Week 11 – Friday – Sunday. Playing Tourist

On the medical front Friday was low key.  I met up with another infectious diseases doctor to try and determine if I am actually allergic to any of the myriad of drugs I have been taking.  This is because in the early stages of my treatment I got a severe rash on my back and then complete upper torso.  The doctors thought it might have related to the dose of allepurinol or perhaps the antibiotic Tazacin.

It is important that we try to determine which drug I reacted to as this could have an impact on my next round of chemotheraphy.  I will have more tests for this on Thursday.

I also had an unscheduled ultrasound of my kidneys on Friday as the doctors had been concerned about a recent drop in my kidney function.  They think the Ambisome might be having an impact here.  The tests appeared to be OK according to the technician but of course I have to wait for the doctor’s report for the final word!

My parents made the trip down to Melbourne from Cootamundra again this weekend and we shared a lovely home cooked meal on Friday with them, Lachy and his girlfriend Hanna and Ruth and David Thomson who had driven down from Wagga for the weekend.

Saturday morning saw a visit from Lisa McSweeny (a good friend from Sydney – in fact one of Jan’s bridesmaids at our wedding).  Lisa kindly gave me a ‘learn to draw’ book to help pass the time.  It was great to see her again looking so well after her own brush with cancer just a few years ago!

Jan headed off for a GGS ‘retreat’ at Mansfield – I think it was of a strategic planning type rather than the pamper weekend!

Sunday was a busy day with a boat trip around the docks and the Yarra river with my parents, the Thomsons and Rouches.  It was a beautiful day in Melbourne for this outing and thoroughly enjoyable.

We enjoyed a great fish and chip lunch dockside before I caught up with “Dreamy” – Andrew Sheridan, Jan’s brother and his partner Heather and three children Ned, Maggie and Jack.  They were en route back to Bairnsdale from a camping weekend in the Grampians.  This catch up was very brief as I had to head back to the apartment for my regular HITH visit – this time for bloods tests and IV hydration with Saline.  The Ambisome has been cut back to three times a week now.

After that we had a surprise visit from Graham and Josie Lean and their daughter Sophie.  I’ve seen Graham a bit in the last few months but haven’t caught up with Josie for many years so it was good to see them again.

Following that there were a few phone calls to family members and other friends to let everyone know I was alive and well and things were progressing as they should be.

Beanie Auction starts this week!

If you have registered an interest in the Beanie Auction (and more than 20 people did) now is the time to start bidding.  (If you didn’t you can also bid but it will cost you $15 regardless if you are the successful bidder – late expression of interest!). Bank Details will be published later in the week.

This is how you bid:-

Send me an email, text or respond to any post on the blog and tell me your bid for the blue beanie.

I will update people on the range of bids so you know where you stand.

The Auction will run for a week, finishing on Sunday week 12.