Friday, September 17, 2010

Rev-lite trial: end of cycle 5.

I was at daystay on Tuesday for my monthly Rev-lite trial consultation and Aredia.
All is well, all is stable, and test results remain in the normal zone, an uneventful medical month.
Cholesterol has returned to normal as well thanks to the diabetic diet.
The glucose reading is excellent considering what it was at diabetes diagnose. Thanks to the diet my fasting HbA1c % = 6.6
Perhaps I can now loosen up a bit and have some occasional treats.
I did have a pie on Fathers day, the local Green Bay Bakery award winning chicken and vegetable pie. I sniffed it, slowly ate it and made it last.
That ends cycle 5, now onto cycle 6.
I am now on my steroid dexamethasone 4 days a cycle which has made a big difference to quality of life. That's 23 days without it. Sleep has returned to normal except for those 4 days, the real Sid has returned. That doesn't stop me from talking to drivers who take the space between me and the next car or telling the footy referees of their mistakes.
Myeloma for me now is a series of treatment, remission, relapse etc though I hope the latest treatment is an extended remission. We use the theory when in remission do it now rather than later.
Therefore we are having a holiday in November, a 10 day coach tour of the bottom half of the South Island. We have previously seen the top half now we take in the remainder. Being a coach tour I can sit back to be taken every where and look out the window at the scenic wonders. We intend to take a scenic flight over the Southern Alps, Mt Cook and the glaciers as a big memory.
I am returning to work at Beca part time on the 20th, 3 days a week, 4 hours a day. There I am looking forward to the people contact and more brain involvement. More time depends on how I cope and work load availability, no worries about that.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great news Sid. I understand from a New Zealander we met in Oz that the South Island is just incredibly amazingly scenic (they could have been a tad biased). And have a fantastic time on your return to work! :D

rugbyhubby said...

Best of luck Sid - sorry to hear about the Diabetes. I was in the South Island many years ago, in Queenstown and loved it. I used to travel to Auckland quite often when living in Hong Kong but only to the South once. Got to see an Otaga/Highlanders match from the Refs box (it was a rainy, muddy day). My friends were in Qtown for 3 months on part of their motorcycle journey around the world. Great pix (and they took in a Bledisloe Cup match.) http://www.ultimatejourney.com if you want to look at some great fotos from around the world (we're in chapter 58 or 59 I believe.

Keep up the great attitude and enjoy the tour South.

Bill

Susie Hemingway said...

Wishing you a great holiday, must say it sounds fantastic. Also wishing you good luck on the return to work, even though part-time it will be a big test for you, I am sure.
Best wishes - keep well from us here in the UK.

Milly said...

Hi Sid,
Hear, hear for an extended remission. I have met a few people with myeloma recently so have given them the link to your blog for information and inspiration. You truly are a wealth of both!
Enjoy the holiday and the return to work.
Milly x

Sandy said...

Just stopping by to check up on you as I haven't heard anything for awhile. Hope work is going well and that your holiday was all you hoped for...

Sid said...

Thanks Sandy,
Taking a short rest from blogging to catch up on other things.
Always appreciate your care about other myeloma patients.
Sid