New Date

I feel as though I have neglected my blogging over the last few weeks, so thought it about time to write something.

I have a new date for my appointment at the hospital again. It was supposed to be mid January, but I have had a letter asking me to go on the 29 December. I think my Dr is on holiday in January; at least I’m hoping it’s that and they don’t want me earlier for any other reasons, such as giving me bad news! I’m sure if it was bad news though, they would have me in earlier still (wouldn’t they!!!)

I’ve been doing more with my photography and had my first family shoot on Monday. It went really well and I will be putting up some pics for everyone to see. I could put some up now, but I haven’t shown the family yet and I don’t want to spoil the surprise (good one I hope) for them.

For those that have said that they would like me to take some photos of them, I have created an online form to help me out. Just fill it in and I will get back to you.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dENsSUV6UnhQeXB4RUZPZ2sxYmxUeWc6MQ

I learned a lot from my first shoot, the first being I’m nowhere near as fit as I used to be, I’m still aching now after a few days. I’m not sure if it is because I haven’t done anything strenuous for a while (not that it was too strenuous for a person in good health) or its the myeloma/treatment still. Hopefully it will be get better with each one I do.

I did really enjoy it though and the results are looking good, even if I do say so myself. Ideally I would love to do this full time as it is so rewarding. After these few free ones that I am doing, I will start to charge for them and see how it goes. I’d much rather be doing photography for the rest of my life (no matter how short or long) than in a stressful job that doesn’t have the same rewards (providing something that is appreciated). So maybe it is time for a complete career change.  At first it will be only word of mouth, so if I do take some photos of you, please let others know how pleased you were with them and ask them to give me a call or let me know and I will contact them (or better still, get them to fill in the form).

My favourite drink

Single hand coffee one, originally uploaded by Sean Tiernan.

This inspiration for this photo was taken from my frequent visits to starbucks. One of the pictures on the wall in Starbucks is two hands holding coffee beans.

In this case I was taking a photo of my own hand so could only use one as I was taking the picture with the other.

I'm going to take some more shots like this and Charito has volunteered to hold the coffee for me..... that reminds me I must tell her!

Some how I think people are going to argue with me about it being my favourite drink though.

Chemo Model Mandy

Let me introduce to you Mandy, she is a new model and ideal for practicing lighting techniques!

The postman knocked on my door Friday morning asking me to sign for a package. It came delivered in a grey plastic bag. He had a bit of a worried look on his face when he gave it to me and said it feels like a head! I had to explain it was a plastic head to alleviate his worries.

She looks remarkably like some of the people I have met during my visits to the hospital after they have had their chemo. I’ve called her Mandy (to protect the look-a-likes) as I didn’t meet anyone called Mandy. I know people are going to say … is it me! and the answer is … if you think it is yes.

The reason I bought this is so that I can practice taking my portraits photography without having to have someone sit for me all of the time. It doesn’t replace the practicing with a real human model, but it is the next best thing in there absence.

I didn’t tell my wife Charito that I was buying this, so when it arrived and before she came home from work I thought I would play a bit of a joke (I should really think these things through thought before I do them). I got some cushions and clothes and went upstairs…. yes you’ve guessed it, I put her in my bed with the head on the pillow and the cushions etc underneath to make it look liker her body. When Charito came home I sheepishly tried to persuade her to stay in the kitchen with me. She wanted to go upstairs to have her shower but I asked her to stay for a while…. I slowly built up the suspicion as I was hiding something upstairs, so sure enough after me begging her not to go upstairs … she went upstairs. She looked in the bathroom, then the spare room, all the time asking what are you hiding and me denying anything. Then she went into the bedroom looked around and gasped and shuddered as she saw the woman in our bed! Then after a second or two realised it obviously wasn’t real. I then got called lots of names in Spanish that I can’t repeat on here except that I was an ‘imbecile’.

We both laughed about it at least I think she was laughing, it could have been more of a sneer.

As I was writing this, it reminded me of another instance when daughter was born and I pretended to drop her on the kitchen floor using a doll dressed up in her baby clothes!…. Trust me don’t ever try that one, it really isn’t worth the emotional upset! I think maybe I should go to counselling for my warped sense of humour.

Portraits for Christmas

I could do with some willing volunteers to model for me. In return I will give them some prints or a CD/DVD with images on. I want to practice taking some portraits, so if your a budding model, just want some pics  done for Christmas or even would just like to help me out then get in touch.

I have my own lighting equipment and background that I can bring over to your house or I can set up a room at home for taking the shots, whichever is the most convenient.

Oh… obviously you shouldn’t live too far away from me (Chester/North Wales/North West)… I’m good but not that good to travel to the other side of the country (not unless you want to pay my travel expenses that is)

Photography

I’m been taking some more shots indoors, as the weather hasn’t been too good. Here are a couple of results. These have been tweaked in photoshops (just a little!)

 

One year on

It is exactly one year since I found out I have Myeloma – time flies.

