Order of Events

Ok, here we go...some info on the order of events over the next few weeks. If nothing else, at least you'll have a better idea of when to phone me up and explain how healthy you're feeling!!

The fun all kicks off next Monday 14th at 16:00, when I'll start by taking some lung medicine through a Nebuliser (a machine that creates a mist of medicine, which is then breathed in through a mask) before I have the high dosage chemotherapy. As I understand it, this will help protect my lungs from bacterial infection such as pneumonia when I go neutropenic.

Tuesday 15th (Day -2) - in goes the Melphalan. Apparently this particular chemo tends to effect the gut, so mouth/stomach ulcers and diarrhoea are all thrown into together with the other potential side effects.....am I selling it to you?

Day -1 - a rest day so I can really take my time and enjoy the mouth ulcers, nausea and diarrhoea.

Day 0 - the stem cells collected before Christmas go back in. This will be done intravenously through my Hickman line, where the stem cells are fed back into my blood stream, from where they 'somehow' know to migrate back into my bone marrow. I hope my stem cells have a good sense of direction, but I promise to post pictures if other limbs etc start to appear!!

Day 3/4/5 - this is when I'm likely to go neutropenic as a result of the high dosage chemo destroying part of my bone marrow. A this point my neutrophiles are effectively zero, so my body will have no natural ability to fight infections. I'm very likely to have an infection/fever, or infections during the time I'm neutropenic, which are likely to originate from my own body. All the various bugs and bacteria which are always present and usually dealt with by a normal immune system will have nothing to hold them back. This is when it will be vital for the medical staff to identify the source of the infection and treat it with the appropriate antibiotics. Even my Hickman line is a potential source for infection. During this period I'm also going to feel very tired and lethargic, as the chemo will also destroy my red blood cells and platelets (blood clotting cells). As a result I'll require transfusions until my blood counts recover. If the chemo didn't sell it to you, I hope this has!!

Day 10 - we start with the GCSF growth hormone injections, which give a boost to the bone marrow cells. These are the same injections I had as part of the stem cell mobilisation, before Christmas, with the main aim of putting marrow cell production into overdrive.

Day 12/13/14- it's hoped at this stage that the stem cells have started to engraft and my blood counts are improving. This being the case I will be weaned off antibiotics and other medications.

Once my neutrophiles have reached a safe level (1 to 1.5)....hopefully only a number of days later...I'm out of there!! We're then looking at a 3 to 6 month recovery period as my blood counts continue to improve and my strengh hopefully returns to somewhere near pre transplant levels.

The above 'schedule' TOTALLY assumes there are no major complications throughout the transplant, which will set me back. Who knows how my body will react.....this whole process will be very tough on my organs. What I do know is that I'm going into this final stage of my treatment feeling confident, but realistic. As I stated in my last blog, my body has tolerated the treatment very well so far.....not only that, but I have age and your positive thoughts and prayers on my side. My apprehension is really starting to build as Monday gets closer....it's been a bit of a waiting game this week. The sooner I start, the sooner it will be over and the sooner I can begin that long road to recovery and a return to a more normal life.