Day 33

The I am feeling better mode is continuing. Though I get tired quite easily it's nice to be able to go out and have some fresh air in the sunshine.

One of the things the Oncologist told me was that if the chemotherapy was working I would start to notice that swallowing food would be easier. Sadly I have to report that the kind of things I used to struggle with before are still causing me the same discomfort. This has set me thinking about the point of taking all these pills. As you will have gathered if you have been regularly reading this blog I have been through several difficult days. Now I always knew that chemo wouldn't be anything other than a hard slog. The Oncologist did tell me that there was a 50% chance of it working. So I can't claim that I went into this with my eyes shut.

Thing is as the second session comes to a close if it has thus far had no real impact will the third dose make anything different? If the answer to that is yes then let's proceed and I shall deal with it. On the other hand if it is not going to do anything is there any point in proceeding down this line? This is not intended as a negative thought at all. The Consultant in Southampton told us that provided the tumor had not grown the operation would proceed anyway. I have been wondering therefore whether it might be a thought to have an early CT Scan and if necessary have the operation earlier than planned.

In an effort to put these thoughts into some perspective I have e mailed the Upper GI Nurse Joya with my concerns. I am due to see the Oncologist the day before I am due to have yet more needles stuck in my arm and I am hoping that before the appointment she will be aware of my feelings.

I hope dear reader you don't think I am giving up. This is far from the case. My niece knows someone who has had Oesophageal Cancer. She will contact him and I hope to have a chat. It could well be that before I go back to Hospital I may have a different view. At least I shall have a few days away from the pills to take stock. After all it is my body and I have I hope some choices in this matter.

On a lighter note this folically challenged person has not lost what little hair he has left. I had noticed it growing a little unkempt but put off going to the Barber as I thought if it was going to fall out anyway I could save myself £7. I gave up on that idea. Neither wonder I am not a millionaire.

Day 32

I have more progress to report. Ev had had to get up early to take Christopher to catch the 0615 ferry to Southampton. When she got back and after a rest for both of us I made us our Breakfast. This may sound like small beer but considering that until a day or so ago I didn't want to face any food actually to make Porridge for the two of us is progress indeed. I also made Lunch. I have also deliberately eaten a little bit more at each meal.

Otherwise it's been a good day. The weather has been nice, our Politicians expenses continue to cause anger and amusement and I can feel the day(Tuesday) when I start my week off the pills getting ever closer. Long may this improvement continue.

On the other side of the fence I still have the same difficulties in digesting certain food stuffs. This is something I shall take up with the Oncologist on Monday week.

There have been more calls and good wishes from people to which I can only say a very humble thank you.

Day 31

I got a bit of a shock today. I went on the scales this morning to find I had lost 5 lbs. Now normally I would be congratulating myself on the grounds that I was overweight. However with the treatment everyone has emphasised the need to keep the weight on an even keel.

I suppose it shouldn't come as a surprise really. After all I've been saying how difficult it is to bring yourself to eat anything if either you aren't hungry and the digestion system hurts. Nevertheless the easy part would be to say so what. One of the things Linda the diet person(how is that for PC?) said was that I should eat small amounts at regular intervals. I wasn't sure about that but I did have a bigger Breakfast.

The other thing new was going out to Lunch at Baywatch on the Beach a nice cafe overlooking the sea at St. Helens. Ev and Christopher were with me. I ordered and managed to eat some home made Lasagne. I might have been tempted to eat an accompanying salad but it was soaked in a dressing which I suspect the digestion would not appreciate too much. So I settle for an Ice Cream instead. What a life.

We went for a short walk as well. This did mean that I needed to lie down for a couple of hours when I got home but it was swell worth it. Overall then another good day and the forecast for the next few days is warm and sunny.

Day 30

I got a text message from a good friend who asked how the chemo was going. I answered truthfully that some days were better than others. The good news is that today was one of the better ones. I say this on the following grounds

1. I got my own breakfast including getting the milk out of the fridge without numbing my fingers

2. I started using windows media player to log my many CDs

3. I did my Hospital Radio Show. I should explain that the reason I have temporarily stopped doing Angel Radio is because with not knowing how I would feel on any given day. The nature of my show is that I book guests and it's not fair if I don't show at the last minute. In contrast I just play music on my Wednesday show and if I can't get in the computer automatically puts on another programme. Anyway I got my back timings(gosh how pretentious is that) spot on, which as a matter of professional pride is important to me.

