Saturday 31st January

Just back tonight from supper with lovely friends, celebrating a birthday - Not one with an 0 at the end, that's next year, and I'm sorry but it has to be mentioned as he has continually taken the mickey out of me for being 'old' for years!!

He thought he'd start with a healthy salad.......Do you 

see anything thats 'green' on his plate?!

 Birthday kiss....

That was this evenings entertainment, but this morning hubby, and myself with daughter in tow (as she was the one who had 'signed us up' went to "Dog Agility " classes!

This involved driving out to St lawrence and mostly standing around in a windswept muddy field, (temperature -2, )trying to make our dogs jump over hurdles and go through hoops. That said, it was really quite good, but that's probably because Jessie was 'really good'... in fact the lady in charge said that for her first time she was 'fantastic'!! I was well chuffed!

Of course the more experienced dogs and owners were on a more advanced agility course, but that didn't stop one particular dog from leaping the first hurdle and then taking off at hundred miles an hour around the field. ( I've learnt that one of the 'rules' is if this happens and the dog comes near you, it is up to you to launch yourself at the said dog and stop him/her from careering around enjoying a free-for-all..)

I'm taking the snowy background off the blog, as so far there doesn't seem to be any... (famous last words).... but the wind continues to howl outside and I'm not sure how much more the flagpole can take, it has a serious 'bend' to it, and a little worrying that should it snap off it could cause untold damage to someone or something!

Friday..

Just back from a few hours of tennis at Les Ormes, and I've been told that no blog has been written!

P & E has also just informed me that he is off to bed..... and given me a kiss goodnight- to which the daughter looking disgusted told us to "Get a room", and as her father retorted "I have a room and I'm going to it!'

So, the upshot is that blog writing will have to wait until tomorrow...

Cant leave you without few dog photos..!

La Coupe

Tree/bush down at Le saie....

Thursday 29th January

Dog walking, exercise class, birthday afternoon tea with friends, and senior citizens evening meal....

That pretty much sums up today's events for me.... All of them very entertaining and sociable!

 Birthday girl ....

As usual KF is asleep.... we were obviously boring her.... mind you other folk have their eyes shut too!


Just back in from a lovely supper at the Moorings Hotel with lots of familiar faces, and my husband has just regaled a story of how, whilst he was walking back up the hill the wind was so strong that it nearly blew him off his feet..... that's no mean feat...but despite hiding under his umbrella and jamming his (Indiana Jones ) hat on his head, a particularly strong gust whipped his fedora off his head, whereupon it bowled off down the street with P&E vainly trying to scoop it up with his brolly!!

The kids told me about this little video clip that was put out today, quite amusing...


https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1112969725392752&set=vb.146505212039213&type=2&theater

Wednesday...something

P&E again.....sorry for that,  but if I don't start then our reader won't be getting much of an update this evening.

House now full of inflated life jackets....Dan has been doing safety checks....inflating them and leaving them to make sure they stay inflated...the joys of working on the sea.

Jack on nights again starting this evening....and thinking of changing his car apparently. In good Luce family fashion he's considering a Land Rover Discovery.... that will go well with all the other Land Rovers we have have outside. I think I may have to lay the law down....no more cars until some others have gone.....I know we have plenty of space "out back" but really, the rear of our property is looking more like the Waterfront car park every week. Between cars and boats...we could have a real good auction sale.

Jill has been badmintoning this evening....Bex starting to get stressy because she has her bookkeeping exam tomorrow. Jill has just informed me that she broke her racket this evening....more flippin' expense!

Snow is the conversation subject at the moment. Jill just back, AA here for a chat and we're talking about the weekend's weather. I've decided that, as P&E Minister with responsibility for the Met Office, there WILL NOT be any snow. It's far too much bloomin' hassle.

Our kitchen table is out of bounds....a big sign says "don't use this table"...Jill decided that it needed oiling....it's oak, and someone said it would be good idea to oil it.... Jill started, but the bottle fell over spilling said oil everywhere.....consequently we have a very oily table....far too oily to be any use for a couple of days...crazy or what.

The big job tomorrow (apart from Bex's exam obviously) is the swearing in of the new Bailiff. I have my (purple) ticket...which will let me into the Royal Court. This will be my first swearing..... I've obviously done a lot of swearing in my past agricultural life....but this is my first Bailiff swearing....another piece of history...that's two bits in two weeks....hold me back!

Other important events tomorrow include the Parish Christmas Meal for the older residents of St. Martin .... Jill and I will be down at the Dolphin at 6 (for 6:30)....at least we know it won't be a late night! ... but really good to see some of our "veterans"....and they do enjoy their evening out. Come to think of it, it won't be long before Jill and I qualify automatically.

Right, I'm off....I'll leave Jill to add a few lines before bed.

Nothing much to add, think he's said it all... except I'm annoyed about my racquet! Think it's down to all those miss- hits I do!!

Tuesday turn on

It's P&E here tonight...typing at the speed of a snail on beta blockers....well, that's according to my eldest. I might type with one finger....but i do use one finger on each hand.

There's lots of things to report...not that I can remember them all. Dan is on the phone....talking of going off to town (at this time of night?....his mother is sat at the table eating her supper). One of his good mates is back in Jersey for a couple of days (he's a doctor in the Southampton....how scary is that...Dan has friends his own age that are qualified doctors!!) anyway...he's now moaning that he has pick up three others on his way in....the fun of being a car driver, actually having a car that works....and living furthest away which means you have to drive past everyone elses house.

Jack and Tom both out tonight....Bex NOT revising her book keeping (well, not at the moment) and Jill, as I said, just back from a zumba class in town.

The really exciting news is that Dan caused a major malfunction of the house today....by overloading a row of coat hooks in the hall. It had always been a slightly dodgy piece of DIY, 6 coat hooks secured to a plank of wood and then the plank screwed to a not very strong wall,,,,,and over the past few years we have forgotten how weak it was. This morning yet another large heavy duty coat was not very ceremoniously added to the already overloaded row of hooks....the result was a very large heap of clothing on the floor, with dust, plasterboard and associated debris added for good measure. Dan was suitably unimpressed....so unimpressed that he didn't feel able to cope...and left said heap where it was for others to clear up....much to his mother's annoyance.

I've had a very interesting day...got in early and did some emails ...attended the switching on of the new Normandy 3 electricity cable...very impressive....then a lunchtime briefing about the dangers (or otherwise) of mobile phone masts...very interesting, and NO scientific data to show there a risk to health.....finally ended the day at a meeting with Jersey Water, discussing water quality for the decade to come....some challenges ahead here I think....we need to do better, and it's the farmers we need to work with on this.....I just hope all my farming friends are still talking to me in a couple of years time!!

Had another excellent day...dog walking x2.... yoga class...three excellent sets of tennis....and finished with a Zumba class!!!

Zumba class teacher!!! 

