A Clever Machine

We've done our first week of two consecutive days at Addenbrookes for ECP treatment on his blood.

 Here's Col hooked up to the amazing machine they use. As you can see it doesn't hurt and  he is comfortable enough to nod off. The time taken varies between 1½ and 3 hours for different people, luckily Colin is one of the people where it works quite quickly, although we got held up both days waiting for a doctor to check him out and then  waiting for tablets to come up from pharmacy. But on a good day with no traffic hold ups it should be half a day rather than a whole day out.

Up until a couple of years ago people had to go to St Thomas' Hospital in London or a hospital in Nottingham for this treatment. So we are grateful that we don't have to travel any further than the next county.
 
The idea is to get the Graft versus Host disease under control so that his mouth isn't so stinging and sore and he can eat proper food again. Do hope it works, as being limited to high calorie milkshakes and juices with a few yogurts is a bit boring. The only catch is that it might take 6-9 months to work and we don't know how long he will be feeling well enough for the traveling.
Dates and times are booked for treatment in a fortnights time and the nurses said "do let us know if you can't come because setting up and running the machine each time costs £900!"

Once again how lucky we are to have  the NHS.

Weather forecast for the weekend is really good ....makes a change for a Bank Holiday. The  Middy in the War Years event just across the fields from us is on Sunday and Monday. Col is hoping to feel well enough to visit again, although it will have to be by car and wheelchair, rather than a walk across the field. Even if we don't get there we will hear the steam trains chuf-chuffing up the incline and see the flypast by a Battle of Britain Hurricane........ cancelled last year because it was too windy.


My other plans are gardening, another church visit and two car boot sales, all local and cheap!

Hope you all have a good weekend.......and avoid the Bank Holiday traffic jams if you are out and about in the UK.

Back Monday
Sue