Friday, December 31, 2021

It's nearly over

But it's only just beginning really.

My son and grandson
2020 and 2021 have been challenging years in so many ways, but 2021 is nearly over and 2022 beckons. It's unbelievable really - the last few years have been so different. We will have to live with this new Covid world for some time, I believe, before it normalises into (what some already call it), a flu-like condition that we can treat and manage similarly. 

This Christmas I was able to see my family - which is wonderful compared to last year when so many of us were locked-down and couldn't see those we love if we didn't live with them. My delightful grandson is nearly three, and in 6 weeks time I will have another grandchild. Well, more accurately, my daughter will have another child.  And in February, 2022, my son will emigrate to Australia and become a permanent resident. He will join  his wonderful partner who lives out there, and embark on a whole new life.

And what will 2022 hold for my wife and I? We don't know yet, but fingers crossed it's better than the last few years have been what with us both having cancer, and then the pandemic hitting us all.

So 2021 is nearly over, and 2022 is just about to begin, but most importantly every day is a day to be treasured. I treasure the time we spend together sitting quietly, or playing a board game, or cooking together. Walks in the woods with the woofers, playing our guitars together, even falling asleep in front of the TV. I treasure the moments with my family, my friends, and even strangers when we meet and share a moment, whatever that may be. 

So for 2022 I wish you all peace, happiness and health, and for those of you who have lost a loved one, I send love and support. 

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Friday, November 26, 2021

Resistance is (not) futile

Picard did escape the Borg in the end.
It's over a year since my surgery - since a large chunk of my lower bowel was removed, evicting Gertrude and her offspring. It's a year since Ripley was introduced and I am now so used to it, I don't really think about her (until she makes a really terrible smell!).  Abdominal surgery is pretty full on (ask anyone who's had a caesarean section) and recovery is slow. But at Ipswich hospital I was put on the 'enhanced recovery after surgery' programme which meant they tried to get me moving on day three (which would have been fine if I hadn't collapsed). 

My initial exercise regime was walking the dogs, gardening and working my way slowly up to chopping logs. Though I was getting my fitness back (and I had lost weight thanks to Ripley) my core - those muscles that had been cut through to complete my therapeutic surgery - had about as firm a six pack as a blobfish.

Initially I started Pilates at our village hall. I still go every Thursday evening and (although I can't do the exercises laying on my front) I am definitely making progress. But a few months ago the Hospital called me - they have a pre-hab and re-hab exercise class for people who will have or have had bowel surgery.

The classes involve resistance bands and, I have to say, the first few sessions, even the warm up got my heart rate up more than I'd been used to since pre-surgery. There were only a few of us in the class - two of us post-op, and one pre-op (though more joined later). Each of us had a unique experience of surgery and recovery, including our instructor, but there is no doubt that every one of us benefitted from the class. I managed a couple of classes at our local swimming pool too (thanks to the John Le Vay centre at Ipswich), but the new job meant I couldn't carry that on during the day sadly.

I'd never done resistance exercises before - but there was so much that was relatable with the breath training I'd done with Jen Tiller. I love it when things all tie up - Buteyko breathing, Pilates, resistance exercise in swimming class and resistance band training.

Now I'm back at work, and though I sit at a desk all day again (instead of pottering around the house and garden), I find that I am improving my posture, breathing better, and still doing regular resistance and Pilates classes.

Resistance isn't futile - resistance is part of getting my fitness back and building confidence in my body. It may have had a serious run in with cancer and lost a large section of my insides, but I am alive, and kicking, and grateful for the care of the NHS, and the love of my wife and family. Resistance is futile in just this one instance - love. 

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Monday, November 15, 2021

Always learning

Research - vital in finding treatments
for muscle wasting conditions (C) MDUK

'Always learning' is what I replied to a LinkedIn post asking 'what two words sum it up for fundraisers?"  Because no matter what job I have had, I have always learned something new, and I've learned a lot more from recent interviews too. Each job I applied for I researched the charity, and for those that I interviewed for, I was privileged to talk to some of the team members and learn even more.

Last week I started a new role (a maternity cover) at Muscular Dystrophy UK (MDUK). And the learning for me is in full swing. I had no idea that ther are over 60 different muscle wasting conditions, and that muscular dystrophy is more of a collective term. The most common, or perhaps just the one I'd heard of, is Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, and it is common in male children in the UK. It's scary to think that your newborn could end up with a condition that means reaching 30 years old would be an achievement.

The charity are small compared to some I've worked for, but the cause is big. 70,000 or so individuals with muscle wasting conditions in the UK, and their families - parents, grandparents, carers, siblings... they are all affected by MD.

I'm only her for 10 months, but while I am I am going to do everything I can to make the team I work for a success, and help raise income for the work of MDUK which includes research, support and information, advocacy and campaigning. 

It's early days in the role, but I am always learning, and (I can't help it), always fundraising. I will be posting more as I learn more. 

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Friday, October 22, 2021

Change is in the wind

Thankfully, there is something good to have come out of Covid. Really? Yes - the flexibility of the workplace. Employers now realise that 'working from home' does not mean employees are being lazy or inefficient, in fact in many cases it means the opposite. You really can trust your staff.

Our new woodwork shed
Technology of course has enabled home working in a number of ways, with easy ways to meet, chat with colleagues and have those 'coffee machine' moments even when you are not in the same building. But culture has a lot to do with it. 

