Ongoing tests today at the hospital have revealed some of the reason for the depth of tiredness of this chemo for me, I am officially no longer a red blooded man, perhaps a light shade of pink in more appropiate, I may even develop a taste for VW beetle convertables if it goes unchecked as Kenny has been encouraging for weeks. Seems like they set a safe minimum red blood cell count of 100 for us chemo heads, already well below normal, and my counts hit 81 yesterday, and were down on the prior day, so that accounts for some of the sitting down half way up the stairs kind of stuff. As a result I have to go into hospital tomorrow for a blood transfusion to keep me wobbling along above the minimum until my own bone marrow takes over. This is pretty straightforward for me as I have my "plumbing", so I just get cliped up and pumped in, but they need to look out that I do not have any sort of a reaction.
So I shall get a few more chapters of Fisk in, now at the Iran/Iraqi war during which the Iraqis suffered 10 times the US casulties in Vietnam, yet it hardly hit my radar screen. Ironically the US and the UK were strongly supporting Saddam as a "loyal ally" at this stage despite him starting the war, exoceting a US frigate and wiping out Iranian troops and villages with chemical weapons, which you guessed it, we sold him the bits for. No wonder it was a surprise when he had none left. Key lesson is the Iranian regium are tyranical nutters who have killed vast numbers of their own people, just like Saddam, and you really do not want to go to war with them as they really go for this "you get to heaven on an express train if you die fighting for your religion", truly frightening accounts of that war and the zeal of the Iranian forces.
Deputy blogger is still on a high from her photo op with Jack McConnell the First Minister and is now planning follow up correspondance inviting him to the Science Festival etc. We had a nice evening last night as Jim and Sarah plus kids came round and we relaxed with some wine (not much for me juicy water being my thing these days) and a great chat as the kids played hide and seek and murder round the house. It was good to break out of the social isolation imposed by the combination of not feeling so well and trying to aviod infections.
So today is "super saturday" in our Rugby series with three games in a row starting at 3pm, two of which are pretty interesting top of the pile being England/Ireland. That shall be the main part of my plan for the day and good relaxation ahead of my first ever transfusion.
Go Ireland !
Cheers
Gerry
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Mullah, are you on medication and sleep deprivation again? You're dangerously close to wittering.
And, what are you trying to do, get on the hit list of as many fundamentalist death squads as possible? It will be ironic if, just after being given the 'all clear' you are then assassinated.
So, that's the Irish, Iranians & Iraqis dealt with. What next, neo-Nazis? And does Fisk use the term 'nutters'?
Look on the bright side. Some of that blood you're getting could be mine.
Thus, it is only a matter of time before you morph into mini me. You'll drive a VW Beetle and approach all political topics in the same laid back, calm and rational manner.
Anyway, rugby smugby. It's men with the wrong shaped balls. Far better to watch Chelsea and Arsenal slapping one another. As long as Chelsea win, that is.
Nice to have mr grumpy back to cheer up my day, as my red blood cells have been restored by a transfusion yesterday I am considering a pick up truck and a dog to match my transition to full red blooded machoness, no vase carrying cars for me. Politics are however continuing in the radical direction as I read of the massacare, depravation and injustice in palastine on both sides.
However all of this takes a side seat to the general wobblyness which has turned today into a duvet day for me. I may need to organise on of our classic dinners in a few weekends prior to the next dive into chemo.
Gerry
Post a Comment