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So, Hallowe'en 2009 already! One of our imports from the US that I don't mind too much, apart from the overt commercialism!
I remember celebrating Hallowe'en as a kid, although we never did the trick or treat thing. We did carve lanterns, but they were from large turnips, not pumpkins as we didn't get pumpkins over here until quite recently. In a way it is a shame because I still remember the very distinctive smell that a turnip with a tea-light in it gave off - very different from a pumpkin!
And in those pre Nanny-state days (I would have been six or seven) we carved our own turnips, unsupervised and with a sharp knife - never did me any harm ...
Things for me have been a bit up and down over the last week or so. I have had a week of being very low physically and mentally, although I have perked up mentally in the last couple of days (unfortunately not very much physically). I re-engaged with the MacMilland nurse team on Thursday and they have promised me Oxygen as a next step for the breathlessness if and when I need it, although I found that my asthma inhaler which I rarely use came in helpful the other day, so I'll start to use that a bit more.
I'm also going to start visiting the Hospice on a Thursday where they offer free relaxation therapy, massage, reflexology etc, so that should be nice.
Abdominal pains have calmed down a bit, but they are still there. I now remember that they've been around at this level for quite a long time, so I think they are definitely to do with the cancer. I'm told this is normal, as the liver swells when it is diseased and puts pressure on the abdominals. I guess it is inevitable, and it's not actually painful, more a discomfort at the moment.
Biggest change to come is that I have decided that it is time to stop work. I will go off on vacation mid-November to use up my holiday and then plan to switch to sick leave on the 2nd January. It will be quite difficult to switch off after 12 years working in this specific part of the IT industry, but I think now is the time that I need to start really focusing on my illness and recognising how debilitating it is. Work has recently become a bit of a burden when I've been feeling sick or low, and it's time to release that burden.
This also means that I will definitely not be making the trips to Stockholm or Hamburg in December which is a shame, but I just wouldn't have been able to contribute much from a work perspective, or join in any of the social side, so it would have been a lot of strain for little reward
Uh-oh, it's starting to get dark. Soon I will be invaded by a million kids knocking on the door. Wouldn't be so bad except Vanda has managed to find an excuse to be away tonight, so I will have to get up from my sofa constantly to distribute mountains of sweets. This will do wonders for my breathlessness no doubt! Still, its only for a couple of hours I suppose (although that is the disadvantage of living on a housing estate full of families - millions of bloody kids!)See you later!C
Hi Folks,
Thanks for all the messages of support over the last few days - very much appreciated as usual!
And good luck to Olivia who is running 10k tomorrow in support of Cancer Research - you go girl! (And enjoy the pub afterwards! :)
Abdominal pains are still there, but I think they are a little better - its difficult to tell, depends how much sitting up I do really. Still not sure if they are muscular or a symptom of the liver tumours. Still, they are not serious enough for pain killers yet, so I'm not too worried at this stage.
Otherwise I am certainly noticing that I am being sick more often now that I have finished the chemo, but it's usually to do with slightly overeating rather than nausea, although being sick does sometimes induce nausea for a while (I usually find that I am sick twice, and I feel nausea for about half an hour in between. Once I have been sick the second time, I feel better). It has become a bit routine now though, so it doesn't really bother me as long as I am at home - it's less pleasant when I'm out in public.
On a positive note, I'm starting to plan the next weekend away - the Top Gear show at the NEC on the 14th Nov. Hiring another nice car to get us down there (Audi R8), so I'm looking forward to that.
Nothing much else to add today, again thanks for the good wishes though ...
Cheers,
C x
Saw my oncologist today, and it's not entirely good news I'm afraid (with a healthy dose of English understatement ...)
The results of my recent scan have showed that the last two cycles of chemo haven't really had much of an effect, and actually things have got a little worse since the scan before. There are signs of new growth in the liver, and expanded growth in some lymph nodes.
Whilst this is not major growth, it puts paid to any further treatment with these chemo drugs as it shows that the body has formed a tolerance.
