26th May - 79 days post transplant

Don't panic Mr Mannering, don't panic is the order of the day. Sorry for the late posting but have been waiting until I could get Friday's results from Addenbrookes. These show a slight fall in Haemoglobin, neutrafils and platelets but I am assured that this is within limits and no call for concern. Bio-chem results are OK.

75% of the way through the first 100 days yippee, but in 21 days a bone marrow biopsy and bone sample awaits. Oh joys!! I'll be lighter on my right hand side due to bone loss!!

Metal taste is starting to decrease, but still problems with my stomach and retching over some foods. I am still loosing hair and also growing it at the same time. I think we may still be in a negative hair loss overall.

Discovered that even covered up I cannot cope with the heat. My preferred time of day is now at eight in the evening sitting on the patio, but darn it I just dont like the taste of beer!!!

This week has been a special week in more ways than one. I had my first "real" day out; as opposed to a trip to Addenbrookes; when I went to Huntingdon to celebrate Tizzy's husband Chris's birthday which we celebrated in an Italian restaurant. Meal was booked late so that the restaurant was virtually empty I manageed 75% of a white bate starter and 50% of a massive pizza. Then Chris and Tizzy  broke the good news that a baby is on the way and due in December. Oh I do feel old!!! Sex as yet unknown.

19th May - 72 days post transplant

Not much has changed this week. Eating is still a problem even with Mary cracking the whip!!! I seem to have a strange relationship with food. I have never been a big desert eater, but now tuck into them with gusto. Pizza is good as are bacon sandwiches, but chicken and roast beef meals are really just not on. I'm taking an approach of eating what takes my fancy.

Haemoglobin has fallen a little, but nothing to be worried about. Platelets and neutrofils have risen and the consultant is convinced that it was the Septrin that had caused the problem with them falling. He has already prescribed a new drug for me to use from next weekend after bloods have been taken (they need to check an enzyme in the blood before I can take it). It now looks as if  it is still a weekly visit to Addenbrookes, with one week being blood tests and the following week being consultant and blood tests. This is far better as, on bloods only days, we are home by 10ish.

Apart from the food issue and the metallic taste all seems to be progressing well - on good days I can get up with Mary at 6 and stay up with her until 10 : 30 with a short rest during the day. On the not so good days it is still  bed at 7 : 30 to 8 !!!

12th May - 65 days post transplant

Sorry that this week's blog is a day late. This Friday it was only a visit to have bloods checked and since then I have been hoping for a call from Addenbrookes (as previous) on the Bio chem results. I was then going to ask them for the blood results. No such call so all I can assume is that all is all OK and I'll have to make a call tomorrow (Monday) to see if I can get them. I have a set of results for each Friday for my haemoglobin from the 30th March, so have plotted these for those interested in data. A steady rise!!!

Still of Septrin and feeling good without it.

I managed to do my back in last weekend which has made this week a little difficult. The back is getting better slowly and I now just have difficulty getting out of the settee and chairs.

Eating is still a problem and is most bizarre. Today I had two bacon sandwiches for lunch and ate them without any problems and with gusto. However when it came to my main meal in the evening it was a real struggle which I gave up on except for the pudding. Now that is strange because I am not a pudding man!!!

Other than that the week has been a reasonable one.

OK, Blood tests are in and they are good.
Neutrophils have risen from 1.87 to 2.72 [now inside range 2 to 8]
Platelets have risen from 80 to 85. These have a bit of work to do as the range is 150 to 400, but the consultant said that they are slow in recovering. They need a kick up the proverbial me thinks. However one cannot complain at the little things as they were 40 before I went into hospital.

Mary went to the doctor today and has a viral infection mainly in her throat. Just what we needed. Spare bedroom for me for a while!!! Not that I don't love but she can keep her own bugs.

5th May - 58 days post transplant

Well this has been a strange week. We had a stressful time due to last week's results for although we were pretty sure that the cause of the dip in the results last week was caused by a reaction to Septrin (one of my drugs) you cannot help being concerned until you know for sure.  This was lifted to a degree when it was the consultant's "side kick" who came out and called us in (over 2 hours after our appointment was due!!). This was reinforced when we got the results.  Platelets have gone up from 79 to 80, which basically means they have stopped falling and are constant and Neutrophils have gone up from 1.49 to 1.87. He seemed to believe that Septrin is the problem and gave me an appointment for blood tests only for next week and an appointment for blood tests and clinic with the consultant the following week. He was a really pleasant, helpful doc who said that they should know for sure next week. I have to stay off Septrin for the next two weeks. Hopefully we will now see an increase in both the Neutrophils and Platelets.

This feels like a real step forward. Whilst Mary thinks the shops at the hospital are a good distraction she reckons she knows their stock levels better than they do!!!!! Spending nearly all of every Friday there is not a great way to spend the day. Even if I have to go for bloods every week and clinic every other week it means that we can leave at 06:50 and be home by 10 on blood only weeks leaving us with the majority of the day free.

Heamaglobin has gone up to 14.00 [norm is in the range of 13.00 to 17.00] which is amazing for me and generally I feel pretty good if rather tired on times. My weight has stayed the same this week which they were pleased with as it looks like I may have stopped loosing weight. This is partly due to Mary working very hard to feed me including a bowl of chocolate treats in the lounge etc. She complained to the nutritionist that this may be helping me but certainly not helping her!, apparently this is a common complaint of partners. My results showed a need to increase the tachrolimus tablets to 2 milligrams per day from 1.5 which is nothing to worry about but good to know that they are keeping a close eye on things. Also my kidney function is still OK.