Wet Wednesday (and T-1)

And not only wet, this morning the view across to The City is shrouded in mist making the NatWest tower look very ghostly.

However, first some good news – the blog has moved to a more powerful server, (thank you Mark) so the response times should be a bit faster, and the reliability a bit higher. Not sure that it will do anything for the quality of the writing though!

Not a very good night’s sleep last night. I don’t know if it was a side effect of the chemo (I looked it up on Google – it is related to the mustard gas compounds used in WW1, no wonder the bag is covered in warnings about spillages, lucky it just goes directly into my vein…!) or the noise of the infusion pump putting the saline into me, but I was very restless until the early hours, when I dozed off to be woken by the colleagues of yesterday’s pneumatic drill operators collecting the rubble in large trucks. It is all quiet now – must be tea break again.

Another first this morning – breakfast was hot! One of the ward staff kindly went and fetched it from the kitchen for me, so it was fresh – and delicious. I think I had better make the most of as I can ‘feel’ my sense of taste altering – another side effect of the chemo. This is also a precursor to potential mucositis (inflammation of the mucous membranes) particularly in the mouth, which can also make eating difficult. Oh well, it’ll be back to the chocolate then!

I am on the last bag of saline (3 litres over 24 hours) so I am tied to the infusion pump until about 2 o’clock this afternoon. This makes moving around the relatively small room an interesting evolution, worthy perhaps of “strictly come dancing”? as I pirouette around with my infusion pump on its stand!

More welcome visitors yesterday afternoon (thank you Simon) and then Katie. She finishes her work experience tomorrow, and will be going back home, so if any of you in London, do drop in to see me!

6 Responses to “Wet Wednesday (and T-1)”

  1. Dad on 18 Jan 2006 at 10:31 am #

    No probs with new server, almost instant access. Direction from old server worked seamlessly. The new web address now installed on computer.

    Will be thinking about you downstairs in the ward having the stem cells infused today. Remember last time we were with you while it was being done,

    Don’t forget to let us know what you would like brougt on Sunday. Probably chocolate?

  2. DAWN on 18 Jan 2006 at 12:16 pm #

    Hi Peter,

    Just read todays entry, have now moved your blog into my favorites. Have told the girls about it and passed the address so that they can read it too.

    Thinking of you.

    Dx

  3. peter on 18 Jan 2006 at 1:48 pm #

    Thank you Dawn. (Dawn is in charge of volunteer support at Leukaemia CARE – the charity I am also a volunteer for. I’ll write more about LC in a future posting.)

    Peter

  4. Mum on 18 Jan 2006 at 4:43 pm #

    Read your amusing and informative diary for to-day (Wednesday). Eat your heart out Darren Gough – we always knew there were a pair of dancing feet there somewhere!

    Hope everything goes well to-morrow.

    Thinking of you.

    LOL

    Mum

  5. Lelie on 18 Jan 2006 at 8:02 pm #

    Hella Peter,
    Just a small peep to say hello. I had a hard day yesterday, don’t know why I sometimes feel so down. I went to bed at about 6:30 in the evening and got up this morning better than yesterday. However I feel you are in high spirits. I am so glad all goes as well as possible. Sometimes I want to call you just to have an exchange. Take care. I would if I had the guts take the train or ferry and come over to see you. I’m sorry I don’t have them. I send you all my love and hope you will be well and out of hospital soon. Lelie

  6. Simon (BT chum) on 22 Jan 2006 at 11:49 am #

    Peter glad I saw you friday looking so well. Hope weekend is good for you too. made a mistake with diary – am upo again WEDNESDAY not tuesday as I had told you – so will se you then. If you need me to bring anything for you, ropes/crampons/abseiling harness/tunnelling gear etc just text me!!!!