As it stands there are no further treatment ideas on the table, although there will be further consultation amongst the experts just in case. This means that at this stage they are now firmly focused on managing symptoms and letting this thing run its course. Given the voracity displayed so far, I guess this means that I'm unlikely to see out next year. Of course nothing is set in stone, but based on the aggressive nature of the cancer so far, I have to be realistic.
The plan now is to have another meeting with my oncologist on December 15th and to see how things have progressed by then, and then to decide whether another scan is appropriate or not.
In the meantime, I'm going to have to get used to being worried by every little pain or sensation - whether it is normal or a symptom of something worse. I'm already a little concerned that these abdominal pains I still have are not just muscular. I hope they are, and if so I know that this type of muscle pains take a while to recover as you are using the muscles all the time, but I do hope they clear up soon, as it is now over a week since they started.
Anyway, not good news overall, but I'm not ready to give up yet - there's plenty more fun to be had!
thanks for listening,
Col x
What a beautiful day! Sunshine across the whole UK in October - who'd have thought it?
Had to rush to get back to Benny Hill Park for 11am to get the car back. Unfortunately it wasn't picked up until nearly 2pm in the end, so I missed out on 3 hours extra driving. Never mind, we had a nice relaxing lunch in the bar until the helicopter arrived to take us home.This time Ali & Alan were coming with us on the trip back up north, and like the trip down, we had a scaredy-cat in our midst! Ali is not a fan of flying and had been dreading the trip.At spot on 2pm, the copter flew overhead and circled the hotel and the nice folks at the hotel drove us down to the landing pad in the golf buggy.
After a few photos and a quick briefing, we were off again ...
We had a quick detour via White Waltham airfield for refuelling, then we were on our way.
Because of the detour, our return trip took us directly over Henley on Thames, where I grew up, which was really nice. For those of you familiar with Henley, here you can see Hambledon Lock ...
Temple Island ...
And Henley centre, with the Town Hall and Falaise Square ...
Thankfully, by now everyone, including Ali, was thoroughly enjoying the trip, so we didn't have to worry about making an emergency landing!
In the end the trip up north was very similar to the trip south, except the weather was better, so the visibility was even clearer.
The pilot pointed out a very interesting and sinister-looking place - a lake surrounded by plots where buildings had obviously been in the past. It looked like the scene of a crime, where all the evidence had been destroyed ...
After some investigation on Google Earth after we got back, it turns out that this was the site of the old "American Adventure" theme park in Derbyshire which went out of business in 2006, so not really sinister at all, but quite interesting all the same!
From there we flew over East Midlands airport - directly across the runway again - then on to Chesterfield and the famous twisted spire ...
From here it was on to Sheffield again, then on towards Leeds, past the Emley Mast, which is a landmark around here - you can see it from just about everywhere ...
Finally we landed back at the heliport at around 4.20pm, and walked the 10 paces to the car to go home.
Never before has my Audi S8 seemed slow ... it will never be the same again. Much as I love it, it will never accelerate or sound like an Aston Martin :(
However, on a positive note - it has to be said that all the bags fitted easily into the ample boot, and the back seat passengers were treated to a luxury ride with plenty of legroom, so I guess at least two out of four of us would have chosen the Audi over the Aston!
Finally, a nice evening in my favourite local pub, the Shibden Mill Inn rounded off the fabulous weekend - an absolutely AU55OME experience from beginning to end, not to mention all the lovely time spent with so many good friends!
Now to start thinking about the next one! Any ideas how to top that? Send suggestions on a postcard!
Back to normal for a while now - diarrhoea and puking down the toilet ... (sorry to ruin your pleasant mental image!)
Cheers,
Col x
A quick "normal" blog entry today. I'll finish the weekend series tomorrow, as it is quite late and it takes a lot of time to assemble all the photos.
Since last weekend I've not had a great week because I've been suffering from abdominal pains most days. I think it is muscular - either caused by sleeping in a funny position, or maybe getting in and out of a sports car, although I didn't feel any discomfort at the time. However, it has meant that sitting upright has been painful most of the week, affecting my ability to do much, including work.
The pains were much better yesterday, although they have reared up again a bit today. I don't think there is anything to worry about, they really do just feel muscular, but I hope they clear up properly soon just to reassure me.
