Hey There Pop

Pickers!!

I am still around honestly but to be honest with you I have been using up all my energy and concentration and time etc to try and get through this last month or so.

I have had a number of problems really all of which are sadly not new as such but I suppose it is a part of my life now and in the future which I will have to learn to live with.

Well then where do I start??

I suppose the most logical thing would be my chest. Oh Yes, “THE CHEST”!! Well I have had in the last month alone 2 chest infections. One of which I am still suffering with at the moment. I suppose my chest will continue to be the main problem in one way or another. The first one a couple of weeks ago was down to an Asprigilis Bacteria which I have had a number of times in the past. It was treated fairly successfully with a course of the magic pills from the Wizard. Unfortunately the nasties came back not long after for the second attack, this time in the form of Candida again one which I am so so used to getting. This one is proving to be a stubborn little bugger and trying it’s best to be the end of me. He doesn’t know who he’s dealing with though!!!!!!!

I guess I’m a bit P****d off with this as I had looked forward to maybe getting some relief from the chest problems during the summer when it usually eases off a little, as I have found in the past my chest is usually worse during times of temperature changes and humidity levels etc etc and as such would be better when it’s warm and worse when it’s cold and wet. Sadly this has not turned out to be the case this year. The other thing is that I was hoping to use this time to build up a bit of general strength and fitness etc before the winter sets in but I haven’t managed it therefore I am in a worse condition than I was before I went into the last winter which is quite scary really when I think of the number of in patient visits I had last year due to infections etc.

I have started to use and in fact rely on my Oxygen supply a lot more too, which in itself is an indicator that things are not the best they could be at the moment.

Well if that’s not bad enough I had a bit of an episode about 3 weeks ago at the PUVA treatment. I had managed to get up to the staggering time of 2 mins and 40 seconds under the magic rays. It proved to be disastrous though because it actually caused me and in fact is still causing me problems so much that I haven’t been able to have any more treatment since. The extra time in there actually burnt my skin in a number of places making them really painful. Also, about 4 hours after I started to notice these small water blisters they looked like appearing all over my body but mainly on my legs. Over a day or two they started to burst and ooze this horrible looking stuff. They looked like I had in fact got some sort of infection maybe along with the burning from the treatment. Double joy for me!!!!! Unfortunately there is no quick fix for this and although it is getting a whole lot better it hasn’t cleared up yet enough for me to restart the Treatment. So alas as a result the GVHD is probably using this relapse to make up for the little it has lost since it started. I’m hoping to maybe get back into it within the next week or so. The consultant seems to think that maybe they went over the level at which my body will tolerate the Abuse they were giving it which is quite a problem in itself because if I remember rightly they were heading towards an optimum target time of around 4 ½ minutes which is a long way off yet.

I guess it’s a combination of all these things and more which is drastically slowing me down at the moment and wrecking my social life, (Like I had one already????). The drugs are adding to this as well. Some of which play havoc with the thought processes and concentration levels etc I have gone from maybe spending 10 hours a day on the computer in one shape or another to spending maybe 2 hours a week which is so not like me.

I have always taken great comfort from reading peoples comments and words of help and care along with other things such as surfing etc etc you know what I mean, in fact it truly has been a lifeline to me for such a long time now, that it is annoying that this “BLOODY THING” (Sorry Mother!!) is trying to take control of me. Hear I go again; I so don’t want to be negative as that’s letting it win which NOT an option.

Okay I am absolutely knackered now after doing this, which I hasten to add has taken me about 2 days to compile off and on due to the probs, I’m off for some hard earned rest and relaxation.

I really will try and keep it going and blog again real soon honestly!!

Hi to Mum and Ruth and Peter and Jacky and Vicky, oh this was a bad idea as I’m sure to leave someone out. I Know!! “HELLO TO EVERYONE WHO I’VE EVER KNOWN”. That should do it!!!

See Ya!!

Honestly!!

John