Livertastic

Today I got a look at my blood test results from last week. Very excitingly the particularly offending test result, the AST, has plunged dramatically from a concerning 70-something down to 31 - happily in the healthy and completely normal range. Other subsidiary numbers (ALT and ALP) have reduced significantly toward normal, and the bilirubin (yellow pigment) reduced to 22. I reckon there's a chance that today's blood tests might even see that lower still, but I won't find out for a while as my next appointment isn't for 2 weeks (which is also rather nice).

It is a distinct possibility that in a few days the hospital will call me to tell me that I can reduce the amount of immunosuppresion that I am taking, which would be really good progress. Unfortunately they won't reduce the steroids just yet - but probably at the next appointment.

I do have a really good time at clinic now. Ruby, the clinical-trial nurse, is really lovely, and we have a good laugh every time I see her. It happened that my doctor this week also happened to be the main doctor on the clinical trial - his name is Hector, and he's a really great guy too. I even get on remarkably well with the phlebotomist, and manage to carry on the banter even while he's doing his vampiric best to drain my entire arm of blood! I've had to promise both Ruby and Hector faithfully that I'll send them photos of my dancing just as soon as I'm back to it!

The clinic appointment was the icing on the cake of a really brilliant 36 hours, that started, yesterday morning, when I went in to school. It was a wonderful experience. Even the act of putting on my suit was quite exciting, and it only improved when I arrived. Everyone seemed really pleased to see me, and I had waves, hugs, and handshakes all over the school. I even had a group of my former students rushing up to me asking how I was and pleading with me to come and teach them - bit of a personality clash with my replacement I suspect rather than a specific preference! I had a really useful and fruitful meeting first thing, with a colleague who has been newly appointed as an assistant head. I then attended the breaktime staff meeting (by which time I was honing my response to 'how are you?' to a pithy 3 sentences. 

Rachel, the exams officer (who I share an office with) told me that I was resembling Tigger with my excess of energy, and I can entirely believe it. I think I talked at her fairly constantly for a good half hour, and I hope I haven't sabotage any exams! She said it was nice to have me back, though I suspect she'll be relieved when I stop bouncing off the walls...

I then had another really interesting meeting with another of the assistant heads and managed to cook up a whole load of jobs that need doing, and some very interesting ideas that I shall look forward to getting stuck in to before I go back in for another morning or two next week.

Finally I sat down with the head briefly who did his best to get me to take as much time off as I could possibly need as he said they had planned to not have me back until September. I did slightly poo-poo that notion, and suggested that it was rather more likely that even after the upcoming Easter holidays I would be champing at the bit to get on with things.

I thought it was probably wise to head home at lunchtime. Apart from anything else I'd failed to get out of the habit of running up and down all the flights of stairs to and from my office, so my stomach was a tiny bit sore - I really must concentrate and not do that! I went home and talked excitedly at my Dad for an hour or so, before finally putting my feet up for an hour. 

Later in the afternoon my sister-in-law Kathy brought little Patrick over. I'm not quite sure where the energy came from but we were soon having a little adventure in the back -garden that involved clambering behind trees, peering through holes in fences, and a great deal of getting slightly damp with the hose and the watering can. He's really turning in to a small boy now - the baby talk is fading away and we were having lovely little chats, and he was rather solemnly following my instructions on how to water the greenhouse, albeit with more water ending up on his shoes than had been intended.

I slept very well last night, had a nice lazy morning (albeit whilst starving myself as I have to do before blood-tests in the clinic), and even managed to do a few pressups, dips, and a few exercises with some light weights that Carole has. 

I'm writing this sat in my flat in Finchley Road, waiting for Sarah to come home so that we can finish off what's in the fridge before she goes to South Africa for a week's holiday. Another lovely evening ahead.

It's great being able to write such positive news, long may it continue...