The first week is almost up.

Firstly I'm going to start with an apology. I normally pride myself on my English skills so grammar and spelling are normally a strong point with me. However the spelling and grammar in my initial post was not up to my normal standards. I guess we get complacent with spell checkers on phones and in word processing software so I'll have to take more care in future proof reading before I post.

So last time I gave you the tale of how I ended up in Leicester, so having been here almost a week now I thought before my afternoons TV viewing that I have planned commences with the classic 'Italian Job' I'd bring you up to speed with whats happened in the first week.

As I said last time I reported to Leicester for 10am on Monday and after a lengthy day which involved the second bone marrow biopsy I was finally admitted to the Haematology ward by about mid afternoon. My wife made the solitary journey home and put my mind at rest after a short time to let me know that she'd got home safely.

I was put into a side room on the Haematology ward which I didn't mind. I like my privacy at times and being around other patients wasn't necessarily something I was too bothered about. There was talk of moving me to an open bay with other patients but in the end this never materialised.

The remainder of Monday was pretty uneventful as was Tuesday. I spoke to my wife and the boys each day and to my relief they seemed to be bearing up. I'm glad they're strong and hope that seeing me strong and in good spirits helps them through this with me. Not a moment goes by that I don't think about them though and I long to be over this and back with them properly.

My parents, sister and daughter have been in regular contact by phone and text, as have many other members of the family and friends so I don't have time to get bored and spend more time emailing, facebooking and so the days pass remarkeably quickly.

On Wednesday I was given an IV drip of a drug called Daunorubicin which is used in combination with the chemotheraphy drugs to inhibit growth of the cancer cells. This all went ok with no effects.

Later that afternoon I was told that I'd be moving to the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit for a more specialised environment and after a quick jaunt for a chest x-ray I walked with a couple of nurses and my bags the short distance to the BMTU where I now reside.

No complaints about the room which is large and functional and with a widescreen TV, broadband access and a view over the rooftops, I'm happy here. Just down the corridor there's a help yourself snack kitchen that I frequent regularly whilst my appetite is good.

Thursday brought the first dose of chemotheraphy. This came later in the day which gave my parents chance to visit from Leeds. It was good to see them both for the couple of hours they were here and again I think seeing me in good spirits and fighting fit will help them.

The chemotherapy itself was really uneventful. The nurse administering it sat with me for the duration and the chemo drugs only took 10 minutes to make their way in. A pink solution whose name escapes me was also given and I was warned that it might turn my wee pink - a later trip to the toilet proved the case. But after about half an hour the whole treatment was over and again so far there have been no adverse effects.

Friday was another quiet day and other than the steroids I've been on since the beginning there was no further treatment. I spent the day catching up on proofreading my family history book and watching TV.

Saturday morning was what I was looking forward to most - a visit from my wife and boys. It was great to see them all and they spent a couple of hours with me updating me on all the gossip from home, including school, football, rugby and the dogs antics. Just as they arrived I was put on another IV drip that eventually lasted till late in the day and left me bedbound during their visit. This was Rituximab, which is an additional drug that contains antibodies that attach to markers on the Leukaemia cells.

Despite being tied to the bed I still managed a cuddle with the boys laid alongside me and a hug with my wife which I think was a great comfort to them and meant a lot to me.

So here we are on Sunday. It's a day of rest (not that I'm religious anyway) and other than my daily dose of steroids there are no other treatments planned. So I'll chill out in front of the TV for the day and generally relax.

My consultant came to see me a short time ago and told me everything was going to plan at present but warned that things will get worse before they get better which I fully understand. I confessed to feeling a fraud at the moment as I feel better now than before I came in, but I know there is a long road ahead and some days will not be so good. Still, I'll keep fighting and the end of the road will draw closer.

Thanks again for reading and I'll see you all next time.

Steve.