Week 62 -Blood tests in Tassie

This week was my first attempt at having blood samples in Tassie – and there were a few complications!  The local GP, Michael Lees took a sample on Monday but by Tuesday had rung to say the pathology lab needed more samples.  Another trip to Campbell Town (luckily only 15 mins away) and two more samples later the job was complete.

And the good news is all blood results were close to the normal range, including 3 of the 4 liver enzymes.  But the  most exciting result was the Haemoglobin or red blood cells (Hbs) which appear to be holding up well at 118 (the normal range starts at 130).

Results were as follows:

Hbs – 118, WCCs – 6.8, Platelets 105 (slowly sinking due to the Steroids), Neutrophils – 5.1 and Creatinine 101.  Magnesium and Potassium are now in the normal range (Largely due to the daily intake of tablets!) and the Bilirubin – 7 (4-20 is the key indicator of liver health).

I was very happy with these results – the clean Tassie air is obviously doing me well!

Another most interesting thing to come out of the blood tests this week was the comparison of the blood results from my first test in August of 2017 upon diagnosis.  The local Pathology lab only had these and this week’s results for comparison (Unlike the 100s that appear on the RMH summary sheet) and they made for interesting reading.

Have a look at the WCCs – totally out of control!  In fact when you look down the list most counts back on 29/8/2017 are out of wack being either higher or lower than the normal range.  Leukaemia is easily diagnosed with the haematology knowledge that I now have!

What a difference a few rounds of chemo and a stem cell transplant can make!

Exciting things

It has been fantastic returning home and being able to potter around the garden and sheds and farm.

First cab off the rank was a long bike ride with good friend Ross Williams.  Ross and wife Jo moved down from Wagga just before our arrival in Dec 2016. They have a beautiful farm on the edge of St Helens where Ross ‘backgrounds’ cattle for Greenhams.  Ross rides a BMW 1200 and took me touring down some of Tassie’s great roads to the coast – nice and twisty with lots of challenges.  I have pinned him down for a weekly ride!

On Sunday I popped over to see Ian Herbert and Catriona Nichols.  Ian is responsible for me purchasing my motor bike as it was at his suggestion.  He is still contemplating what bike he is going to purchase.  Cat and Ian have just taken on two beautiful Smithfield puppies which are  very cute.

 

We enjoyed a great lunch on Sunday at Milford with Tim and Maryanne Rhodes and Rob and Sally McCreath, followed by a farm tour.  Tim and Maryanne moved down to Tassie from Walcha 20 years ago and haven’t looked back.  They have spent the best part of that time farming cattle and doing up the historic Killymoon buildings.

Rob and Sally (who happen to be Lachy’s girlfriend, Hanna’s, parents) have recently moved to Tassie to farm beef near Deloraine, having farmed in southern QLD for many years.  Like us I think the climate was getting too hot for them up north.

Claire has  been with us for almost two weeks now and has been very unwell with glandular fever (EBV).  This has certainly knocked her around but she appears to be on the road to recovery now.  It has been difficult to convince her to take time off work being the diligent person that she is!

There is nothing like a good BBQ in the back paddock.

Even Sparky is enjoying being back in Tassie, although in this photo it looks like she is wistfully remembering her life in the city with Lachy, Milly and Fi- our thanks again to everyone who took care of her while we were away from Milford.

I managed another ride on Monday to catch up with Stewart Sutherland and two of his gorgeous daughters, Emma and Libby at their (somewhat huge) berry farm near Cressy.  Stewart is also in the market for a bike to join the gang.