April 2014 - Blood Transfusion Day

April was eventful month...some good some bad. So I ll start with the bad ones!

It all started with one angry blood vessel !

I had some redness on my wrist. Redness seem to be around painful blood vessel. So I called oncology emergency line to check what to do.

The redness seem to be on my right side 

you can just about see it on this pic

Jason my lovely oncall oncologist on rotation answered my call. He recognised me straight away. Luckily he knows my history probably inside out by now as this was the third time I ve spoken to him regarding various problems. I have no fever so there was no need to go to hospital but if redness got worse or if I developed fever he advised me to report back .  

Also after my consultation with prof of  immunology who works at the leading cancer centre in London I started using LDN (low dose naltroxane) as well. This is medication used for drug addicts to help withdrawal symptoms but it seems like one of the "side effects" is that  it helps halt cancer growth or at least slows it down a bit and should improve your immunity. Its not licensed for cancer use. It might work or not, but since i ve got nothing to loose really I thought it was worth a try. LDN can cause variety of symptoms but some people have no symptoms at all.
Please refer to the website below for more details:

http://www.ldnnow.co.uk

 So after taking it in the evening I sat down and I anxiously waited for some sort of symptoms or allergic reaction to appear but I seemed ok. So I went to bed. My sleep has been a bit disturbed. 

I woke up the next morning and everything was fine but I ve noticed a tiny little petichiae      ( little red spots ) on my legs and arms. I should say this has got nothing to do with my LDN !

You can just about see little blood spots (petichiae)

 Last time I had petichiae I had problems my platelets. So I called oncology again. They sent me to haematology , first time I ve been there for a blood test. It took 3 nurses and 5 needle attempts to get some blood out of me ! Unfortunately, this is very common problem with chemo patients. Their blood vessels get destroyed by numerous chemo infusions and cannulation so it gets more difficult each time.

Vampires strike again !  

  I wish I had someone with me today but I didn't want to disturb my poor mum and ask her to come over again. 

While I was waiting for my bloods results I was seated in the bed opposite a lady with serious problems. That very moment, she was surrounded by the team of doctors and was fighting for her life and it put shivers down my spine. She is another cancer patient. She was having cardiac arrest and they were trying to resuscitate her. I was there to observe that. At one point they thought they ve lost her and her daughter and husband burst down in tears. I nearly started crying myself!  This is something so emotional for them, it almost causes physical hurt and pain. I can see it in their tearful, sad and uneasy to watch faces.
This is something my family will have to go thru one day, I thought and I could feel tears fall down my face. I had to look away and think of something else to take me away from that so real and such a painful moment. So I thought of a nice sandy beach somewhere far far away from here....

Soon after that my mum came down without telling me and it was so so nice to see her and not to feel alone. She got rained on and was completely soaked but she was here with me.

Doctors told me my platelets were 10 and I ll need blood transfusion. Ive asked to have a copy of my blood results and everything was so low and so below normal range!
My immunity cells, my red blood cells, everything was so low ....

They said my blood transfusion will be booked first thing in the morning.
To be honest with you I was afraid to go home as I was petrified of bleeding out. Slightly more violent cough or a nose bleed .... and I would bleed out I though ! I was really scared.
In my "reasonable" fear I kicked up a little bit of the fuss. However,  apparently it takes 5 hours for blood transfusion to be done and they couldn't do it on a day.
So I went home hoping for the best. Sometimes, I wish I never had any of the background medical training. It would be so much easier not knowing anything about the human body and how it works.

As soon as I got home all I could do is sleep. My energy levels were so low 

My friend Omar came to see me with his sister for 1/2 hour after hearing I wasn't so well. It was really cool to see them but I always criticise him for coming all the way down just to see me for half an hour. 3 hours round journey on a train is a long way to travel ! 

Blood transfusion day

I'm feeling very sleepy and tired even thought I just got up.  

In the morning of my blood transfusion I requested for someone more experienced to do my cannula . Mike this lovely consultant nurse came over, found a blood vessel with an ultrasound and did it all in a matter of what seemed like seconds and almost PAIN FREE wow ! It was amazing. My A+ blood soon arrived and off I go ! 2 hours per bag is how long infusion lasts and I had 2 and platelets as well. I was connected to my new fresh blood - felt like a hungry vampire ! 

Half way into transfusion my whole body felt so much better. I felt perked up and normal and my symptoms like a headaches and tiredness just disappeared. Wow I was so amazed. However it was really strange feeling having someone else's blood going into your body. Its like you re taking someone else's possessions and using it to fix your own problems. Strange feeling but whoever donated this bag ( those 2x 320ml bags ) I will be ever so grateful to them. So please be kind and  donate the bloods as person receiving it will be so so so grateful to you. You never know whose life you re gonna save. 

Platelets ( 35-40 mins) to go and I ll be as good as new 

             My bloods on the left
             and platelets on the
             right