I went to an interview pre-Covid and asked whether home working was a possibility. The Trustee on the panel said 'We give plenty of holiday, home working isn't necessary'. Well, I was gobsmacked, and knew that the Trustee totally didn't understand the reasons or benefits of staff working from home. I wonder if they've changed their tune now?

After just about five years with EAAA, where my contract was home based (but I chose to go into both offices often, to connect with my team), I have had a few months off and now I'm going to help out a charity in London with a maternity cover post. 

Travel to London from my home in the woods is at least a two and a half hour journey, so if it wasn't for the option of home working, I wouldn't have taken the job. But it's a great charity, and even though I'll only be there for 10 months, I'm looking forward to making a difference and helping them through unitl the post-holder comes back.

We made the workbench

Meantime my health is great (living with Ripley is no problem at all), and I am probably fitter now than I have been for years. I go to Pilates every week, to an excercise class for post and pre cancer operation fitness, and I've started a swim class too. And, of course, I'm still chopping and shifting wood, making things (like our shed, love our shed!) and walking the dogs. 

It's nearly a year since  my surgery, and I am here, smiling, looking forward to a new job and enjoying married life. A positive outlook has got me through and I am going to carry on as best I can with that - no matter what.

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Photos (C) Carolyn Tyrrell-Sheppard

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Resilience

I started writing a resilience article as a thought piece, but it felt very self-indulgent (which it was). In it I used an analogy, so instead of presenting my unsubstantiated opinion, here's a fictional story:

The waterfall


The children and their parents stood at the bottom of the waterfall. It was beautiful, the water rushing down, the rocks shining and gleaming as the cascade tumbled past and clouds of water droplets shone in the sunshine. Each side there were large boulders, suitable for climbing. “Let’s go to the top!” said mother. The children looked excited. 

“No.” said father. “It’s wet and slippery, and could be dangerous.” Of course, it would involve some risk – but with care the waterfall could be ascended quite safely.
 
 “Come on,” said mother, feeling the risk was acceptable.
 “No.” said father. Unwilling to take a chance, however small, on any of them slipping. 

“I’ll go,” said mother, “and tell you what it’s like”. She climbed, and it was safe – the rocks at the side were not wet and slick and were easy to climb. She reached the top. She had assessed the risk and anticipated the reward – and reward there was! The view was amazing – watching the cascading water below and looking across the fabulous landscape at the top. 

“Come on up,” she shouted down. “No.” said father and the children listened to him, because they always obeyed their father, even though they could see mother at the top, and how happy and excited she was, and they wanted to see and feel that too. The children missed out on the view, and the experience. They may have slipped, they may have bruised or even broken, but they never found out how beautiful it was to feel the thrill of climbing a waterfall and reaching the top. 

Do you think that we protect our children too much, that we don’t teach them to manage risk but to avoid it? Do you think this impacts their capacity for resilience and, long term, mental health?After posting this on LinkedIn – I was usefully directed to this by Josie Jacobs: ‘The Gift of Failure’ by Jessica Lahey - which speaks directly to this issue. She describes us as the generation that “invented over-parenting” - and despite our best intentions, we are robbing our children of their failures and therefore their learnings…and their natural resilience! When we take away our children’s opportunities to fail and learn (FAIL = First Attempt In Learning no less!), they never learn to trust their instincts and develop their innate resilience. We are in fact a very resilient bunch but - true of adults too - we have all lost touch with our own intuition. It’s not just parents but schools too - a friend’s school has just banned football because people were getting hurt… what about if we taught our kids HOW to play nicely or HOW to climb 🧗🏽️ safely… both the boulders you speak of, and this life?! 😊

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Challenged!

My writing buddy Cathy and I were chatting on line and I said how nice it will be not to write about cancer for a chance. I asked her for a challenge, and she said to write a story for my grandson! So here goes... (this is written to be read aloud)


Deep below the slippy slimy sludgy grunge, there lived a Blobby Grubber. Now you will have never seen a Blobby Grubber I'm sure, because you will never have gone deep below the slippy slimy sludgy grunge! The blobby grubber looks blue and green, like the slippy slimy sludgy grunge he lives below, so he can hide very quickly when the Gloop Monsters come. 

If you tried to grab a Blobby Grubber you'd never succeed - they are squirmy and soft and can slide out of the grasp of almost anything! The other things that live beneath the slippy slimy sludgy grunge are the small and speedy Tiddflippers, and they flit about like little lightning bolts, their shiny neon stripes lighting up the dark world beneath the slippy slimy sludgy grunge turning it into a funfair of colour. There are also the Glup Truggers, which are fat and slow, and live on the bottom, clearing up the grungy bits that fall to the floor of the slippy, slimy sludgy grunge. The Glup Truggers were often chased by Gloop Monsters, so they would bury themselves in the grunge at thte bottom, and hide until the Gloopers had gone.

One particular Blobby Grubber, called Groop, lived a long time ago beneath the slippy slimy sludgy grunge and - he thought - what is above? He was a curious Blobby Grubber and wanted to see more of the world than  his dark, slippy slimy world. But he didn't know how to get above the grunge, so, he needed help.

He asked the Tiddflippers if they ever went above the grunge, and they said no, there was too much fun to be had rushing around below.  

OK - I have by no means finished this story. My question is - do you want me to? Every story should have a beginning, middle and end - but all I have here is the beginning. And there's lots of 'tell' instead of 'show'. But which is best for children's fiction? Any suggestions appreciated - please comment below!

If I had to illustrate this story, I just might use a blobfish....

