3 weeks til the transplant!

Since having a date for the transplant, i have actually felt more relaxed, this may seem strange as it is going to be a scary time, but it is also an exciting time as it is the start of a new life for me. I am still taking my mirtazapine (sleeping tablet and for depression) but i just feel like a weight has been lifted from my mind now i have a date. All being well i will  have my radiotherapy test dose on the 21st of September, this is because everybody needs a different dose depending on their weight and height etc. On the 23rd of September i will have my Hickman line fitted, this is a flexible plastic tube which is tunelled under the skin and comes out a few inches below the collar bone. It is used for taking blood samples and giving me all my drugs i need whilst in the ward, as well as after my transplant. This is done in order to make access to the veins easier and save me from having repeated needle stabs for blood samples. It usually stays in for up to 6 months after the transplant, this is because i will have to have regular blood samples taken and may need blood transfusions after the transplant. On the 24th September i will be admitted to the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at St Jame's Hospital Leeds. I will then undergo 5 days of radiotherapy. The treatment is given in split doses, twice a day and takes around 30 minutes. I will have 7 days of chemotherapy. I will undergo these high doses of treatment to kill all the leukaemia cells which are in my bone marrow so that i am ready to receive my donor cells which is on the 1st October.