Chapter Two

So my two week holiday on the outside has come to an end and I'm back in hospital now for round two. I have had a very restful and enjoyable time off, although bitter sweet at times as I mentioned in my last post. I got some fantastic news on Friday; I was told that I am in remission! This means that the chemotherapy has worked and and the bulk of the cancer has gone. The plan now is to continue with one or two more cycles (after this one) of chemotherapy treatment followed by a bone marrow transplant. The challenge now is to find a suitable donor for the transplant; this is done by searching the bone marrow transplant register. To find out more about bone marrow transplants and joining the register, take a look at the Anthony Nolan website http://www.anthonynolan.org/

Chemotherapy, this time round shouldn't be as physically harrowing as it was the first time because they should have found a combination of drugs that work best for me. I am likely to be in for the same amount of time as last time, roughly five weeks. I have started the chemotherapy regime today and will be finished it by Sunday this week. The rest of the four weeks will be spent recovering and waiting for my counts in my blood to recover. I know what's coming and how it is likely to play out which is reassuring but I think the main challenge for me will be emotionally. It was really hard coming back in today because I had just got accustomed to being free again. But, it is what it is and I just have to trust that God will sustain me one day at a time; He has always been true to His word and will continue to do so.

Time will tell what's in store over the next few weeks, but one thing's for sure, regardless of the storm ahead and the pain I endure, it will be used for good. Stay tuned.