BMT + 5

Haem: 89 (2 bags of blood yesterday)

White: 0.0

Platelets: 29 (1 bag yesterday)

Neut: 0.0

Weight: 63.4kg

So, feeding time at the zoo began today.

I still have not found any positives about this nasogastric tube (NGT). I keep getting told I will get used to it, and if I get the mouth and throat ulcers I will be grateful for it. I am sure the team here know exactly what they are doing, but I don't think I am going to get any further attached to this thing.

Today has been a 'good' day. I have been up and walking around. They started feeding me through the tube today just before lunchtime. I thought the 'feed' only was needed if I wasn't eating so I was very good and ate my breakfast but they do start it - 20ml an hour which is not so much a problem but it's connected 24/7. Who eats throughout the night?

I ate my chicken sandwich for lunch and swallowed all my pills as well as I had been told that if I could eat and drink for myself then the tube will come out quicker. But they have warned me that the mucositis is most likely still to kick in and I will be grateful to have the tube in. I asked how quickly it could come out if I could keep eating and drinking myself, and was told it would most likely be in about 2 weeks anyhow as the last dose of the chemo that contributes to the mucositis is not until the 1 Jan. So there goes any incentive for a while...

Anthony and I have had a relaxing couple of days. For him it was sitting next to me most of yesterday whilst I slept etc, but today he was walking with me etc. I did a number of laps of the ward, and decided that I needed to organise a fundraising campaign for them to get a treadmill with virtual reality goggles so I could get on that and choose where I want to go walking - the streets of Paris or London or a city I am yet to explore... I am sure I would do a lot more walking if I could chose a city and go walkabout! Not even sure if that is possible - but maybe the hospital would chose some life saving piece of equipment over a treadmill - but I think the idea could have legs (no pun intended).

Anth and I have also discovered House of Cards and have been binge watching this afternoon (with laps of the ward between episodes). It has certainly made the afternoon fly by. I know there is a lot of media attention on the show at the moment - but I have been 'saving' this for this time as I thought it would be something that we both might enjoy, as Anth and I don't share much when it comes to TV viewing. So, trying to put the news scandal aside, we have started at the very beginning of Season 1 and have another 4 seasons to go - which should help pass the time.

And my hair has started to fall out. Same way/order as it did last time, but this has been a bit quicker thanks to the much stronger chemo I presume. I'm just hoping my eyelashes and eyebrows at least do what they did after round one and that was basically not fall out until the new growth pushed them out, so I at least had eyebrows for most of the time.

So lets hope tomorrow is another better day..

Below is Anth and I enjoying Xmas lunch: