Blood transfusion today to overcome a progressive drop in hemoglobin. This has been an ongoing issue post surgery and I've been struggling to get bloods in order and each chemo round it knocks them back further. We & spinal surgeons have had some reservations about doing it, but its just got to the situation that it needed to be sorted. I didn't like the idea of taking on some random persons blood, but I am over that now I have had 1 unit with another due and it seems to have immediately picked up my VIM, which has been lagging. Although I have just stated chemo cycle 4 and maybe the 2 DEX steroids daily have assisted also. Chemo is such a roller coaster.
The blood thing is quite interesting. The blood is given to you unpacked and when it is seeded into your blood stream it circulates picking up oxygen, nutrients etc. One unit of blood is approximate 300 mls when in the body and loaded up with goodies converts to 1 ltr of good blood. So there is also more that goes on behind the scenes with blood donation and the cleansing, testing and unpacking the blood. Apparently NZ are the best in the world in this process, maybe an export opportunity? Start milking the people rather than milking more cows.
So to random dude in Grafton, Auckland who took the time and donated his O positive universal blood, I salute you.
My journey: Living with and overcoming Synovial Sarcoma. A rare and nasty Cancer. Not a how-to guide but ideas and observations during my experience so far. There are only a few SS survivors publishing and I've found their information helpful and reassuring. The site is also to update my wonderful supporters on my progress. Image above was pre-diagnosis by my daughter of the 'Alien Baby'. This tumour has been removed but the battle to eradicate the disease continues.