4. I managed to eat some nice food for tea without any adverse effects. I had had another call from the Dietician, Linda, to make sure everything was okay. Isn't it nice to report that someone rings when they promise to. I suppose the fact that I comment on it shows how unusual that is.

Having written this I am aware tomorrow could be different. Like they say take each day as it comes.

Day 29

Today was certainly better than yesterday. For a start I slept better. Second I wasn't constipated. Third I managed with only one anti sickness tablet today. Fourth what little hair I have left anyway isn't falling out.

I also ate much better. Ev did some shopping today and bought some smooth pate which proved easy to digest. Speaking of which the salmon I had tonight I found quite hard going.

Today on advice from the Oncologist I started with anti biotics in connection with earlier urine infections. If I have a concern it is that I am still having difficulties in digesting a lot of food. Now to be fair Dr. Cave did say chemo stands a 50% chance of working and there is still a third plus of treatment to go. Whether this all means the tumor is merely resistant or growing I know not and indeed won't know until a CT scan due on 22 June.

On a positive note everyone remarked on the fact that I looked better than yesterday. I am due to go and present my Hospital Radio Show tomorrow and hey that could be my next goal.

day 28

Although today didn't start too promisingly, it ended up much better than I thought it might.

I didn't get much sleep, which is a little odd given how tired I have been lately. Therefore I took it easy in the morning and managing a nap around the middle of the day but not before I had walked to the paper shop. It may sound a little odd but doing that short walk every day is very important to me.

We went up to Martin and Andrea's for our tea. Emily and Adam were delighted to see their Uncle Chris. Emily said hello to her cousin Harry courtesy of Skype. Later on we came back home and watched the Shawshank Redemption, a long but well constructed film.

Constipation now there's a word to conjure with. As part of the treatment for chemo you are given anti sick pills. These however give you constipation so there are other tablets to counteract that. To some extent I am finding it on occasions difficult to work out whether feeling nauseous is worse than trying to make the bowels move. It's okay I am not daft and know that you get both conditions when receiving this treatment. Still I have got through today which is one nearer when I can have a week off.

Day 27

Not one of the better days in truth and not just because of the Football.

It was a sunny day. I went for the paper which on Sunday I get from a shop near to the Beach. I thought I would go along and have a look to see how busy it was. I didn't last too long and feeling a wee bit tired made my way home. John, a very nice neighbour, wished me well. We are very lucky with both our neighbours by the way.

Christopher fixed up Skype so we had a great session with Harry, who is making more sounds and looks very chirpy.

I just have felt very lethargic most of the day. It's not as if I have stirred myself exactly. Even then trying to have a snooze didn't work either. I suppose I have been lucky in that the number of days like these have been relatively few and far between. They do say that it's during the second lot of chemo that you are more likely to feel unwell. I am sure this will pass.

On a lighter note one or two have commented on the strange times I am posting these entries. Once again grateful thanks to Christopher who discovered that the clock on this blog was showing Pacific Standard Time, i.e. 8 hours behind BST. That makes sense for anyone in California and/or BC but not given that I tend to complete these entries before going to bed.

Roll on tomorrow.

Day 26

One thing that becomes very noticeable during chemotherapy is a dropping off in appetite. Or to put it another way you don't feel hungry at all. For those who know me that is in itself very unusual. It does however create problems for Ev.

To the question what would you like to eat, the answer is often I don't know, which isn't exactly helpful. Today for example I didn't have any Breakfast and it's safe to say I didn't miss it. For Lunch I tried some scrambled egg on toast. The egg digested fine, the toast did not. I ate a yogurt and a couple of Biscuits and that did me okay until tea time when I had some spaghetti Bolognaise and small steamed pudding with custard. Again I ate it but if it hadn't been put in front of me I'm not sure I would have bothered.

Another problem for Ev is that as I need carbohydrates I am eating full fat stuff. This means she either has to have what I am getting or buy two lots of food.

Another art I am developing is when I go in the fridge to get the milk out to make a cup of tea, I have to wrap my fingers with kitchen roll to prevent the numbness in my fingers from becoming a problem.