I get the results of my last scan on Tuesday, and if these pains haven't cleared up by then, I'll certainly mention it to my oncologist and see what she has to say.
Had a bit of a shock today when a pigeon flew straight into the [closed] lounge window. It seems to have survived because it flew off, but I bet it got a bit of a shock itself!
Very tired today, so off to bed now.
See you tomorrow!
C
Day 3 started with lovely breakfast again, and the recollection of Vanda's drunken renaming of Pennyhill Park as "Benny Hill Park" as which it will now forever be known!We checked out of the hotel today as we were staying with friends this night, so more fun ensued as we tried to get three of us plus three suitcases into the Aston (tiny back seats and because it is a convertible, tiny boot too!). Somehow we managed, and set off for Weybridge.Time for a few more photos first though ...
Nice trip to Weybridge. Without incriminating myself in writing, it is incredible how, in theory, the Aston Martin DB9 accelerates from 100 to 125 just as quickly as it does from 0 to 60. Absolutely incredible. I just wish I'd tried it! ;) ...
Ali & Alan live beside the river in Weybridge ...
so the afternoon was spent taking a trip up the river to the pub for lunch in their lovely new boat ...
However, it was about now that the first seeds were planted for the evenings events ...
And once in the pub, the slippery slope continued ...
We got back from the pub about 3 o'clock, then we had to drop Colin #2 off at Weybridge station as he was heading back to York.
Back at Ali & Alan's, we prepared for a night out at another Michelin star restaurant (this time two stars!) in Newbury.
We were absolutely convinced that there was no chance of fitting four adults in the car, but after a few wines (not whines), the girls managed to somehow fit in the back - I still don't know how they did it! So after an hour in what must have been agony for the back-seat passengers, we arrived at the Vineyard in Stockcross for another very nice meal.
This time the tasting menu was only 8 courses, and I'm please to report that I managed them all. Apparently the chef had changed in the last two weeks, and although they are still allowed to remain a 2-star restuarant, I don't think the food was quite up to the standard of Friday's meal, although it was still delicious. This was the first 2-star restaurant I have tried and I wanted to see if I could tell the difference between a 1-star and a 2-star. Unfortunately I don't think this was a valid comparison, which means I'm going to have to try another 2 or 3-star at some point. Shame ...
Anyway, back to the story ... It should be known that Ali has a thresshold when it comes to wine. She is fine up to that thresshold, but beyond it she turns extremely quickly into a gibbering wreck (sorry Ali, but you know it's true! :). We nearly made it to the end of the meal, but not quite. All the preparation from earlier in the day kicked in and she tipped over the edge. For Ali's sake, I'll spare you the details in the restaurant, but we then moved into the lounge for coffee and petit fours. I know she's going to kill me, but I can't resist sharing with you the fact that Ali preferred to stick the petit fours to her face than to eat them ...
Sorry Ali, but it had to be done. So funny! Finally, heading home, Ali decided that her legs just wouldn't fit in the back anymore, so she spent the journey back to Weybridge with her legs over Alan's shoulders in the front seat!
We finally got home, and somehow managed to extract the girls from the back of the car. Just time for a quick nightcap ...
How nice it is to be the reformed drinker - you wouldn't catch me behaving like that! ;)Last installment tomorrow if I get time ...CheersC
Day 2 started with a bit of a rude awakening. The curtains at Pennyhill Are so substantial that when my alarm went off, I thought I had set it wrong and it was still the middle of the night - absolutely pitch black!
Once I got over the shock, we went over for a delicious 5* breakfast (they use all the best ingredients so everything is gorgeous!), including champagne for Vanda's birthday (not for me of course), then we saw Nova off back home on the train (unfortunately she could only stay for the one night). After that, Van went off to the SPA again, and Colin #2 and I took delivery of the hire car ...
As correctly guessed in the comments by someone (who I suspect might have been there), it is an Aston Martin DB9 Volante convertible. Colin and I took it (or should I say "her") out for a spin, and despite speed cameras and police speed traps, we managed to do slightly more than 70 on a few occasions. What a noise - gorgeous!
