Thursday… confirmation of Good News!
Apr 19th 2007PeterGetting My Life Back!
And it was off again at silly o’clock and a chilly start (3C when I got in the car to go to the station) for the trek up to Guy’s, this time uneventfully and I arrived just before 9:30 for my 9:45 appointment. Straight in for the bloods (only two test tubes this time) and then in to see Dr kazmi. The official news from the PET report is that the residual tracer showing up is normal physiological activity – ie, there is no detectable active disease! Good news indeed, but of course the note of caution is that we have been here before…! Still, much better than the prognosis three months ago!
Incidentally, this photo (which I have copied from Elspeth’s Blog shows how far I have come in the last three months! That said, walking up a couple of flights of stairs (just to prove I could!) was an effort – more food supplements! (The photo was taken at the Wedding Fair, with my fellow Leukaemia Care trainers)
The conclusion is that the graft Vs Lymphoma effect is definitely working, the unknown questions are how long it will continue (although the GvHd has only just started) and how long the effect will last (ideally indefinitely to continually zap the rogue cells) but these are unanswerable questions. The last dose of donor lymphocytes was a fairly hefty one, and of course was the last dose in storage, but it might be possible to harvest some more from the donor if needed. But let us hope that they won’t be!
I saw Sarah (of like2like – the web site highlighting the lack of mixed race donors) who was looking really well and also seems to be in remission, and Jean (who had her transplant just after me) who was also looking good. No news of Mark (fellow transplant patient) though – so Mark, if you are reading this – please let us know how things are going.
After leaving Guy’s, I popped over to the Strand to meet a friend (and work colleague) for a coffee (tea in my case) and a piece of cake. London is at its best in the spring – it was pleasantly warm! Then a quick trip to Waterstones and back home!
What more can I say (apart from more thanks to my anonymous donor and the team at Guy’s) but… Onwards and Upwards! (and to change the category of the posts to ‘Getting my life back’)
6 Responses to “Thursday… confirmation of Good News!”
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Richard on 19 Apr 2007 at 5:17 pm #
Good, well done ‘team’.
It is a real relief and so too is being uncrossed.
The Sun is out so it must be Pimm’s o’clock………
Keep it up little cells.
Richard
Mike on 19 Apr 2007 at 8:17 pm #
Tea and cake. You’re slipping, what happened to the bacon sarnies ? Great news Peter and cause for celebration !
Liz on 20 Apr 2007 at 9:07 am #
So incredibly glad to read your news – we all are at this end!
Continue to behave yourself though! (That’s the problemI have with Dad now. He thinks he feels fine and then does too much).
Lots of love to all at your end and enjoy the Christening!
Liz
Peter on 20 Apr 2007 at 10:30 am #
Thank you all – I did have my first Pimms of the season on Sunday (first BBQ too) with dry ginger – and it was delicious!
I had the bacon sarinie when I arrived home!
Thank you Liz – behave – moi?
Mark (Fellow transplant patient) on 20 Apr 2007 at 6:17 pm #
Hi Peter,
Great news! I hope the GVHD continues to do the trick! Glad to hear that Jean and Sarah are O.K.
I am well, but my second transplant was threatening to fail yet again. The donor cells went down to 86% and the cancer cells returned. I’ve only had mild GVHD. Anyway, my anti-rejection drugs were stopped quickly and the last chimerism test showed 93% donor cells, so we’re waiting to see what happens next!
Back at Guys next Thursday, then off to Menorca for 5 Days.
Mark
John on 21 Apr 2007 at 9:18 am #
Good On You!!!