Karen's Catch-Up #17 - stem cell transplant part 4

So life at home goes something like this

• First two weeks - mainly in bed. Getting to the toilet takes ages, involves clinging to the walls for support and leaves me knackered. Can't get out of the (Hickman-free!) bath unaided. Still feeling sick - occasionally am sick. Still taking the caphosol just in case for the first week. Stop taking the anti-sickness after 10 days but that was too soon, so started again. am also taking Septrin to hopefully prevent pneumonia setting in - a possible side-effect of the treatment. This involves taking a pill the size of a big beetle (!) once aday, 3 days a week for 6 months. Visit Consultant - straightforward visit just to see how I looked. Fine. My Hickman wound is healing nicely. Stitches out. PET scan June time - have to wait til then for a trustworthy result.
• Next 6 weeks - Gradually get my appetite back. Various cravings for foods. About a month before I'm eating 'normal' 3 meals a day type diet. start walking - 50 yard shuffle with P at first. Breathless, wobbly-legged and feeling sick but keep at it. Buy a pedometer and build up to 10000 steps.
• PET scan June 1st - straightforward. resist the temptation to ask for a look...
• June 15th - Results. Remission Day! An excited couple of days telling friends and family but I find I'm more excited for everyone else rather than myself. Sounds odd maybe - but everyone is so relieved and it's nice to be able to give them good news and the chance to 'exhale' if you see what I mean. The scan show's that there's still a shadow but with no activity. Ideally you don't want any shadow - but it was soo big to start with, i've never anticipated it just disappearing. Probably scar tissue and calcification was mentioned (need to clarify that) but all that aside - I am officially in the clear!!! He doesn't want to see me til end of August. I was more wary  - scrub that - I got kind of superstitious about sharing the news on here because as coincidence would have it, I was due a smear test. Had the test, then waited for the results 2-3 weeks they said... Anyway, eventually got them and it was normal. So here is the news, haha!
• June & July - walking. Can do 10k now without stopping and have set about losing some of the excess beef that's accumulated. Lads' exam season and OU course have kept my brain in gear - very hard to concentrate at the start but it's getting better. Went to school on the last day of term to say hello. It was Leavers' Assembly for the last class that I'd taught; nattering with staff and kids was great; went to Y6 disco and did the obligatory Teacher Dance - no YMCA but the Macarena, the Time warp(!) and Oops Upside Your Head. Oh yes! Feared for my wig during the last one as it nearly ended up in the unsuspecting grasp of the girl behind me :) Lasted the day which I was pleased about and drove the 45 minutes home. Not teaching but a start.
• August - youngest is now 18 (made it!) and we had a party - bonfire, sausages, cake and sound system in the garden. Weather's been rubbish here since so my walking has faded to nothing for the last three weeks - got to keep it up...and start back on the healthy eating bit. Still can't drink red wine but for some reason cider works :)

Anyway, I'm back. Next appointment is on Tuesday. As far as I can tell, I'll be the first to know if anything changes (unless they get clues from the blood test?!?) and I feel pretty good right now so I'm not worried about it. Let's hope it continues.

Love

K xx