Quick update

Rosalind had a chimerism test done last week, and got her results yesterday - they were very good being approx the same as last time. Overall her donor cells represent 99% - which is very acceptable. We expect that she will now leave the monthly transplant clinic and go to a less frequent monitoring clinic. Mind you she has had a bad cold all week. I guess we need some warm weather.

I had an extra blood test yesterday, and it showed that my immune system had come back up to a more acceptable level. My platelets have gradually gone down a bit over the last few weeks so I will mention that at Kings when I go for a bone marrow biopsy in a few weeks - they can check such details much better from this analysis.

I also saw a dermatologist, who has prescribed a more focussed steroid cream which is already working well on the rash on my elbow.

On the down side Barbara and I spent most of the day doing accounts! Roll on Easter and lambing.

Minor glitch

When I got my blood results i found a few minor issues
1. I am neutropenic again, only just, but a pain. This is the first time for 8 or 9 months
2. My platelets have gone down by a lot in the past 4 weeks - so my blood will not clot as well - so no cutting my arm with a chainsaw
3. The rash I have had for three months has spread and has been getting worse.
4. And I have felt a bit more tired this last week than normal
So another blood test in few days to see how things are going

The good news is that
I have been working hard
A new steroid cream seems to be getting to grips with the rash
I feel OK in myself
Lambing for real starts at the end of the week
The new bio-mass boiler should start working at the end of this week or start of next
I will be having a bone marrow biopsy in 4 weeks at Kings, which is the definitive test

Meanwhile, lots to do

Roz is doing well. She ran a very successful felt training day at a local school last week

Regards to all our followers

Another week of chemo passed OK

Today was a bit different at the Hospital. I arrived early for blood tests, dropped the samples off in the lab, and went for a cup of tea. Within minutes the fire alarm went off and fire wardens scurried around keeping us all behind quickly erected barriers, the fire brigade arrived, ...

And of course all the patients and visitors were offering useful advice.

40 minutes later the all clear was given and I could go for my final injection.

In general it has been a good week. Most of the new biomass boiler is installed
The Tarmac experts redid the trench we had dug out for the pipes, and we jit managed to be ready for holiday guests - and all in the pouring rain

And our cattle passed their TB test

Clinic again

Roz and I are having adjacent clinics tommorow so will each buddy for the other. I then expect to start my 20th chemo round next week

Roz is running a felt craft workshop at our place on Saturday.

We have started lambing, have just passed our organic annual inspection and are half way through installing a bio mass boiler for the barn complex and farm house

I find I can do a lot more physical work before I need a rest now - I think pushing myself is really helping

Next time I will hit the magic 20

I had my 19th lot of Azacitadine a couple of weeks ago. I had to go back to Ondansotron as an anti-sickness tablet again as the others were making me physically sick. No worries, other than I am 67 tomorrow! But then I was not sure I was going to live this long two or three years ago.

Still one day at a time, but now with a sneaky bit of planning a few months ahead.

I am feeling well. I can do a 10 hour day, as long as only part is physical. I have been on the digger repairing fields damaged by flooding and idiots driving on them in the wet and creating deep ruts. Our new bio-mass wood burner gets installed this coming week - which is exciting. I have developed a new 'fluid' version of a web site for friends in a Farm Holiday Cooperative - this works on large screens right down to phones . Try resizing the browser window down to very narrow, or using on a phone. It was fun doing some computing again. I have my main website to do next, but am waiting for some new clever fluid indexing software that can manage the scale of my website.

Portlands - with lovely wool

We are about to start lambing in a few days. Three of our new rare Portland sheep should be first, then 76 Manx and Heb sheep, then the last Portland. They have all scanned 'in lamb' .

Easter egg cosies

Lovely vases

And Roz is doing very well - working hard. She has setup a whole lot of Felt Workshops both at our place and hers, and has some teaching work and other bits. She is also cleaning the holiday cottage for us - now that is an achievement given her lack of immune system18 months ago.