  

Didn't need to worry about supper for the family, that was taken care of by AH, two roast chicken pies .....with all the vegetables ready prepared. We do have such kind, generous amazing friends.. Thank you.

Nearly forgot to post this photo of my beautiful flower arrangement, dropped off by my dear friend RL.... THANK YOU!!

Monday 26th January

Not much to report today, except the morning was taken up by a variety of 'jobs', only broken up by a cup of tea or two with SW at Coopers in the Co-op, combining shopping with chatting!

Walked Jess on the beach this afternoon, and then had a great game of racquetball with AB...

Mr P&E has been out all day having meetings and talking to various members of the press.

The boys have been working in their respective jobs....with Daniel that involved walking Jess this morning, and working on a friends boat this afternoon!

Daniel has also taken on a new role of 'calorie counter'.... he told Tom how many calories was in his orange juice this morning, and he was only allowed 9 mini eggs tonight.. he is trying to limit his sugar intake, personally I think he appears to be targeting the wrong man!!!

We all enjoyed an amazing pot roast tea this evening courtesy of LT, so lovely to have a meal prepared for the family ( Daniel said it was far tastier than anything I ever make....) Yes, he is making his own supper from now on!

Sunday 25th January

Started off taking Jess for a long walk this morning, over field and down dale...whilst very carefully carrying a friends birthday present. I managed to deliver it safely to her house, without dropping it in any dog/cow poo on route, a feat I am most proud of, although Jess was not very happy.A lot of 'her' fields which she has been able to bound about in quite joyously for the last nine months are mostly covered in plastic, and the ones that aren't have either cows grazing or daffodils growing, neither of which she needs to be anywhere near... consequently a walk 'off lead' on the lanes around home can be quite stressful!

A rapid second breakfast consumed (peanut butter and mashed banana on toast) , an energy boost I needed for an energetic aerobics class......and then I was very pleased to go off and play another three sets of tennis with friends.  How great is that?!!!

Arrived home to find eight young people in the house, (admittedly four of them were mine!) , bacon sandwiches were being consumed and luckily I had left over muffin cakes that Bex had brought back to offer!

Showered and refueled I joined the rest of the family outside, but whilst they were 'clearing' and playing with toys... I decided to empty my compost bins and mulch... (sister/aunt take note!) I have to say I was not impressed with my composting skills... less of nice crumbly peat like compost more twiggy/grass/eggshell/clumps of newspaper mess!! Hmmm, note to oneself ...break up stuff into smaller pieces and STIR the compost. I think I'll see what my friend Monty says about it all !!

In between all this I had to stop and race indoors to baste the herby roast potatoes and get the fish/veg ready for supper, never a dull moment. You'll be pleased to know, I didn't get compost and food muddled and HANDS WERE WASHED, just in case you were wondering...

Jess helping to find sticks for the bonfire...

 MEN AT WORK!!!

 Team work no less..... anyone want any bricks? we have loads!!

Saturday Night.....

As promised photos!!

Smart attire for a black tie dinner...

Found a friend!

Beautiful morning yesterday in St John

Tractors ploughing up 'Jessie's' fields.........!

Lovely walk along St Ouen beach...

 Don't ask......

Jess..... 

Another cracking day weather wise, we tried to make the most of it.

Iced some cakes this morning for Becky to take to Highlands for her revision day, her Bookkeeping exam is next Thursday, (fingers crossed).

Jess and I walked down to St Catherine's cafe to grab a lift home with P&E man, by passing all the fields that she loved to race around in pre ploughing/plastic days!!

Steve and I grabbed our passports and headed out to Le Braye, we had some very important sites to look at along the sea wall between there and Kempt tower. Sensibly we walked into the wind and were grateful to be able to turn around and be blown back! We stopped enroute to brunch at 'The Line Up' , a tiny mobile hut that serves delicious food (ask for Angus burgers 50p extra but well worth it and are scrummy), I had an 'Ozzy' one (I didn't ask !) , which had lots of salad and beetroot!!!

Finished the afternoon with a  tennis match in St Saviour, fortunately the wind had dropped a bit , but the sun was still shining!

Friday 23rd January

I have strict instructions to write the blog post tonight, as I have obviously been shirking my duty as of late.....
Judging by last nights 'family' post ,  (and comments) posts need to be shorter, punchier and to the point!

I am feeling good, my energy levels seem ok, I'm not having any obvious side effects from the Chemo, (which is a real bonus) and I'm enjoying the beautiful weather. It really does improve most things if you can get out and about in the sunshine.

Last night's retirement meal went very well, very good speeches, and very emotional, I was lucky enough to sit next to DN, who made the evening very enjoyable.


Today I have enjoyed a lovely game of tennis with good friends, and as the PM was actually in the parish at lunchtime we went off to the newly opened Village Tea room on the Green. It ended up being with AA, Dan and Bex, and was already busy even though it's barely been in operation forty eight hours.

I'm writing this on Becky's laptop, so can't access photos, dont worry i'm storing them up especially dog ones!!

Lastly a special mention to the passing of a wonderful man and one of life's true gentleman NH, our love and condolences to ALL the family.... RIP

Blah blah blah

Apparently Daniel and I have to write the blog because the parents are out a fancy pants event.

The real reason we have to write it is because there will not be enough time after they have returned home for a blog post to be written.  This is because the typing speed of them combined is still slower than a blind man with only one finger using a typewriter that doesn't have a functioning letter 'e'.  The consequence of this is that at least 2 hours is needed for more than two paragraphs of text to appear on the page.  The fact that Dad frequently manages to delete what he's done and has to start over doesn't help.

I think I should buy him this book.  Shame its not his birthday until December.

This was my favourite review of the book.

Dad won't even need his glasses to read it.

Nothing interesting happened today i'm afraid, because I was at work and I haven't spoken to anyone.

Daniel tells me I eat too much sugar. Perhaps he has a point - i'm currently eating a chocolate muffin with a cup of hot chocolate.  I'll try not to care too much about my sugar intake until I get diabetes, then it might start to become a problem.

Wednesday.....

The ships that pass in the night passed each other again this evening....the third night in a row....I came back from town just in time to say goodbye to Jill as she went on her merry way to Rising Voices choir practice.....no doubt she'll come back home happily humming to herself....some random tune that has stuck in her mind....I should really have gone, but it's been a long time since I practiced....preferring to turn out on an occasional basis when they are a) desperate for numbers and b) when the tunes are easy to sing or well known. One thing she did tell me in passing was that she went to school (St. Martin) and did some netball teaching this afternoon...one happy wife...she does love her netball.

Consequently I can't comment on activities during the day I'm afraid...I returned to a fairly empty house... Bex out west in St Ouen (hope she has her passport), Jack "on nights" again this evening, Tom working late (again) and Dan "lazing around' after having another busy day out in the yard doing "stuff"....I can't bring myself to ask...no doubt all will be revealed on Saturday when I will actually be at home during daylight hours.

