This is my 3rd blog in the mini series for #bloodcancerawarenessmonth #thisisbloodcancer. The images are me on a sand board in Brazil and me being discharged after the transplant. Then a few others to illustrate what I’m saying.
My covid is still hanging about. I have a cough on top of the cough left from last years infections. I’ve had a few choking sessions too. I wonder why covid makes you choke? My sats are a little low. My watch alerted me and as that’s not medical grade I checked on my proper machine. It’s only a bit low and comes up again when I’ve stopped coughing.
Infections are one of the symptoms of blood cancer. If you have recurrent infections it’s always worth having a blood test to see if your white cell count is normal. White cells fight infection so if they are low you pick things up easily. Once you are diagnosed with blood cancer it’s important you invest in a good thermometer. I know that if I have a temperature over 37.8 I need support from the haematology team urgently.
I’ve had a challenging week in terms of social media encounters. A Facebook “friend” sent me a message privately but asked me to share it. This is the content of that message: “ Now you've stopped the winter fuel payments for pensioners and free tv licences for the over 75's there is no reason why you can't stop all the handouts for the boat people.”
This was my reply: “ Please don’t send things like this to me. People that arrive in boats are treated terribly. They are human beings who risk their lives for something better. They have no voice. Pensioners have a loud voice when it comes to lobbying parliament. There is no comparison and I find it upsetting.”
I don’t understand why people always go for the most marginalised. Who we should be going for are the rich who need to do their bit as well as the pensioners. We are directly affected by this withdrawal of £200 winter fuel allowance. We don’t mind tightening our belts if all share in this policy. So many people made fortunes on the back of the PPE scandals. They should feel the pain too. I know Maggie and I will be ok and some pensioners will not. That’s not good and it’s being introduced with too blunt cutoffs. It needs to be available still to those who will really suffer but yet can’t get pension credits. The line is too harsh, but people please don’t turn on each other. They say we are all in the same boat but we are not. We are all in the same storm. Some peoples boats are ocean liners, while others are in flimsy dinghies. Do think before posting these horrible messages. Imagine what it was like for the pregnant woman and 5 children who died last week. My heart goes out to them and all who safely make it but live in awful conditions while we take years to sort their status. If that was your partner or children fleeing to get a better life how would you feel seeing them all die. Don’t lose your humanity because that’s a very dangerous road to go down.
Ok enough of my rant. Something funny before I leave you. When I saw the ophthalmologist we had a long talk about the state of my left eye. He was asking loads of questions from my childhood that I couldn’t answer with certainty. However when it came to my 2nd squint correction when I was 17 I had all the details. He asked me how come I know so much about that. I said I’d already left home and it was down to me from that point to sort my health out. He said that was young to leave home and I told him that the nurses on the ward were astounded that I’d already left home and thought I looked about 12. He then quipped “you only look 40 now” Lol. As I’m 60 in a few months time I’ll take that. 😜
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