and discussed side effects........and I have been taken off one of the chemo drugs, called Vincristine.
After the last chemo I developed numbness and pins & needles in both arms and legs - and i've now had it for 3 1/2 weeks.
Because I had the same drug 7 years ago, the doctors have stopped it, otherwise the damage to my nerves could become permanent.

I'm feeling pretty sick and weak, and have had a massive headache, but I managed the cinema and dog training yesterday!

I'm also on nightly injections of something called G-CSF (Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor).
It stimulates the bone marrow to produce stem cells, and release them into the blood.
I'm having these for 10 nights, then on the 27th August I go back to Christies and have a blood test, and hopefully will have my stem-cells harvested - if there are enough!

I try to make the most of my 'good weeks', taking the dogs to the beach etc, as it's getting closer to my hospitalisation for my stem cell transplant - which will be in around 12 weeks!

Just to let you all know I had my stem cells harvested on Thursday.
It was a long day - I had to arrive early for a blood test.
First they needed to see if I had enough white blood cells, when they found I had, we had to wait for results which were a 'prediction' to how many stem cells I had in my blood.

Both results were positive, so we went ahead with the harvesting.
I was hooked up to a machine - blood coming out of my arm, through the machine, and back into my body through my central line.
The machine would process all the blood in my body 2 1/2 times, but only about 200ml would be out of my body at once - which is why it takes about 4 1/2 hours!

At the same time as taking the blood, they add an anti-coagulant, so the blood doesn't thicken/clot, and when this goes back into your body it strips you of calcium, which can make you feel a bit sick/tingly - this happened to me, so they gave me a drip with calcium in.

Anyway! I had that done, and they said they would call me within about 1 or 2 hours and let me know the results.
If they could not collect enough that day, I should return the next day for them to try again - but as I was going away, they said it would be done after my next chemo if needed.

On the way home from the hospital I got the phonecall - They needed to collect 2 million stem cells per kilo of my body weight.
Great news........they collected 4.2 million cells per kilo of my body weight

Brilliant News!

I am just seeing this and wonder at your wonderful outlook with all you have been through but really that is what is so good for you.

I so hope what you have ahead of you will work and I wish you nothing but happy and healthy days in the future. Picture that rainbow in your mind and it will keep you going through the rough times. Hugs, Joan

I just wanted to say hi Hevvur as i haven't been on for a while.Glad that you're doing ok.Thinking of you xxxxxx

Still thinking of you x

glad all going well

Afternoon everyone......
Went for 5th chemo this morning........and been sent home!
They dont want to do anymore!

I have to have a CT and a PET scan, and then hopefully bring the date of my transplant forwards!
Theres a slim chance I might need 1 more chemo in 3 weeks, but probably not!

Great news Hevvur.....keep on trucking!