Oh for the love of jabs

I tried the new treatment regime straight away and after the two days of 1000 units every 12 hours the bleeding had slowed right down from heavens open heavy to mild shower managable. This is great, thunk I! However by the time I'd gone back to the 2000 units once a day and was on the second day, my heaven broke loose again. Just so you know that is merely a metaphor and I don't really think of my poonani as heaven - that's for sure ;))

After another day it stopped altogether. Hurrah! This was after 13 days of bleeding though, so it was difficult to tell if that was natural stoppage or doc's new super dooper treatment plan.

I gave him a bell. (A nice cow bell from switzerland / a bluebell / or a bicycle bell - you decide:))

He said the next time I was to try a slight variation:
1000 units every 12 hours for 2 days
1000 units at 24 hours for 1 day
1000 units every 12 hours for 2 days
1000 units at 24 hours for 1 day
and so on ....

On the sixth day he asked me to pop in for a levels check, to make sure that I wasn't going to overdose on the factor VIII and clot up all together, like a black pudding - thanks Jae :)

I went up to hospital yesterday for that blood test. I started bleeding again just a little last week, so began treating straightaway. Sometimes I do bleed a little, then stop for a day or so, and then start again with a vengeance. This time after the second day of twice daily jabs I'd dried up like a Peak District reservoir. I thought, maybe I'm not on yet and didn't have the single jab the third day. Biiiig mistake, the dam was broken that night and I was up and down to the loo three times with no sleep.

I carried on with the injections and popped up to brum yesterday. 25 miles each way to have one vial of blood sucked from my arm. I was feeling pooped anyway so driving up there in a daze didn't help much.

When I arrived I met the new nursie who's just started in the Haemo Unit from the ward round the corner. She was very nice but a little nervous I think. She said she's not used to having patients who can specify which vein they use. I gave her my best vein - inside left elbow - generous I thought, as I'm having to use it every second jab at the mo. It's a dead cert that one - never have probs getting the needle in or it staying in.

She missed it. Twice. Apparently she's good with venflons, hehe.

I suggested she try the back of my hand - which hurts loads more but is fairly easy to use as I never stick it in there. That was fine and she filled her test tube.

Now I just gotta wait for those results and carry on with this two days 12 hourly, one day 24 hourly business until I'm told other wise.

Tell you what though, it's no fun having to drag myself out of bed early just to stab myself. But I need to do it in good time so that I don't have to inject too late in the evening, I get no good after 9 ish. Too tired and uncoordinated. And stroppy - Ade can testify to that.

As we stand I'm 7 days into this period and so far, touch laminate, it has been no where near as heavy as normal. I definitely find that on the 24 hour jab day it starts to majorly increase towards that injection time, so I think there is still some work to be done before I'm totally understood.

Never given myself so many jabs before tho!

And we're meant to be off to the big smoke this weekend to see Spamalot and see some friends, so I really hope it's not too bad.

Either way I'll have a boot full of factor and san prods just in case ...