We got back to the hotel and visited the SPA again to calm down for a bit. After a bite of lunch, we went visiting some folks in Farnham and Worplesdon, which gave us an opportunity to test the 2 + 2 seating configuration of the Aston. I was somewhat nervous when I ordered it that it would be tight, but I hadn't realised it was only designed for two adults and two double leg amputees. We tried Vanda in the front first with Colin in the back, but this was somewhat ridiculous, so poor Vanda was consigned to the back for most of the rest of the weekend! We took Vanda to friends in Farnham to drop her off, and Colin took a bit of footage on his phone on the way:Nailing it on the A331
Colin's head was above the line of the windscreen when the roof was down, and he had to duck down to breathe when we were nailing it!
While I mention that the roof was down, we were unbelievably lucky with the weather - it was actually warm, not just sunny, all day. Incredible for October and most welcome!
After dropping Vanda at Sue & Stuart's, Colin #2 and I headed off for Simon & Olivia's place in Worplesdon. They are restoring a lovely 16th century house. I don't envy them trying to fit modern wiring into a listed building part of which was built in 1504 - good luck!
It was great to see Olivia's limited edition Ferrari-red Fiat 500 too - very nice, and actually eclipsed the Aston for looks, although it couldn't compete on the sound!By now I think we had annoyed most of Surrey by revving the Aston outside people's houses, but we couldn't resist hearing the exhaust burble and the tasty backfiring when the engine was cold - that's what a 6 litre V12 does (cover your ears environmentalists! Well at least I haven't got kids I suppose!)
After a couple of hours we went back to pick up Vanda, only to find that they had polished off three bottles of wine between them, so things were going downhill very fast! :)
Next it was off to Ade & Krish's, where all my Guildford friends had gathered for a bit of a do - about 25 of us in all I think, which was fantastic as I hadn't seen some of them for a long time. Thanks A&K for hosting, and thanks everybody else for coming - great to see you all! I can't remember exactly what Sam was chewing my ear off about, but I'm sure it was important! :)
A really nice evening all-in-all, and just enough time for a round of "bum or boobs" before setting off back to the hotel (aren't digital cameras great things!):
Most amusing part of the night was back at the hotel, and the first installment of "how to extract drunken girls from the back of an Aston Martin" - Parked outside the main entrance of a 5* hotel, with the doorman waiting to valet park the car, howling with laughter as Vanda failed miserably to extract herself from the tiny space in the back. I'm sure they've seen it all before ... unfortunately no pictures of this part of the weekend though :(Best birthday card of the day for Vanda from Jean & Fred:"Have you seen my designer sandals?""Cool, who designed them?""Phillipe Phillop"Very good ...That's all for Day 2 - more tomorrow!C
The weekend started at the Heli-Jet Aviation base at Leeds/Bradford Airport. A somewhat easier and less stressful environment than the airport itself - here's us in the waiting area, complete with cool dog!
The pilot simply asks "are you ready then?" and off we go - none of your messing around with security. So as you've probably guessed from the name of the place we are at, it's off to the helicopter for our trip down South ...
In case you're interested, its a Bell Longranger III by the way. We took off at our leisure, when it suited us and not before (my kind of travel! :) and passed over the runway at Leeds/Bradford. Air Traffic Control kindly kept a scheduled Jet2 airliner waiting on the ground until we'd passed. Again, the sort of treatment I am coming to expect in my 5* lifestyle (tee hee!)
We had a bit of a headwind due to bad weather in the South (for a change!), so our ground speed was only about 95mph. However, as we were flying as the crow flies, we still covered the distance quickly. We flew directly over such places as Sheffield, Chesterfield and Leicester on the way down (this is Sheffield) ...
One of the best views we had on the way down was flying directly over Silverstone at about 700ft (we stayed about this height all the way down, which was great for visibility) ...
The weather, which had been pretty clear all the way down, deteriorated a little around the M40 with a bit of rain, but it cleared up again before the end of the flight. We arrived at our destination after about 1 3/4 hours in the air. We were staying at the 5* Pennyhill Park hotel in Bagshot (some of my ex work colleagues will know this well), and we landed in the grounds, which was definitely the best way I have ever arrived at that hotel. Here's a pic of the hotel from above ...
