October 2007 Archives

One of the hardest aspects - after having hopefully overcome two-types of leukaemia - is explaining to people that this post-transplant complication is potentially just as life-threatening.

My new bone marrow has engrafted successfully. It is making new red blood cells, platelets and white blood cells - the cells that help fight off infection. Unfortunately, these new white blood cells are starting to attack my skin. If left alone they could attack other organs of the body including the liver and lungs.

Chronic Graft versus Host Disease (cGvHD) leads to the death of a significant number of transplant patients every year. If it can't be cured then the sufferer can be left with seriously debilitating long-term consequences.

The good news is there are a number of treatments now available. Many of them are cutting edge and more research is required to understand exactly how they work. The treatment I have just started also frankly sounds mental! It involves a kind of dialysis machine, chemicals, UV light and Rotherham.

I hope this post will explain in a bit more detail the nature of cGvHD and the treatment that offers me a 50% chance of long-term cure. On a personal note, I have to say I am worried about the future. I've just got this really bad feeling that I'm not going to fully get over this.

Last week when I realised I would need another three months of treatment it's fair to say it got me down a bit. The next phase is extremely complicated and not well-understood so I will explain further in the next post.

To boost my spirits I took a road trip to see more of the friends who have been so helpful to me throughout the last year. As I mentioned before, despite bloating my face and body, the steroids are actually making me feel pretty good, so I thought, 'Let's get away and do something positive'.

If you were wondering, the man in the picture is my good friend Horace Woollard - supping the elixir of life. He's 84 and needless to say is an absolute legend. Now you have the opportunity to meet Hoarce too, along with some of the other fantastic charcters I encountered on my A1 adventure down south.

I'm delighted to be able to tell you that the blog has won a prestigious national award from the Guild of Health Writers.

Baldy's Blog won best online feature award at a glitzy-do at the Foreign Press Association, off the Mall, in London.

I know everyone says it but I genuinely didn't expect to win. I had, after-all, been in hospital that morning for a check-up and things are not going quite as smoothly as I had hoped regarding the latest complication - but more on that another time!

I was told a while ago that I had been short-listed so Poppy and I were determined to make the most of our trip to London. Not winning didn't really matter, it was just a great opportunity to escape from Sheffield, get dressed up and have a really good evening. And that is exactly what we did.

Just when everything seemed to be falling into place I have had another kick in the teeth.

Yet again it's potentially very serious, possibly untreatable, but if it was anything less than that I am sure you would refuse to read on any further - and quite right too.

I have a suspected outbreak of chronic Graft versus Host Disease (cGvHD). As you can see from this picture it has attacked my skin leaving it flakier than a flapjack and as sore as salt and vinegar crisps on a mouth ulcer.

So sit back and let me tell you a tale of a red raw epidermis, high dose steroids and the undeniably homoerotic application of baby oil.

Hello everyone. There's been good news as you know, and unfortunately bad news too. It's been a difficult couple of weeks as you will have gathered from my previous post. I was also yesterday diagnosed with a case of chronic graft versus host disease so have been feeling less than 100% for a little while - just as it looked like I was getting back on my feet. Well, at least it gives me something else to bore you with at a future date!

I really wanted to take this opportunity to reply to some of the fabulous comments I have received regarding being given the all clear. I don't get chance to go online everyday but again the level of support has been incredible so here we go.

Andy Sage was one of the funniest and most courageous men I've ever had the privilege to know.

The 42-year-old Sheffield brickie was my best friend on ward P3 throughout the 10 months of my treatment.

He was one of those human beings who would light up a room and could get even the most miserable sods in there laughing. He was a massive character in every sense of the word measuring well-over six foot and weighing in, I'm sure he wouldn't mind me saying, at just a little over rotund.

Such was the size, strength and heart of the man he always, for me, carried an aura of invincibility.

When you're in a terrible situation, like anyone undergoing intensive treatment for cancer, you need people to help keep your spirits up and Andy did that in spades. His banter was incredible and wit as quick as any stand-up comedian.