March 2009

Had a great few days in Spain - well the weather was pretty dreadful but the company was good and it was great. It felt really good to escape!
Typically, having been pretty free of infection since I left the hospital following treatment, I ended up with a temperature on the morning of departure. However this returned to normal after taking a couple of paracetamol.
The weather still being pretty cold, my husband Nick and I paid regular visits to the gym for exercise. Having always been an active person, it was amazing how uplifting it was to get back to being proactive with exercise.
My consultant had agreed to exercise as long as there was no risk of impact injury - particularly to the head so the gym was a good solution. I always wore a heart monitor to check that I wasn't over exerting myself but as it turned out I became too breathless to continue before I reached the point where my heart was overstressed. I took note of my performance and linked it with the blood transfusions and although at first there was a distinct difference in heart rate depending where I was in my blood cycle, this gradually evened out by which I assumed I was getting fitter.
I also took up yoga which in the past had not been dynamic enough to satisfy me but now I found that it rather suited me, a gentle building of core strength.
Towards the end of the month I was beginning to feel the effect of the treatment receding and to feel a little more creative - at least in my head - even if I hadn't quite got round to doing any of the painting and sewing I was thinking about!
By the end of the month I was needing blood (3 units) every 4 weeks and platelets every 7 - 10 days.