Hi everyone, hope you are all enjoying the lovely Summer we’re having, well, to be honest, I’m really not sure if it has been or not. I do know that today it’s raining. I always enjoyed a walk in the rain though, especially on summer days, when it stops apart from it getting very humid the smells are lovely. The last few days have been pretty warm which I noticed more when I was on the treadmill but if I open the windows at the front and back there’s a nice breeze that comes through the house and even seems to make the house cooler than outside, and on a warm day that’s welcomed.
Similar to the previous blog I’ve mostly kept to my routine, I’ve done my daily step goal now consistently each day for a few months now and have been able to read while on it too so been able to increase my reading again which I’m more than pleased about. Reading is always something I want to do more of but just never really seem to read as much as I’d like too, for no real reason. I think what “slowed me down” for a while there was that I was reading Catcher in the Rye which I struggled with again for no real reason just didn’t enjoy it much for some reason and despite going to other books and back again it just put a bore on books for a while. Then I read an underwater murder mystery one and it spurred the reading back into life again so have read a few books over the last couple of weeks again. Of course, the one this morning that I’m on is about bank robberies, I just got to a really good point when the time was up on the treadmill and will no doubt spend extra time reading today to get through the good part.
I picked up a load of books from a local charity shop back in Feb so I’ve plenty to get through and a few I know I’m after which I’ve still to order through a friends bookshop but it’s a bit more out of the way, will order them eventually, but I know when I go into hospital I’ll not be able to do much reading if it’s anything like the last time getting the transplant. Will most likely spend the time watching TV and films thankfully with Virgin I’ll be able to access everything through the Tablet and Chromebook tethering through my phone.
I got a call about coming up to the hospital to get the first of a few tests for the build-up to the BMT, I had to order some more of the anti-fungal tablets and ended up getting the liquid form. A couple of days after getting that I “worked out” how long it would last and I read the 40mg/ml and 15 ml x3 a day I worked it to be the 4 bottles would only last the 10 days or so. But after ordering more and getting the tablets I discovered that the bottle was lasting longer than a couple of days then read it properly and it actually contains 100ml or something in each bottle and will last for a week, numpty, at least the tablets will last longer and they will be used anyway. Still, numpty.
So I got the tablets while I was getting the BTM tests done, one was a covid test and another tissue match test and something else as well, there were 4 bottles and the swabs for covid. It’s been near a week and I haven’t heard anything so I can only guess that it came back as all clear. On Wednesday I did say to the nurse about my neck, on the Saturday I felt a tweak possibly, or just noticed a pain/uncomfortableness in my neck and since then it’s been more and more noticeable and by Tuesday I had noticed there was swelling. The mornings, I can’t remember from exactly when I’ve been feeling a bit rough and seemingly after taking my tablets it seems to settle and seem to be ok the rest of the day, but this seems to be getting gradually worse and worse. Last Saturday I woke up and whatever angle I was lying in I just seemed to feel my neck and noticed a swollen node, it wasn’t massive, pea-sized but very noticeable and the swelling in my neck was a lot worse than what it had been and very visible even without actually looking for it.
Saturday morning I felt very rough compared to what I had been. I was toying with the idea of phoning the hospital but thought it would be best holding fire to see how it progressed through the day and again after taking my tablets the aches and unwellness seemed to settled as normal and by the evening felt grand again. The lump stayed and also the swelling, Sunday morning the same again lump still there and the swelling still and felt rough again, I thought it best to phone the hospital and see what they had to say, very little they can do on a normal day nevermind on a Sunday so it was more a heads up for them before I went up on Wednesday for the normal appointment and that was the case, they are going to have a chat about it today and let me know if there is anything I need to do but haven’t heard anything. There is very little they would want to do without getting an idea of it first and getting a feel at it so doubt anything will happen before Wed, which I was expecting anyway, but at least they know now.
The feelings in the morning are similar to what I felt a year ago, I had a few swollen nodes over the months but none showed as cancerous when tested, so it could just be a node that keeps getting blocked and making me feel that way. After my tablets maybe an hour or two, I get a wave of heat rushing through me and get a lot warmer. I can only describe it very badly, that it’s like inside is the oven and my body’s the kitchen, the oven is on and warm and when I take my tablets it opens the oven door and then the kitchen warms up. I’m sure there’s a better analogy than that. The accumulation of sore neck, sore back, sore chest, dodgy stomach, drowsiness and fatigue, it’s all a bit meh at best.
It’s quite annoying that it’s happening now so close to the BMT, but then better now than closer or during, but at the same time I’m getting a lot of tests done which will be able to rule out some things. At this point, it’s a waiting game. Hopefully I’ll feel a wee pop and then a sense of relief and it’s just a blocked node, but I very much doubt it will be as simple as that, wishful thinking though.
Until next time.
PS just as I was about to post this I got a call from the hospital and they’d like to get a feel at it so I’ll be heading up to hospital this afternoon to get it checked out.