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Hello everyone. As Easter arrives with a burst of English summer, I sit here looking at all the pollen floating outside my window. I'm reluctant to venture in to the outside world, and succumb myself to the little fluffy, itchy, eye-grazing, eye-watering spores from hell.  In saying this, I do want to be warm this weekend. I think after the last few weeks, I deserve a little bit of warmth. Real sun-inducing warmth. So I may dose up on some anti-histamines wear wrap around sunglasses and head to the sun. Even if it's only the communal back yard, I can cope with that. The outside areas at the local pubs could also be calling our names. 

I am still waiting for the results from my chest x-rays which I had done last Friday. The NHS system amazes me sometimes. When admitted to hospital with the pneumonia, the chest x-ray was done at some ungodly hour of the morning. The results were back by breakfast. The X-ray done a week later is still outstanding. I'm hanging by a thread here. Until I have this back, there is no progress on my final two infusions. I spoke to one of the nurses at the clinic yesterday, after I left a message for them to call me. I'm to wait until after Easter, and call back to see if the results are back, then they'll try and fit me in when there are some 'chairs' available for an infusion. 

The infusion centre is a room at the hospital with about 14 chairs which they book out for the infusion weeks. Infusions are usually done in the final week of the month. This means, if they are all booked out, then I need to wait until the following month. Don't ask me why this happens, but it does. You would think, because I've already had the first three, they would try to follow up as soon as possible. I did ask if because of how long ago  it was, if I would need to do the steroids again. He wasn't sure, but thought it should be okay and they stay in the system for up to six weeks. I'm not confident I will have the next infusion within this time frame. So it really is up in the air, until at least next week. 

There has been a bit of an upset with the Lemtrada treatment in the community over the past week though. The EMA (European Medicines Agency) has advised to not progress with the treatment for MS sufferers who haven't yet started it. It has concerns with some of the side effects which have presented in a few patients. This has left people in a complete panic and so many patients who have been preparing themselves for the treatment, have been told they will be switched to a new treatment. However, these side effects were documented before starting the treatment and a lot of patients (myself included) were willing to take the risk to increase quality of life. Lemtrada is known to be one of the most successful with longer term benefits than the other treatments. 

Most of the side effects concerned present after day three of treatment, and include lung issues. Which is exactly when my 'pneumonia' started. No one has called me. No one has actually suggested this is the issue for me. I have spoken to the nurses a couple of times now, and they didn't sound at all concerned at my diagnosis. So I'm going with the knowledge of the professionals in this case. Until I hear otherwise, or I can talk to someone, like my neurologist to reassure me. I am going to try and contact them next week. I think some reassurance would be good for my overactive imagination. Although, am sure the older I get, the more indestructible I feel. I've been through worse. But have I? 

I'm going to relax over the long warm, sunny Easter weekend. I will avoid thinking about it. Apart from the constant hand sanitising, anti-bacterial wiping and avoiding potential listeria infected food, I'm going to put it out of my mind. 

I hope you all have a lovely Easter. Over indulge on the eggs and hot cross buns, and take it easy. 
Jxx