Photo Credit: Wonderopolis


Wednesday, July 07, 2021

Good news

"All clear kid"

On Thursday last week I had a call from my oncologist. He is always jolly and kind on the phone (and when I met him, a week before he got Covid), and this time he had some good news for me. My scan results show that I am all clear - no cancer!

I asked if I had to take this last course of chemotherapy and he said yes, so I have just over a week left of treatment and then the main cancer treatment is done! Dusted! Over! There is a huge sense of relief, even though I still have one last hurdle to complete.

Now that my cancer treatment is (nearly) over, I can look forward to a reversal operation for my ileostomy. That means another long operation (several hours) and some recovery time, but I will be able to get back to 'normal'. I don't think it will be soon as they have to wait a couple of months after chemo, and the NHS have a lot of operations to do that are more important, but it would be good not to (sorry for being graphic here) poop through my belly any more.

What I am most looking forward to is getting back to work - though it will be strange after so long off. Since I stopped work I have a new CEO, new team members, and we all have a brand new building. 

In the meantime I still have some appointments and am having trouble with my ear/jaw, but compared to cancer that's nothing!

Watch this space for updates on things other than cancer for a change - maybe about the amount of cabbages I have planted, or how my strawberries are doing, or how much jam/pickle I am making!

Photo credit Star Wars (source unknown). 

Monday, June 28, 2021

What a week!

Monday

Got married! Managed to share the day with our friends, thanks to rules allowing more than 30 (we had 32) we had a super wedding lunch with those we love. We wish more could have come/been invited, but we are planning a huge party next year. Watch this space. I will upload the wedding photos soon.

After the wedding we drove to The Hyde Dovecote in Kinver. Although Axle was away in Norfolk and Diesel at kennels, we took Chizel with us as he has a problem with his legs and we couldn't leave the poor lad.

Tuesday

The Dovecote
The Dovecote is small, and the wooden staircase proved too much for Chizel so we had plenty of exercise lifting him up and downstairs. After unpacking more, we walked down the river to Kinver, had tea and cakes in the village, and then walked back by the canal. It was a lovely day with mild weather and stunning countryside.  We had lunch in the Vine by the canal and Sheena was most impressed that her favourite cola was just £1.80 a pint (as opposed to £3 back home). We went back to the Vine for supper, but they had finished serving at 8pm. Instead we raced over to Harley's Smoke House and managed to get our order in just before 8.30. We had rushed there so we rushed our meal, which was nice but the salt pot bottom fell off on Sheena's dinner, and there was so much in my plate of nachos that I left half. Good food though, and well distanced tables. 

Wednesday

I popped briefly into Stourbridge for some shopping, struggling with parking and carting shopping down the high street. I forgot half the things I was supposed to get, but did get cheap meat!  We walked down the canal route and spent a lazy day at the Vine, playing Splendor and just relaxing, watching the canal barges and chatting to a man with one arm. Lunch was delicious. The weather was mostly bright, but a bit windy which ruined one of our games as the cards went all over the place! We found a quiet corner and - amazingly - I actually won a game (haven't won for ages).  

Thursday

The sun was shining brightly so we had another quiet day, this time at the Dovecote, with a barbecue for lunch and playing our guitars on the raised patio. We had another walk, and were so full from lunch we just had strawberries and cake for supper.

Friday



We went into Bridgnorth and spent the day in the town, wandering round the castle gardens, sitting by the river eating ice cream and going up and down in the funicular. We also bought a pushchair off Facebook for Chizel who was struggling with the walking.

Friday night we went to a gig! We had been told about it by our hosts, and trotted over to Ashwood Marina at Kingswinford to see the excellent Buzzin Hornets. A lovely evening (with a small audience), and so good to see live music again. Larry, our host, was there with his partner Anni. We swapped music videos of our respective performances, of course!

Saturday

Rock house
Our last day! We visited the rock houses at Kinver Edge and then crossed county lines into Worcestershire for a visit to Witley. It was a beautiful day and we loved the ruined house, the wonderful gardens and the amazing fountain.  We had supper at the Fox, which (after a long wait) was very nice, but it felt a little crowded. Covid restrictions have made us a lot more aware of the space around us.

Sunday

An early start, packup and drive home. When we did get home, the garden had gone mad! Peas were ready for harvest, I had a courgette and a cabbage ready to pick, strawberries and redcurrants, and our flower borders were blooming. It looks wonderful, and we are hoping for lots of produce as the season continues. Thanks to a kind neighbour, all the plants were watered whilst we were away (and the cat fed too).

Monday

We've been married a whole week! I drove to Norfolk to pick up Axle, Sheena picked up Diesel, we visited both mothers and Chizel visited the vet for some x-rays.  Now it's onwards and upwards. We had a lovely week, but it's great to be home here in beautiful Suffolk.

The spectacular fountain

More photos coming soon...

Sunday, June 20, 2021

Ding dong....

Tomorrow morning at 11.30 am we are getting married!  What a rollercoaster time we have had:

Chapter 1

I met Sheena, and we hit it off immediately. In the same February that we met, we were hit by 'Beast from the East' and we were snowed in together for a week. That year also saw very hot weather - so with extreme winter and a hot summer, a lot of the dog training Sheena does had to be cancelled. She also had a major back problem and was unable to work, and suffered from vertigo (which thanks to a neat trick we managed to cure!). 

