Getting Off Of The Couch

About ten years ago I was running 5K on a regular basis. I had started as part of a plan to reduce my weight and lost over 5 stone over a nine month period. I was regularly running Park Run and my fastest run was just over 27 mins. By early 2013 I was running …

Matter of Routine

I have settled into the routine. Each Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening I get dropped off at 6pm for a 4 hour session of dialysis. At a time which varies but is usually between 10:30pm and 11:30pm I get picked up and go home to sleep. Those of you who are mathematically minded will notice …

Churchill Transfer and Tesio Lines

I’ve been unwell for a few days now. This first manifested at dialysis last Wednesday and again on Friday when I had uncontrollable shivers. Bloods were taken and cultured, I was admitted to MKUH, where I stayed until yesterday. At the weekend the bloods taken from my line, and from my arm were grown to …

Infection

I have been admitted to MKUH following a bout of gastroenteritis which left me feeling very unwell. It possibly started on Monday when my Tesier Line became very sore. The first symptoms came Wednesday when during dialysis I suddenly became extremely cold and started shivering uncontrollably. This lasted quite a while and led to body …

Reaping the Benefits

I am beginning to see the benefits of regular dialysis. With the Tesier Line Fitted and the pain subsiding the dialysis sessions have gone well. I have yet to do a 4 hour session- yesterday’s session was shorter as they had had issues with other patients which meant I started an hour later. It wasn’t …

The Longest Night

Today is the winter solstice. The shortest day of the year in terms of daylight. So conversely the longest period of night. My insomnia continues to be an issue and so for all but 18 minutes of last night I lay awake. You can imagine this ongoing sleep deprivation is shattering. I have three dialysis …

Under Attack!

The phrase “it never rains but it pours” describes the current situation in my family at the moment. This blog post is a bit different as it concerns not just me but many of those in my family. It would be true to say we are under attack. For those of you who share my …

Race Against Time

It’s now three weeks since my Fistula operation. The procedure has been a success and the scar is healing well. Unfortunately my health has deteriorated somewhat. My kidney is very much in the last stage of Chronic Kidney Disease. I have a GFR of just 3. This is a measure of my kidney’s ability to …

How Things Stand! – Big Changes On the Way

I haven’t been well for some time it seems. Since May my Kidney Function has fallen over a cliff. So much so that yesterday I travelled to the Renal Dialysis Assessment Unit at Churchill Hospital. This appointment was part of a process to Fast-Track me towards dialysis. I arrived just after 1pm and was promptly …

Batteries Drained

I can’t remember when I last felt this tired. No energy at all and I haven’t really done anything today. This Covid-19 is no joke! Having been double jabbed these are no doubt reduced symptoms- more like flu. However, the extreme fatigue is not pleasant. I still have smell and taste, otherwise the cough has …

I’ve got the Big ‘C’ ….. but not that one!

The diagnosis came through this afternoon. After months of keeping clear of it I have tested positive. Positive for Covid. I think it was inevitable - working in a secondary school in England, where we have few restrictions means that Covid is spreading. Schools are the new hotbed of disease and I encounter hundreds of …

Ill when you’re ill

I am writing this from bed where I have spent much of the past two days. On Sunday night I felt the telltale signs of an oncoming cold. I think normally I would probably carry on, but this time it has been different. The cold has 'knocked me for six'. The persistent cough and runny …

Headache

I have woken with a bad headache. Interestingly that in the last few months my general health has been good and I have had little in the way of other illness.  At the same time I have been much more attuned to my body. I think the fact you're being tested and measured on such …

Oncoming Cold

An itchy feeling in the nose. A tingling in the throat. There is no doubt about it there is a cold coming. Statistically people with multiple myeloma are 15 x more likely to pick up infections than those without. At this stage the symptoms are mild but I need to watch my temperature carefully - …

Two Weeks

Discovering the Myeloma