Tuesday August 11-Sunday September 13: Update and Graduation

I realise I haven't done a post for a long time, as I had been having the usual blood tests and check ups. So this will be a fairly long post to get up to date.

The last time I did a post was when I was disappointingly told that it appeared that my treatment was not working. Since then I have been to hospital several times. The first time being August 13th when my blood results meant that I didn't need any transfusions. This meant that I hadn't had a transfusion for 7 days, the longest since this all began in April.
I was back again at the hospital on August 17th where I again needed no transfusions. It had been 4 visits since my last transfusion, and 5 visits since my last blood transfusion.
The good news continued further with a visit on the 20th where I again needed no transfusions and saw a rise in my blood, platelets and neutrophils since the last visit.

To celebrate that things were starting to look better, I went to the Charlton game that Saturday. Where in dramatic circumstances we crushed Hull 2-1, scoring in the 98th minute. Easy.

On August 21st, my nan (Big Nanny, Margaret Riley) died. She died from the awful disease dementia. We all miss her.

I was back again at the hospital on August 24th, where, you guessed it, I again didn't need any transfusions. I was beginning to think that last month's depressing clinical meeting had perhaps been too soon.

First blood transfusion since July 30.

August 27th was the usual blood tests. This time I needed a blood transfusion. However it was my first blood transfusion since July 30th. And I knew that it was likely that my run of needing no transfusions wouldn't last forever. But I was delighted at how long I had gone without needing anything.
I saw my doctor on the haemotology ward, he now believed that my treatment has begun to work. This is because the number of transfusions I had been receiving had dramatically decreased. I was even told that I no longer needed to come in to hospital twice a week, but instead once a fortnight roughly. I was also told that I should know for certain mid-September where I will have another bone marrow biopsy to see if my stem cells have increased or not.


That weekend I started my TEFL course (Teach English as a Foreign Language) and completed the 20 hour practical course. I have since started the 100 hour online course. All going well I would like to maybe teach abroad in late 2016/2017, once I'm better.

The TEFL gang

As well as being told during my last hospital visit that it looks like my treatment may now be working, I was also told that I could now have a drink (2max). So on Sunday 30th after finishing the TEFL, we went to the pub and I had my first drink in over 80 days! Since just before I went in to hospital as an inpatient on June10th.

Oh how I had waited for this moment.

I didn't have to go back to hospital until September 7th, where I had blood tests. I didn't need any transfusions, and my neutrophils had rose to a personal best of 1.73! They need to be over 2.2, so I seem to be slowly getting there.


On Thursday September 10th, I can happily say that I went up to Lincoln to graduate with my friends and course mates which was fantastic. It was great to see so many of my university mates whom I hadn't seen for what felt like ages. The graduation ceremony at Lincoln cathedral was incredible. I'm also pleased to say that I didn't trip over or embarrass myself.

I am back at hospital tomorrow (September 14th) for the big one. I will have blood tests, followed by my third bone marrow biopsy. That's the really fun thing where I get a huge needle shoved into my hip to extract some marrow and see how those counts are doing. I can't wait, it's going to be a barrel of laughs. Depending on the results of this hugely enjoyable experience, it will (should) be decided whether or not the treatment really is, or isnt, working.

I will do a post either tomorrow or Tuesday outlining how it all went. I am quietly confident that it will be good news.

#UniBanter