WEEKEND MEET DAY 2

Today the weather turned out much better than the forecast. John Yale had one he had prepared earlier - route that is - and he led one group on a walk to explore some open access land. The other half of us did a walk to the village of Farnham where we took pictures around the church and surrounding area. On the return route we stopped and had a grass blowing competition- it was the best laugh I have had for a long time. Just think Last of the Summer Wine and you will get the picture! By the time we got back to the campsite I was totally exhausted but a nice big chunk of cake courtesy of Sandie went a long way towards aiding my recovery. In all a really good day and it was great to be out with friends again.

DORSET BPC WEEKEND MEET.

I arrived at the Sixpenny Handley site about 1230hrs. During the afternoon I was joined by a further 4 tents and a tarp. Late afternoon a few of us went to the post office not for stamps or an envelope but for tea and coffee and a large slice of Dorset apple cake. Tonight some cooked at the tent but I joined 3 other happy Backpackers for fish and chips on the site. There is a cold N E wind but it wont flatten my spirits as I am so glad to be out in my tent again. There have been times over the past few months when I felt that I might not be able to do this again. Today is a great day!

STILL ON TRACK !!

My journey back to some kind of normal life is still on track. Since my last posting on this blog I have started to regain some of my energy- indeed I have even managed to get out on my 'Tifosi' training bike for a couple of short rides managing to get down to the Studland ferry and back.

This weekend I will be going to Sixpenny Handley (by car) for a static camping weekend with other members of the Backpackers club. The last time I spent the night in a tent was when I joined JD on his charity cycle ride around Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. After eight weeks of radiotherapy I am really starting to suffer with 'outdoors person' withdrawal symptoms.

I am really looking forward to the weekend as it represents yet another milestone in my attempt to get back to normal- Well normal for me!!

I don't think I will manage to walk a great distance as I find walking more tiring than cycling but I do intend to do some work on a photographic project in and around the village and I know that I can manage the distance from the campsite to the pub.

I plan to arrive at the site about midday on Friday. I know a couple of members will be walking in to the site (I wish I could) from their homes and hopefully we will have others arriving by car the same as me.

I will make some short postings from the site during the weekend.

ON MY WAY BACK....!!

Well as promised I am on my way back. For about the last two months ever since taking part in John D's charity ride it has been as if my life has been on hold. I can now start to look forward again.

Earlier today I had my last session of Radiotherapy. I now have to wait about 8 weeks before I see the Oncologist. At that meeting I will find out if the Radiotherapy and the drugs (which I will be on for another 6 weeks) have had the desired effect. If it's good news then I will have checks every 6 months and then hopefully get an all clear in about two years. It will take a few weeks apparently before I start to feel any recovery from all the treatments- but I am getting there. I decided to stop the postings on this blog because I realised that each day was going to be the same as the day before- a bit like 'Groundhog Day' and not a lot to write about. These pictures show what I saw every day for about the past 8 weeks. The staff at the Dorset Cancer Unit were really good and I will miss seeing them and the other patients every day- but the treatment really did knock me for six. Now I will start on the road called recovery.

TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF POSTINGS.

DUE TO MY ONGOING CANCER TREATMENTS

AND THE EXTREME FATIGUE THAT I AM CURRENTLY

EXPERIENCING FROM MY RADIOTHERAPY SESSIONS

I HAVE DECIDED TO SUSPEND POSTINGS ON THIS BLOG.

AS ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER SAYS IN HIS FILMS:

"I WILL BE BACK"

HOWARD'S CYCLEPACKING WEEKEND.

As I mentioned in my last posting I was really dissapointed not being able to go to Howard's cyclepacking weekend. It was the first time that the bloody cancer I have has stopped me doing something that I wanted to do. It almost feels like a failure.

Not wishing me to feel too left out of things the Guys sent me some pictures as the weekend unfolded.

It certainly looks as if there was a good turnout for the event judging by the first picture.

The next shot is of Howard drinking a nice cool pint. The message attached to this photo was as follows:

"This is your pint! We want paying for it. You can transfer it into Howard's account. Cheers." I won't make any further comment on that!!

The last picture is of the group on a lunch stop. Chris and Peter are demonstrating where I would have been sitting if I had managed to attend the weekend meet.

Howard is sitting there with a gash in his leg caused by him not looking where he was going-(nothing changes). That will teach him to drink my pint.....!!

UNABLE TO ATTEND AGAIN..!!!!

I felt pretty tired at the end of the four day charity ride I completed with JD last Sunday- but not anywhere close to the fatigue I am currently experiencing.

Following the ride- Monday saw the start of the next stage in my treatment programme.

This consists of me visiting the Dorset Cancer Unit based at Poole Hospital every day Monday to Friday (I get two rest days at the weekend). At the Cancer Unit I get to stretch out on my back beneath the large rotating arm of a linear accelerator while this very clever machine does its best to kill off what could kill me.

Amongst the many and various side effects that a patient might suffer I seem to be affected by a feeling of fatigue. I have felt less tired after cycling 70+miles than I am feeling at the moment after 10 to 15mins a day of Radiotherapy.

Another spin off in having to attend the unit each day is the disruption to my plans for cycling and backpacking etc. For the past few years Howard K a fellow member of the Backpackers Club has arranged a Cyclepacking weekend at this time of year. In 2008 I was unable to attend because my Father died and then in 2009 I was unable to attend due to the cycling accident I had-broken collarbone and ribs saw to that. Now this year due to my daily treatment I am unable to attend again. My original plan had been to cycle to the start over two days and return over two days at the end of the weekend- with the daily appointments that plan is not possible. This evening Mike McEnnerney and Peter Calcutt popped over to see me and check out if there was a way of getting me and bike to the meet in the back of Mike's Land Rover but unfortunately the bike would not fit. Thanks for trying guys...! Oh well I can only hope that I will manage to attend next year. Sorry Howard.

Now what can I do over this weekend? I know- I will be forced to watch the Tour De France as the Pro Peloton reaches the mountains- not much hardship after all.