My iPad did something new today.....quite unexpectedly it came up with this message...."you appear to have a very busy day tomorrow with 9 events, your first appointment starts at 08:00" ....wow...a computer telling me how busy I am.... it's a shame the computer can't attend some of my meetings for me....it would probably make some better decisions!! In all honesty, how long will it be before all my meetings are by video conferencing? .....we could all stay at home in our PJs and have meetings via the iPad....then the "pad" could tell me "you appear to have a very busy day tomorrow with 9 events, you can stay in bed for your first appointment at 08:00"....lovely!

I returned home in a very melancholy mood this evening...today was The Bailiff's last day...his last sitting as President of the States....we had speeches at the end of the afternoon...a standing ovation and applause for Sir Michael (very unusual, as States Members always show their appreciation by stamping their feet and NOT applauding)...and as he left (usually there's bit of a rush as soon as the Bailiff gets near the door on his way out of the Chamber) you could literally have heard a pin drop. I think that we were all a little overawed by the enormity of the occasion....a genuine piece of history happening in front of us.....good bye to an exceptional man and an outstanding Bailiff. Fifteen minutes later we were all reassembled in the Royal Court for the unveiling of Sir Michael's new portrait....more speeches....more applause....tomorrow Jill and I have his official leaving reception at Highlands....black tie...more speeches...more applause....all absolutely and 100% well deserved.

Dan is now scanning the internet...our mini digger (that he was driving this afternoon) has overheating problems....in truth, the radiator has a hole in it....a BIG hole...anyway, he's now looking at mini dumper trucks ... "what do we need a dumper for Dan" I asked...for dumping stuff (I should have expected that answer)...."what sort of stuff Dan?"  .....I don't know, just stuff....we can load it up with stuff and dump it..."dump it where Dan?"...I don't know, just somewhere....."so Dan, you'd just dig holes, put the ground in the dumper and then dump it somewhere else"....yeah, that's the plan. Someone needs to remind me to take the key out of the ignition....who knows what might be discovered if we leave Dan on his own and unsupervised for another two days.

2 hours later....

Tom back, explaining why he's working late and what he has to achieve work wise between now and next Wednesday...all completely over my head I'm afraid.

Bex back...but off in the shower.

Dan now discussing life jackets.....and the benefits of crotch straps....seriously though, a life jacket without a strap down the back and back up under the crotch (of the wearer) and connected in front of the chest has been proved to be not much use.....and if you're using them for paying passengers then you need to get it right.

...and finally, Jill still not home. That means that she went from choir to badminton (I think)...I'm signing off now and heading for bed.... more tomorrow dear reader.

Tuesday 20......th

P&E here yet again....snatching a few moments so that our reader doesn't feel left out by a second blogless evening in a week. Jill and Bex are out at Oddsocks (The Wind in the Willows at the Arts Centre) and I bet they're glad that it's not the summer production at the Zoo....we're so used to sitting out on the blanket for the outdoor production with the proverbial smoked salmon sandwiches and the chilled Petit Chablis (I wish)...it's not a night for being outside...far too cold.

There was some good news on the medical front today...but, sadly, only from the cat. Billybob went for his 'checkup" and apparently passed with flying colours. We've been keeping him in the conservatory overnight for the past few weeks....far cheaper than having a weekly booking at New Era for his "post fight with the mad cat from next door" vet's visit. I'm sure he appreciates the (slightly) warmer nights.

Dan is sat next to me as I type putting a sim card in one of Bex's old phones....Dan has a mobile from the dark ages....Nokia or something....and has constantly refused to upgrade, or even buy a proper contract (relying on top up cards)...and it's been driving us mad for years....his inbox is ALWAYS full of voice messages and he's impossible to contact. Finally he's seen the need to be a little more contactable. So, this evening he has cut up his MiniSim card and reduced it down to a MicroSim card....then cutting it up further to make a NanoSim card....which he is now inserting into Bex's old said phone. I have to inform our reader that Bex has the latest iphones...and even her "old" phones are streets ahead of everyone else. In fact I suspect that her 'old" phones are still very much in vogue at the Apple shop. Anyway...Dan may soon be very connected...and always contactable....what a relief for everyone.

Tom still out teaching this evening...and Jack on night duty...we hope that Jack gets some sort of "shout" this evening (nothing too serious though) because it seems like weeks since he had something "proper" to do. It's a funny old job, a bit like lifeboating.....you don't really want anything nasty to happen to people, but when you don't get called for weeks on end it can get a little disheartening.

As for chemo girl....I can't really say very much because I'm not sure....even Dan (who's apparently been around and about all day) can't even remember. So I suppose that's fine...isn't it?....well, she's out in town for the evening...so it can't be all bad.

My day has gone fine...even though I was a little concerned this morning that I wasn't as well prepared as I should have been. In the end everything went very well and, so far, the voting has gone according to plan. More tomorrow, and I suspect we'll be there all day. Tomorrow evening I am attending the unveiling of the latest Bailiff's portrait in the Royal Court. Sir Michael Birt retires this week and, at the risk of repeating myself once again, can I say how we are all going to miss him. I know that we will all look back and say what a great Bailiff he was for us all during his time in office.

Tom just home...bemoaning the outdoor temperature....even with his super canadian coat that keeps you warm when the temperature is minus 157 degrees....and Dan has just started getting very stressed with the new phone....he's just downloaded an app to give him the local weather, and all the phone will tell him now is how much rain they've had in Berlin today!! ...you can imagine the reaction. Now he's got it working...25 - 28 knots outside apparently....southerly....not nice....rain from the south usually means LOTS of rain....but after tomorrow morning it looks good.


ODDSOCKS 'Wind in the Willows'- Brilliant....If you get a chance go and see it!

Monday....19th.

P&E here tonight....writing a few notes in case the chemo girl doesn't feel inclined when she returns from her badminton meeting...she's not playing tonight (apparently). When I left this morning (just before 07:30) I told her that if things went well I'd see her again at suppertime...and if things didn't go well then I'd see her at breakfast tomorrow.... I managed to get back just before she left at 19:40 so, as ships that pass in the night, we managed a few words along the lines of "how did things go today?"...there weren't any quickly told tales of woe to relate, so I'm presuming that there hasn't been any disasters. One thing that was interesting at breakfast this morning was that yesterday she took the last of her anti-sickness tablets, and first thing this morning she didn't feel quessy (?) ....yes, work that out.....the pills appear to actually have made her feel worse....we'll see if things are as good tomorrow...let's hope so.  

