Peter’s Hospital Diary

Last week was trundling along quite well until I got to Friday when I started to feel a bit lethargic. I didn’t have any energy at all and didn’t get up until mid afternoon.

On Friday night I developed a splitting headache – really intense – and not feeling at all well.

So I ended up calling the acute oncology number in my phone, only to realise it was the one for Guy’s! However after they called back and my mistake was realised it only took a few minutes to get though to Southampton. By that time I could focus very well and I had sent some completely gibberish test messages! (No change there, some might say!) My temperature was creeping up and my blood pressure was creeping down, neither very good signs

But the end result was that they sent an ambulance to pick me up and take me into the acute oncology department.

Once there, Iwas diagnosed with neutropenic sepsis and started on intravenous antibiotics. My blood results showed my neutrophils at 0.2 (very low) Hb at 850 pretty low) but platelets we’re back at 300 which is well within normal range. Best news was the my white cell count was still down at 5.5.

The afternoon and evening were enlivened by the arrival of Tom and Jon housemates from Uni days) who had planned to pop down and see me a few days ago. We had been planning on going out for a meal, but it was not to be (well, they did, I had meatballs the consistency of cannonballs with hard pasta in indifferent sauce! Hope you enjoyed your Nepalese Curry boys!!). Unfortunately Martin, the last of our quorum was elsewhere and couldn’t make it. They were kind enough to come back and tell me how delicious it was!

This morning started with more bloods, more antibiotics and a move to C4 ward. Crumbs, it all happens in there! One elderly man came in demanding breakfast saying that he hadn’t eaten for a day, and the man opposite maysaid that he hadn’t eaten for two! I think there had been problems, but I don’t know how extensive.

Anyway, while one of the nurses was sorting that out, she let slip that there was a special breakfast menu! So I patched on to that and had scrambled egg, sausage, bacon and hash browns! It wasn’t brilliant, but it made a change from rice crispies!

Tom and Jon came back in morning to tell me about their breakfast (“sumptuous buffet” I think was Jon’s description!), then we had the ward round. Which was good news!

Since last night the beutrophil count has gone up to 0.8, which is getting to the border of safe territory! I might get some GCSF (long term readers will recall that is Germ Cell Stimulating Factor to them a helping hand.

I don’ know how long I will be here, my blood pressure quite low lying down, and drops quite a lot when I stand, so I suspect a few more days.

But all in all, I think it’s still Onwards and Upwards!