Friday, April 06, 2007

Day +1, Holding on

So this is the day after stem cell transplant, so far things are going comparatively well. My friend down the ward sent me a note yesterday saying that she had been on IV feeding and a morphine pump to cope with throat problems (she is on the same timetable as me). Fortunately other than the violent sickness when I first had the Melphan chemo I have been reasonably stable, I feel sick all the time but that is expected and should fade over the next few days, the key thing is that I have not yet had any infections which are the real troublesome thing. This will not last but every day that I can stay infection clear is another day closer to when my stem cells will be able to pull me out of the pit so the hole will be shallower.

Hence I am now paranoid about getting infections, I stay in my isolation room and carefully wipe down all the surfaces with antibiotic wipes in addition to the staff doing the same thing, When I shower in the morning it is with an antibiotic medical replacement for soap and after each meal teeth and mouth are carefully cleaned and washed out with special mouthwash. So we are touching wood and hoping the number of "clear" days I can put in can continue to grow before the inevitable infections take hold. Obviously visits are down to just Lee for half an hour or so a day as part of this strategy but Skype means I can keep in touch with the kids and others so the isolation is not too bad, I only have to cope with about another 20 days or so which is not too difficult.

Lee is going to bring in my old Tia Chi books as I think that practice which I gave up many years ago is appropriate for this next stage of my recovery, when I feel up to it at least. I really used to enjoy Tia Chi which I studied for a few years in Carlisle, the place our class met was an old warehouse which overlooked the town and so we would practice in silence as the sun went down over the town, a really good memory for me. I have noticed my bristles on my chin are growing back, they will fall out again in a few weeks, but the alarming thing is they are white! soon I will have a white goatee beard and a bald head ! Look out grasshopper here I come!

As an antidote to Fisk, and recommended by my friend Jim Buckley, I am reading Hannity "deliver us from evil" to better understand the US background to the decision and consequences Fisk saw at first hand in the middle east. The contrast is making my head spin as both make good points but its difficult to see cause and effect. As an example Hannity praises Regan for supporting the Afghan resistance with out mentioning the main recipient was Osama Bin Ladin via Saudi Arabia. The very important recipient of US aid in the region at that time was ...Saddam Hussein, to help him stand against, and eventually invade, Iran. Once this is all over I am going to write a summary of what I have learnt. Dr Scott my consultant has become a chum and is now going to buy Fisk following my recommendations (Title is The Great War for Civilisation)

So tummy is fighting back a bit now so I will leave the blog and retire to the loo before a well earned sleep, thanks for all the messages, emails and Skype calls they break up a pretty boring day.

Cheers

Gerry

4 comments:

Gerry Mulligan said...

A great Easter message Bill, you are right I am very lucky so far as the side effects are relativily small compared to the normal track record and the experience of folks in the unit at this time, no doubt my day will come but each clear day gets me closer to the end.

Freedom is a fundamental concept which we should support even if we like or do not like what folks do with it. In secular state of Palastine the folks there, after sixty odd years of occupation, repression, and economic starvation have seen little of liberty given to them by others, and are hammered at every turn if they try to take it for themselves. Lets hope some of freedoms plant can flower in that part of the world as it does here in sunny scotland and in the smaller enclave of N.Ireland.

Happy Easter all

Gerry

Anonymous said...

Hi gerry,
the russian trip was good. real life russians. i wonder what happened to all those charachters we met - good things, i hope. We should check them out for a lads weekend away one january.

Anonymous said...

Bomber Command to squadron leader Mulligan... sounds like flak over Dresden not too bad tonight. Reconnaisance says target hit; time to bring that crate home.

Gerry Mulligan said...

Rodger that bomber command, estimated time of flight 8 days then should be on the approach run home, order me a warm beer and a warmer barmaid to celebrate