I should really be studying for the States sitting tomorrow....I'll go off in a minute and do some work...but there's a number of animated conversations going on amongst the boys that are just too good to miss. There's University Challenge on the TV, so that's part of the problem (isn't it amazing how you're feeling good...and then you realise just how little you know)....the other problem is that Jack is reading out the list of things that are for sale at the Glencoe auction on Wednesday. What do we fancy? ... another boat to add to our collection out in the yard (I don't think so)...a pallet of Jersey bricks? (not more bricks....we already have plenty thank you...but it would be nice to know what Jersey bricks are worth these days)....anything else interesting on the list?...Jack is now asking if we could use a "double, front unloading, horsebox"....not unless we decide to buy some horses Jack (and that's not happening anytime this century).

Bex has just told us that it's 0.7 degrees outside...wow....I'll have to get up even earlier tomorrow to make sure the car has time to warm up and clear the windscreen.....and also, did you know that when you get cold your blood gets thicker....and then you're more likely to have heart attacks and strokes....she thinks (!!)...nothing like trying to cheer us all up.

...and now the charts have just come out (in case our reader is confused, charts are maps for boat users...no roads marked on charts, but plenty of rocks!)...and Dan has the charts out so as to "discuss" with Jack how to get back to Jersey from Sark, in the dark, with no navigational aids on the boat.... apparently there is a way by using various lighthouses...but the general consensus is to either a) wait until you can see what you're doing in daylight or b) buy a boat that has a radar and a chartplotter.

Have you heard of "Little Hotties"...well, neither had I....Jill ordered a box full of them off the interweb...what? I can hear you ask.....well, they are small sachets that, when exposed to air, activate themselves (?) and get hot (goodness knows how....and our resident chemical engineer Tom has just left so we can't ask him) .....you put them in your gloves and they keep your hands warm....crazy or what? Apparently not so crazy if, like Jill, you suffer from cold hands and bad circulation....and her circulation isn't getting any better...I suspect that's because she's had so many blood tests lately that she doesn't have enough blood left to get to her fingertips....okay, joke over, but it is a fact that her circulation isn't improving (and it's never been very good).  I'll see if we can at least get a photo of said "Hotties" to post at the end of this blog...

......right.....thats my lot.... too much to do and too little time...I'm off to swot up on all the subjects I am going to be asked about during tomorrow's States sitting.... just like being back at school...at least I can't end up in detention, so that's one bonus.

Sunday 18th January

Finished my steroids and anti-sickness tablets today, pleased but now a little wary, wondering if the full blast of chemo will suddenly descend on me overnight! I have been told this evening that I look tired, that's ok though as its a 'healthy' tired!

Took Jess out for a walk this morning before a busy aerobics class, which finished about 11:30am. A quick lunch and then Steve and I went out west together, him to a meeting and me to play netball!
There was a course for beginner umpires and so players were needed to 'help' their umpiring skills. It was a good opportunity for me to be able to play with no real pressure. Thoroughly enjoyed it, even though it took me ages to get my head into 'netball' again, its been a long time, and I can't say that I moved around the court swiftly or with any degree of grace, but that was never my forte anyway!!

Luckily for us Tom and Dan had been doing yet more yard clearance and therefore had the assistance of their four legged friend, which ultimately meant we didn't need to walk Jessie when we got back!

Supper tonight was a family affair, but tonight we had an agenda....We tried to put together a 'List' of JOBS... as it seems that as everyone knows there is always things that need doing and of course each of us has their own opinion. It's fair to say that quite a lot of conversation revolved around money.....!!

View from Le hocq yesterday

Saturday 17th January

Two celebrations yesterday ...Nanny and Papa celebrating fifty seven years of marriage, and AB's birthday!

Now on a completely different tack....so far the side effects from chemo seem to be moderate, aching bones from the injection, difficulty in sleeping, steroids.  Queasy, especially in the mornings, ginger helps that to ease. Streaming eyes (and nose!) but manageable. I am trying to take it a bit easier on myself, for instance I did lie in this morning until after 8am, sort of sleeping.... I know my lovely friend is struggling with really rotten side effects of her recent chemo, and my heart goes out to her. What I have in comparison is nothing. I am still on 75% of one drug, whereas she has a whole dose of cocktails to take AFTER the treatment too. Tough going.

Also have neighbours who are off to the Marsden next week, and we need to see them and hopefully pass on some of our gained knowledge of transport/accommodation, etc.


Question...How many people do you know that go off to play tennis and come back with a whopping Shepherd's Pie and prepared veg?... Well, that was me yesterday and very welcome it was too, (tennis and Pie!) Thanks AH!

I've been doing some gardening the last few days, planted some broad beans (leaving them in the greenhouse to get a head start hopefully), and trying to tidy up the vegetable beds. Today I did some weeding and got told off, 'Head Of the Environment' said you don't rake the weeds when the soil is so wet as it forms a crust, EVERYBODY knows that....... Huh, I soon had him organised to pressure washer the patio...!

Two boys and one daughter were also doing 'clearing up the yard' jobs, that does seem like painting the Forth bridge.. no sooner has a load been taken to the dump yet more stuff seems to appear. Still the dog enjoyed 'helping'.

We're off tonight to Chateau Le Chaire to meet our friends for supper, hence the earlier posting, they have a regular twice yearly booking, and as they live closer to Guernsey than us, we take the opportunity to catch up with them when they come out East!

Lastly, the other neighbour who has been in HDU at the hospital with cardiac troubles is doing ok, out of danger and hopefully home soon if not already.

Friday 16th January

Sorry no posting tonight... Double dose tomorrow instead !!!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Thursday 15th January

Very wet and muddy walk at les Platons this morning...not that Jessie minded, before I left Bex eyed me quizzically, i thought that maybe it was my walking attire but no, It seems as if I had 'skiers' goggle eyes, and sandblasted cheek flush. So that'll be the steroids then.

I got away with the 'look' at the Pilates class though as everybody had red flushed faces from the exertion of the exercises!

Walked back in the house to be met with Dan holding a shower head (what is it with him and showers?) Apparently, whilst he was showering water was gushing down the pipe, and so he thought it needed adjusting, and tried to screw it up a little tighter....and it promptly broke and fell off in his hand!! There was talk of nipping to a hardware store and replacing it quickly, but as the day progressed he had other far more important 'stuff' to do. Consequently when PM walked in tonight the evidence was in the kitchen for all to see. "Don't worry dad you can still use it, the hose bit is ok, like a firemans nozzle"....PM's answer is unprintable..

After lunch met up with neighbour SH and we strolled the lanes of St Martin, thought we had evaded the short sharp showers but did get caught in a heavy hail shower, but we're hardcore.....

Got sent this lovely card, had to share....

Should have been a springer, but....

Snuggled in Jack's hoody..

Now for a bit of Charity publicity...

If you can't open it... its about a Sri Lankan evening at St Martin's Public hall, on the 7th March.

In aid of the charity Islands Friends Together, cooking by Dr Hima....

Save the date! I will try and sort out a table or two... let me know if you are interested!

Finally.... managed to remember my Neulasta injection today, and self administered..It seems to do the same job as G-CSF but maybe longer lasting and more targeted to the as and when needed approach... similar side effects though ..... !!!

