I've been home since July 1st, having convinced the doctors that I was relatively stable, (well at least in physical terms. One should never attempt to define their own mental state ;)
I figured it was better that I was at home eating well and getting exercise than sitting in that hospital bed forever.
So two weeks have passed. I've spent that time very slowly recovering. It's a very, very slow process.
If I was at say .. 5% physical health when I came home, I'm probably now at about 7-8%
Yesterday I ventured outside for the first time and walked with the aid of a stick to the top of our driveway. If you have seen our drive you'd know just how much of an achievement that is! (150M and a steep climb at the end) I did that twice yesterday and once today. It completely exhausts me.
You wouldn't believe it but on the very first time I went on the treadmill after coming home, it went berzerk and stated running at random speeds from the 2kph I set it at to 16kph flat out and the stop button wouldn't work!!. Luckily my sister in-law, Becs, wasn't using her treadmill and I was able to use that.
I must say though that I am very proud of myself. I pulled the broken treadmill apart and had a poke around, decided that it must be a voltage controller circuit problem, found an integrated circuit on the board that looked a bit suspect as it had been getting hot. Ordered one off the internet at the huge cost of 5 for $4 soldered it in and presto! fixed!. I can only imagine what it would have cost to have it fixed by an electronics firm and it was just too good a machine to take to the tip. My school boy basic electronic skills still come in handy even after 35 years.
Anyway...I still cough a lot, mainly from exertion and changes in room temperature. Say walking from a hot to cold room etc. Worst thing is standing up too quickly. Not only do I get dizzy but my heart races then I get puffed and start coughing. If I take it slowly and let my blood pressure equalise by standing still for ten seconds or so then I'm OK. I can even walk for ten minutes on the treadmill without getting out of breath.
How much of my fatigue is from the illness and how much is from the anemia no one knows.
One thing that did come apparent from my five weeks in hospital is that the best specialist Doctors in the region/country also have no clear picture of exactly is wrong with me.
However the CT scan that was performed while I was in there did show that the lymph nodes in my pelvis had grown and to that end I am booked in on the 28th of this month for surgery to have a biopsy performed. This may be done laparoscopically or by a large incision across my stomach. They will decide on the operating table. Recovery time is four days if done laparoscopically or six weeks for full surgery.
From there any further treatment will be decided by the histology result of the biopsy. If it's Lymphoma then once fit enough and the surgery has healed it may be a round of radiation. That again will takes months to recover from. I'm not expecting to be back to reasonable health until late in the year. Hopefully Christmas. If it's not cancerous, then fantastic, we have a party, and I can then concentrate on my lungs, exercise and weening off prednisone. Again hopefully by Christmas.
This coming Monday I'm in hospital for the day getting a blood transfusion.
The last time I had one was one of the worst days I've had. Luckily this time Sarah will be with me.
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