The BIG Day

T Day (10th January) – Transplant Day

John wrote:

So I am in isolation and the big day is here.

And here it is  - roll on the drums - the stem cell transplant.
 

Note the pinky brown , highly distinctive colour – which has an uncanny resemblence to the cup of tea they refused me with my paracetamol a couple of days ago. 

No wonder they call them infusions. Just a slight worry that they have the right bag!

    

 But I should not worry. The nurse tells us, the cells were harvested 2 days ago. Air freighted yesterday. And here is the baggage label as proof

Sue wrote on 26th May
Interesting that 4 months  later my ears pricked up when I heard about a Stem cell courier on the 24th May Radio 4 Saturday Live
Saturday Live.

  

 

 Here is me getting the stem cells (Sue , I‘ve gone all fuzzy again)

 

Fascinating Fact 1 - It seems Germany is champion in the Stem Cell Transplant World Cup because they make  it a legal requirement to register your blood type. So they beat us again. Good job they don't play cricket

Fascinating Fact 2 – Once the transplant has engrafted (medical term) my blood group will be changed from O to B.

Transplant over, it's time to pick up some encouraging e-mails - see that ubiquitous cup of tea on my bed-side table. Always welcome.

I am now really in the depths of the ward.  Sadly it seems like isolation in more ways than one. I have a window in the room, but instead of the garden to look out on as i had on the ward, I now only have a brick wall.  This appears to have compromised receiving texts.  The e-mails can come in, but rather slowly, and only if the phone is balanced on the window sill.

Here is Sue, "dressed to kill", visiting me in my room, my window and my ubiquitous brick wall. Her turn to look fuzzy now.