So I was admitted to hospital for drainage of the ascitic fluid. I was in for just one night, and I even had a room with a view! The drain produced 5.2 litres in total! I literally felt light as a feather afterwards! And half a stone in weight loss meant I actually was!! So I had to wait a week for it all to settle afterwards and then plan to restart treatment.
Unfortunately on my next set of bloods a week later my Hb was low! Hb is short for Haemoglobin. Haemoglobin, or 'Hb', is a protein found in the red blood cells that carries oxygen around your body and gives blood its red colour. A normal Hb is around 125 for women and 135 for men. Mine was 89.
So I was given a drug that spurs your bone marrow to make more red cells (Hb). After a week my blood was checked again and my Hb was 83!!! so that hadn't worked! Bloody 'eck!! (excuse the pun!). I was symptomatic too: Increased breathlessness and extreme tiredness, and walking round looking like Casper the friendly ghost!
Now, when levels are low of anything in your body it is because of one of 3 reasons: your losing it somewhere, you're not getting enough in, or you're not producing enough. In my case it's the latter. You see chemotherapy bashes your immune system and your ability to make new red cells. The answer: blood transfusion.
So after years of giving blood I was getting some back. My request for the blood of a 16 year old Italian boy was well rejected haha! (well it worked for Keith Richard's!!). So I'd settle for whatever blood they had, and was very grateful that such a thing was possible. It's possible because of blood donors, so if you can please do give blood. It's a selfless act that can help so many people and you never know one day you may need it yourself. Here's the link: https://www.blood.co.uk/who-can-give-blood/getting-an-appointment-to-give-blood/
So the plan now is to have more bloods next week and then a CT scan on 30th May with a plan for treatment on 1st June. But like all things with this disease rollercoaster, we will see!!!
In the meantime I've had nights and days out with friends, a reunion with an old ITU friend (Lauren) an old school friend (Emma). We've had Hen Do 1 of 3 for Nicola and I've casually been flying! It was amazing but the controls were a bit complicated for me so I'll not be getting my pilots licence any time soon, although I probs could still get a job with Ryan Air!! but it has got me thinking; what's next? I quite fancy piloting a boat, or flying a helicopter? Who knows?
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