Windy Wednesday

Those readers who live in the Channel Islands will understand this evening's blog title...come to think of it, so will anyone who lives in the UK. As I type the wind is trying it's best to rip the roof off the conservatory...and it will only get worse, peaking at 03:00 tomorrow morning at around Force 9 according to the lovely weather girl (who was stood, just, at the end of one of the piers down at the harbour to deliver the live forecast on the local TV News this evening)...and then slowly dropping off...but still pretty breezy for tomorrow. It's certainly one of those nights when you are pleased to have your boat well tied up in the marina...  Dan went to onshore lifeboat training again today, as this evening the crew have taken the boat to sea to "play" with the new electronics pack....a new direction finding system, interfaced over twin screens with radar and chartplotter...all very impressive...Dan certainly thinks it's "the business". Another new addition to the "tech" on the Lifeboat is the addition of AIS, a system that allows the position of the boat to be monitored remotely....the AIS system is also accessible on the internet, so we've been sitting in the kitchen watching the boat's progress around St. Catherine's Bay. They're back in now....the Inspector had apparently said that he wanted the boat put away by 21:00...a wise move.

There was some bad news for me this evening...I discovered a secretly hidden chocolate Father Christmas at the bottom of the cake/biscuit drawer. This is not good.....he has been transferred to the fridge to cool off (I love cold chocolate) ...and I have already reduced his height down to shoulder level. There'll be no standing on the scales tomorrow for me...or him for that matter..... the chances said Father Christmas surviving the evening do not look promising.

One of the reasons why I am getting away with stuffing chocy this evening is that "chemo girl" is out playing badminton....as you do....especially if you've just had chemo at the end of the afternoon. As Jill left I shouted to her to "BE CAREFUL"....I'm not sure if I meant to watch out driving in this weather or to watch out playing badminton so soon after being an hospital inpatient. There was no point in trying to stop her going.....best just make the most of a bad job and try to get her to behave while she's out. No doubt she'll post a few lines on her return....

Not much else to report...I had a long day of meetings, and another early start tomorrow...one good thing was that I managed smoked haddock and poached eggs for breakfast this morning....well, if you're being entertained at one of the Island's top hotels then it would be rude not to make the most of it!

A final thought is that Jack has left a note to say that all the chainsaws are sharpened and full of fuel...and out in the workshop ready to go. We hope we don't need them....but who knows what we might find when we wake up. I remember the night back in '87 when we woke up after the hurricane (I slept all the way through)...and it took Dad and I a couple of hours just to cut up the trees so we could drive the 20 or 30 yards to the main road. I spent two full weeks just cutting up trees after that night....we haven't had a weather forecasters telling is that we're NOT going to get a hurricane (remember Michael Fish)...so we should be fine.


I'm back!!

Summary of Jill's day
Cajoled Dan into walking Jess this morning, so I could be raring to go for racquetball at 9:30am...(mind you HE has told everyone that my Chemo is on Friday this week, and he thinks "i'm crying wolf anyway"..I keep going to hospital and not having it!!!)
Early lunch, and a surprise visitor SC from Gorey breezes in the door and steals the ironing!!!!

Late to chemo as bumped into neighbour whose partner is in HDU with severe chest pains (he is young(ish) and fit), so feel terrible for them both. All tests inconclusive so far, but he is in bad way.

Lovely nurse SD sorted me out today, we discussed possible veins to use, and she gave me a heatpad to warm them up, and was very gentle fitting the cannula, so all in all a positive experience today.

Of course I'm fueled up with steroids, so rather than bouncing off the walls at home, I thought I'd smash a few shuttles (actually I didn't play too well, but good fun anyway!)

Learn't something new about some side effects from Chemo, apparently the drugs can dry the body out, so in compensating it can overproduce fluid, which explains why I'm crying and blowing my nose a lot more than normal! Luckily I don't appear to be incontinent .......as yet anyway.....

Tuesi Fusei Sushi

I know...stupid title for today's blog...but I'll explain.

On my return this evening I was confronted by boys No.1 and No.3 making sushi....a "make your own sushi pack" had been purchased.....seaweed wrap...rice.....soy sauce. They had added spring onion and tuna (raw, obviously) and then rolled it all up.....slicing with a fish filleting knife. Excellent results....and then plenty banter about the speed that the belt runs at Bento (in town) and the cost of an evening out (apparently it's not half price off the belt midweek anymore....much disappointment) ...according to the boys it's about £2.90 for 4 pieces in town....well, there was a dinner plate FULL by the time they had finished....and that didn't include the (very) many pieces that didn't even get to the plate. A real result.....we're all stuffed.

AA arrived just as we were consuming the sushi....we all sat down for chat...and then I got this laptop out to show her the latest (short) video from Jersey Seafaris of their summer escapades...anyway, the laptop wouldn't fire up....the diagnosis eventually was a blown fuse in the charging cable plug.....but where do we keep the fuses these days?....luckily we have a mechanic in the family that has a box full of them out in the workshop....anyway, we were back in action pretty quick.....so back to the laptop.....Dan features quite a bit in this video....but mostly he's driving the boat so that RS can drive the drone.....here's the link...it's well worth a look.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKGbItQuwuY&feature=youtu.be

What a lucky bunch we all are to live in such a beautiful Island. Watch the other Jersey Seafaris videos if you want to feel a bit more summery during these dark, wet evenings... www.jerseyseafaris.com/

Right, here's Jill

Nothing more to add, except photos...

Across St Catherine's ...


Sushi making.....

 Masters at work!

   Beautifully presented! 

Not bad for a first attempt...

Monday...

The man of the house here...blogging, after stuffing myself on some gorgeous chicken tetrazzini (never knew that word existed.....it sounds like some cheap Italian wine) but tastes wonderful....the Luce boys are once again hugely grateful to the LT Takeaway service from St. Catherine's. Jack misses out as he's on nights this evening....bad luck him...not sure if there'll be any left...even though it was a VERY big dish....in fairness though, we will keep him some.

We've cleared away...and the boys (plus extras this evening) are now engaged in a very deep and meaningful discussion about the "Stronghold" game that Jill mentioned last night. Apparently the version we now have is in "remastered HD'...a great improvement on the original, so they tell me....not that I'd know....as far as I can remember Stronghold is the name of the worming treatment we use on the dog and the cat.

Medical issues 1 ....minor news is that Dan's chin looks a little better, and he sounds a little happier...I think the swelling has gone down a bit....but he won't be fit for any Lifeboat duties for at least another ten days.....his refitted Lifeboat returns from the UK this evening (not the greatest day to come over from Portsmouth...even if you deliver Lifeboats for a living)....training starts tomorrow at 8...at least Dan can do the land based tutorials.