Otherwise this has been a quite day. I only had a brief feeling of nausea thank goodness. In the meantime I am one step nearer my next week off. I can't wait.

day 25

After all the exertions of the last few days, it is a pleasure to report on a quiet day.

I didn't wake up until nearly 9.00 this morning which is unusual for me. It was a nice day and Emily was with us for the morning. I still managed the walk to the paper shop which on a Friday as mentioned before brings the paper of record the County Press. Once again people are talking of a fixed link to the mainland without any idea of cost or location.

This afternoon I went with one of Ev's friends to record some of her poetry. I used the Hospital Radio Studio. Sandie(for it was she) proved to be a real talent. She recorded twelve minutes worth of material to send to a publisher. Now I am no expert in this field but I would be surprised if she were to be unsuccessful. Sandie has a good voice and excellent expression. Must get her on the air when I am back on Angel Radio.

Otherwise a non eventful day and there are times when that is no bad thing as in today.

Days 23 and 24

Well I did it. One of my goals to give an after Dinner Speech and it actually happened.

The journey to and from Poole is relatively straightforward, well as anything is going on and off the Island ever can be. First the Catamaran Ferry to Portsmouth, then train to Southampton and change on to a service to Poole. The connections are pretty good and fortunately all the trains going both ways were on time.

The hiccoughs have returned with a vengeance and the name of the game was to prevent these occurring during my speech. I have been given some pills to combat this . They are quite effective but they make you drowsy. Indeed I slept for a lot of the journeys. We decided that I should have the maximum of two just before I started to speak.

The Hotel was really nice. For those of you who don't know the area, Sandbanks a suburb of Poole is the most expensive bit of real estate in the UK. It's on a peninsula overlooking both the English Channel, the Harbour and a huge marina. They gave us a room overlooking a nice beach. It gave us the opportunity to rest up before Dinner.

As I used to be an Inland Revenue Broadcaster so it was great to see so many faces I had not come across since leaving the Revenue in 2001. My speech lasted about 25 minutes and I am pleased to say I didn't notice anyone fidgeting. They were all very nice to Ev and gave her some nice flowers. I guess I really must have been really shattered. I managed to get ready for bed but then just crashed out. I remember putting my mobile(cell) phone on the bedside table at least that was what I thought I was doing. In fact I found the thing in one of my shoes in the morning.

One worrying aspect is the pain in my side has recurred. It happened first when eating Dinner when I ate what turned out to be an onion(silly me). The second time was on the train home. At one point it was painful enough to have me bent double causing another passenger some concern. She offered some medication but we had some with us. Fortunately the pain passed. When we got home there was an e mail from Joya the liaison nurse asking me how things were. She gave her view that it may be that Hospital Breakfast must have irritated a tender spot in the Oesophagus. She also reminded me that the drugs are attacking the cells that are causing the problem in the first place. The message was stick with it. On a positive note it was good that having made a note of what we said at Hospital on Tuesday and followed up with an e mail.

In the Department of it never rains etc, the boiler decided to break down for the third time since we moved here. We don't have an alternative source of supply of hot water which is a bit unfortunate as I have to keep warm. We decided to take the plunge and get a more reliable replacement. The cost is eye watering but there is no real alternative. Fortunately British Gas is trying to give this a priority. We have a shower so all is not lost when it comes to bathing but the sooner it can be sorted the better.

I am watching a nice sunset and on that note I shall draw today's blog to a close.

Day 22

A very long day.

First a bit of background. Following my first treatment, we were told to report to the Hospital for a blood test. We had an appointment to see Dr. Cave(the Oncologist) at 1010 this morning. So we were told that if we presented ourselves at the Pathology Department in the morning we would get priority treatment. However they also told us that about visits to A and E. When we had to go in following the urine infection we were not given any priority. I didn't trust the system to work for the blood test either. Consequently we turned up at 735 and guess what I was given priority.

The Hospital has a reasonable cafe with reasonable prices. So we decided to have breakfast there. We had a full English, a bad mistake for me. I hadn't eaten very much when I felt the most horrible pain or burning sensation in part of the Gullet. I am sure many of you have had pain at one time or another. I tend to find that if you know that something is going to hurt your body helps you although the pain remains real. In this case it was totally unexpected(out of left field).

