Day 78 to 88

As always, you think things are going swimmingly, and then something else pops up to get in the way - recovery is a bit of a bumpy ride! I had my regular check up in Aberdeen on 11th and they were a bit concerned by some of my blood results so wanted to have a look at my blood pressure and blood glucose levels again. Blood pressure was fine, but my blood glucose came to a massive 26 - much higher than it should be (normal levels should be lower than 10).

This meant I was immediately referred to the diabetic team and I met them all the next morning. It was all a bit overwhelming as I was officially diagnosed as diabetic and provided with a huge amount of information about the two types of diabetes and how they work etc. Luckily, my diabetes seems to be steroid induced - so hopefully once I am off the steroids it will go away. Whats a bit of diabetes when you have taken on leukemia, rounds and rounds of chemo, a bone marrow transplant and a trip to ICU, eh? For the time being I have to take blood sugar levels 4 times a day and I have been given more medication to take - sometimes I think I am taking so many tablets that I might turn into a tablet myself.

The diabetes team are ringing me everyday to check on my glucose levels and they seem to think that the medication is working as my levels seem to be staying closer to 15 now. This is all good news as it does seem to suggest that this is something temporary. I am just trying to be careful about what I eat at the moment, but cutting out sugary foods is no bad thing as I need to get rid of these chubby cheeks that I seem to have gained from the steroids! (Although cutting out chocolate is proving to be quite hard... It's funny how when someone says you can't have something you begin to crave it constantly.) To help with these food changes I have been referred to a dietitian who I will see next week.


Apart from all of this, everything else seems to be going well - I'm managing to get out more and I am concentrating on keeping myself busy. I had a lovely Valentines Day with Sam, and a great, if very windy, day out with my parents in Stonehaven. My steroids should only last for another month or so, and once I am off them, we should be able to really gauge how my body has responded to the treatment - so not long now!

Day 57 to Day 77

This is just a short post to let everyone know that things continue to move in the right direction. There are always a few problems along the way, but generally things are improving, and I continue to feel stronger everyday.

I have been going to hospital twice a week - one day in Glasgow and one day in Aberdeen. So every Monday has seemed like a bit of a mammoth journey, as I have to get to Glasgow and back in one day. However, my Macmillan nurse has been amazing and has organised taxis for me every week, so I get to just sleep in the back of the taxi - which definitely makes it easier.

Every time I visit the hospital there seems to be small improvements, and they are very slowly taking me off some of my drugs and reducing my steroids by 4mg a week. They are only little steps, but its all little steps towards normality, which is great.

One of the problems which I have faced concerns my Pick line. If you have been following my blog from the beginning you will know that I've not had the greatest luck with lines - my first Hickman line lasted about three months, but then had to be removed just before my transplant due to infection. The next Hickman line then lasted a pitiful few weeks before it was removed and replaced with a neck line whilst I was being treated in ICU. So, the last effort was to put a Pick line in my right arm. Well, it seems that that didn't agree with me either, as my arm went all swollen and purple; unfortunately I have developed a blood clot, meaning the Pick line had to come straight out. I've had blood clots in my lungs and thigh earlier in my treatment, but these were caused by an enzyme injection, unlike the one I currently have, which just appears to be bad luck. This means that I am back on daily injections into my stomach to treat the blood clot, which will probably last about three months. It isn't too bad though - I'm just very glad that the blood clot was found and I can now be treated.

However, as I don't have a line anymore, every time I give blood samples (twice weekly), they have to take it peripherally, or straight from my veins, so I'm turning into a little bit of a pin cushion! Fortunately they made the decision this week that I may not need to give as many blood samples in the coming weeks as everything is going so well, so fingers crossed things continue to improve. Also my consultant in Glasgow suggested that I may be able to reduce my hospital visits there, which is great news - so next week I get get a relaxing Monday rather than making the 7 hour round trip!


Other small issues include my blood glucose and blood pressure levels being a little high, but this seems to have settled now, so I don't think there is anything to worry about.

Generally I have been feeling stronger everyday - I have been doing lots of walking around the countryside with Sam and have even been using my exercise bike and attempting some exercise DVDs! So, hopefully I will be fit as a fiddle before you know it.