Medical issues 2 ....major news is that Jill's blood test went well enough today...well enough that she can have chemo on Wednesday (don't know whether to be happy or sad)....at least this is positive news....her blood has finally improved enough for more treatment. As our reader might have guessed, to celebrate her news about chemo, Jill has gone out this evening to play badminton....maybe she'll add a few more notes to this blog on her return.

For some inexplicable reason the computer game won't load from the laptop up to the TV screen...what a relief for everyone....the downside is that the many boys in the kitchen (there's an extra one every time I look up) now have Top Gear reruns up on the screen...debating the merits of supercars...specifically Audi v Ferrari v McLaren....not that any one of them will ever be rich enough to "cough up the loot"...even if they pooled all their (not so) vast incomes....or took out a loan on their (not so enormous) salaries. The funniest moment of the evening goes to (additional boy) SdG...who apparently put his back out this morning reaching for toothbrush....there are others literally falling about they are laughing so much.....others are suggesting (very unkindly) that my back goes out more than I do.

Dan is now trying to persuade me to fill up the 1000 litre fuel tank at the back of the house with car diesel "while it's so cheap"...the fact that 1) the bill for all 1000 litres would have to be paid immediately, and 2) that it would be ME paying it, seems to be lost on him. It seems that "we could just tell you when we've taken some and how much we've used" ...yeah right...does it look like I got off a banana boat sometime over the weekend.

My final contribution this evening concerns this evening's JEP....there's a photo of the Council of Ministers on page 6, with yours truly in the foreground looking away from the camera.....my lovely wife sent me a message late this afternoon to say that the photo had appeared, and that the back of my head was probably my "best side"....it's a sad day when that happens....lucky her birthday isn't any time soon. In truth she's probably right...but the truth still hurts!!

Bloods as follows
HB (Red cells) 11.0 
White Cells 3.0
neutrophils 2.04
platelets 236

Goodness knows what was in those injections, but boy did it make my bones 'ache'!!  Did the trick though didn't it?! 
Chemo booked for Wednesday afternoon- cross that bridge when i get to it. I also have to have another (new to me injection) after the chemo.. i'll know more later, I can hardly contain my excitement.....


Met PG and MG on the way into hospital, had a chat with them about operations and treatments etc, they are due to fly over to the Marsden next week, so hope we can offer some useful advice.

Also saw the very lovely LH, who like me was having a blood test with her chemo due tomorrow. It's fair to say we both look surprisingly well, considering we're not!!!

Lastly, a great badminton tournament tonight, had a lovely partner and we managed to win four games and lose two, so we were pleased with that!

Tonights quote taken from the wonderful Mother Teresa ....

Sunday

What a good day for the Jersey girls, won the netball and won the rugby...excellent!

I watched the netball, Steve watched the rugby, I also found a friend...and between us we gave our own running commentary on the match!

I walked the dog this morning, and then had a great session of aerobics with the girls, ( and a few boys!).

Dan is still quite sore and popping his pills every few hours, but he did take Jess out with a friend and his dog this afternoon. He needed a bit of fresh air and exercise, especially after hours spent playing a new (but actually very old computer game) 'Stronghold'. I believe it has a castle and medieval 'stuff', apparently its an historic real time strategy game. (AD1066). All i know is once again its always on the TV in the kitchen and they repeat the same sentences at intervals.... one person plays and....you guessed it the others sit and watch offering advice on building grain stocks and collecting firewood.


View over the fields ....

Saturday 10th January

Thank you for all the comments concerning Dan, I will make sure I pass them all on, and NO NS you may not have a copy for the station. He must be fairly thick skinned to walk about sporting a 1970's moustache, but even so....
He thinks he has 'paper' stitches and has to go back in ten days to have them 'removed', he's all a bit hazy on the actual instructions he was given, partly the high dose painkillers, partly because I for one know that HE NEVER LISTENS !!!! The anesthetist had two attempts at putting a cannula in the back of his hand, first one didn't work properly ( he even had 'magic' cream which is more than I do!). I said it was a bit strange me visiting him in the hospital bed instead of vice versa , he said it's great, you get to lie down all day and they bring you food!!!! Seemingly not a lot of difference from home then!

My haemoglobin levels seem to be doing nicely, they had picked up to 10.3, which is the highest in a long time, just hope the G-CSF injections haven't knocked them back. I am due in the hospital  on Monday for about the 150th blood test, the veins in my arm are now really protesting, i have had more than my fair share of tests. I wish there was a way you could 'read' blood without having to remove it via needle, it is becoming a real drag and increasingly painful. I cannot see any reason why i should not be having Chemo this week, i must be a whole month overdue now, I've completely lost track, and still only half way through the blessed cycle.

Enough moaning.... I had a good day today, despite the weather, Jess and I took to the shelter of the woods this morning, and this afternoon while I bombed about the tennis court (indoors) Steve took her to the beach and bumped into a fellow neighbour and their dog, so they exercised their jaws and the dogs legs simultaneously.

Ending tonight with a Maya Angelou quote... one of many excellent quotes...

Friday 9th. January

The continuing news from France during the course of today makes anything that happened in the Luce household pale into insignificance. How tragic it is that these events are happening...we can only hope that the conclusion of both the two sieges this evening marks the end of these terrible attacks. One fears, however, that it will be a very long time before life can truly return to how it was just two short days ago....if it ever can. There's little more to say other than our thoughts today are again with our French friends...indeed, with everyone in France....and we will continue to think of them in the days, weeks and months ahead. Je suis Charlie.

As regards the Seaford household, there are two bits of news worthy of a quick comment. Jill's colour has returned to her cheeks.....it is almost certainly the GCSF kicking in....but I have to report that it hasn't kicked in sufficiently to stop her playing tennis this evening.....I gave her a "telling off" on her way out....with her bone marrow now working overtime (and probably getting paid double time) she mustn't do too much. Yes I know, fat chance of getting her to slow down and let the drugs do their work....if she's feeling energetic enough then she has to have a racquet of some sort in her hand. I gave up trying to get her to slow down years ago.  

Dan is the other family member to get a mention this evening. His operation has gone well...but he is staying in Hospital overnight .... I paid him a quick visit at 7 on my way back from town....to be honest he's on a winner this evening....probably well enough to come home, but he has a drip in his chin and they want to monitor him (if they knew him better then the last thing they would want to do is monitor him!)....in any case, he prefers being looked after by attractive nurses rather than being at home being nagged by his parents.

It's barely worth a mention....but, for you feline lovers, the cat's temperature is now normal.

It's the weekend proper tomorrow.....let's hope we feel a little less subdued and can report on some slightly more upbeat subjects.

I took Dan some 'overnight' stuff this evening (before tennis!)  he was more interested in phone charger and ear plugs (he had a snorer next to him apparently!) than he was in toothbrushes and spare clothes.. and when we arrived he was tucking into soup and sandwiches. According to the surgeon they removed a 'sausage' sized cyst from his neck, no wonder he had grown a beard to cover the 'double chin' . He now looks like a throwback from the 1970's and he has refused to shave his moustache.. I think he looks like 'Inspector Clouseau ', and I won't say what the boys call him!

