Fingers and toes crossed for you all @Toadmum.
Why do we put so much pressure on ourselves for another Sunday with tinsel???
Peace to you all xxx
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Oh this is such a familiar story. Weāve had this a couple of times with dad. Temperature at home, drive him down to hospital and by the time he got seen in A&E he was fine.
Really glad to hear you managed to have a nice Christmas morning though and fantastic news that his various counts are coming back up. My dad has been off treatment since August and platelets are still low (although finally not needing transfusions now) and neutrophils only back up to normal at beginning of December. I think because of his age these things take much longer to bounce back.
Anyway, off to the hospital shortly to see how weāll be facing 2024. I hope youāre trip back there today goes ok.
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Hi @Ilona thanks for the update on your dad.
Please let us know how you get on at the hospital today?
I find hospital visits are exhausting emotionally, physically and practically.
Look after yourselves, I have to say it is quite blustery here today
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Hope it goes ok @Ilona 
.
We are just back from our trip this morning and thankfully, his bloods look great. Neutrophils of over 2, white and red blood cells looking good and platelets of 170 something so he was very pleased. We go back on Friday morning to do the bone marrow so hopefully itās been busy making good cells.
Very blustery and rainy here too.
I feel absolutely exhausted. Iāve done a lot of driving over the last 3 days and whilst weāve just got over the chicken pox, my son now has earache so he was up in the night a lot. A lot of napping for me this afternoon!
Lots of love.
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@Toadmum thatās great news. As dadās doctor said today āif the counts are going up they means the bone marrow is doing itās job.ā
Iām just back from the hospital and it was positive all round. Results from bone marrow test done at end November shows no sign of the Leukaemia. They said it isnāt the most sensitive test that can be done, so there may still be some minimum residual disease, but positive for now.
Heās having a blood test today and if he doesnāt need a transfusion then tomorrow theyāll take his PICC line out and move to blood tests every 4 weeks instead of 2 weeks. Next bone marrow test booked for March. And in the meantime we keep thankful for every day the Leukaemia hasnāt come back.
Hilariously mum grassed dad up and told the doctor heād been up a ladder cleaning gutters the other day. The doctor laughed but did advise that if he were to bump his head or cut himself with the low platelet count then it wouldnāt be good news. So hopefully dad has taken that on board.
But I think we can relax a bit and enjoy the panto we are going to in a couple of days. We all need a good laugh.
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Hi @Toadmum sounds a satisfactory trip to me health wise for your husband.
At this point I am worried about you @Toadmum I think, as you say, you must be absolutely exhausted as personally I find my exhaustion can be emotionally, physically and practically.
You are probably worrying about your husband and your children, you are physically juggling everything and practically going back and forth to the hospital etc. etc. I have just touched the surface. You have just got over the chicken pox and your poor son gets an earache.
Yes, napping sounds just what you needā¦for a start.
xxxxxxx
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Hi @Ilona sounds as if your dad has something to celebrate, I believe in celebrating the little wins.
Oh, I did laugh at your mum grassing your dad up.
Yes, enjoy the panto, a good belly laugh must be the best medicine.
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Thank you @Erica i appreciate it and promise I am doing everything I can to take care of myself.
We got the bone marrow results back and he is in remission, zero signs of leukeamia so we are very happy this afternoon. Next chemo starts towards the end of next week and then the current plan is for stem cell around February.
Taking a moment to be thankful for todays news and not over think.
Lots of love.
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Hi @Toadmum
Thatās brilliant news 
. Is that the result from the MRD test? Like you say, take that as a real positive and try not to dwell too much on what comes next.
Smiling here for you guys
Sarah xx
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Hi @SarahMum and Danae
A great big beaming back at you both, DDās xxxxxxx
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Yes thatās right! Heās (quite rightly) very chuffed and has given us a nice big boost ready for another round of super strong chemo.
Hope you are getting to spend some lovely time over the Xmas period with your daughter!
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Thankfully no news here, and he has still managed to stay home. This is the longest we have made it home in the last ten weeks.
The kids donāt go back to school until the 8th so hoping for another lovely few days where they can spend time with dad before he goes back in.
Grateful for this time that we have had, the wonderful news, to all of you for sharing your experience and providing your perspectives over the last ten weeks. It has been such a boost and tonic to me.
Happy New Year to you all.
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Happy New Year @Toadmum so pleased to hear you have managed to stay at home. Long may it continue.
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Hi @Toadmum what a brilliant time for your husband to spend at home with you all.
Happy New Year to you @Toadmum and your family. xx
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Canāt believe I havenāt posted in 7 days! We had an uneventful (thank heavens) return back to hospital on Friday which was so wonderful for all of us. Heās now on day 4 of 5 for chemo (FLAG) and should be done Wednesday when we factor in the last of the injections.
Starting to get some appointments for stem cell which is exciting / scary. Timings still looking like February ish, subject to hospital bed availability in the unit.
Kids a bit wobbly last night with dad being away but I think this was exacerbated by a return to school.
Hope everyone has a happy and healthy start to the new year.
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Great to hear from you @Toadmum an uneventful first week of the year sounds good to me.
Yes, I think children like routine and stability and they soon get back into it.
Look after yourselves.
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Hi @Toadmum
Glad to hear Festive Season went by smoothly, it mustāve been such a relief for you all. The kids would be over the moon having their wee family unit back together, albeit for a short time.
Good luck to your husband with his next round of chemo and hopefully the Transplant ball is rolling too.
Thereās so much to get your head round and things chop and change aswell.
Itās amazing to think that there is that amazingly, selfless stranger in the wings waiting for the call to donate their cells for your husband. Good luck with everything and keep us posted when you have time. Look after yourself of course.
Much Love x x
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Thank you - it was a real relief, in some ways just to get through it in one piece and put it behind me.
He has finished chemo now, and the stem cell ball is certainly rolling. Weāre waiting on confirmation of dates, and that will dictate if he has a holding chemo prior to starting the chemo in the count down to the stem cell transplant.
We have a confirmed 10/10 match (international) so now need to start thinking about that process.
Feeling a bit better in myself now that term time has resumed. I have been taking it easy.
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Chuckling to myself because I typed out a post yesterday which sat in my drafts which said āNot too much news over here, dare I say itā¦ā
We are now back in hospital as of this morning with a temp but managed to avoid going through A&E.
Friday spent a whole day at hospital while bloods were checked, ordered and then a couple of bags topped up. We were due back Monday for platelets but looks like weāve saved ourselves a drive at least.
Weāre back in neutropenic land on day 11 ish of cycle. Besides this, all ok & weāve had a nice four days ish of him being home.
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I shouldnāt laugh either @Toadmum, but this just sums up our journeys, doesnāt it.
I also like your positive spin about the drive on Monday.
It makes me think that the sayings ālive in the momentā and ālive for the momentā are so, so true.
I expect your poor husband is living on edge as he cannot control what is going on for him and he is probably worried about the strain on your shoulders.
How are you doing?
How are the children adjusting to the unpredictability of life and going back to school as well?
No more questions as I am sure that you have lots to do and hopefully you can get just a bit of āyouā time later on.
Good wishes to you all xx
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