All of the nurses and most of my visitors have been saying how well I look. Also the doctors are going to let me go home on Thursday and before this they are going to let me head home for the afternoons... I want as much time out of hospital before I am put into isolation.
To let me go home I need to be taken off some of the antibiotics. My blood test results and observation checks all have indicated the is no infection so my last dose is due Wednesday. I will still remain on some antibiotics but I'm going to be taught how to self administrate these. On Monday I start lessons on how to do this. I have to learn how to prepare the drugs as well as the routine to inject into my line. The injecting into my line I have seen many times before and am fairly confident I can do. However the preparation of drugs has always been done out of sight and if I mix things wrong then I will end up doing myself alot of harm.
I need to do these injections 3 times a day. I practice as much as possible with the nurses help by Wednesday I'm given the all clear to head home and inject myself. The physio needs to give me the all clear as well. She visits on Wednesday, the concern is can I get up & down stairs.. I'm taken to a stairwell and swiftly climbed up and descended down without help from the physio. I am still hobbling and legs are weak but its not going to stop me going home.
I get to Thursday and am all ready to go. I am woken early and am told I'm going for a Radiotherapy session. Its the first I know about it. I imagine its going to be a claustrophobic container which I have to remain still in for a few hours, for all I know it could be like a microwave with me on a revolving plate in the middle.
I am measured and weighed then I am fitted with a very stylish tight string vest. Padding is fitted around my neck and put between my legs. This is to ensure a uniform dose of radiation throughout my body. Senses are placed across my body and the bed I am in is lined up against a wall. The machine that treats me is around 5 metres away on the opposite side of the room. A green light is projected from the machine, it forms a green light around the bed. Nurses perform a bit of a chuckle brother routine of "to me.. to you" getting me in the right position. Everyone then leaves the room and the machine buzzes to life, the initial noise dies down and the is music in the background. I have to lie completely still until the nurses return. This is only a few minutes however this is just a test session next week I will have to stay still for 2 hours at a time when the sessions start properly in the build up to transplant. This will be twice a day for 4 days.
Despite been allowed home I still have to go into hospital. Friday is very hectic. I have a ultrasound and lung function test in the morning, followed by a visit to the bone marrow transplant unit. The bone marrow transplant unit is fairly new, rooms are about the same size as ward 62's but have a more ikea atmosphere than hospital. I get to ask a few questions and I get a nice surprise. The 100 days which I believed I was in isolation was wrong.. It is 5-6 weeks isolation!!
Once released then I am free for the weekend and the 6Nations. I am confident in Scotland, this might be the year they could win the 6Nations. Ireland vs Italy was boring but in contrast England vs Wales was one of the most bizarre games I have ever seen. England handed Wales victory on a plate. This lost me my bet on the weekends results. My bet also counted on Scotland beating France. Scotland disappointed and France took advantage. None of my bets in the world cup came off and the first round of 6nations follows this pattern.
I am now on countdown until treatment starts. I have 1 week left and hopefully I will spend most of it at home. I just want to get on with the treatment now, although its a little strange looking forward to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Thanks to all those who visited this week I hope to see more of you before isolation.
Cheers
Robbie
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