Peter’s Hospital Diary

Well Thursday has come around and it was a cool morning when I set off for London! On arrival I had the usual blood tests – a bit more than an armful as extra blood was taken for the chimersism tests – the comparison between my DNA an the donor’s DNA to see how the take-over bid is progressing. I won’t get the results of that test for another two weeks.

So after waiting for the initial blood tests to be analyzed, I was ushered in to the consulting room, where Sala (the Senior Registrar) asked me if I had seen the report – and when I answered ‘no’ he replied that he hadn’t either! ##!!@~@!@**@@** However it was being faxed over and sure enough, it arrived about 5 minutes later.

Sala then read them with a complete deadpan face – not a flicker of emotion! I was sitting on the edge of my seat by this time… but eventually…

Anyway – the result is good! The previously active areas in my neck and groin are showing no activity at all, excellent news and partly expected/hoped for as the swelling in my right leg has gone. Bizarrely one of my tonsils shows something, although it seems that there has been something there on every PET scan I have had, so it could be inflammation or low level infection, and there was some activity in my torso in front of my spine, which might or might not be active lymphoma. The report was a preliminary report, so there may be more information later – but overall it is good news (notwithstanding the possible remaining activity)

I went off to the pharmacy to get another load of immuno-suppressants (the MMF) but while I was there I had a phone call asking me to go back to the haemotology department. When I got there, the instructions had changed and I have now stopped the MMF to provoke some GvHd.

So there may be more news next week after my case has been discussed at the multi-disciplinary meeting on Wednesday.

The rest of the blood results from last week were OK – haemoglobin down very slightly, kidney function improved slightly, and no sign of the enzymes that were indicating impaired liver function.

Meanwhile – onwards and upwards! (Oh yes – last night I was elected (unopposed) chairman of the dive club!)