Back By Popular Demand

Due to demand from Milk Link the blog is back... Hopefully it is up to standard.

This week has seen my blood test results continue a random pattern. While my white blood cells have recovered my red blood cells have started to slide. As well as some of the other counts behaving erratically. I have also developed permanent pins and needles in my toes, but previous joint pains have disappeared. To fix one problem the doctors adjust 1 medication but this seems to have a knock on effect elsewhere. Its like a bit like a game of Kerplunk (I hope its not just me who remembers this game). None of the issues are serious and are not causing me any real difficulties day to day, but it would be nice if the doctors get the balance right and they are sorted. Until then I'm having to spend more time in hospital getting tested and receiving infusions than I'd really like.

On the positive side of medical treatment they repeated the test on my host vs graft %. It came back and confirmed the previous results of 100%, 100% and 100%. I expected this but it was reassuring to get this back. So overall everything is still heading in the right direction the are just a lot of little niggles to get through & none of the niggles are stopping me from doing anything so I have more to be happy with.

This week to start with looked like a quiet relaxing week. But it ended up been fairly busy. I was in hospital until around 6 on Monday. I ended up receiving platelets and having a bone marrow test. While I was waiting I got a call from Monty from the rugby club, they needed someone to help with training. I managed to get a few drills together for it but its difficult when you have not played or trained for a year and have no real idea what has been done to date or what themes have been worked on\towards. Whilst I thought the session was not great feedback was ok. But in all honesty the numbers were made up of 2nd and 3rd team players, the lack of senior players meant standards were not as high as I would expect. Also the was a severe lack of basic kit, not having enough balls to run 2 sets of drills!! As a result I found the entire evening frustrating and tiring. I leave the club quite concerned about the coming season without more of the 1st team we cannot expect to finish any better than last year.. do we really want to get relegated. Concerns are voiced and a meeting is then arranged to try and sort out. I am due to help out again on Wednesday, but end up spending most of the afternoon in hospital and with low red blood counts everything is a little harder work than usual I don't make it up and spend the evening relaxing.

I was hoping to go to Dubai this year. In theory to play in the 7's. I was hoping to be back to work by now. I am signed of until at least mid October.. Dubai is the end of November. First of all I'd expect to be back to work a few months before I was fit to play rugby.. so its unlikely I'll be in a state to play in the 7's. Also it would be taking the piss at work to return part time initially then go and play in a international semi professional rugby tournament. Whilst I hope I can return to work mid October I can't guarantee this. As the previous weeks fun and games with my drugs and the effects you can only take it day by day and I may still be receiving plenty of treatment or require regular testing still in November. I'm gutted I can't go but I have to be realistic and wait another year. The is a meeting on Thursday night to to discuss Dubai. I would have been down as a definite so feel like I need to tell Rob The Tan face to face that I can't make it. Its also a good excuse to get out the flat and socialise a little.

I am meeting my old work for lunch on Friday. It is really good to catch up with everyone, although I did not get the chance to talk to everyone. Anna is leaving.. I think everyone was still in shock at this. I had a nice piece of steak, I could have actually eaten 2 of them. They are about to move offices around again, but whilst the have been a few reshuffles the does not seem to have changed the general atmosphere.

Friday night I meet with a old school\uni friend. After a day of catching up with people I decide I don't like talking about the past experiences of my treatment. Even if you talk about some of the more positive aspects you are still talking about been in hospital been ill. It sounds like your after sympathy. I don't want anyones sympathy I have far more to be grateful for than not and would rather look to the future than back onto the past. However this is difficult when meeting people you don't see very often.

Saturday brings another stag-do. I had been debating whether to go all week. With blood counts been low the was no way I could handle the whole day which would have involved going to London, back out to Ascot, back to London and out in Clapham. Also I'd expect this stag do to be quite heavy drinking event. I am still on a self imposed drinking ban so the evening would be a waste of time anyway. It would still be a long day regardless getting the train to and from Ascot from Bristol. Eventually I make my mind up that its to good an opportunity to see Stokesy get messed up to miss out on. It was also meant to be 80's fancy dress. Ideal for me to use the MC Hammer outfit. I travel up in normal clothes and get changed in a bar in Ascot.. I was expecting everyone else to arrive within 5-10 mins but they turned up around a half hour later. You get some strange looks when your in a bar by yourself dressed as MC Hammer, this set the theme for the day. The others fancy dress (apart from Wibbles and the stags) was pretty poor. Me and Wibbles stood out by a mile. Well we did not get lost in the crowd. The amount of booze been drunk did not disappoint with the golf ball game catching out a few of the group in vicious fashion. The were going to be some early casualties.

I have never come away from the races with any winnings before. I had taken the race guide from the Times. It gave recommendations for each race. I decided to bet according to the guide, it was not just backing the favorites the odds were not bad on the horses. I won on the first race. £30 up. Lost the next 2 but then on the last race I won £110. Overall I ended the day £95 better off than I started. Must be the lucky MC Hammer pants. I had hoped to try some MC Hammer dancing at the 80's event after. It was however open air and the rain was persistent it was not much fun standing round in the rain listening to Belinda Carlisie. We left earlier than planned I had to rush to get the train to reading and could not find anywhere to get changed at Reading. The result was I travelled all the way back to Bristol as MC Hammer.. the train was full of Swansea fans heading back home which made it a little more interesting. I was knackered on my return and quickly fell asleep on the sofa. Unleashing the MC Hammer outfit and dancing will have to wait awhile longer.

What next week will bring I have no idea, see what the doctors change this time and what effect it has on me. Its still a patience game and I just have to take it day by day. I wonder if I can talk the doctors into scheduling appointments around the Olympics??