I was due to have my latest round of chemotherapy on Thursday, however my platelet count was too low so I'm now scheduled to try again on Monday.
This is the first time that I've had to delay treatment due to a low platelet count, in the past the issues I've had with my blood have been caused by low levels of white blood cells. My blood counts struggle to recover following each round of this chemotherapy though my oncologist has told me that people who are on this drug for an extended period often have problems that mean they have to have a reduced dose or longer between cycles.
The hospital has now got approval to administer my chemotherapy using a portable pump (a 'Baxter Infusor'). So rather than staying overnight I will now be able to return home after the pump has been fitted. I will then have the pump removed once the chemotherapy infusion has completed. I'm really pleased about this as I'd much rather be at home eating Katie's super cooking than stuck in hospital!
In terms of side effects my most recent cycle has been ok, slightly easier than the previous cycle in fact. Having said that, I'm having more days now when I'm suffering from fatigue and feeling generally below par. The ongoing saga of the allergic reaction I've been having to my PICC line dressing hasn't helped with the fatigue as the irritation it causes has given me a few sleep interrupted nights. I'm still waiting to hear more information about my heart condition. I see the cardiologist at the end of next week so I should know more then.
Earlier this year I started doing some research into how I could photograph kingfishers. I found a couple of wildlife photographers who have a hide in a suitable location and I spent a day there recently. I was very lucky as the sun shone and the kingfishers were very active. It was as good a day as I've had photographing wildlife anywhere in the world. I'm rather pleased with the results so I'm going to indulge myself by sharing four of the photos that I took, I hope you like them (click on each image to view it at a larger size)!
This guy must look in the mirror a lot...
I think this would be a good one for a caption competition, what is that fish saying?
Seeing off a rival, kingfishers are very territorial...
Another pose...
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