hip hop hep hup happitty birthday to me

Ten years ago today, while my family was enjoying a week long holiday in Ibiza I might add, I lay down on a bed desperately unwell in a tiny, cramped and extremely hot room in Singleton Hospital, Swansea surrounded by several medical professionals.

The reason behind all this fuss?  Well, quite simply, the stem cells they harvested from me around 6 weeks earlier that had been spun in some sort of centrifuge machine to extract only the very best ones were being popped back in.

Yep, 9 July 2015 I had the stem-cell transplant that undoubtedly saved my life.

Now, it was by no means a straightforward process.  After all, everything that could go wrong with my treatment so far had gone wrong.  The chemotherapy I had earlier that year caused a near fatal pulmonary embolism and I'd suffered repeated infections meaning I spent the best part of eight months in hospital.

That day ten years ago would change everything though.  Yes I was in hospital for four, horrible, dreadful, frightening weeks after it, and  had to return for another week the day after getting home due to yet another infection. but I've not had to spend another night in hospital (well, not for the cancer at least) since.

The transplant gave me nearly eight years in remission, with the cancer returning in February of 2023.  According to my consultant I should be terminally ill right now with almost certain kidney failure.  But here I am, still taking pictures (like the one of a starling here) and still updating this here blog.

Oh, the holiday in Ibiza?  No, my family wasn't being uncaring!  The holiday had been booked the previous year before I was sick, and for the week of my transplant I was not allowed any visitors at all.  So, I told them to go away and get away from all the stress and worry for a week.

So, today I shall be lighting a candle on a little cake and enjoying my unofficial re-birth-day!

And I'm also taking my summer break from YouTube (don't all cheer at once!).  But be assured the channel will return towards the end of next month bringing you more of the sub-par, poorly produced dross thinly veiled as entertainment you've come to tolerate.

I'll continue posting images on here though, so you're not rid of me entirely!