Day -1

So here we are then, day minus one! Tomorrow (day zero)will see me receive an autologous bone marrow transplant. This means I'm getting my own stem cells back. These were collected a few weeks ago and frozen. Of course there's no point in putting decent cells back into a malfunctioning bone marrow. This is where chemotherapy comes into action. This morning I was given around 350 mg of something called Melphalan. Signing the consent form was a pretty surreal experience. I never thought it would ever come to this. I was nevertheless excited that at last after 6 months of living with the harsh daily realities of POEMS syndrome here was the 'magic bullet' that will solve my problems. And from what I have been told by doctors and from a lot of googling I'm convinced that it is. After all, the systemic problems created throughout my body and that of anyone else with this disgusting disease is driven by a faulty bone marrow. So the chemotherapy was necessary even though I was also partly terrified. Mixed emotions then!

My varied feelings about this were soon manifesting the negative side. Within an hour I had my head in a cardboard bowl, swiftly followed by several more cardboard bowls. I wretched for a good hour and I thought I was about to die! I didn't! A kind nurse shot some more anti sickness drugs into Me and all was well within minutes. I haven't been able to eat at all but have been drinking lots of fluids. Coupled with the fluids they have been giving me on drip, I've been peeing for Wales which is exactly what they want me to do. Day minus one has been Ok apart from the sick episode. It's sleeping pill time now. Onwards and upwards.