After 7 weeks in hospital Merv was released recently "into the care of the lovely Helen!" (Editor's liberty.) He must've been pretty well-behaved to be allowed home I reckon.
These photos were taken at O'Briens up in the Hunter, and Marion's at Kenthurst. A number of WWTC folk were able to slip into the hospital (and more importantly, slip out!) to catch up with Merv while he was confined to barracks. So, they're trying to bombard Merv's system to get ride of the bad stuff, and maybe help him produce red and white blood cells and platelets (how am I doin' Merv?) Guess that's Leukaemia for you! (Did I spell L correctly?) Below is Helen's make on the situation...
Hello Everyone again,
I just glanced at the last update and it was only two weeks ago and yet I feel a month has passed. It must be the hospital atmosphere: time passes slowly there and I do not know how Merv managed to spend seven weeks there without cracking.
However, Merv was given his liberty last Thursday afternoon and he has survived my cooking. Some evenings I haven’t been sure whether I would survive it myself. Had a long visit to the hospital on Monday for a check in the Outpatients’ Haematology Unit and we were once again impressed with their efficiency and the scope of their outreach. Merv escaped a transfusion as he had produced enough red cells and platelets but his white cells were a bit on the low side. To cut a long raving short, his doctor said that she was ‘encouraged’ by the blood results but she has booked him in to hospital again on the 15th August for another four to five weeks for another round of chemo to kill off any stray blasts. The intensity of the chemo will be determined around that time.
I am fascinated with the use of the word ‘encouraged’, it floats around my head in a nebulous cloud. On the one hand it has a positive connotation but there is no definition to it. So we, too, are ‘encouraged’ and very happy that he is not still without any resistance to infection which was what the results were indicating at first on Monday. After another few blood slides and examinations, she was able to tell us that he was on the border of positive territory but she didn’t think it would be wise to catch the ferry into town to go to the Dendy. Damn!!!!
Thank goodness for the outdoors and little drives and the Herald puzzle page or we would be stark, raving mad. Many thanks for all your good wishes, look what they have produced!
With love from us both,
Helen
We wish Merv and Helen all the best as they battle this scene.
Some folk do something constructive to pass away the hours. Beth Robertson (married to Barry Robertson - "Stumpy" WWTC 62-63) just rode from Townsville to Darwin and then to Broome with a Bike for Bibles group! Over 4,000 km. Barry went as a roadie! They finished Thursday 12 August.
Judy James (WWTC 64-65) has been busy attending a conference in North America, so she decided to pop across and visit Bill Keast (WWTC 1960-61) at Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.
You might as well take in the sights while you're on the island eh Judy?
That's what Jan and Jim Smart thought too. They were doing a "parenting course" - visiting daughter Jenny and family in Seattle - so they thought they might as well check out Vancouver Island too. Here they are with ..... who else but Bill Keast! 