Candlelit Thursday

So...today was good news, bad news, three bags full news.

The bad news (may as well get it out of the way) was the fact that Jill's neutrophils  (at today's blood test) had dropped even further....fortunately not dramatically, but still down from 0.61 to 0.60.

The good news was that both platelets and red cells both showed further improvement...so that's really positive.

The "three bags full" bit was that Jill had a GCSF injection at hospital....and she gave it to herself...they were very busy....and Jill didn't really want a repeat of the major bruising that occured the last time she had one of those jabs. Jilly didn't actually find the blood test any more tolerable....I know that we've said it before but these jabs with needles seem to get more and more of an issue...if only it was a thumb prick and a drop of blood like a diabetes test...but they need at least two phials every time they test Jill. You would have thought by now that she would be finding it "routine".....unfortunately it seems to continue to get worse rather than better. Ho Hum.

This evening Jill and I went to town for the candlelit vigil. We both felt it was really important to show solidarity with our French cousins...we're glad that so many turned up...and some poignant speeches, not least from our wonderful Bailiff who always seems to say everything just as we would wish, with just the right words.....how we will miss him, especially at times like this when we all stand together as an Island community.

We had a family funeral at lunchtime today....Aunty Betty Lobb...she was 98...born in London in 1916...met and married my Uncle John Lobb in 1942 before moving to Jersey....what things she must have seen over those intervening years.

As for more mundane family issues today....Dan has spent the evening removing his beard bit by bit....he's left now with a 1980's 'tash...not very trendy as far as I'm concerned, but there you are. With luck it will all go well tomorrow for his hospital operation, and he'll be home before bedtime. As I type Jill and Dan are watching videos on Youtube of naked skiers....it's not clear how they arrived at the website, but Dan is charge of the laptop and I think it must be link from Jack's recent skiing holiday...anyway....there's much amusement about how cold it must be on those more tender parts of your body!!

Bex and Jack are both at a Young Farmers Concert practice.....and Tom is teaching this evening....so that's us for the day.

"Pet news" is that the cat ended up at the vet this afternoon....with a temperature apparently....they gave him anti-inflammatories and antibiotics.....what the cat really needs is some anti-other-cat medicine....there's no doubt that the source of the problem was a cat fight that took place outside the night before last. Anyway....BillBob is back on form again this evening doing all the normal stuff...eating, drinking, sleeping....and of course attacking anyone who chooses to prod him!

Tomorrow, as they say, is another day. Already we know that we have another family funeral....Dan has his operation....Jill has to take the cat back to the vet...I have a day full to the brim with meetings. All I can say is...... Thank Goodness it's Friday.

Jill wants to add a few photos...so it's bye from me.

Only lovely beach shot....

and the answer to last nights 'boot' issue? Yes, it's  the P&E thats the worst offender!

Wednesday 7th January

Just tried to look at a ten page document my brother has sent me about granulocytes transfusion, and donors... boy is there a lot of stuff out there.  I know that the G-CSF injection stands for Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor , and I think that if those pesky neutrophils are not behaving they'll wham another bone numbing injection into my stomach to goad them into action..... I shall look forward to that!!

On another note I've managed to cover a fair few sporting activities over the last few days, tennis, racquetball and badminton, plus a great Zumba class last night ( 'do it if you can' is my motto!) 

Not writing anymore this evening, as now gone brain dead (stop it) but i would like to show you my pre Christmas acquisition, made for us as I was fed up of continually tripping over Boys Big Boots....It's a beautifully made two tiered shoe rack created from our specification by Acorn Wood shack in Trinity....  

However there is ONE person who NEVER puts his boots away after he has been out.... you have four guesses, and he will be publicly named and shamed on this blog tomorrow....

Tuesday 6th January

It's Becky's fault, she kept reading out facts concerning neutropenia, so I thought I'd do some research myself...

Neutropenia is a blood condition, a granulocyte disorder, that characterized by a deficiency of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell that defends the body against bacterial and fungal infections.

Granulocytes are a category of white blood cells. They are made in bone marrow. They contain microscopic granules with proteins (enzymes) that digest invading bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites and play a key role in our immune system response.

There are three types of granulocytes:

• Neutrophils
• Eosinophils
• Basophils

Neutropenia refers to a deficiency of neutrophils only, while agranulocytosis is when the bone marrow fails to make enough granulocytes in general (the three types). The two terms are often mistakenly used interchangeably.

Neutrophils surround invading bacteria or fungi and ingest them. Between 50% and 70% of our circulating white blood cells consist of neutrophils.

Patients with neutropenia are more likely to suffer complications from bacterial infections, which can sometimes develop into life-threatening neutropenic sepsis.

Types of neutropenia

There are several types of neutropenia. Some people are born with the disorder, others get it after taking certain prescription drugs, some after becoming ill, and in others patients the cause it not known.

Below are some basic types of neutropenia: (Source: Neutropenia Support, Australia)

• Congenital neutropenia - the patient is born with it. This type is very rare. The most severe form is known as Kostmann's syndrome.


• Cyclic neutropenia - also very rare. Patients have low neutrophil levels every three weeks - the low level persists for 3 to 6 days each time. Consequently, they are more susceptible to becoming ill from infections in cycles of between three to four weeks, hence the name.


• Idiopathic neutropenia - usually occurs as a result of being ill. Doctors often use this term if the patient is getting very sick all the time, but nobody is able to associate the symptoms to other diseases. No, I do not have this sort... whatever you all might think!


• Autoimmune neutropenia - more commonly found in babies and young children. The body's immune system destroys the neutrophil cells. Fortunately, in many cases the child's symptoms improve with time.


• Drug-induced neutropenia - occurs when the patient is taking a medication that may lower the white blood cell count. I guess thats me then.....

Severe neutropenia - in this blood film, there are no neutrophils, just red blood cells and platelets

According to an article in the journal Hematology, written by Lawrence. A. Boxer, from the University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan:

• While neutropenia is relatively common, congenital and cyclic neutropenia are very rare.
• Congenital neutropenia occurs in 6.2 cases per million.
• Congenital and cyclic neutropenia are more common among Caucasians than people of African descent.
• Acute neutropenia is usually tolerated well and resolves rapidly. It typically develops over a few days and occurs when neutrophil production is affected and use is rapid.
• Neutropenia is commonly a secondary finding in patients with much more serious underlying blood disorders. These patients usually require thorough investigation.
• Chronic neutropenia persists for at least three months and is caused by the spleen destroying neutrophils, reduced production, and increased destruction of neutrophils.

What are the signs and symptoms of neutropenia?

Most patients with neutropenia are unaware, and only find out after a blood test for an unrelated condition, have a severe infection, or sepsis.

