Right since Sunday the following things have happened – I decided to do them as a list to aid reading (okay it was really for me so I didn’t have to link completely unrelated points).
♥ We ate tea at a friend’s Sunday evening – well more correctly I pushed my Fusilli Bolognese (sorry Margaret if that breaks any Italian dining etiquette ie, not using spaghetti) around my dish until it looked like I’d eaten a bit and the other bit had been retrieved from under the table after a piece daring leapt from my fork and landed on the new carpet leaving behind a trail of carnage on my T-shirt and trouser leg. I did sponge it off – kind of.
♥ I settled down on a settee and didn’t even pick up my knitting – which was commented on yesterday when I was informed I hadn’t looked a bit well then but looked better yesterday.
♥ My temperature Monday morning was 38.1 so I decided to go to the open surgery at our GPs. And why didn’t I ring the hospital some of you may be asking – or not – but I’ll tell you anyway. Because it was Monday, Mondays are busy, B is on holiday this week and I’ve managed to sabotage three out of his last four holidays with appointments or impromptu vacations at The Royal so rather than spend several hours there I thought we’d go to our GPs (who you will remember I think are wonderful) in the full and certain knowledge that if it looked anything too iffy they would send me along to the Royal.
♥ We left the house after I had managed to give Bud his ear drops in his correct ear, give him his antibiotic (more on that another time) but was wearing the trousers with the sponged pasta sauce stain, an un-ironed T-shirt and my night time knickers. WHAT? Look some people wear the same knickers (well not the same but you know what I mean) night and day, some don’t wear any either night or day {slight hyperventilation} but I like a sensible won’t show you up if you get knocked down by a bus, comfy fitting but not too loose!?!?!, doesn’t display a VPL (visible panty line) pair for the day and a comfier, slightly larger more outlandish pattern – flowers, the odd little bow, frog, little ruched bit (nothing kinky) pair for sleeping in when there is no chance of getting hit by a bus.
♥ I got broad spectrum antibiotics and told to come back if things didn’t get better – and I was informed I was somewhat cheeky when I enquired as to whether the GP had bought herself ‘Top Doctor’ cup (allegedly it was a present from a patient)
♥ Took Bud on short walk with B – napped rest of day so missed out on B taking me for new TV (ours is state of the ark at 17 years old and misses off words at side since most things are now in widescreen)…
New fridge freezer…
as that bowl (which is way nicer in real life) isn’t for decorative purposes but for the leak that it’s had for quite a few months now, and…
a new tumble drier because that muck on the top apparently isn’t going to remove itself! Okay so it’s really because it’s lost all sense of appropriate heat settings and although it does most on cool it still occasionally does a ‘hot as hell’ setting without warning
♥ No knitting but tidied up crochet Share a Square squares
♥ Tuesday – temp 38.0 but dropped to 37.5ish for rest of day, Bud, B and I had short walk, felt better later in the day
♥ Bud stood in his own poo in the garden and was ever so good at having his paw, washed, washed and disinfected, but was a bit traumatised at having his bum wiped, well it was more of a swipe as he battened down his tail tighter than a submarine’s hatch so I had to improvise (Addendum – this was before we knew it was on his paw!)
♥ Didn’t go to support group as temperature and anything associated with it was mine, all mine I tell ya! Had been looking forward to it – it was a talk by Blood Pharmacist (you know I mean Haematological Pharmacist but I can’t spell haematological)
♥ Did manage a little bit of knitting
♥ Phoned hospital this morning even though temp only 37.6 and I felt better than Sunday/Monday I felt worse than last night and just not right. Left home at 9:10. Got home at 15:45.
♥ By the time my temperature was taken it was 36.9 (for the love of dog), bloods were taken and we were isolated what appeared to be the Marie Celeste ward by which time I felt decidedly better and B put forward that we could go home. Attendant Health Care Assistant said we could, but did he really want to have to bring me back later in the week
♥ Did a little bit of knitting
♥ Saw junior doctor, and during course of conversation mentioned that it had dawned on me whilst I was sitting there that the way I felt was similar to the way I felt in February when the myeloma numbers jumped up and since it was 31 July the last time my paraprotein was measured she agreed to it being done once we reached matching lingo (serum immunoglobulins) and said she’d chase up this morning’s blood results
♥ Had kip – just to prove I wasn’t faking – B had been asking me crossword clues and I nodded off and then briefly woke up and asked him, to his amusement, what the next one was before dropping off again
♥ Health Care Assistant came to check on us and where things were up to and said that the doc had said that the serum immunoglobulins were measured on Friday so no further test needed today
♥ Doc came back later to say it wasn’t good news and that IGa results were in from Friday and it’d gone up from 0.65 ish in August to 17 something (sometimes don’t you just hate it when you’re right, not always just sometimes) and that my blood counts had dropped a fair bit since Friday
♥ We bumped into the transplant doctor coming out of the lift, who knew where things were up to, and he said that obviously where treatment would probably have been needed to reduce the plasma cell content of the bone marrow prior to transplant it would definitely be on the cards now. ‘Are they keeping you in?’ Slightly high pitched ‘No’ from me. Dr S said I’d probably see the consultant on Monday and he’d chase up the MRI request
♥ I take bad news better alone – B was at home when I found out in February that it was back but today he sat and leaned forward with his head in his hands and I had to ask him if he was alright – as did the doc – he told her to just deal with the patient and she (patient) would inform him later. And when I asked if he was okay while we waited for the lift when he answered ‘I just don’t want to lose you’ I had to fight back tears while entering a lift full of strangers.
