Hospital
Scott is going into hospital tomorrow (Nuffield Oxford) for an infusion. Will probably be in most of week. It is basically to try to help him at the moment as he comes down off his medications. He is bedridden right now and has been for some weeks and in the most dreadful pain. Morphine helps but makes him really sleepy. Hence this piccie, which I know he will hate as he is also has cushings syndrome which gives the appearance of a ballooon shape face and puts weight around the middle, due to the very high doses of steroids he is taking. He is normally very slim, but this is an honest diary, so we are going to record the good and the bad. Having said that, I still think he looks gorgeous, even when he is ill.

The Journey.
We are about to set out on a journey. Not a holiday or the type of journey you would particularly want to go on, but a journey all the same.
Scott's Still's Disease has been unremitting for the past couple of years - nothing that the Doctors can do to ease his dreadful pain causing more and more mobility to the point where he is virtually bedbound. After much deliberation by his consultants in Oxford, they have referred him to Southampton General for tests which hopefully all being well will result in him having a Stem Cell Transplant.
It is a very risky procedure and not to be taken lightly. However, Scott's quality of life at the present time actually gives him little choice but to give it a go. He is going into the Nuffield at Oxford next week for a week of infusions.
This will be followed by poor little blighter requiring his sperm frozen as he will become infertile with the chemotherapy.
At the beginning of October, he will undergo a lot of tests down in Southampton and depending on the results of those, the beginning of November will be his first 'priming' dose of chemo, followed by daily injections to promote the growth of stem cells (he is having an autologous stem cell transplant, which means you use your own stem cells - we all have them) There is a lot of controversary surrounding stem cell transplants as most people think you have to use the stem cells of foetus, but that is not true as you can use your own.
When they are certain that Scott is producing a good amount of Stem Cells they will be harvested ready for Transplant. The Transplant is due to take place at the beginning of January, where he will be kept in isolation and giving chemotherapy every day until his immune system is completely knocked out. They then transplant the harvested Stem Cells back into his body in the hope that they will develop a completely new immune system.
I will be using my blog as a 'diary' whilst our journey unfolds.