Tempus fugit...

Oops, I have left this a few too many days. Not a whole to report on the medical front, other than I feel absolutely fine and am enjoying my work. I have a CT scan at Ascot on Monday morning (they're helping ADHB out on this one) and then my next Haemotologist appointment is June 1st. I guess this will be a catch up to review proceedings thus far, and how things are lining up regarding the business end of the stem cell transplant and get her interpretation of test results etc.

It was a great relief a couple of weeks ago to get our business web page finally operational after having had just a place-keeper up for what seems like ages. Already we're reaping the benefits. If you want to check it out, go to http://www.50pluslifestyle.co.nz and see what you think. We've tried to keep things bright and breezy, fit and active etc.

Tomorrow we're off up to Whangarei to scope out the possibilities for having a Show there next April or May. There are 2 or 3 venues to check out and we just want to get a guage of where things are up to currently (not what they were 20 years ago).

Why does triangularly cut bread taste better than square cut?
Is it possible to balance a baked bean on its end?
If you made a life-sized paper plane, would it carry passengers?
Why do British people never sound British when they sing? (Unless it is opera in English).

Cheers
Bruce

Harvest Time (as opposed to Hammer Time!)

I went to NZ Blood this morning as arranged. They were all waiting for me and ready for action. All the blood donors don't arrive on a Tuesday until mid day so I was well and truly waited on hand and foot.

They all seemed to be quite impressed with my stem cell count of 98 (million per something or other). Turns out that the thresh hold I had beaten was 10, so I romped in. They took another blood sample and sent it off to LabPlus. Later in the morning the Dr came over and declared I was now 236. He said I could stop taking the GCSF injections now. I agreed they must be somewhat redundant.

Because the concentration was higher, they could shorten the harvesting process by a couple of hours and still get way more than they needed.

I felt absolutely fine throughout the course of the procedure, not feint, not sick, not anything really. In fact, once I was finished, I chomped my sandwiches (made from nice fresh bread maker bread this morning) and popped down the road to the golf driving range at Ellerslie and fired off a couple of buckets of balls. It was a good chance to try out the 2nd hand driver I accidentally won on TradeMe and picked up only yesterday afternoon. I didn't bid/pay much for it and didn't really expect to end up owning it. No one outbid me.

If money doesn't grow on trees, why do banks have branches?
How do you handcuff a one-armed man?
Do dentists go to other dentists or do they do it themselves?
At a movie theatre, which armrest is yours?

Cheers
Bruce

Monday, Monday

Went in for my blood test this morning and had to come home to await the result. They called me back a couple of hours later with the results. Turns out the count was good and enough to do the harvest of my own stem cells for introduction back in later. As it happens, NZ Blood was unable to take me today so I have to go in there at 8:30 in the morning tomorrow. They said to take the GCSF injections tonight and tomorrow morning anyway.

I was somehow thinking it might take a few more days to get up to speed. The Dr I spoke with at NZ Blood last week said the total amount of chemo someone has is more the determining factor than whether or not they have had a good or difficult run with the chemo programme. Either way, I'm very grateful.

A kid was in the back yard when his big sister asked him what he was doing. He said, "I just buried my dead goldfish". She said, "That is an awfully big hole for a gold fish. He said, "That is because it is inside your stupid cat!"

A 92 year old Gramps and 89 year old Granny decided to get married and they were very excited. He saw a chemist shop and they went in and said to the pharmacist "Do you sell heart medication?" Yes. "Do you sell vitamins, Preparation H, pills for constipation, arthritis and incontinence pants etc?". Yes.
"Do you sell wheelchairs, scooters and walkers?" Yes, any shape and any speed! "Good, then we want to set up our gift registry in your shop!"

(Thanks Sally!)

Cheers
Bruce

Sunday, Mothers Day, etc...