When we saw Dr. Cave she was unaware of our visit to A and E. She admitted that Chemotherapy hunts out the body's weak spots and it was clear that waterworks are my problem. She has prescribed some antibiotics to take from next week after the chemo had had a chance to kick in. The pain she thought was more to do with indigestion. I had some Gavescon and thankfully the pain has gone away. I was asked if I had noticed an improvement in digestion and I had to say no though interestingly if she had asked me that question a week ago I would have said yes. The recommendation was that the chemo would continue.

By this time it was about 11.00AM. We went to chemo unit whilst the prescriptions were sorted out. We sat in the waiting room for an hour and then went to allow the arm to warm up as they put it. Consequently the actual treatment started at 1.00 and finished at 430. It was slightly easier this time I suspect because having been through it once you kind of know what to expect. The one good thing to emerge from the day was that having a pee at the end of the treatment was much easier than it has been for the past week.

We got home about 5.00PM. Poor Ev was exhausted. Up early and making sure all the presciption stuff was in order and checking that I was okay. Honestly I don't know what I would do without her. It makes you think how someone on their own in this condition would cope.

When we got home we checked in our folder where the Hospital said we would have a complete record of what had been done, blood test results etc. However the folder had no details of the blood test results from today so the record is incomplete. That set us off remembering we had a card which we were told to present to A and E which clearly stated why we had to have priority treatment. This was ignored and we had to wait in a room full of people who may or may not have germs. It made us wonder what the point of giving us a folder with incomplete information actually was.

Tonight I am feeling okay. My left arm feels like it has a lead weight on it but if that is like last time that will pass in a couple of days.

Looking forward to going to Poole tomorrow and a reminder my next blog will be on Thursday. Finally one or two of you might wonder why no mention of Football(Soccer). I hate to sound pretentious but there are readers on this blog who live in Canada, United States of America and Australia whose interest in the round ball game isn't that great.

Day 21

Today I have had a slight set back.

I have mentioned before that I am finding bread difficult to digest. However toast was I thought a different matter. Remember yesterday I had had beans on toast. Thus it seemed a good idea to try some toast for breakfast. Our survey said oh, oh. The first two pieces seemed to lodge in the gullet. It took quite a bit of water to wash it down so I gave up and had an energy drink instead. I am very grateful in a way because it reminded me of why I am receiving this treatment. In fact I recalled feeling the same just before I had my first chemotherapy. Round 2 of the treatment starts tomorrow(more of that in a moment) but I don't at the moment notice that much improvement, which is a bit sad because last week things were looking good. Still there is a long way to go.

Whilst in medical mode, the waterworks have also been a bit of a bother. Having a pee is a slow process particularly at night. Getting up twice in the night is now routine and I wouldn't be surprised if some urine retention was responsible for the infection the week before last. I shall check with the Oncologist to make sure the chemo is not responsible for any of this.

All of which brings me to tomorrow. I feel I should have the music from the film the Longest Day with me. First I have to have a blood test with results to the Oncologist in time for a 10.10AM appointment. The it's off to the chemo unit to have needles stuck in me. Still at least I know what to expect.

Hopefully I shall be able to do my blog tomorrow night. I definitely won't be blogging on Wednesday Night as I shall be in Poole doing my speaking thing.

Finally let's hear it for a booking clerk at Ryde Station. Through judicious use of Family Railcards he was able to save the better side of £200 for a family of 5 wanting to travel to Great Yarmouth and back. The fact that the system of fares is so complex is of course another matter.

Day 20

Another okay day I am pleased to say. I went for a slightly longer walk today and got my paper in the process.

It was a day for dodging the showers as once again the British Weather proved how unpredictable it is. I went down to the Marina. The strong winds had blown a fair bit of sand on to the Esplanade. There were unsurprisingly few hardy souls about. With a strong wind blowing I didn't feel out of place with a coat on.

Had Beans on Toast with grated cheese for Lunch and a nice mix of mince, vegetables and potato done in a slow cooker for Tea. All went well from the point of view of my digestion. I still have difficulty in digesting certain things but given that I still have two sessions of chemotherapy to go this is not surprising.

Using Skype we were able to see Harry(Grandson) looking very bright and cheerful. Picture if you will two besotted Grandparents waving at a small camera.

Tomorrow I hope to be able to help a friend of Ev to record some poetry she has written.

