Getting Started in hospital

 

So finally the day has come and I'm at Addenbrokes hospital in Cambridge UK for my stem cell transplant. That happens tomorrow, so today is just starting everything off.

I'm currently sitting in the Reception of the "Vascular Access Unit" (above), waiting to have a line inserted into my veins, for all the inputs and outputs I'll need over the next couple of months. I think its going to be a PICC line (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter), where they feed it through your upper arm and down into the Superior Vena Cava (which is the M6 of the blood motorway system). I'll soon find out.

I've also dumped all of my gear for the next few weeks at the hostel where I'm staying. It's very nice, and on the ground floor of a new block. I even brought fish fingers for some good sarnies tonight!

Update an hour later: the line is now in, so I am rigged up for easy extraction or insertion of liquids. No more big stuff today so I'll go back to the hostel and make it pretty. Will update this before posting 

Update later: have been in Haematology for about an hour waiting for blood results but have been talking to two very interesting fellow myeloma-sufferers, one of whom was telling me about working in Finland back in the 80s and 90s. Turns out he used to go there to play Santa Claus in holiday resorts! That is surely a bucket list target!

Update final: I'm now in my flat and have feng-shuied it including a Christmas wall ( see pics) and tomorrow at 8:00 I'll be there to start chemo.

If you look closely you will see a little white African bead-fairy in front of my Christmas Cactus. And a single cracker (so I am guaranteed to win the prize!)