BMT +6 and +7

Haem 80

White 0.0

Plate 9.0

Neut 0.0

Wgt 63.7

I have asked Anth to blog for me tonight as the past two days have been about the worst so far. After quite a good Boxing Day where I felt well enough to walk numerous laps of the ward, experience an appetite (of sorts) & watch several episodes of House of Cards, those cards came have come crashing down.

My charted dose of methotrexate duly administered appears to link to my temperature spikes, stomach cramping & vomit; my parents visits also coincide with the days I am unwell; they said as much this morning before they left to go home - I will stick with the medicinal correlation!

A visit from the consultant this morning resulted in a review & change of antibiotic for the CDI (clostridium difficile infection). Confirmation of mucositis as I have ulcers under my tongue and inside of my cheeks yet I am still managing to swallow my tablets and eat small amounts notwithstanding the bouts of nausea. Prodding of my abdomen (still very tender) & comment to the extent that whilst uncomfortable, I was presenting more or less as expected at 7 days post transplant!

Ward protocol requires >38 temps to take blood; peripheral & from the central line, review of antiemetics etc etc...there is a pattern & when I look at the whiteboard, the markers of 'V' (vomit) look to have a relationship with the methotrexate & the reactions that seem to follow. I am due the next one on New Years Day; the day my daughters are here to visit again - perhaps it is not my husband after all?

(He told me that if I made him write, he dared exercise some liberty of expression)

Last night & early this morning were particularly miserable; to the extent that the liquid food I receive via the nasogastric tube has been disconnected for now to allow my stomach to settle. A visit from one of the Palliative doctors resulted in a review and change of the anti-nausea medication I have been given thus far. There was a detailed explanation provided of a drug that may help to ease the nausea as it targets some different receptors. I was happy to try something different and late this afternoon, a nurse arrived with the new drug.

I have been told that I ask good questions & regularly; well perhaps an indicator of just how poorly I must be feeling, I neglected to ask how the new drug was to be administered..... subcutaneous into the lower abdomen - another hole and tube to be mindful of when getting in & out of bed to frequent the bathroom - I'm sure it is another cognitive test for chemo brain!

This afternoon I managed to engage slightly with Netfilx and two more episodes of House of Cards; Anth will fill in the gaps for me tomorrow when we get to watch the next one.

Well that's about it - Anth is hungry and needs to hang the washing out that was left in the machine this morning distracted by his in-laws.......