You can see the helipad just by the rugby pitch. Why is there a rugby pitch at the hotel? Well this is where the England rugby team stay before any match at Twickenham and they use the pitch for training.
Here is a link to a video of us coming in to land: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaprnGgDD_U
When we landed, the hotel already had a golf cart waiting to take us to reception - nice touch!
Overall, an excellent experience and definitely the most convenient way to travel. Here's pictures of the excited passengers ...Colin #1
Colin #2, who, it should be mentioned, is terrified of flying! (he did enjoy himself in the end!)
Vanda and Nova, doing what they do best :) ...
After arrival, we spent a few hours in the award-winning SPA, including the outdoor heated spa pool (43 degrees - lovely!) and the 11 different heat (and cold) rooms. I could easily spend all day there ...
Finally, we went off to dinner at the hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant, the Latymer, for their 11-course Tasting Menu. I was very nervous about this, due to my eating difficulties. Although the courses are very small, I was worried I'd only manage a few and I'd have to waste the rest of the experience. I managed the first seven savoury dishes, then had to leave the table for a lie down. However, I felt better in about half an hour, and made it back for the last two desserts, meaning I only missed two courses. I am very pleased with myself for that as the food was absolutely gorgeous. Here's a couple of the courses ...
This one is Grouse, with lots of other bits I can't remember off the top of my head
And this one is scallops - all absolutely gorgeous. If I had a Michelin-starred restaurant at the end of my road, I'd be in there every night!
So that's the end of Day 1 - Day 2 to follow tomorrow hopefully (if I get my act together!)Cheers,Cx
What a weekend!
Everything came together 100% to plan, and delivered everything expected - certainly one of the best weekends of my life.
I'm gathering photos from various participants, and I will submit a post for each of the days once I get those through, so look out for a phototastic blogsperience to come!
Suffice to say I enjoyed myself thoroughly, and kept enough energy level etc to ensure I survived intact too.
Here's a sneak preview ...
You'll have to wait for the details, but now I have to start thinking how I'm going to top it ...
Cheers,
C x
Wow! It seems my future hairstyle is a popular subject!
Mohican seems to be the order of the day, but I think I will go for something that covers all of my head in the short term as we move towards Winter. Had the gig last night with the New Originals and the aircon was right above the stage so I had to do the second half in a woolly hat!
Gig was ok - crowd were a bit lifeless - we got a few of them going towards the end, but most of them just wanted to chat to each other - who knows why they bothered booking a band, a string quartet would have been more suitable! Anyway, against all the odds we were treated pretty well last night - I think the hotel has been taken over which would explain a lot.
I was really tired yesterday which didn't help. I had to have a quick sleep in my car just before we went on stage just to get the energy together to do it. I was ok in the first set, but struggled a bit with the second. It might have something to do with having a flu jab yesterday morning.
I don't know if I mentioned that before, but I asked my team about the SwineFlu vaccine and I have been advised just to have the normal flu jab for now, which I had yesterday. Not sure what will happen regarding the SwineFlu vaccine now. I meant to ask yesterday but forgot. I'll give it a while and ask my GP.
I've got a big weekend ahead next week. I'll let you know after it happens just in case anything goes wrong, but I'm desperately hoping my energy levels perk up a bit as I've got a lot planned. Look forward to plenty of pics if it all comes off!
Otherwise not a lot to report. Lost at chess AGAIN the other day. I need to get practicing I think - anyone know any good online chess games?
See you later!
Colin
Blimey - October already!
This time last year I was lazing by a pool in 36 degrees in Dubai before hopping over to Cairo for a bit more lazing (oh, and some working of course! :). My last trip abroad actually - I came home specifically so that I could have my initial consultants appointment for my "swallowing problem". How things have changed since then!
Not to dwell on the past, today's big question is ....
Now that I've finished my chemo, my hair should start growing back soon. So, the question is ....
Grow it back or carry on as a baldy heed?
Votes on a postcard please ...
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