First good news. Staying up to watch the Australian GP on Sunday morning was worth it as Michael Schumacher fulfilled expectations by winning it in style. Didn't have the best sleep afterwards as I was still feeling quite cold in bed. I woke up quite late and spent what was the most boring day in hospital waiting to come home. I'm not eating the hospital food anymore, so I had to drink a couple of Ensure Plus drinks. They are disguised as milk shakes, but don't taste half as good and contain most of what you need in a normal diet. To meet the daily requirements I should be talking six per day, but instead I had breakfast, and managed a couple of mouthfuls of supper.

The best part of the evening was telling the hostess that I no longer needed to order any more food, as I was going to leave the following day. Got a bit of a surprise when checking the bloods as the neutrophils had jumped to 1.26! It's known that on the weekend different blood analysis machines are used and there can be some discrepancy in the read outs, but there was no doubting that this was a good healthy increase on the day before.

The nurses were pretty busy yesterday, and as I was waiting to be discharged had no real contact with them for the first time. That's when you know you're better. I didn't even change the sheets on the bed. Later on in the evening dad dropped by to take a few things I had packed. It felt quite strange when packing as the reality of finally leaving was beginning to dawn.

Parole Day - 4th March. Had a good sleep again probably because I was safe with the knowledge that I would be out by the afternoon. The doctor came round on her morning ward visits and was explaining what to do when the crash bell went for a room on the other side of the ward. She ran out and the whole ward rushed to the room to deal with was probably a life threatening situation, as that is why the crash buzzer is used. Hearing that was quite a shock when you're preparing to leave the hospital knowing there's a serious case not far from you, so I wasn't in such a buoyant mood for the first half of the day.

When trying to pack all the items I realised how much rubbish had accumulated over the last six weeks. There was just so much clutter from hygiene to medical products, in addition to all the goodies that family and friends have delivered throughout my hospitalisation. Before getting everything ready the bloods came through, and I was a little surprise to see that the neutrophils had fallen slightly to 1.06, yet the platelets and red blood had still increased. The doctor assured me that there was no need to worry as the drop of 0.2 was negligible. That doesn't sound like much, but when the neutrophil count nearly doubled last week from 0.12 to 0.22 you realised that that increase of 0.1 felt like the best thing happening. So all these increases/decreases are relative, but it's the first time that the neutrophils have shown any sign of a decrease. I hope when I come in for my out patients appointment on Thursday things will have returned to the status quo of daily increases.

Before leaving hospital one of the nurses gave me a Santa stocking's worth of medicine which is what I'm expected to use for the next few weeks. I haven't calculated the number of tablets but I bet it's a pretty large number. The cleaners were already busy changing the room round, and dusting it from top to bottom ready for the next inmate to use cell or room 3. After one last goodbye Dad and I were off home. I bade farewell to Alison next door, then dad and I stopped over at radiology to say hi to Brett, Jody and Stephanie who were the group that treated me for the TBI (total body irradiation). It was good to see some familiar faces and to know that they had been keeping up to date with my progress on the web site. When I finished my TBI treatment I took photos of them promising to send them, so they've been eagerly awaiting them, but I have to confess that writing the diaries have been work enough.

Then it was off home. Leaving the hospital wasn't as emotional as I thought. What struck me most was the hustle and bustle of life. Obviously life goes on, but when you've been in hospital you fail to appreciate this as you get used to life being focused on the patients in the ward. I supposed this is testament to the great care and attention the BMT staff at Hammersmith Hospital give. I also felt quite alien wearing my regular jeans and jacket after spending six weeks in undergarments. I've lost nearly two stone, so all my clothes are very baggy. It's not the way I'd recommend losing weight as there are more practical and less dangerous means of doing so. However this not just the start of a new life, but life style and I'm really looking forward to progressing through the next few months which will be just as critical as the first.

Arriving at home was a little strange at first but having settled back in after several hours, I feel so much more alive and alert. I'm getting so much more exercise than at hospital as I'm climbing and descending the stairs and doing various things. I can imagine what life must be like for a hamster, so I'll never have a cage for a pet. That's how I've felt at hospital for the last month or so. The best part about getting home was the prospect of a hearty dinner, so my brother Michael did the deed by making the household favourite - Fajitas. Although it was a quantum leap from what the hospital can offer this one time number one meal still tasted rather funny, but not nearly as weird as at hospital. Still I managed to eat more in that meal than I've done in all the other hospital meals. That was followed up by some apple pie. It's probably not necessary to go in to so much detal but it's these daily routines that we now take for granted are so special.

I'm feeling better physically now that I'm at home and no longer feel like a patient, although I could easily still be one, so it is still imperative to take things easy and not stress the body too soon with eagerness. The only weird thing at home is seeing myself in the mirror with no hair. I'd already got used to this in the hospital environment, but it feels different being at home so that's the only real adjustment to make. Also I've got to be careful when standing up because each time I get a had rush and feel like fainting, so I'm having to adjust accordingly. The photo here illustrates how I looked on arrival at home.

The last thing to say, although by no means the least is the thanks that I owe everybody who has taken care of me during my stay. That ranges from the nurses to doctors, and radiographers to cleaners. Everyone has played a part, either small or large in my treatment, and to them I'm for ever endebted. The most special thanks though has to go to my donor. I don't know who she is or if I'll ever know but without her, none of this could have been possible. Thankyou everybody.