Merry Xmas!

There was a time when I thought I might have to spend Xmas 2008 in hospital listening to the kind of fare pumped out by guys like the chap on the left (and indeed me in my mis-spent youth). But thankfully, mainly because it took so long to get some decent stem cells for a transplant, that is not to be the case and I'll have to wait a little longer to hear "Smashie and Nicie's Christmas Faves" on UCH FM, or whatever it's called. It's great to know that so many of you have been reading this blog and I've had some feedback, which I'll pass on in a mo. But on that point do feel free to leave me a comment here, even if it's only to slag off my prose style or laugh at my hats. So...that feedback. Apparently the blog up to now has been a little too "detailed." (This from a female reader) And Nik points out that if I fill the entries up with reams of technical jargon and complicated medical descriptions and little or no (pause) emotion I will alienate my female fan base, such as it is. Two things.

(a) I'm a bloke. We don't do (pause) emotion terribly well, particularly when we're desperately trying not to get in touch with our feelings about having a nasty disease for fear of what we might uncover.

(b) I like technical and medical stuff and it's my blog.

But before I have a queeny strop let me try and address those issues head on...


MY TRANSPLANT: THE STORY SO FAR.

I'm not well (which I feel just awful about by the way) and my doctors have told me to come to hospital for a few weeks for a transplant. On January 6th I'll take some strong medicine to kill my disease. This will make what's left of my hair fall out again (which I feel just awful about by the way) and I'll have to be careful not to catch a cold for a bit. The doctors will give me some stem cells from the freezer which will help to replace all the good stuff that got killed along with the disease. Then I'll get better and come home again, which will make me happy. And with a bit of luck I'll not have to see the inside of a hospital for a very long time.

Seriously though I'm sure when the shit does hit the fan in January you'll be heartily sick of all the whinging and moaning I'll be doing. Medically it's all been quiet, mercifully. I had an echocardiogram at the heart hospital and a kidney function test (the first and only time that I've driven into central London with 2 litres of urine in a pot) just to check I'm in good general health (ha! ha!). I've also suffered the indignity of having a long cotton wool bud stuck up my nose to test for MRSA. So all in all pretty routine.

I guess my next entry will be when it all kicks off so have a great Xmas and let's hope for a successful 2009.