Feeling brighter

We set off for the hospital quite early and there was a mist over Southampton Water which shrouded Fawley and it looked quite picturesque with a fishing trawler and geese gathering on the shoreline.  We arrived at 9.30 a.m. to be told that the blood would arrive at 10.00 a.m.  However, the porter bringing the blood got lost as I was having the transfusion in a comparatively new wing.  One of the nurses was sent out as a search party and it eventually arrived at 10.30 a.m. and the procedure finished at 2.30 p.m.

This meant that we had to have lunch during the transfusion so sandwiches and drinks were sent for and Dr M had to come to see me as I would have been too late for my appointment.  He was on good form as the blood counts had risen again.  It is difficult to believe that when they dropped 3 weeks ago and I felt ill, he was all for giving me no more treatment and putting me in the hands of my GP.

The radiotherapy has not done much so far as its effectiveness along with some of the chemo drugs grows less and less.  However, we agreed to have an appointment next week to review my neck and possibly I shall have some oral chemotherapy i.e. in tablet form.  Whatever is given will be mild as no one wants to have me back in intensive care.  No treatment at the moment has any guarantee but they are worth trying since the internal lymphoma is not yet too uncomfortable but the swollen neck really needs some remedy.  Somehow knowing that further options are available boosted both of us and Dr M’s enthusiasm was infectious.

By the evening I was already a little brighter, whether as a result of our meeting with Dr M or the transfusion.  I had quite a reasonable night although we both woke very early.  The main effects of the transfusion should be more apparent today and as there are no medical appointments today we plan to go to the New Forest and Lymington.  It has been wonderful seeing all the blossom in the parks and gardens during the last week and we should see plenty of changes in the forest compared to our last visit.