20th January 2010 - The Royal Free

Today was a LONG day. I was picked up around 7am, and didn't get home until 9:50pm! Very tiring for me being just a passenger in the car with Shelley, but must be bad for Mark who did all the driving.

We drove down, parked the car in Brent Cross Shopping Centre, and caught the tube to the station nearest the hospital. Arrived at the correct clinic ontime, and was seen by Fran the Lymphoma Clinical Nurse, who is in charge of the trial with the Dr.

She told us a little more about the treatment, how it works, and whats involved with the treatment, recovery times, side effets, the logistics of the treatment, expectations etc.
I then had to go for blood to be taken to get 'normal' blood results, but also to test my blood for mouse antibodies, because apparently the drug originally comes from mouse antibodies!

We then met Dr Christopher Macnamara who didn't really have much to say for himself!
He explained the wait now is for funding from my local PCT, then I will need some tests doing (Heart scan, PET scan and bone barrow biopsy), then hopefully (if funding is granted) I will be having treatment in 3-6 weeks. (Fingers crossed please).

After we had met the Doctor, I went up to the 'lead lined room' to say hello to a fellow patient, undergoing the treatment I will be having! We have been talking on the Macmillan website, and it was nice to put a face to a name and have a little chat! (had to be little as I was stood behind a lead screen, and they don't allow you to be there for more than about 25 mins!).

I then had to go to the Pharmacy and get a prescription for some drugs that will block the radiation from my thyroid when I have the treatment.

After that, we headed back to Brent Cross Shopping centre on the tube. I did a little bit of shopping, we ate some food, then headed back to the motorway for the mammoth drive home!