Chapter 2

It was October of the same year that we met - 2018. Things were going really well. I went to Australia to visit my son, but Sheena couldn't come as she'd lost so much work time due to the reasons above. And it's a good thing too or she'd have missed her mammogram that identified stage 2, grade 3, breast cancer. (More here.)

From October 2018 on we spent a lot of time in Ipswich hospital, with Sheena losing her hair during chemo, radiotherapy, breast surgery and herceptin injections that finally finished in January 2020.

Chapter 3

One month after Sheena's final cancer treatment, I was diagnosed with bowel cancer.   So it was back to Ipswich hospital. By this time I'd moved into Sheena's house permanently, which is just as well as she has had to care for me through radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery. Sheena was in and out same day for her surgery, mine meant I had to stay in for seven days to make sure that the 'mechanics' of my insides, including my brand new stoma (named Ripley) were OK. I haven't been to work since March 2020.

We had lockdown, and we built a pond. Sheena again couldn't work fully due to Covid restrictions, but she started online dog training classes. 

Chapter 4

Starts tomorrow! We shall be married then go on a short honeymoon in the Midlands. Hopefully I will finish my treatment (scan last Thursday, let's hope all good), and I  am optimistic that I can back to work in August. Chapter 4 is the start of a great future, we've certainly worked for it!

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Coming soon... wedding pictures.

Thursday, June 17, 2021

The Step Well

Oh dear, no posts since last writers' circle! Well the only development for me is that I had my CT scan today, but I won't hear results from that for a bit. So here's tonight's writing, inspired by a picture of a spectacular Indian Step Well.

Some secrets are never revealed, some are liberated by loose tongues, and some are exposed by the heartless sun.

-o-

By Doron - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,
commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2761923
The sun was blistering, the sky so clear and blue that it seemed to be a perfect reflection of the water in the well.  The well was low– very low. The women had to walk down eleven levels to get to the water. They complained as they descended but were silent in the breath-snatching air as they ascended with their hard-earned loads.

Ramesh was sitting at the very top. He ran his hands through his dry, brittle hair. Sweat poured off him, and his foot involuntarily tapped a tattoo upon the dust. He looked down into the water, unaware of those around him.

The older women smirked at him, whilst some of the younger ones looked shyly towards him or giggled as they passed in groups. He did not see any of them. He just sat by the well, watching the surface of the water, as the sun punished him.

He wanted to see if the water would go down another level; Ramesh had not seen it this low since he was a small boy. The sun continued its persistent assault on his skin, and after two hours, without seeing any change in the level, Ramesh sighed hugely and eventually departed.

He visited the well every day, and as he saw more and more water taken, but the level staying stable (even without the rains), he grew slowly more confident. By the second week, he started to look up when the young women giggled, and would bow most graciously to the older ones, gaining just a little affection from them. After a month, he had learned the routine of the water gatherers and had noticed one young girl in a beautiful orange sari that was edged with lime; he picked her out each time she came, and gave her his widest, whitest smile.

His hair was now shiny and bright, and he would wear his best dhoti. He waited on the side of the well where he knew she would come. And one day, he waited at the bottom of the well, and carried her pitcher up to the top for her. The older women watched, and chattered their concern, if not quite disapproval. Daily, Ramesh’s confidence grew. He now visited the well daily not to watch the water level, but to see Binita.  

The summer went and the rains came, and Ramesh stopped his daily visits to the well. Now he could work on his small farm during the day and went only once a week to the well to meet Binita and carry her water. She wasquiet, but approachable, and Ramesh soon discovered that her mother had plans for her that did not includeher spending more time with the ‘waterboy’. His mind was now focused on the problem of Binita’s mother.

Ramesh made enquiries, developed acquaintances and learned as much as he could about Binita and her family. They were reasonably wealthy so might expect a large dowry, but then again they might have already got a husband in mind. Ramesh let options and opportunities occupy his mind as the cool weather dulled his anxieties and gave him fresh hope for the future.

-o-

In a town not twenty miles from where Ramesh had sat, a new well was being built. There were plans to plant more mango trees and they needed water. There was water under the ground that would feed their well as it did the one in Ramesh’s town. Sacred rituals were performed, architects’ plans followed and work commenced in the evening when the searing heat of the day dulled. If Ramesh had known, he may well have left town. Because in one year or maybe two, when the new well was complete, if they had a summer like this one, then the level in his well would most certainly go down. And then Ramesh would not be able to hide from the truth at the bottom.

Note:    I may be inaccurate in attributing names/clothing to the right regions where there are step wells, but I've done my best. Comments/corrections welcome.

And a quick PS - I'll have a very different subject for the next blog as Monday (21 June) is a very big day!

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Friday, May 28, 2021

Writing circle fun time

At our last writers' circle meeting we were tasked with writing what happens to a £10 note when it passes through the hands of at least three people. On the night we had stories from the note's point of view, theft and some adventures. We had 40 minutes writing time. Here's my contribution:

Henry’s Present

It was a miserable, wet, windy autumn evening. The show started at 7 and Henry could hardly contain his excitement. Holding tight to his mother’s hand, he stood in the queue patiently, but even so hopped from foot to foot in anticipation.

“Be still Henry, we will get in, I promise you.” The long queue for the new blockbuster ‘The Yellow Rolls Royce’ was full of chatting people, and it moved so slowly. As they neared the entrance to the Gaumont, the huge poster outside showing the famous faces of the cast loomed over Henry. He thought they looked like giants! Henry grew from excited to anxious. “Have you still got it, mamma?” he queried, looking up at her in her fawn overcoat and matching hat. “Of course dear, your birthday present from Grandma is safe in my handbag.” Which was, of course, also matching.


