Tuesday 29 June 2010

A good visit to the Marsden


We have just returned from our visit to the Marsden having stayed with Jonathan overnight. The receptionists and nursing staff know me by name now and the nurse who took my blood said she would hurry the results for me in case I needed a blood transfusion so I could have it that day since she knew we lived a distance from the hospital. She said she thought I wouldn’t need one as I looked less anemic than before. That proved to be correct and all my blood counts were up possibly because I have been taken off the drug septrin.

We then saw the doctor who agreed I had graft versus host disease and confirmed what I already knew, that they welcome some manifestation of this as it means the immune system is working which will also fight the lymphoma. She checked my liver function and blood counts and said that I had the best kind of graft versus host disease in that it wasn’t affecting my internal organs. She prescribed a number of creams to treat my skin which in the heat yesterday was really bad, and also an anti-histamine for the itching.

She couldn’t say how long it would all last, perhaps some months, and warned me it could get worse but she seemed very positive. I have the impression that they can treat the symptoms of the disease but can’t actually cure it. I think what I have read on-line also confirms this. It looks as if I just have to grin and bear it for the moment.

Both Jonathan and Anna were pleased with the news and Anna thinks I am more myself lately. I think coming of some of the medication and not being anemic has helped enormously. I felt so tired and useless before which is quite depressing. I feel much more positive now and hopeful for the outcome in the long term which is not something I have been able to think about before.

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