Day 19

There is one great advantage of losing weight that I noticed this morning. Ryde seems to have a succession of hills. If I walk into Town there is the inevitable hill to go up. I have to confess that prior to the diagnosis I had to stop two or three times on my way. This morning when I walked I found I could get to where I wanted to go without getting out of breath.

I suppose I should also be happy that I am avoiding shopping. In all seriousness chemo does reduce the immune system so going into places where there are lots of people(such as Tesco) is not a good idea. I tend therefore to use the small shops where there are not many customers.

I read in the paper that there are questions about my former Employer's attitude to MPs expenses. Certainly there used to be an Employer Compliance Unit one of whose tasks was to ensure that Employers only paid tax free expenses that were within some pretty strict rules. Penalties used to be imposed on erring Employers so what has happened in the case of the House of Commons fees office is any one's guess.

In the meantime I was able to eat some pizza tonight which is another improvement. As I have noted before I do need to take each day as it comes but hopefully this upward curve will continue until Tuesday when the next round of chemo starts.

Day 18

Something of progress to report. I had a small portion of Fish and Chips from the excellent chippie in the High Street. The reason I call it progress is that a few weeks ago I tried to eat said fine example of cuisine but had to give up as the digestive system didn't want to know. Tonight I managed to eat what was on my plate without mishap.

Otherwise it was one of those days when staying inside was a good idea. Oh to be in England in May with the rain coming down. Despite this I am determined to go for my paper rather than have it delivered. This is about a 10 minute walk each way. Friday is the day for buying the paper of record otherwise known as the Isle of Wight County Press. About once every 4 issues the question of a fixed link crops up and today is the day. Apparently we are being urged to demand that our Councillors commission a feasibility study. The only snag is the letter writer lives in Poole which the last time I looked was on the mainland.

Next Wednesday I am due to be an after Dinner Speaker at the Revenue Broadcasters Conference in oddly enough Poole. I finished a rough draft of what I intend to say. I am excited about this as I have been for a while. It is said that it is important to have goals and I am determined to make it. Ev is coming with me to make sure I don't do anything silly.

Here's to a quiet weekend.

Day 17

Today has been a very quiet one for us both.

We took a decision after the events of yesterday simply to take things quietly. As Ev said we knew beforehand that the news of the operation would not be great but it was hearing from the man who in all probability would be doing the business that kind of brought home what was involved. Perhaps therefore it was a good idea to avoid any excitement today. To this extent the farrago over MPs expenses has been a welcome distraction.

Otherwise I am still enjoying my days off the pills. It is still too early to assess whether digesting food has become easier or not. That may well have to wait for the second lot of chemo to work its way through the system.

day 16

Diary of a fully clothed person continued.

One of those over used phrases these days is "reality check." Today we found out what the chemotherapy was all leading to.

For those of you who like to look up these things the operation I am going to have is called an oesophagectomy(that's easy for you to say. As a Glasgow schoolboy told me many years ago don't use words that I've never heard of and you can't spell).

To go back to the start at Southampton Hospital. Apparently when I was originally referred to the Oncology Department the view at St. Mary's was because of some lymph nodes(nearly an embarrassing spoonerism there) my tumour was inoperable. The Oncology people thought otherwise, which is why I had a Pet Scan, in other words to confirm their view. Amen for second opinions. Apparently it's only in the last 10 years that the policy of chemo first and operation later has come into force. If the tumour is either reduced or grows no bigger then the operation will proceed. If it has become enlarged that may require a rethink.

On the assumption all is well the date for the operation has been provisionally booked for August 10. I would need beforehand a CT Scan plus appointments with both the Consultant and the Anesthetist. The operation is a major one done under general anaesthetic. It lasts between 4 and 6 hours. They need to go into both the chest and abdomen. The cancer and part of the oesophagus is removed and the stomach stretched to the remainder of said oesophagus. For the first 24 hours or so I'll need to be in either high dependency or intensive care. If a bed is not available in either place the operation won't happen.

For the first day or so I'll have nil by mouth and be fed through a tube. The stay in Hospital will be between 7 and 10 days. This will be a bit rough on Ev who would certainly for the first few days want to stay in Southampton rather than trek backwards and forwards to and from the Island.

There are risks to this operation . The biggest one is where the join between stomach and chest does not heal properly. You suspect this is why the stay in Hospital is so long. On a more comic note one possible effect could be a change in voice which will effect my ability to sing(relief all round).