Henry’s legs were cold in his shorts, but mother had insisted he wear his clean school uniform for such an important night out. After what seemed an age they reached the kiosk and mother handed the cashier the crisp ten pound note that marked Henry’s 10th birthday. “You will look after the change, won’t you mamma?” he asked, and she smiled, taking the tickets and the change from the serious looking cashier (a ten pound note needed at LOT of change!). They went in, and Henry’s night went from anticipation back to excitement as he looked forward to his first cinema trip that also promised ice cream at the interval. It was the culmination of a wonderful day – his grandmother had given him the ten pound note – “a pound for every year of your life so far, dear Henry” she’d said, and he had grasped it with astonishment. Mother had quickly taken it into her care, and after much discussion the cinema trip was planned. Now the ten pound note was with the cashier, and there was plenty of change from the six shillings it cost them both to get in. Plenty for ice cream, and plenty for Henry’s greatest ambition, the new bicycle!

They went into the cinema and took their seats, and as the credits rolled, the cashier was banking the door takings into a large canvas bag. There were a few pound notes, and many ten shilling notes, but only the one ten pound note. She let her fingers linger on it, admiring the picture of the Queen, and feeling the strange texture as it slipped from her fingers into the cash bag. A small sigh escaped her. She wouldn’t be seeing many of those in a hurry.

Inside the cinema Rex Harrison was buying a yellow rolls Royce as an anniversary present. Henry briefly wondered if he could have afforded one with his ten pound note, but was soon lost in the magic of cinema. Henry loved the film – the car, the music, the exotic locations. Funny really, as that morning he had woken in his bed at home in Finchley, waiting for his grandmother, like any normal boy.

Margaret (Henry’s grandmother) had planned the generous gift for some time. It had taken her months to save up and when she at last had the full ten pound notes, she went specially to the bank to change it for a single note. That had been the previous week, and in the days leading up to Henry’s birthday, she had put it away safely in her dear departed husband’s family bible. “No one would look for money in there,” she thought to herself, and tucked the money into Genesis at her favourite part: “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” She always imagined god waving his hand and birds appearing as if he was scattering petals. Every evening she had gone to the Bible to ‘read’, but in truth it was to touch the note and imagine the excitement of her small grandson as she gave it to him.

The bank manager had been so kind, concerned that she was giving a young man such a huge sum – and such responsibility! But she knew that her daughter would look after it, as she had Henry. With kindness, consideration and care – and above all, thoughtfulness.

The film came to an end and a very tired Henry yawned and clung on to his mother’s hand as the throng of people left the cinema. It had been wonderful! “Have you still got the change, mother?” He asked again. She smiled and pulled him through the crowd, holding tight on to her handbag that held the nine pounds and twelve shillings that remained of Henry’s birthday present. (If you are busy doing mental arithmetic now, don’t forget they had ice cream!)

Henry and his mother went home, and the shutters came down on the cinema as every last person, even the projectionist, had gone home. The manager had come and taken the cash bag ready to pop into the night safe. And the cashier, she headed home with her high heels and bright lips, and a guilty conscience. The ten pound note that had slipped into the cash bag had also slipped out again, and into the pocket of her coat. As she walked down the dark, wet street, her hand was thrust deep into her coat, and she could feel the note crisply scrunched as she tried to push her guilt out of sight.

Turning off the high street and into her road, she imagined the sound of footsteps behind her. Was she being followed? She daren’t stop and look! The street lights shed a dim yellow glow, but even so there were plenty of shadows for someone to hide in. She walked more quickly, hurrying towards her little house and her husband. How would she explain it to him? She wouldn’t. Her hand was sweaty on the note, and she was as tense as a cello string. She reached her door and turned to look – no one there. She huffed at her own imagination and opened the door.

Inside her husband was asleep in his chair, with the radio still playing the light programme. “Hello dear” she said, and he started as he woke at the sound of her voice.

“Oh, hello. Good film?”

“You know I don’t watch them,” she chided. “I’ll make some cocoa. Time for bed.” She took off her coat and palmed the note, thinking about where she should hide it (from her husband as much as any imagined robber). She saw the Bible in the bookshelf and, while her husband busied himself with emptying his pipe, slipped it in. She didn’t know it, but she’d popped it right at Timothy, 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils”. There was an irony, had she ever read the Bible. That ten pound note stayed there for almost two years – hiding itself, hiding her guilt. She was never found out at the cinema, but was wracked with anxiety every time the same denomination appeared at the cashier’s kiosk. What she did with it, well that is another story, and another family’s excitement and drama. Ten pounds may not seem much today, but in 1964, you could do a lot with ten pounds – far more than just going to the cinema and buying ice cream.

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Thursday, May 20, 2021

It may be cute but...

A few years back there was a popular video
of a pet slow loris circulating on social media.
They do not make good pets.

On a cat lovers' group on Facebook someone had posted a 'cute' video of a small marmoset dressed up, and it got lots of likes and the comment 'Wish I had one'.

This is SOOOO WRONG! Whether the animal itself was captive bred or not, images like these encourage people to think owning wildlife means they will have a 'cute' pet - no consideration for the damage to the species, the illegal trade (serious crime involved in wildlife trade from primates to orchids), and the damage to the environment they live in.

