So far so good

Well, yesterday marked five weeks since I received my donor cells and today my weekly trip to the post-transplant clinic threw up nothing more than 'you're doing very well for someone at this stage of a transplant, see you next week'.

I didn't get any blood counts today as the results weren't back when I saw the consultant, but I feel it speaks volumes that he wasn't too worried, and he even suggested that I didn't need a full consultant appointment next week just blood tests. Last week my counts were: white blood count 5.4 (normal range 4-11), red blood count 9.8 (bit low but up from 8.9 the previous test, which demonstrates some recovery so no more transfusions needed), platelets 227 (normal range 150-400 and mine were about 200ish on admission to hospital) and neutrophils 4.51 (normal range 2-8 and back up to were they were on admission). This has been remarked as a 'very good recovery' of blood counts, and also makes it unlikely (touch wood) that the transplant will fail now. Yes we found out that even after engraftment it is possible for my immune system to fight back and get rid of the donor cells and it is possible that the donor cells could just stop working! Incredible stuff going on inside me right now.

Obviously I am still within the first 100 days where acute GvHD can kick in at any point, but the likelihood of this happening decreases with time and so far I have had nothing at all (I must admit to secretly wanting a bit as it shows the new immune system is attacking, but the consultant said that no GvHD does not necessarily mean that the new immune system isn't going to attack the Myeloma - it just isn't that simple, there really is no telling what is going to happen over the next few months). But really no gut problems, no skin problems, no mouth problems. As I say so far so good.

I have been incredibly tired, but this is rapidly improving and I have stopped needing to sleep during the day already, and really things are getting back to normal quite quickly. Although I'm simply not able to jump out of bed when our youngest comes in at 05:30 in the morning like I used to! We've even had a day out at the beach, bit cold - needed a hood on my bald head - but very enjoyable and nice to do something normal. I feel like the more I do the better I feel, although I have paid for it the day after a few times.

My brain is still a little chemo-fuddled as shown the other day when I tried to cook a meal from a well known 30-minute cook book and had to give up as I just couldn't follow the instructions. I read them about three times then just had to put it away and make it up. It was really hot noodle soup, and my made up version was very nice actually, although I ate far too much of it which is something I am doing a lot. I think after 5 weeks of hospital food having nice food is such a treat I can't stop. Jo keeps telling me that I'm attacking my food like it's going to be taken away from me but when it tastes so good, I can't help it.