As for the longer term the Consultant told us it will be 3 to 6 months before I get back to normal. In that time no lifting of shopping bags etc. and I shall need to take regular afternoon naps. The days of me eating second helpings will go. The recommendation is to eat small meals more often. I am told I shall be slimmer when this is all finished.

On a positive note apparently I am at the younger end of people who have this operation. It was nice to be told that at 67 I was young. Given also that up to now I have had a clean bill of health, I am I hope physically able to stand up to a complicated procedure.

Anyway all that is to come. All I can do for now is to carry on with the chemotherapy and let events take their course.

Day 14

I have on these boards from time to time had a go at various aspects of the NHS. Those of you who know me will know that I do try to be fair in my comments.

Thus I was pleasantly surprised to receive a call from Linda one of the Dieticians at St. Mary's. She first of all asked how I was. She then went on to tell me she would write to Dr. Hudson to tell him I might want some energy drinks if during the second or third period of chemotherapy I didn't feel like eating. I was reminded of the importance of keeping up the protein content whilst the treatment was going on but Linda urged me not to put on much weight. I am now down to 15 stone 5 lbs.(215 lbs.) but I could lose another stone and still be overweight. I figure I am in quite a good position here. Seriously though it was obvious that Linda had a note in her diary to ring and find out how things were going.

Today has been Adam's Birthday. He had asked for a Barbecue but of course it was raining but he still had loads of his favourite food. Emily was very good. She had organised a treasure hunt and drawn some pictures for him. Highlight of the day at school for him was that the younger kids at the school went to hear the Senior School Orchestra play some tunes from Disney Shows. Someone told the Conductor that it was Adam's Birthday so the Band played and everyone sang Happy Birthday to him.

Highlight of today's Members of Parliament expense claims was one for cleaning a moat.

Tomorrow we go to Southampton to meet Mr. Byrne the Consultant who hopefully will tell us what follows the chemotherapy. I shall hopefully reveal all tomorrow.

day 13

This is being written on 12 May but it is in the early hours of the morning.

Woke up to more hullabaloo about Members of Parliament and their expenses. There is something essentially British about politicians being in the dock for claiming the cost of horse manure from the Taxpayer. However I digress.

The day started off in a positive fashion. I am almost over the finishing line as far as the first lot of chemotherapy is concerned and it's been for the most part mercifully uneventful. One thing that it is easy to lose sight of is that the drugs do make you tired. Sometimes you can get over this by having an afternoon nap. However when you don't do this it can lead to you getting sleepy in the early evening. Thus tonight round about 7.00 I was hit by a wall of tiredness and ended up having the better side of 3 hours sleep. Maybe our Southern Mediterranean friends have the right idea with a Siesta. I'll have to think about that later today as it is Adam's Birthday. He is having a party proper with his pals at Space Island on Saturday but today it's a family do.

Finally good luck to Ian Mitchell who starts a series of interviews on Angel Radio later on today.

Days 11 and 12

Back home I am pleased to say in good spirits. It was a pleasure to take out the various pill boxes and realise that the last lot of this present run ends on Tuesday Morning. Coincidentally this is Adam's Birthday. The Boy is 5 and as I pointed out to him we have to start paying for him to travel on the Bus. My suggestion that he run behind did not go down too well.

The urine infection seems to have settled down. I still find it useful to take an anti sickness pill before meals. Whether it is all in the mind or not I do not know.

We were well looked after at Andrea's house.

The one trying thing is that it is not advisable to expose yourself to too much sun. This is a shame as this weekend has been very pleasant with temperatures around 15 degrees in sunshine. Wearing a coat in these conditions looks a bit daft causing one shop keeper to ask me if it had suddenly turned cold.

I am realistic enough to know that you have to take each day as it comes but as the saying goes so far so good. More messages for which I am very grateful from friends at Radios Humberside and Leeds.

No title

I'm very grateful for Bob's suggestion that if there may be no blog entry it might be a good idea to say so in advance to avoid people thinking something has gone wrong.

Thus I am back up to Andreas and therefore it may be Sunday before my next entry.

Day 10

This is an earlier blog than usual as I am filling it in before going up the road to Andrea's.

Good news is no more health mishaps. As for yesterday's carry on keep taking the tablets.