Don't think this is a big problem? Check this out - Tech companies take down 3 million online listings for trafficked wildlife. Yes, 3 million, and as well as each one of those posts, there are thousands of other wildlife traded in posts that are 'disguised' on social media (eg ivory sold as white plastic). I won't even start on the wildlife markets, but they are almost certainly to thank for Corona Virus jumping to humans.

Please - if you see a cute picture of a wild animal kept as a pet, do not hit like or share, but report it to the admins of the site/group and point out the danger of encouraging people to want wild animals as pets.

(Oh, and in case you think this is just a problem in Asia, if you go on holiday and bring back a shell, or an item made of a rare wood, you may well be committing a crime too!)

Further information:

  • TRAFFIC - the charity tackling international trade in wildlife
  • WWF - who partner closely with TRAFFIC to stop illegal wildlife trade
  • IFAW/Responsible Travel - and the danger of wildlife holiday souvenirs

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Photo credit: TRAFFIC.org

Friday, May 14, 2021

Doves and cuckoos

Yesterday morning I heard my first cuckoo - today I heard it several times! Good to know they are back, and though they are a parasitic bird (poor little reed warblers!), they are a bird in trouble in the UK, so good to hear them at all.

The other nice visitor to our garden is the turtle dove - though I heard them regularly last year, I never saw them. This year, a pair are actually visiting our bird feeders! The siskins, tits and woodpecker all make a real mess when they grab the sunflowers out of our feeders, so the ground feeding birds (chaffinch, dunnock, pheasant and pigeons) love clearing up for me.

These are a rarity now, and such a treat to see them. 

Useful links:

RSPB - cuckoo

RSPB - turtle dove  

Monday, April 26, 2021

And now...

So it's been a month since my last post, two more chemos done, and the reduced dose/change in meds has made a huge difference. I am still really tired and have a number of side-effects, but progress is being made. Mostly, as it happens, in my garden.

One of the challenges of cancer, and the treatment regime, is the emotional toll it takes on you - not just the physical one. And being in my garden has been very good for me. Although I get very tired and sometimes run out of energy, I've managed to be outside (weather permitting) almost every day.

We've had a hot April with frosty nights so it's not been the usual gardener's calendar, but I've grown lots of plants from seed, and also (with help of course) converted a part of the garden into a mini-allotment where I have potatoes, peas and sweetcorn planted. When the frosts stop, my baby cabbages, sprouts and other veggies will go out there too. 

I do a little at a time, and rest a lot, but being in the fresh air and sunshine, and going for (short) walks with the dogs in the forest has helped my mental health as well as my ability to cope with the physical demands of cancer.

I've made some planters for some of the veg and flowers, and although they lack finesse, they certainly do the job. I do like working with wood and will, when I have time/energy, start to deconstruct some more pallets so we can  make more things for the garden.

The next stage medically is a scan and then a review to see if I am actually cancer free now (hopefully). They will then decide how many more chemos I need - I've had five, and could have up to twelve. But it will depend on the scan results and also the levels of my side-effects. There is a balance to be struck between the medical benefit and the chemical impact.

The reversal operation for my stoma will probably not be for quite a while - there is a huge backlog of operations for the NHS and tmy surgery is not a priority. That's OK - I can live with Ripley a bit longer. 

I want to get back to 'normal' (don't we all in these strange times),  I really want to get back to work, back to living the identity that doesn't have 'Cancer' stamped all over it. But in the meantime I am enjoying the wildlife in my garden, and the satisfaction of growing (and eventually eating) our own produce. 

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Pond life


Sunday, March 21, 2021

Living with Ripley

Tomorrow is my third chemo and because of the rather unpleasant (understated) side effects, tomorrow they will only be giving me one of the two drugs. The one they are dropping is only about 5% of the efficacy, so it won't make a huge difference medically, but should make a big difference to side effects. I've been unlucky, I've reacted badly to the chemo, but it still beats having cancer.

But on to 'Ripley', which is our fond name for my ileostomy. Luckily for me it is a temporary solution, but given that there are literally millions of people waiting for surgery due to the pandemic, it's unlikely that I will have my reversal operation any time soon. So here I am, now one of the several million people in the UK that poops through my tummy into a bag.

From Wiki - source not credited
Living with Ripley is not too bad - it took some getting used to, but now we have a routine for the change (every other day) and managing the skin. When skin is covered up (the edge of the bag around Ripley is around 3 cm all the way round) 24/7, and when chemotherapy turns my poop into chemical warfare, then keeping my skin healthy is a challenge. 

But it's a challenge we are working with, and thanks to my amazing partner, I have not suffered any really serious skin problems. Ripley itself has a few quirks, including a fistula (extra hole) and some granuloma, but I visit the stoma specialist nurse next week too, so she will advise if any extra care is needed.

Living with Ripley going forward is going to be interesting. Unlike the usual exit, there is no muscular control over the stoma, so I have no sensation (there are no nerve endings in the bowel) or forewarning of when my body processes waste, whether it's solid or gaseous. (I say 'solid', but it's only thanks to multiple tablets per day that there is any solidity whatsoever.)  In other words, there is no urge - it just happens. Hence the bag, everything is neatly contained and manageable. But.... it makes noises. And it makes smells.

For now I'm somewhat glad that when I return to work it will most likely still be working from home - but I'm going to have to forewarn my colleagues about Ripley, because there's absolutely nothing I can do about it. 

I'm hoping I will have the reversal operation, but when there are people in pain waiting for hip operations, people with other illnesses and injuries that desperately need treating, I am quite happy to go to the end of the queue and live with Ripley that bit longer.

