Getting back to normal

Today I went for a walk in the woods and round some fields with my friend James. It's the longest I have walked in months, and it was great to back doing another thing I enjoy. The fact I bought something home for the freezer is an added bonus!

I have also updated my road trip website with the detailed route. If anyone wants to join me for a day, or more, or offer a cup of tea, then this will help you plan your day. Check it out at

www.wrongwayround.org.uk

We are off to Spain on Saturday for a week, so I might not post much while away, but it will be good for Sarah and I to have a week with nothing to worry about!

Recuperation continues

My recuperation continues apace. After my scans last week, I have also continued my reduction in medication. This is starting to affect me a litte I suspect as I seem more tired than expected, however I am also doing more, so it's probably a combination of the two. I have been continuing to listen to my body, so a nap in the afternoon is still sometimes required.

I have also been continuing to work on the a Wrong Way Round ride, updating the website, making more contacts, and finalising the route details, check out the site to see what's new, and to sponsor me if you wish. You have plenty of time to do this, but I will mention it every now and again. www.wrongwayround.org.uk

Sarah and I are off to Spain in a few days for a week in the sun. Well it will be for Sarah as due to my medication I am not allowed to sit in it yet. Never mind, it will be great to have some time with no appointments other than at the bar to worry about!

More results are in ...

Went in to Gatwick Park yesterday for my follow up CT scans, and was somewhat dissapointed my consultant radiologist was not there. He normally gives me an update after the scans so we had to resolve ourselves to the fact that we would have to wait 3 weeks until we get to see the oncologist again. How pleased was I last night when the radiologist called from the car on his way home, not only that but he had already dictated his report so the news was not provisional! As always there is good news and not so good news, but it's not bad news. The news is that my liver is nearly clear. The are a couple of small tumours left but these are much smaller than they were. The tumours in my pelvis are also much smaller than they were. Overall this is great news, but I did not get the chance to ask if as they were all much smaller, this meant they were still dying off or if they had just shrunk. So now it's a 3 week wait to see the oncologist to find out what, if any, more treatment is needed. I am quite optimistic about this as the radiologist was at pains to say how good this news was and that he was extremely pleased to see such good progress. So now it's onwards and upwards, we have a busy weekend, again, and a few things planned for next week, mainly getting ready for our break in Spain. Have a good weekend all.

Update from Fins open day

Fins open day was a great success and my little stand raised £140, plus I got to meet Charley Boorman and Russ Malkin, of The Long Way Round fame. Added to the £140 raised is another £60 from the sale of a C90 engine, so all in all a good day fund raising.
Click here to find out more

Busy week!!!

Well for the first time in 5 months I have been able to enjoy a lot of quality time with the family, as my "good" week coincided with a school holiday for once. I think I felt even better this week as I know I do not have to go back in on Monday for more treatment. We have been out every day since Friday in some shape or fashion. This includes meeting friends for lunch at theirs, going to mum's for Easter Sunday lunch, meeting friends for lunch out, meeting friends at the beach, and boy was it windy and cold, going to Borough Market in London with my mum, and enjoying the food. Do you sense a recurring theme here? Yep, friends and food, two of life's great pleasures.

Today I am off to Fins Motorcycles in Redhill for the grand opening of their new store. Fin is sponsoring my charity ride, www.wrongwayround.org.uk - and he has Charley Boorman from the series Long Way Round coming down to open the store. Nice tie in there, you would think I worked in marketing and planned it, but I am afraid it's all a coincidence as I planned my name last year. If you are free 12 til 2 pop on down.

Yesterday I heard from the hospital that I can start reducing my tablets by a measured amount so that in 3 weeks I will be tablet free and not on any medication. This again is a good sign, I hope! All in preparation for my next, and hopefully last for some time, set of scans, which is on Thursday, so I have that to look forward to.

Lastly, Sarah goes back to work on Monday, and the kids go back to school, so I will be on my own for the first time. I have a lot planned, so don't expect to be lonely, and Sarah has a lot of jobs planned for me to do around the house, so I won't be bored either. Freja only has a couple of weeks left at school, then she will be on study leave ready for her GCSE's, so my "isolation" won't last long!

Dene's Easter message

Sorry it's been a while since my last post, the last round took a while to go, typical of the last one, make sure I remember it. Did not really feel up to posting til Friday and we have been busy since then. As usual, overnight it was like a light switch, went to bed feeling rough, woke up feeling really good. That was lucky as we had planned to catch up with Roseanna and Gavin, which was really good. Yesterday we hada day at home, but had a few visitors, Tracey and Tony came in the morning, followed by Sarah's mum and dad in the afternoon bearing Easter eggs for the kids, we counted 21 this morning! Today we have been to my mum's for dinner, where they got another one each making 25. Sarah and I might have to help them eat them all. As the kids are on the Easter break we have a lot planned for this week, including catching up with more friends and relatives, and trips to London and the coast, all provided I am feeling up to it of course!

Looking forward further, the following week is already pretty busy too, and that's also the week that Sarah goes back to work, but I will save that for another post

Now it's time for my big announcement. I am planning to raise money for St Catherine's Hospice later this year, as they have been so good to all the family and do so much good work for so many cancer patients and their families. Please take the time to read all about it by following this link, and if you feel inclined, please sponsor me.