We've had a nice today, vegging out and visiting etc. Went out to Whenuapai this afternoon to help wish LGM a happy start to his 83rd year and wish Nola a happy Mother's Day. My Mum was tempted to come but decided to stay home this afternoon in case there was an opportunity to see Sue, or baby Wallafice. I gave her her pressie this morning. Claire & Chris & Hannah came over last night and we all had a very nice time together. Rosie & Hannah both did very well. Joel has been away for the weekend but came in a little while ago with his Mother's Day pressie.

Drove home and (fortunately) remembered to take my two evening GCSF injections. I've been having a total of three per day since last Monday. Tomorrow morning I go into the Haemotology Day Stay and they'll check my stem cell and platelet counts. If they are over a certain level, they'll send me straight out to NZ Blood by Market Rd and harvest the stem cells there and then. I have absolutely no idea where my count might be. Given the fact that they gave me enough GCSF pre-loaded syringes to last quite a few more days, and that they told me patients often have to come in for a few morning counts before reaching the required thresh hold, I'll be pleasantly surprised if I've bounced back far enough by Monday morning.

Still, things have gone very well so far. Was very 'relieved' to move beyond the constipation stage this time around. It wasn't the chemo, but the anti-nausea pills that have the effect of well and truly gumming things up. Apparently, the next combo of toxic cocktails will tend to have a moderate laxative effect. Would be nice it it is the perfect balance to the anti-nausea tablets.

Thanks, Sally, for the clip from the NZ Herald http://www.nzherald.co.nz/gossip/news/headlines.cfm?c_id=1501135 saying I was in good company - with Elvis. Only thing was that apparently his constipation was fatal!

I'll update post once I see how things transpire tomorrow.

Why is it that no matter what colour bubble bath liquid you use, the bubbles are always white?
Is it good for a man to have an hourglass figure?
Does Leslie Nielsen stay 65 forever?
Do prison buses have emergency exits?

Cheers
Bruce

Next blog....

Hi again. All doing pretty well apart from the constipation caused by the anti-nausea pills. I'm soooo hoping it will pass, so as to speak.

We had a nice day yesterday driving to Tauranga and back and checking out the Homeshow down there which was in the Baypark venue we'd like to use next year for our Show. The day was marked by stunningly pleasant weather. Fortunately I had no problems with driving or nausea which I thought may have been a factor in the car.

Had a nice catch-up with Ray & Louisa Schroeder in the afternoon before returning home to a kitchen/family room and back yard which were all crisscrossed by wool, thanks to a certain Wheaten terrier who shall remain nameless! Amazingly, Jeanette has worked her magic on said wool and it is (for the most part) re-balled in the separate colours as originally intended by the manufacturers.

Went to NZ Blood Services today for a vein assessment in preparation for the harvesting of my stem cells in a week or 10 days or so. They were very happy with my level of veinity. I half expected them to cue that dreadful old 70's Carly Simon song and do a kariaoke rendition, but fortunately for me, I suspect both nurses and the Dr were all tone deaf. Small mercies!

More points to ponder...

Do sheep get static cling when they rub against each other?
What if clouds were made of cotton wool?
If laughter is the best medicine, who's the idiot that said "they die laughing"?
Why is vanilla ice cream white, when vanilla extract is brown?

Cheers
Bruce

Finished second round...

Speaking of finishing second rounds, I'm typing while watching the PGA golf from Quail Hollow, North Carolina (hello Jo and Victoria!) and have watched as Tiger has completely bombed out on his second round.

Fortunately, my second round of chemo seemed to go much better than his second round of golf. Apart from the tendency to nausea which the chemo brings (and the pills help take away/avoid) it is all OK. I feel good this morning. We may well pop down to Tauranga tomorrow DVWP.

Speaking to Sel on Skype last night, he informs me that Ridgeways' circus have been trying hard to find a new man for the human cannonball act. Unfortunately they have as yet not found anyone of the right calibre.

Do glow in the dark objects stop glowing when someone turns the light on?
Why is abbreviation such a long word?
Whose cruel idea was it to put an 's' in lisp?
What is another word for thesaurus?

Cheers,

Bruce
bbremner@ihug.co.nz