Are you in? Or are you out?

Well… We got up early and trundled up to Tooting, I gave some blood (exciting to be in daycare: it’s much more populated than isolation…) and had my dressing changed, and then waited for the results. And, to everyone’s complete surprise, my counts are up, high enough for Phase 2! The doctors were surprised, the nurses were surprised, I was surprised and you, too, sir, might be surprised. They really didn’t expect me to be coming in today, so much so that the doctors had to go and work out just what the plan was for kicking off Phase 2 – they hadn’t expected to have to think about it until perhaps Thursday.

That gave us time to go and get some food, though, and I had the most delicious lunch in a lovely Italian restaurant. This was an unexpected bonus, because I’d written off the chances of going out for a meal for a good long time (because I have to be so careful about what I eat, how things are cooked etc), but the nurses and doctors were fine with me going to a good, reputable restaurant. And it tasted soooooooooooo good. Eating nice food was one of the best things about being at home, and hospital food was probably the thing I was looking forward to least about coming back in. So it was great to make the most of good food before coming back in.

My old room was empty, so I’m back in Number 3, and that means I have the same phone number too. I’ve brought back some of the stuff I had in here before, but not everything, as it would have just been silly. If you gave me a book and it’s not here with me, it is just because I can’t read all of them at once: I may not have a chance to start it during this four-week stint, but rest assured I’ll get to it at some point! If you lent me anything, want it back and I don’t have it here (again because there’s only SO much stuff you can bring into hospital), let me know and I’ll get someone to bring it up next time they visit.

So, the four weeks of Phase 2 start tomorrow, because the doctors registered to give chemotherapy intrathecally aren’t in today (perhaps they thought about coming in but said “well, no chance George will have got his counts up yet, so I shan’t bother”). I get intrathecal one day, followed by intravenous each of the next four days, then a day off, then the same cycle, approximately. Oh, and chemo tablets every day, too. All fun.

My neutrophils are actually up to 1.1, which means I’m not neutropaenic (<1), though that’s still well below the normal level of 1.8. It does mean I am allowed out of my room, and they’ll let me know if that changes. I am still tired and don’t have enormous amounts of energy, and having more chemo is unlikely to help that, but it’s nice to know I can be a bit freer. They might be able to let me out on Christmas Day, which would be nice, though my family are going to be staying just down the road, so even if I can’t escape the hospital they’ll certainly be around.

Interestingly, tomorrow is Day -1. I’m not sure why Phase 2 starts in the minus, but will ask.