BLAST CRISIS (Sweet dreams are made of livers)

I was just reading my Bone Marrow Transplant and Late Effects clinic letter (doesn't my disease sound posh!) and thought I'd share the highlights. Not that there are many, as you'll all remember in my last post my appointment last Tuesday was briefer than some granny knickers.

The funny liver related enzyeme that caused the mild alarm was alanine transaminase, or ALT for short. It's main job is to do some general catalyzing in the liver making glucose and other important things, it's hard to explain without sounding confusing. When one does exersise (this is the bit I don't get seeing as I rarely move, let alone 'exercise'. I do get pretty destroyed walking up the stairs, that's probably it) one's muscles make a lot of lactic acid and a little alanine. The alanine then catches a ride in yer blood to yer liver where yer liver then uses yer alanine to make some lovely glucose. This glucose then goes back around your body and gives you lots of sexy energy to do sexy things. And non-sexy things. Although if you can't do it in a sexy manner then you're not doing it right. But anyway, that's the basic gist.

My test result came back with a slightly high level of ALT which could be for many, many reasons, including, but not limited to-

1. My bloods were taken just after I'd done a short jog (Unlikely, I can't jog)
2. My liver was too busy helping fight my various viruses to bother making any glucose and ignored all the alanine because my liver is a meanie
3. My liver has started to give up on life after all the abuse (too much cancer treatment and Newcastle Brown Ale) and is now on strike

So, it could either be important or not important. As is everything else in the universe, but this is more important than the other important or not important less important things. Time will tell, as always. That or a blood test or ten.

Tomorow is day ward time. They'll probably check my liver again, give it a good old prod and poke. I shall have to also discuss a more unpleasant (you may know more in the next post) side effect of my illness with Yusef which I am not too excited about. I love Yusef. I don't want to have to tell him about all my dark cancery secrets...

Parma ham and crime now. Then bed at 10pm sharp.

Yours sincerely,
Miss C. Leukaemia (This is how clinics write their doctor's names. If I get a letter from haemotology clinic I'm going to see Mr H.Haemotology, if I go to cardiology it's Mr C.Cardiology... Come one doctors, be a bit more inventive! At least Downing Street used REAL NAMES)

xXxXx (They don't put kisses on my hospital letters, just to clarify. I got some pink highlighter on today's, but that's as good as it gets)

P.s This post is called blast crisis because I will never tire of seeing those words on my hospital letters. BLAST CRISIS. It makes my treatment sound much more exciting than it really is :D