26. NYE Bash

New Years Eve Photos: Matt & Kas; Stripey boys Col & Dawsie on vocals; Party girls; Matt & Darren rapping on the karaoke machine; Dawsie blowing too much hot steam...

After my Christmas present arrived from work in mid-December, both Kas and I were wondering what we should do with it. As you can imagine, in the booze industry, you're going to receive quite a bit of product as your present. We weren't complaining, just wondering who we should call in to help us "use" it and keep it out of the hands of me, a non-boozer. There it was set, we'll hold this years NYE bash at our new pad...it was a brave decision but in the end it was a good night had by all. The countdown went smoothly and the first few minutes of 2007 were spending bouncing up and down to the Proclaimers, singing "I would walk 500 miles". The neighbours were surprisingly unworried by the noise that we generated from the karaoke machine that ran for about 6 hours straight. Funny how they only bashed the walls when my mate Dawsie grabbed the mike and commenced his howling impression of Tina Turner...gold!

I think I can be quite sure to say that most people suffer some form of the post-Xmas blues...the parties are over and quickly it's back to work, the New Year resolutions and trying to work out how you blew so much cash over the past month. For me, it meant heading back to the Oncology ward at Glasgow hospital and have a chat to the docs about why my PCR tests weren't doing as well as they'd hoped. As my last post said - the latest result was 2.6%, about the same as the past 3 tests. This obviously called for some adjustments and changes in my health management...

I caught up with my Consultant last Wednesday as planned and the discussion was basically that my body wasn't responding to Gleevec as they'd planned for. Not the best news. Luckily however, before moving down the Bone Marrow Transplant route, two more CML drugs have risen there heads and given hope for Gleevec-resistent patients - me! It was decided that I will most likely move to the new drug Nilotinib (AMN-107)...it's been dubbed "the son of Gleevec". It works in roughly the same way but is considered to be 30 times more potent and carries practically zero side effects. Sounds good and it's something I'm quite keen to get started on - let's start smashing these Leukaemia cells down so that my PCR reads 0%!!

So, the next catch up at the hospital will be in about 3 1/2 weeks and hopefully these new meds will be ready and waiting. This hasn't dampened any of my enthusiasm and positive outlook - it's actually made me more determined than ever to kick the shit out of the remaining Leukaemia cells still milling about somewhere inside. I wonder where they're hiding?...they've probably taken up refuge in the extra bit dubbed the "Christmas pudding role"...damn icing sugar gets me every time!

As for now, I'll keep my head down and bum up, working hard to keep the Scottish booze industry cog moving firmly in motion. I'll also continue to use the Next Generation gym here in bonny Glasgow with Gav every couple of days...the weather hasn't been too good and has kept my mountain bike parked in the dark garage until Spring time comes around. Something I'm sure my mum, mother-in-law and Kas are extremely happy about...

*** If you get a chance, visit Shira's website at http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/inputSiteName.do?method=search&siteName=shiraweisbach

She's just gone through her 3rd Bone Marrow Transplant and this one finally worked for her - gold!!