Today was my last Angel Radio Show until after the chemo and operation. It was wonderful to go out on a very high note. My guest was Brian Swift a veteran of the D Day landings. He was a member of the Royal Engineers. On D Day his group were to be assault engineers whose task was to reach the battleground before the main invasion force landed. Thy were on Juno Beach which Canadian Forces were attacking. Apparently when the engineers arrived along with counterparts from the Winnipeg Rifles the Germans thought they were local workmen. To use Brian's words when things got hairy they all hid in an apple orchard with bullets and all sorts flying all around them. Not content with that after the Germans surrendered he went to Singapore to help get the Japanese out. The way he told it was most impressive, understated but giving enough detail to make it interesting. To me whilst you can read official histories but it's the stories of people like Brian that tell it like it really was.

Altogether the show was very focused. My only indulgence was to play Frank Sinatra's one for the Road as my final song.

Thanks to Phill and Sue for the cutting about the Isle of Coll hotel.

More tomorrow.

Day 9

You never know what is just around the corner. Got up this morning feeling not bad at all. The first test match started today I thought I would watch at least some of it (what a life eh).

All went swimmingly until Lunchtime when I went for a wee only to notice some blood mixed in. Oh dear I thought I had better ring the chemo unit since various side effects were mentioned but problems with the waterworks wasn't one of them (neither were the hiccoughs by the way....see earlier entries). Much to my surprise the Doctor rang me back to say he thought it might simply be a urine infection but that I should go to A and E if I wasn't sure to have it checked out.

Thus another visit to the Hospital. We had taken the precaution of carrying all the pills and potions with us which is as well because one of the nurses wrote all of them down. It took a long time in that we arrived at A and E at 4.00 and didn't get out until 7.45. Most of that time was spent waiting. The upshot was good news in that the blood test showed that my resistance to infection was good. The not so good news was that a sample of urine showed an infection. So I have been given yet more pills to add to the collection. The infection should clear up within 3 days but to be sure I should go to the Surgery for another urine test on Monday.

18 months ago I had an operation on my prostate. At the time I was told that particularly first thing in the morning there was a possibility of urine retention which seems to have happened here. In other words the blood had nothing to do with the chemotherapy.

Anyway let's not dwell too much on these parts of the body. Fortunately Andrea had made a very nice cauliflower cheese which was most welcome. On a lighter note Andrea had gone to Southampton today but for got her mobile. The Uni. does not have any phones available from which outside calls can be made. To add complications Adam's birthday party is on the same day as one of his classmates Ben. Whilst Ben had invited Adam, the same was not true in reverse. Not sure how that one will be resolved. Fortunately Andrea has access to e mail at the university so we could contact her to come home early. Martin's parents are in Majorca.

I forgot to mention a nice call I got from Grandson Jack. He really is a very caring young man. Calls also tonight from Phillip Bishop and Pauline Nicholas. Thank you to all of you. It is much appreciated.

For the next four nights am staying at Andrea's. If you ring home and don't get a reply that will be why though I shall have my mobile with me. Hope also tomorrow to do my show on Angel Radio and the blog will continue........yipee(no pun intended).

Day 8

Today was encouraging. It's now a week since the chemo started and they tell you this is where it's supposed to be heavy going. However despite a poor night's sleep I managed a decent breakfast, a lunchtime snack, a good warm rather than a hot meal and a snack. Today also was the first day or rather evening off for Ev. Eventually will get the hang of the pill routine and everything will be okay I'm sure.

My guest on the Radio today was quite a character. John Lea failed his 11 plus but became a Head Teacher at two independent schools, Ryde Junior and Downside at Purley. He was most happy with some of the nostalgic music we play. Speaking of Angel Radio I am taking a break after this Thursday. I hope they find a replacement for me whilst I am away. One thing I would say about the Island is that there are plenty of people with good stories to tell.

Dropped Ev off at the Pier Head and will go and collect les Girls at around 1030. So we go forward in a positive frame of mind.

day 7

I've been a little hesitant about writing up my blog today on the grounds that not a lot has happened. Now that I am back on the anti sickness pills the nausea is much much less evident.

Had Porridge for Breakfast, Soup and a rice cake for Lunch and Mince, potatoes, Carrots and Broccoli for tea along with a nice little dessert. It's very important to eat a little rather than a lot. Now those who know me will be aware that I am normally a sucker for second helpings but I have surprised myself by limiting what I eat at any one time.

