May 2007 Archives

Isolation

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My Video Diary Part 6

Bone marrow transplant

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My Video Diary Part 5

Total Body Irradiation

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My Video Diary Part 4

Chemotherapy

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My Video Diary Part 3

Suppressing the immune system

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My Video Diary Part 2

My Video Diary Part 1

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Here are a series of video blogs outlining the major steps in my bone marrow transplant.

Thank you (Part 14)

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Throughout my illness I have been given the most tremendous support.

Firstly I would like to thank all the nurses, doctors and support staff on ward P3. They have been brilliant to me. Every time I have felt down someone has come in and cheered me up just by spending time with me or listening to me talk drivel.

I could not have come this far without them and I don't think I will ever be able to express my full gratitude to the team.

I also want to say thank you to my anonymous donor who has so generously given me a chance to live.

When I was diagnosed with leukaemia back in November it was like a huge rock being thrown into a pool, the ripples of which swept out across so many friends, family members and colleagues.

Their response has also been incredible raising a large sum of money for charities associated with leukaemia.

My friend Phil Driver ran the London Marathon for the Anthony Nolan Trust, in a pretty impressive four hours. He has also organised a big football tournament in Liverpool at which their will be a drive for new stem cell donors.

I hope he knows how grateful I am for all the effort and time he has personally put in.

Phil has now raised over £5,000 for the Anthony Nolan Trust.

Phil and Adrian at the Marathon

No going back (Part 13)

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I wish none of this was happening to me, but it is.

How do I talk seriously to my girlfriend about dying much younger than I should?

Readers of previous posts will know how important having children is to me, so do we go for IVF knowing full well that by the time they are ten I could be dead?

What sort of impact would it have on their lives?

What does Poppy do then? Getting any life insurance will be virtually impossible so do I bother?

What about buying a house - will Poppy be able to downsize if I die earlier than expected?

Should I ditch saving for a pension?

What about holidays? We both love to travel but I won't be able to go abroad for at least another year or so.

I wish we didn't have to address these questions, but we do.

anthonynolanshoosmiths.jpg

What would you say if I said stem cell donation differed little from giving blood?

You'd probably say something like, "Shut up Sudders, I'm tired of your online cancer whinging, and if I was a bone marrow donor someone would need to smash my spine."

I have a degree in Physiology, have spent five months in and out of a haematology ward, and I'm still staggered that I have only learnt what stem cell donation is really like.

There is a huge amount of confusion on the issue. I used to give blood but never thought about donating stem cells because I thought there was a slight risk of paralysis.

[ View my Video Diary on bone marrow donation here ]

Transplant (Part 11)

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"You do realise there could be up to a 30% chance of dying during the transplant process. This means for every 100 patients treated in this way, up to 30 could die."

Initially my brain screamed at the consultant that I was fully aware of the percentage concept. Then, as I suppose the doctor intended, that figure transformed into real people, who really could die, in real life.

I always hoped I would be able to avoid a bone marrow transplant, or stem cell transplant as they are now called, and just carry on with the cycles of chemotherapy. But this wasn't to be.

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