♥ Although we didn’t eat out we got drinks and Eccles cakes in the cafe
♥ My Auntie Ann and I were supposed to be going to the Myeloma UK Infoday in Manchester on Saturday but when I asked the doctor if there was any chance I did have an infection I could pass on she pointed out that the bigger risk was to me with how my counts had dropped (although I’m not neutropenic). So if anyone is reading this who lives close enough to go I have three tickets up for grabs. Just drop me an email (feresaattenuata@yahoo.co.uk) or leave a comment to that effect and I’ll email you and they are yours – free of charge – well if you do me a little report saying how it went! Just kidding. Actually if anyone takes me up on my offer and does a little report I’ll pop in on here AND give them a free Myeloma Buddy.
♥ I also learned this week that CD/TV in the local ads in the paper doesn’t stand for compact disc/television but cross dresser/transvestite – which could get confusing especially if you were trying to stick one on your living room wall!
Feresaknit's Blog 
I’m not clever enough for a pithy reply, but it’s clear that we all wish for your continued presence among us, Paula.
When a star shines so bright, the hole left by its falling from the sky is dark forever.
We just can’t have that.
Flame on Paula and continue to quicken the heavens with your radiance.
Blessings.
Really not right to leave me laughing after the bad and sad parts of your blog. What is kips? I know knickers, I watched Bridget Jones Diary several times.
It’s a proven scientific fact that counts always get worse in summer. Well, okay, MY OWN counts are always worse in summer, so I simply don’t have any tests done between May and September, if possible. My personal scientific interpretation for that is that our MM cells get all overheated and pissy…therefore, aggressive and nasty. They settle back down when the temps get cooler in the fall. So see how your next set of tests goes…and take those antibiotics and get well soon!
I must say, Paula, that horrifying image of fusilli alla bolognese eaten WITH a cup of tea (plz don’t tell me there was any milk in that tea!!! :-() was too overwhelming for me. I may have to go lie down for a few minutes now to recoup. 😉
As for “kip,” Julie, either Paula ate the untanned hide of a small or young animal, such as a calf, OR she had a nap. After fusilli alla bolognese with tea, I wouldn’t put anything past her, but my vote is: nap. 🙂
Laugh away that blasted fever, m’dear!!! Hugs from Firenze!
I have a proposal: let B deal with Bud’s bottom from now on, OK?
Good.
What you really mean is that you have special nookie knickers, you can’t fool us!
And just BE WELL! There, that’s you sorted out, now where’s my knitting?
Hugs from the far north xxx
Sorry to hear things have moved on – you made me cry reading what B had said in the lift. It is the hardest thing for all of us isn’t it. But you guys will cope-you seem so strong.
Can’t do the Manchester infoday but I’m considering going to the London one in oct and if so will do a summary of that on the mmuk site. Depends if I have the energy by then!
tea = dinner
kip = nap
MM = pants
What else is there to say other than be well, Paula?
Don’t ever do that to me again, sniff, sniff. Fancy telling us what B had to say on the subject.
I think Ruth has hit the nail on the head re: your lingerie.
Knit, knit, knit.
There were tears with the test results, an audible sob when I read of B’s comment at the lift … followed by a bit of a snort with your CD/TV explanation. You are one amazing woman, Paula.
I like Margaret’s scientific interpretation and am hoping for better results from the next set of tests.
And to your friend, Frank .. ♥ what a lovely, lovely post.
We don’t, any of us, want to lose you, Paula… so here’s an intention we can all align with: we intend that if it takes an SCT to get your good cells back in working order, then so be it and all goes well with the team and with you and we intend you are out and about with proper knickers feeling better and better every day, this IS for the highest and best good of all concerned, so be it and so it is…whooooooooo! (That whoooooo part is to get the attention of the Universe so It knows we are serious!)
Hugs and hugs and hugs and GREAT empathy on the shutting-down-of-a-dog’s-tail. Where does all that power come from???
You’d bettter start kickin ankles at that effin hospital and get the info that we need to go whip up the right crowd to kidnap and line up in an orderly queue to help you beat this bas**rd MM!
Does Bud prefer Andrex and you only had Tesco’s own?
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