What else? Good to hear from the Clarks that they had a good time in Tuscany to celebrate their silver wedding and it was also nice to hear Pat Downey's voice.

At this stage the lack of anything monumental happening is a good thing. Tomorrow will be a good test. There is the Radio Show to do at Lunchtime and I very much hope to take Ev, Anne and Suzanne to the Pier Head for the Fast cat to Portsmouth. Practice for Ladies Barbershop beckons.

Day 6

It's very important to get into a routine. I failed that test this morning. I suppose it came as a result of a good night's sleep followed by Breakfast where everything seemed to be okay. I'm very anxious not to become a couch potato so I got ready to go for a walk to get the Sunday Paper. It was only on my way back from the shop that I remembered I had not taken the chemo pills. These should be taken twice a day at least 8 hours apart but within 30 minutes of finishing a meal. Clearly I have had to take these after Lunch which means the next batch are due shortly before 10.

The nausea is still not far away. I suppose this is inevitable as the tablets start to kick in. In these circumstances having something to distract you is a good thing. On Angel Radio I am due this Tuesday to interview an ex Headteacher whose life certainly sounds very interesting.

Coming back to the pills one thing we have learned is that although we have been given 2 weeks full supply if certain conditions happen then I stop taking them. Crucially the treatment timetable isn't held up as a result. We shall see what tomorrow brings.

I have mentioned on this blog the huge amount of support I have received from family and friends. Tye only part of my life where I have hard nothing is from anyone at BBC Tees but you never know.

day 5

Had a bit of a setback this evening. Whilst baby sitting for Martin and Andrea whilst they had an anniversary meal, started for the first time to have feeling of nausea. This may have been due to the psychological fact that you stop taking the anti sickness pills after three days. However on a positive note I had three reasonable size meals today and touch wood have not as of yet thrown up. Funny what you learn. For example in this condition eating bread is hard going. Even toasting it does not really help.

It was a nice day today and we had thought of going to the Botanic Gardens at Ventnor. However the medical warnings of prolonged exposure to the sun came into mind so had a quiet day at home.

Emily and Adam asked me if I still had the hiccoughs. I was sorry to disappoint them but Dr. Hudson's Wonder pills continue to do the trick. Met Martin for first time since starting chemo. He said I looked well and to all outward appearances I guess I do.

It was nice to hear from Perry this afternoon. His concern and caring are much appreciated. We also got the full gen from Lorna and Ian about Delray Beach. They seemed to have had a good time. It was certainly warm enough....day time temperatures well in the 80s. Only problem for them on the way back was being sat on the tarmac for 2 and a half hours in New York whilst one of the engines was fixed.

Finally for now I am hoping to have a better night's sleep than last night. Woke up very early today.

Day 4

Well the anti hiccough pill seemed to work. Had my best night's sleep in a while.

Today was a suit and tie job as I was going to the opening ceremony of a new garden at the Hospital. The garden was situated between the cardiac unit and the chemo suite. It's very nice but I was surprised how much it had cost to create. A figure of £37,000 was extracted from the management. Fortunately it was paid for by subscription and not from taxpayer funds.

The garden was created in memory of the late Jenny Cocks who had worked at the Hospital for 32 years before her untimely death in 2002. her family attended the opening and seemed happy with what had been done.

I took the opportunity to visit the chemo unit and got some foodstuffs as promised by the dietary people. I drank water only.

One of the oddest feelings is the tingling and numbing of the fingers when the temperature drops a little bit. So not only is going into the fridge a bad idea so is going out without a coat and hat on. It looked a bit daft today with the sun shining but the wind kept the temperature around 12 degrees. In the papers today the met office is predicting a long warm and dry summer. Let's hope it is right.

Martin's Mum, Penny, is very kind and had picked up a recipe book for people having chemotherapy. She bought a copy for us.

What I am forgetting is the warning that all the pills would make me very tired so when I got back from the Hospital I needed to sit down.

Emily and Adam came for tea as well as Andrea. Martin will be late back from Bedford tonight. The kids were in very lively form. For tea I had some cauli cheese with bacon and managed 2 helpings. Well we are coming to the end of a busy week. Thanks for all your support and messages. They mean a lot to us.