Thursday 10th January – No release but some good news!

I was still hoping to get some time out today to nip home, but it was not to be! I have been on fluids most of the day, apart from a brief interlude when I had a visit fro one of the medical team who told me I needed to have a bone marrow biopsy! “Deep joy” I thought as I asked when – expecting to be told later or tomorrow.

So I was a bit surprised when he said “now” and explained that he had the kit with him!

So bone marrow biopsy number 7 took place on the spot! He was actually very good, lots of local anaesthetic and very little pain!

But the latest news is that the Docs have just been round! They thought I had already been home (Left hand right hand!) but that is now out of the question as I am starting basic treatment tonight. Apart from the allopurinol which I started two days ago, I am starting basic treatment tonight with a drug called Rasburicase and then tomorrow with a steroid (prednisolone). The prednisolone should start breaking the cells in the mass down quite quickly, but a side effect is Tumor Lysis Syndrome where the breakdown products can overwhelm the kidneys and under some circumstance can be fatal – hence the Rasburicase. I will also be having continuous IV fluids and 6 hourly blood tests to monitor the lysis products.

The biopsy results are not back yet, so there is still an uncertainty over whether it is the Mantle cell lymphoma or some other lymphoma variant, but it will be good to start treatment!

This means I won’t be going home anytime soon, the doctors aren’t sure how long I will be in, but probably at least a week, so I need to look at my clothing needs for a few days. But that suddenly becomes relatively trivial on the grand scheme of things!

So, deep breath and… Onwards and Upwards!

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