It's very difficult to write a blog when you don't do much! It's too cold and wet here to venture out much and we spend a lot of time indoors watching daytime television. When I was working I always dreamt of having time to read or to have a lie-in in the mornings and or take up a new hobby. Now that I can, it's not quite what I thought it would be like! Even on the boat, we were always busy doing chores or mending something or planning the next trip or just sitting and looking around, not to mention having to meet people all the time and drink beer and talk!

A high spot of our time now is our monthly hospital appointment where we go and get the results of the treatment Andy is having. As the Aussies would say, he's had a bit of a rough trot this month feeling pretty tired most of the time but if the blood results are good, it makes it all worthwhile. Yesterday, we saw our Haematology Consultant who told us that Andy's light chain paraproteins, which are measured to monitor his myeloma, are now 20.4 mg/lt. That's officially within the NORMAL RANGE!!!

We've also seen the Stem Cell Transplant Consultant this week who is very pleased with Andy's results and has pencilled him in for a transplant on 10 April subject to a few more tests. This means one more cycle of chemo before he starts the preparation for the transplant. I think we've got to the tough bit now and Andy's got a few miserable weeks ahead of him but we are concentrating on the fact that in 11 weeks, he could be myeloma free!!

Meanwhile S/V Matilda had a great Atlantic crossing and is now in St Maarten in the Caribbean where Andy B and his crew are doing a few jobs on her and getting her anti-fouled. Judging by the photos on Facebook, they are also representing us well by drinking ice-cold Caribs and dancing on the beach with Del and Gary on Panormitis. Goodonya lads!

Photo is of Isle of Wight taken from Lee-on-the-Solent