I arrived at the hospital for 9am sharp this morning. Unfortunately my blood wasn't as punctual! The blood people had definitely set 2 units aside for me but they couldn't remember quite what fridge they had placed it in over night. Finally, after a poor porter searching the entire hospital, it turned up in a fridge in one of the surgical units. Thank goodness for that as I really didn't want to go home "bloodless".
The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. Just lounged around whilst hooked up to the drip feeding me someone elses blood. Played Nintendo, read, eat some food... usual stuff. My caring fairies for the day were Claire and Gillian and, as usual, I was superbly looked after with tea and biccys offered every half an hour.

I got a bit of s shock half way through the transfusion. A girl who has going through ABVD at the same time and pace as me last year came into the unit so I got talking to her husband. Seems exactly the same thing that is happening to me is happening to her... she is just two weeks behind me!
She had 12 lots of ABVD (like me) and was given the all clear (like me) after PET.
No need for radio (like me.... hmmmmmmm)
3 months later the routine CT scan show growth. Unfortunately for this girl it also shows new growth.
Cancer back, line installed, DHAP, stem cell harvest and transplant. (like me)

Now I don't know exactly how many new cases of Hodgkins our shared oncologist gets each year but it can't be many. I'd say 4. He must be devastated that 2 have to go to transplant. This is not how this disease should be responding to treatment. Guess what? I blame the lack of radiotherapy. I've now read over 100 German case studies and trials on the importance of treating Hodgkins (especially early stage 1 and II disease) with combined chemo and radio therapy. Why the UK can't accept these findings and insists on carrying out needless clinical trials in an area that has extensively been covered by the Germans is beyond me. Is it purely to fleece R and D money from government or is it xenophobia and jingoism because it is "The Germans" who have carried out the research and the Brits can't be seen to be following a German lead.
Pisses me right off!!

Oh yeah. Notice the piccy in the top left corner? If you are able to donate blood then please do. You don't realise what an altruistic thing it is that you are doing but it really helps save lives and will help save mine.
I'm blood type "O RhD negative". Unfortunately (according to Google) only 6% of the UK carries this blood type and there are only 2300 units left in stock. If you have the same get your arse to a blood bank asap!!!
In fact get your arse to a blood bank anyway.