Most of the year I’ve been having Chemo in some form or other, 7 months in tablet form and a month in hospital with high dose for my stem cell transplant.

How am I doing? Well my last blood test that I had at Liverpool, the results came back ok. Although I was on the day ward as it was supposed to be quicker, turned out to be a much longer wait. Never mind I don’t have to go back there again so it wont happen again. My next appointment is in January at Chester hospital. I wont know until then if the transplant has done what it has supposed to i.e. my paraprotein levels should now be really low and stay low (the paraprotein is the bad stuff in the blood that I don’t want any of). So a nervous wait until then.

I’m waiting to hear back from the HR department at work who are arranging a meeting with my boss or bosses! I’m very  apprehensive about going back and get stressed even thinking about it. Is this the right time to go back ….not sure but I have to try, not the least because I need to start earning some money again; either that or win the lottery!

 

Myeloma Buddies

These are the myeloma buddies that I received from Paula with a congratulations card. I won these by correctly identifying her auntie Ann in a photograph. The card reads…

Sean,

Who would have thought congratulations had so many letters, not me! It’s a good job I didn’t do a smaller card. Anyhoo, even though Saints lost you get two buddies. Hope you like them Paula x

Although you can’t tell from the picture, the letters are made up of plastic buttons with letters on them. The little note around the coloured buddy says: Since you recognise me from the knitting needles last Friday, you  get another Buddy too!  as Paula says the other Friday when I bumped into her in Phlebotomy waiting to have her blood taken she was knitting something multicoloured, which happened to be my buddy. I nearly didn’t notice Paula as she now has hair! The Buddies have pride of place on the shelf next to me and may be appearing in future photo shoots .

Work

I went into to work on Monday to see HR and to talk about a plan for returning to work. At the moment I’m planning to go back in December part time and then January full time, but this depends on how my bloods are doing. I’m back in Liverpool on the 28th and I should know more by then.

It was strange going back in, lots of new face and lots of people have left (no change there). Getting my head into work mode is going to be quite difficult. I’m not sure where I will fit in anymore as things have changed, but I’m sure there will be plenty of problems for me to sort out once I have settled back in.

 

 

Mistake and MRI results

I had an appointment on Wednesday at Chester hospital. It’s the first time I have been back to Chester since my transplant. I arrived at about 9am and had my bloods taken. It was really nice to be back in Chester, it is a much nicer waiting area than Liverpool, nice and bright, TV, comfy seat and lovely staff.  After a short wait I went in to see Dr Lee, he asked how I was doing and after I explained that I was going to Liverpool on Friday to find out the results about my MRI because of my shoulder he asked if they mentioned about my haemoglobin being really low! He said it was seriously low and is a concern, which had me really worried!! He was looking through his notes and asked me when I had my transplant, I told him the 26th, at which he still looked blank…… ‘of August’ I said. He was surprised and flicked through his notes again and then apologised as he realised that he had called me back into Chester too early, he thought I had my transplant in June, as they see people three months after their transplant.

Knowing that it had only been just over a month since my transplant he said my haemoglobin was actually very good for only a month and being anaemic is normally at this stage. Phew! he had me worried at first.

He gave me a printout of my blood results to take to Liverpool with me on Friday, to save me having to have more blood taken and also so I didn’t have to wait the usual long wait in Liverpool for my blood to be taken.

Friday at Liverpool I was walking past the Phlebotomy room and glanced through the window to see if there was anyone I  knew waiting. I had to have a double take as at first I didn’t recognise anyone, but noticing someone knitting I realised it was Paula – she has hair, I nearly didn’t recognise her. I went in and had a quick chat with her and she is doing ok and it was good to see her again.

They were short staffed at the clinic, but I didn’t have to wait too long as I already had my blood results. I got called in by Edwina who is the BMT coordinator,  who was covering for everyone. She is a lovely person and always goes through things thoroughly. The MRI results showed that I have a ‘bulge’ in my spine at t1/t2 which is at the top of my neck. Edwina asked if it was ok to refer me back to Chester to deal with it as it would initially require physiotherapy and it would save me having to travel to Liverpool just for this. My neutrophiles are still low at 1.9 but this could be due to the septrin again which I have started again this week. I have to go in again on the 28th to the day ward on 10z but as for attending the G-clinic, I have now been discharged and referred back to Chester – Hooray!  Dr Lee had already made an appointment for January to see me, which is when they will be able to see how successful the transplant has been in reducing my para-protein. This is the appointment that Dr Lee thought I was attending, so hopefully by then my bloods should be ok and I wont get any shocks.

I’m a winner

A few weeks ago Paula (Feresaknits blog) ran a competition to win a myeloma buddy. Yesterday the results were published and I am the winner!

I will take some pictures of my Myeloma Buddy once I have him/her and post them on here.

Pictures from my phone

I’ve recently installed an application for my Android phone called vignette that allows me to take some stylish images using the built in camera. Below are some of the images I’ve snapped. I’m quite pleased with the way that they have come out.