Some different posts from this blog:

Wednesday, March 03, 2021

Round two

Gardener mouse from 'Not on the high street'
I have my next chemotherapy on Monday - with the dose tweaked. My consultant said that they will adjust the chemos to minimise the impact, and one of them they can stop if needed. I have to report my  side effects as they start.

In the meantime Sheena has been doing my line care, and taking my bloods. It's quite a process and I lie in bed (with the electric blanket on, mmm) and present my PICC for her to clean and change the dressings. We have step by step instructions from the hospital and a sterile line care kit. I read out the instructions and Sheena does the nursey bit. I think she enjoys it just a little. Makes a change from dog training I suppose!

Whilst I am feeling well I am keeping busy in the garden, building planters and sowing the early veg and flower seeds. But I have a nemesis! I have planted peas three times, and each time they have ended up being a mouse's dinner. I have also fed the mouse squash and cucumber seeds, so it's time for another plan. I've blocked one of the holes into the greenhouse with stones, and put the more delicious seeds inside a propagator. Let's see how smart that mouse is!

Useful links:

Other stories from this blog:

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

Change to the schedule

My lap companion

 I guess I underplayed how ill the chemotherapy made me. I was considered for hospitalisation on the following Monday, but managed to make it at home by rehydrating as much as I could.

The colorectal specialist nurse has cancelled my next chemotherapy and I will be talking with my consultant on Thursdsay to find out what happens - whether they will change the dose, or the space between.

There is an optimum time for the effectiveness of this chemo following surgery, so getting it done soon is important for it to work.

I will update fully on Friday.

Monday, February 15, 2021

TWTWTW

Some of the older generation may recognise the title reference to 'TW3' - which was a rdaio show called 'That was the week that was'. And my, yes it was a week indeed.

It's one week today since my first chemo, and today is the first day I feel well enough to blog and recount the side effects and other fun and games around a week that also featured a reprise of the 'Beast from the East'.

On Monday 8 February my hospital appointment was for 10am, in Ipswich. The chemo services have moved from Ipswich Hospital to the local Nuffield, and the journey was magical. Thankfully we have a truck - and living in a forest it makes a lot of sense. The truck was covered in snow but started and, even though the roads were frequently snow laden and drifts meant the going (even on the A12) was sometimes slippy, we reached our destination safely. The Nuffield in Ipswich is on the Foxhall Road, in a dip in the countryside, the the lane up to the hospital was truly a fairyland.


Sheena dropped me off (and stayed in the car, no point going home again in this weather) and I went in to receive my first chemotherapy. It was relatively simple, with the saline flushes first, then the first of the two drugs added intravenously through my PICC line. I started the chemo at around 12, and it took about two hours. The second stage was the application of my pump - a small plastic torus with a liquid centre that would slowly dispense the chemo into my PICC (and into my system) over the next 48 hours. My pump was slipped into a belt around my waist, and the line went under my shirt to where it connected to the PICC in my upper arm.

I felt a bit weird, a bit sick and tingly, but nothing like as bad as I'd thought I might be. These chemos affect your sensitivity to cold, so having it during a snow week was somewhat poor timing on my part. After a while, to ensure no drastic reactions, I was able to go home with Sheena. I'd been there from 10am until around 2pm - so a packed lunch had been handy. 

Occupying time during chemo

Sleeping with the pump and the PICC and, of course, my stoma, was a little uncomfortable, but I was very tired so didn't do too bad. Tuesday I felt tired and had a very bad headache, and my fingers - if they got the slightest cold - tingled and hurt. I managed a snowy walk but by Tuesday evening I was feeling awful. Sick, headache, exhausted. 

Wednesday I had to go back to the hospital to have the pump removed. It had nicely filled me with all it's contents. The roads were slightly better, but it was still a truck-worthy journey. On the Friday, we returned again to complete Sheena's 'line training'. She changed my PICC dressing, cleaned the line (took some blood and flushed with saline) and I nearly passed out. I went all dizzy - not sure if it was because it was Sheena doing it, or just because it was the culmination of a hell of a week.

The week was not easy - sick feeling, no energy, and no ability to concentrate. And diarrhea. It's probably easier to manage with a stoma, but nonetheless it was not fun. They often say you can't describe chemo exhaustion until you've felt it, and now I know first hand what that means. I spent most of the week either asleep or resting, or feeling listless and sick.   

However, I do believe it could have been worse (and may yet still be, I know), so I'm going to look at the positive. I was not actually sick, and though my fingers are still tingly (and I have to keep warm), I'm doing OK. Today I've started to do normal things again and don't feel like quite such a useless lump. It does make me remember how Sheena was during her chemotherapy too - hers was a much nastier concoction, and the side effects worse. And I know she doesn't remember quite how it was - she just remembers how much she had to fight to keep going. So I'll focus on that - I know I'm going to forget the worst bits, and start putting up more of a fight. 

Other posts from this blog

Monday, February 01, 2021

Further along the line


I had my PICC line inserted on Friday. It's a weird feeling - a long thin piece of blue plastic firstly (thank you local anaesthetic) entering my arm and then going all the way along the vein to end up floating at the top of my heart. 

First couple of evenings were rough, with some residual pain (you can see the bruising) and the odd feeling of being aware of the line inside - which is probably more psychological than physical.

