Peter’s Hospital Diary

And a big thank you to all of you that have supported us during the last twelve months, through posts on blog, visits, phone calls etc. It really made a difference, especially during the very difficult moments of last January and February.

2008 promises to bring new challenges – hopefully not on the medical front, although with the two year anniversary of the transplant, and a year since the donor lymphocytes, it is a key point! Still, appendages crossed and I have a series of check-ups at Guy’s in January – routine bloods, a Lung Function test , and a visit to a dermatologist to look at what might be a small skin GVHD problem. Still, while GVHD is present, my immune system can be seen to be active, so that’s a good thing!

However chronic GVHD is not doing fellow blogger John any good at the moment, and so I would ask you all to think of him, and friend Simon – also undergoing chemotherapy, at the start of the New Year and hope that it sees an improvement in their health.

Looking further to the future (dangerous given the circumstances but, whatever!) it looks as if my extension of service contract, which expires in September, is unlikely to be renewed, so there will be more challenges there, so one way or another it will be a year of changes!

But back to the present! We are in the midst of a New Year Party – similar to one we did a few years ago, out in the garden (under cover – with a large space heater!). Not quite as many friends as we had hoped, because of the flu cold that is doing the rounds – but still a good gathering, as you can see from this photo taken a little earlier in the evening!

So wherever you are reading this, from the Falkland Islands to New Zealand, from America to Europe (and everywhere in between) raise a glass with us to:

“2008 – Onwards and Upwards”