20. Roller Coaster

Photo from Easyjet fundraising...
http://www.anthonynolan.org.uk/index.php?table=pressrelease&id=165&parent=0

I’ve been hoping this rollercoaster we’re on will just keeping on cruising along smoothly and we wouldn’t have to hold on too tight. I’d actually much prefer if I was the one not on the rollercoaster, just like I used to be, an innocent bystander holding the bags. But almost as expected, we’ve got to the top and the ride has to get a little bumpy before it smooth’s out again.

I know it reads a bit weird, I’m not one who usually looks at real life as a metaphor…but the bizarre news I got this week has only left me feeling that this Leukaemia experience is just like a crazy ride.

I had reported late last month that the great news had finally come my way – my PCR test had dropped to the ideal 1.5% and my bone marrow biopsy and FISH test came back negative. Great to see the Gleevec is kicking in and giving us a bit more hope! Only thing is, my regular monthly trip to the docs has left me more than a little confused…I got to hear that my PCR levels were now back up at 7%, and as you can imagine, it’s left me feeling a bit numb. We are hoping these new results are just a blip in the testing machine, as my PCR has been falling consistently since last year – and with a negative bone marrow sample, the results seems crazy. Also it’s crazy because this PCR test was done only 5 days after my 1.5% result came back to me…

So I’ve had another PCR test taken this week and those results should be with me in 3-4 weeks…it seems so long to wait to hear if the last test was a mistake! If it’s not a mistake, and the latest tests confirm the worst news we could hear, then it seems the only way to combat a Leukaemia relapse is to go straight in for a bone marrow transplant. This is a battle which I’m willing to take on but also something to be avoided if the drugs are working well in my body. As usual, we will keep 100% positive with which ever path we are led down and keep fighting these dodgy cells that won’t piss off out of my body.

Other than my metaphoric nightmare right now, everything seems to be going really well. We moved into our new pad on time, it’s been so good to move into a house together than we love so much. It’s also close to some very good mountain biking tracks which I’ve been trying to conquer lately. I’m sure I’ll fit into the biking scene eventually even though my bike almost came apart piece by piece on my first outing…

The aussie’s keep flowing into the bonny lands which is good to see. We had a great trip to Newcastle on the weekend when we went down to watch the rugby, Falcons v London Irish with a few of the guys. My mate Damo also came on down as he was over visiting the cloudy country for the past few weeks.

Also, check out Beefy's link on the right. Ian Botham (English Cricket Legend) is doing a huge fundraising effort in the UK to raise millions of pounds for teenage and young adults with Leukaemia (I'm still young!). I'll be helping him out on Monday the 9th October, so go online and check it all out...

Fingers crossed I have some good news to report soon about the latest results in the coming weeks – the 7% PCR still doesn’t add up, so let’s hope the latest test done today will fill in a few pieces of the puzzle. Thanks for the messages and emails – they’re brilliant, keep them rolling in!