People with neutropenia tend to suffer from infections, chills and fevers more often than others. The patient is more likely to have recurrent bacterial skin or throat infections. The lower the neutrophil count, the greater the risk of (and severity of) infection.

Some patients may complain of persistent body aches and pains.

Common infections may suddenly take an unexpected course, in which pus is notably absent. The formation of pus requires circulating neutrophils. However, some neutropenia patients may be prone to skin abscesses.

Signs and symptoms typical of people with neutropenia may include:

• Fevers
• Frequent infections
• Mouth ulcers
• Gum infections
• Otitis media (ear infections)
• Diarrhea
• Dysuria (painful urination)
• Sore throat
• Abnormal swelling, redness or pain around a wound

Acute neutropenia develops suddenly over a few hours or days. When neutrophil levels are low for more than three months the patients has chronic neutropenia.

What are the causes of neutropenia?

Neutropenia can develop because...:

• Neutrophil production in the bone marrow is reduced.
  
  This can occur if the patient has an infection, such as tuberculosis, vitamin B₁₂ deficiencies, or folic aciddeficiency. Some viral infections can cause neutropenia, including Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, HIV, and viral hepatitis. I'm buying some Vitamin B12 and Folic acid tomorrow!!!
  
  Patients who received radiation therapy involving the bone marrow are more likely to develop neutropenia.
  
  Some medications can cause neutropenia, including chemotherapy drugs, rituximab, penicillin, captopril, ranitidine, cimetidine, methimazole and propylthiouracil. Researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reported in the journal Infection that neutropenia is still the major side effect of most anti-cancer treatments.
  
  Some toxins can affect the production of neutrophils, such as benzene and insecticides.
  
  Patients with aplastic anemia, a severe disorder in which bone marrow may stop producing all blood cells, will develop neutropenia. Individuals with leukemia may suffer from bone marrow failure.


• Neutrophils are used up or destroyed in the bloodstream too rapidly. Some drug treatments and bacterial infections can destroy neutrophils faster than they are produced.
  
  Some infants and children may develop neutropenia as a result of an autoimmune disease; they make antibodies to destroy neutrophils. Patients with lupus, Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis are more likely to develop neutropenia.
  
  An enlarged spleen traps and destroys neutrophils.


• A hereditary disease - Kostmann's syndrome (congenital agranulocytosis) is an example, the human is born with a severely reduced neutrophil count. Other hereditary diseases include Glycogen Storage disease type 1b and Schwachman-Diamond syndrome.

Diagnosing neutropenia

If the patient has recurrent or unusual infections, the doctor may suspect neutropenia and recommend a complete blood count. If the neutrophil count is low, it indicates neutropenia.

Patients receiving radiation therapy or chemotherapy are known to have a higher risk of developing neutropenia, and in such cases, if it does occur, the cause is known.

When the cause is not known, the doctor will order diagnostic tests to find out.

The patient may be advised to have a bone marrow biopsy to determine whether the problem is inside the bone marrow or outside - is the body not producing enough neutrophils, or are they being used up too fast or destroyed in the bloodstream?

What are the treatment options for neutropenia?

Treatment for neutropenia depends on what the causes are and the severity of symptoms.

• Neutropenia caused by medications - whenever possible, the drug is discontinued.


• Neutropenia caused by toxin exposure - as in medications, the toxins whenever possible are avoided.


• Neutropenia accompanying viral infections - in the majority of cases, the disorder is temporary and resolves after the infection has cleared. In mild cases the patient might not require any treatment.


• Severe neutropenia - there is a serious risk of life-threatening infection because the patient lacks the means to fight off invading germs. Patients with severe neutropenia who develop infections are usually hospitalized and administered strong antibiotics immediately, even before doctors have identified the cause and specific location of the infection.
  


• Severe congenital neutropenia - granulocyte colony stimulating factors (G-CSFs), which stimulate the bone marrow to make white blood cells, are the main treatment option for patients with severe congenital neutropenia. Children with congenital neutropenia generally require G-CFSs daily to boost up their immune systems. Depending on their severity, some only need G-CSFs during an infection. Daily injections of G-CSF for children? Pretty awful....


• Neutropenia caused by autoimmunity - the doctor may prescribe corticosteroids.


• Neutropenia caused by hypersplenism (a large spleen) - the doctor will recommend removing the spleen.


• Neutropenia caused by an underlying disease - often, treating the underlying disease may resolve the problem, as may be the case with tuberculosis, leukemia and some other cancers.


• Bone marrow transplant - in some serious causes of neutropenia, such as aplastic anemia, leukemia, or Kostmann syndrome, stem cell (or bone marrow) transplantation may be recommended.


• Granulocyte infusion - this is a type of blood transfusion where the patient just receives granulocyte cells. According to the National Health Service, UK, such transfusions are ideally taken from a donor who is a relative or friend. Calling in all family favours!!!!

If you are of a squeamish disposition or its all a bit TMI (Too much information) Skip this bit!! 

Living with neutropenia

If you are living with neutropenia, there are many things you can do to minimize your risk of infection and attain optimum health. Below are some hints (Source: Neutropenia Support Association, California)

• After passing a stool, clean the rectal area thoroughly. Females must make sure the perianal area is thoroughly cleaned front and back.
• Avoid blade razors for shaving. Use an electric one. Make sure it is always clean.
• Avoid scratching or squeezing blemishes.
• Do not let your skin get dry. Use a moisturizer.
• Observe careful hand hygiene. Wash your hands regularly with antibacterial soap. Make especially sure your hands are washed with soap and warm water before eating, after using the toilet, and shaking hands.
• When cutting your nails, be careful not to tear or cut cuticles. Use a cuticle remover or cream.
• Women should avoid using tampons, bubble baths, bath salts and vaginal douche.
• Avoid crowded places. Parties?
• Avoid people with infections, including colds, flu and open sores.
• Avoid rectal thermometers. !!!!
• Avoid suppository medications.
• If you are receiving chemotherapy, avoid people who have recently been administered a live vaccine
• Keep away from enclosed public areas.
• Wear shoes, avoid walking barefoot.
• Avoid contact with pet stools or urine. Who else will clear up after Jessie?
• Avoid stagnant water.
• Dry-clean your jackets and coats regularly. What!!!
• Have all the air-vents and furnaces in the house cleaned at least once a year.
• When people come into the house, make sure they all take their shoes off.(Thomas....)
• Avoid dental floss.
• Before seeing a dentist, make sure talk to your doctor. You may be told to take antibiotics before and after any dental work.
• Clean dentures using fresh water.
• Never use a hard toothbrush.
• Rinse your mouth regularly. Do not use commercial mouthwashes or products with alcohol in them.

Follow a well-balanced, nutritious diet. Make sure you eat plenty of fiber (to prevent constipation).

Written by Christian Nordqvist

I think that's quite enough facts about neutropenia for one evening... I'll just carry on as normal then?!!