While you were sleeping..

It's a topsy, turvey, surreal world I'm living in. While you sleep, my day unfolds. I write about it and retire to bed just as you are starting your working day. When I wake and have breakfast, you are probably eating your evening meal. It's in those precious few hours that follow that I can connect with real people back home before they go to sleep and the cycle continues.

While you were sleeping last night I spent part of my day going for a long walk through farmland that surrounds Bad Heilbrunn. On one of the many bus trips I have made to Bad Tolz I spotted an old run-down barn in a paddock, and wanted to photograph it. I hiked out towards where I remember seeing it. I also took a few 'shortcuts' that I came across. One was a horse trekking path that lead to a small village. From there I made my way to the main road and followed the cycle path that runs beside the highway until I came across the paddock with the barn.

Here is one of the pictures I took of it.

The walk there took nearly and hour, so I figured the return hike would be about the same.

There was a walking track that lead away from the barn in the general direction of home, so I thought I'd be adventurous and take that path back. It lead me through huge open fields, past farmers shed and barns, paddocks of cows that were laying down, resting in the deep soft grass. I walked through a small wooded area, down into a ravine, across a wooden bridge and out onto a road.

At the end of that road, not 100meters from where I stood, was my hotel. The time taken to return was only thirty minutes. I just can't rave enough about the vast network of walking tracks that criss-cross the entire region. No wonder everyone here looks so fit and healthy! (except those smokers at the Fachklinik, they only just make it across the road to the park!)

As I'm writing this, my room is being constantly lit up by lightning and the roar of thunder has not stopped for the last hour. A brief summer storm has been rolling past. Today the temperature was 24C, overnight it will be 10C. Monday was 12C during the day and Saturday was 32C. The forecast for this weekend is 7C during the day and 1C overnight. Have you ever heard of a place with such wild swings in temperature? It's bizarre.

9pm: I've just had a phone call from Dr Drasynki. He said he has spoken to Dr Kopic and they are concerned about starting chemo tomorrow with a platelet count under 100. He thinks they might have to postpone until next week when the Neumega arrives. I've explained to him that my platelet count normally varies between 60 and 100, and that it's only been 120 a couple of times in the last three years. We could be waiting a very long time. I've suggested I come in tomorrow for a blood test. Here's hoping for something close to 80. I'll be comfortable with that and push for a start. Less than that and I don't think I'll take the risk, I'm sure they wouldn't either.

It does take a few days for the counts to drop after chemo, but it would be a gamble to assume the Neumega is coming, because lets face it.. it's probably not going to arrive. Neumega injections should be started within 24 hours after the completion of chemotherapy and continued until a platelet count of 50 is achieved post nadir. It's so typical.. even the Goji juice I ordered from France hasn't arrived yet. During last years ABVD chemo it kept my count over 50 for almost the entire time. I really don't want to have to extend my stay here any longer then the 29th, when I'm booked to fly home.

Shall update you all tomorrow... fingers crossed for a count above 80!

..Ron