Today we went back to have the line 'flushed', the original dressing changed and some bloods taken. It wasn't that difficult, but the process is very ordered. Basically I now have a tap in my arm (the red bit) and you can flush by putting saline in, and take blood out, the same valve. Means less needles, which is good.

Sheena watched and was instructed by the nurse - next time it will be her turn. But before then I'll have my first chemo, next Monday. That will mean the drugs plugged into my tap with a pump that will stay on for two days and back to the hospital to have the pump removed. Then back to the hospital a few days later to have the line cleaned and blood taken which will be done by Sheena herself, under the watchful eye of the nurse.

After that, it will be one week on and one week off for chemo (with the two day pump) and alternate weeks will be line care and bloods, done by Sheena. I am due 10 cycles, so this is going to take around three months. 

There are lots of side effects that I will share once they start hitting, but for now I'm aware I will be very sensitive to cold, have neuropathy (tingling/pain) in my hands and feet, and may feel sick. Oh, and blood clots are a possibility too, but we can keep an eye out for them.

I'm feeling nervous, but keen to get this started so that the end will be in sight. It will take some time to feel human again after chemo stops - but by then I hope the world will be a bit more normal and the NHS under less strain. Then, perhaps, my stoma reversal surgery can be scheduled.

Meantime, I've had my vaccine, I have my PICC line, and I have the most wonderful woman in the world to look after me. I think I'm lucky.

Useful links

Other stories from this blog

Thursday, January 21, 2021

Choices

As well as dog training, Sheena is going to
have to go back to her nursing days!
My chemo was due to start on 11 Jan, but with the new very contagious version of Covid, and the prevalence of it at our hospital, I asked if we could delay. It wasn't an easy choice, and I couldn't speak to my colorectal nurse as she was off, but in the end we decided on a delay.

Since then the chemo day unit has moved out of the hospital into the local Nuffield, as they did during the first lockdown. This keeps the chemo patients as far away from any risk of infection as possible - and the cancer ward has been given over to Covid patients. They are now postponing cancer surgery, I've heard, so I have been very lucky with my treatment so far.

My chemo schedule is now planned and I will be going to the Nuffield. I will have my PICC line inserted on 29th January, and my first chemotherapy treatment on 8th Feb. There will be line care, blood tests and all sorts in the meantime, with chemo infusions roughly every two weeks, via a pump that is removed two days later. Sheena is going to learn how to use the PICC line to take blood for me and to do the maintenance - lucky Sheena!

There are a shed load of side effects possible, but the most common are neuropathy (pain/tingling in extremities, something Sheena still suffers from more than a year on from her last treatment) and extreme sensitivity to cold, especially in the air. Those will be copeable with. I have to take a warm scarf and lunch to my first chemo session as it will be around 3 1/2 hours.

There is the possibility that I will get a Covid Vaccine as I will fall into the clinically vulnerable cohort - Sheena has already had hers as her immune system (even now) will still put her in this category. But for now it's keep calm and carry on. I will update after my first treatment. I may even post pictures of my PICC line.

Useful links:

Less serious posts:

Friday, January 08, 2021

There's no such thing as an original story

Chizel. Why not!
A good few years ago I started writing a novel about a 20th century woman who ‘time slipped’ into Medieval times. It fell under ‘Hero’s Journey’ in story theme terms, but the fun of the story was how a  modern woman faced and overcame challenges in a bygone age. I struggled with the language differences, I struggled with some links in the story, but I liked the main character. I wrote about a third of the story, with the plot fully outlined, and then I read ‘Outlander’ by Diana Gabaldon.  Basically, exactly the same premise as my story, but written sh*t loads better and with a much more interesting scenario (15th Century Scottish Highlands).  

For reasons other than the fact that the concept had been done 100 times better by someone else, I abandoned my poor lady in Medieval times (I wonder how she’s getting on?) and haven’t tried to write a novel since. I have written plenty of short stories (a few can be found on here), but the idea of writing a novel still taunts my creative muse.

A friend suggested I could write further on the infamous Matthew Hopkins (I’d already written a song about him), and I briefly flirted with the idea of time travelling the Witchfinder General to today – but he’d be right at home during a pandemic!

I’m therefore going to start thinking about what I want to write – it doesn’t matter if it’s been done before, or whether it is publishable or not, I just want to revisit the pleasure of writing. I won’t say ‘watch this space’ because if the last novel attempt is anything to go by, you’ll get very tired waiting.


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Monday, January 04, 2021

Health and safety gone mad

Pic from Smallbusiness.co.uk
It is often said that the rules and regulations around health and safety are ‘gone mad’ and that we are a nanny state. I disagree – although sometimes things may seem a bit ridiculous, have you stopped to look at the bigger picture? I did a bit of research:

The Health and Safety at Work Act came into force in 1974 (when I was too young to work more than a paper round). This was the result of the Robens Report, which was very concerned with the state of workers’ safety, particularly in the coal industry. Quite a bit has changed since the legislation has come into force, especially with regards to deaths and injuries:

                             Deaths               Reported injuries

1974                    650                      330,000
2019                    111                      75,000

These figures to me speak not just of the decline in coal mining (and related deaths and diseases), but that health and safety procedures have had a real impact. In other words, this legislation, along with an increased sense of responsibility by individuals, has saved lives.

So though some of the rules and regulations may be annoying, and filling out the accident book may be an inconvenience, overall we should not think it’s health and safety gone mad, but be thankful for the protection that is extended to us via this old, but wonderful, piece of legislation (who’d have thought I’d ever have something to thank Barbara Castle for!).

More info:

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