Day 90

As the operation gets ever nearer I continue to be greatly encouraged by cards, e mails and phone calls of support.

For example, at Lunchtime my cousin David and his wife MaryAnne called from Newmarket, Ontario. They were about to set off to visit another cousin June in Eastern Ontario. It was great to hear their voices. One of our oldest friends Pauline called from Southport. Her husband Graham got swine flu a week ago and is getting better. I also got a card from Jack, Lucy and Ju(their Mum) this morning. They posted it on their way to the airport as they were due to fly to Turkey for a holiday. Emily has made me a very nice card. Like I say this is just fantastic and I would like to thank all of you for your thoughts and concern. I would also like to thank Diana Luke a fine Broadcaster for her kind wishes.

One of the advantages of looking after two lively Grandchildren for the day is that it does take your mind off other things. You tend to think about making sure you treat both the same. Today unusually for a British Summer the weather was sunny and warm, which meant amongst other things that Ev could get the washing dried.

So to tomorrow which will be my last day before going in to Hospital. The forecast is rain but I am going to enjoy the day.

day 89

The British weather continues to infuriate. On the whole the day was a sunny one except for a brief period of a very heavy shower. Guess what time we chose to go to Tescos. I should stress we are not the biggest fans of the Supermarket. We go there I guess as many do because there is free parking without any hassle. The Ryde Branch is a very big store open 24 hours except for Sundays. It was busy and we were pleased to eventually get out.

We went to the store primarily to buy some things for my hospital stay. Yes folks the time gets nearer. Andrea asked how we were both feeling right now. It was and is a difficult question to answer. We got it right when we said though it's great that the operation is happening we were still a little apprehensive. From tomorrow I must use this anti MRSA thing to wash and shower with. All this brings the big event that little bit closer.

Earlier in the week I said that I thought the performance of Stravinsky's Firebird was very good though I wasn't a musical expert. Well I am pleased to say I have read two reviews of the concert by critics and they confirm my view.

Day 88

After some gentle hints from a certain person I had a haircut today. There's a new shop opened 5 minutes walk from our house. I've had better and worse cuts than today. Apart from how close it is to where we live I wouldn't feel compelled to return there.

Originally I wasn't going to do my Hospital Radio Show today but I figured this would be the last I would do for a while. Unfortunately some computer boffins were working on the equipment so the sound levels were like a weather vane on a windy day. Nevertheless got my back timings right. Gosh I sound like a right anorak. Other piece of good news was that I got my new parking permit. I had only been waiting 6 weeks.

There have been more messages of support from many of you. I am truly very grateful. This last two/three weeks have been a little unreal as I feel fine. However that will change next week and the real test will be how I cope with a new life style.

PS For the first time the spell checker has thrown up no errors.

Day 87

I went over to Portsmouth today to have Lunch with brother Perry. It was very pleasant. Perry has been particularly supportive since I knew I had cancer. We had a look round the area around the Harbour. There are some interesting historical buildings. Pompey has a long connection with the Navy.

We also saw the two new catamarans that will replace the getting old existing craft being put through their paces. The new craft are allegedly more seaworthy than the old ones. However these super duper ferries take 100 passengers less than the old tubs. With an hourly service you hope nobody gets left behind.

One of my favourite pieces of music is the Firebird by Stravinsky. I have a wonderful memory of my Dad conducting in front of the Radio the finale of this work. Tonight it was played at the Promenade Concerts by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. I am by no means a musical expert but I thought it was an electrifying performance. It brought back some wonderful memories.

Health wise it's been an okay day. We decided as Saturday will be the last day out with so to speak a normal size stomach to book a table at a very nice family run Italian Restaurant. Can't wait.

Day 86

There is a bit of unreality in the air for me. I am aware that this time next week hopefully the operation will have taken place and I have been told at this stage I shall not know too much about it. I suppose it is inevitable that you do from time to time worry whether everything will go as planned. However I can't run my life on a what if basis.

One major disappointment is that we shall not be able to see a friend we met in New Zealand in January. Though an Australian Citizen, Ed Hutchinson sounds as broad a Geordie as you suspect he was at birth. Ed visits his sister and mother in Newcastle every year. Our original plan was to go to Topcliffe and meet up with him there. However with the operation due on Monday we felt it wise not to travel. This decision was vindicated when at the Hospital last week I was asked whether I intended to take a journey of more than 3 hours. Sadly Ed goes home before I am able to travel.

Speaking of the Hospital, I forgot to mention that the medical people are taking MRSA seriously. I had to take swabs one in the nose(which made me sneeze) and one in the groin which did not make me sneeze! Additionally they have given me a special anti MRSA body wash for showering, hair etc. which I have to take for 48 hours before going into Hospital on Sunday.

Otherwise things are very quiet here today. It is always the case after you have had a houseful of people. Jack and Lucy leave on Thursday for a 2 week holiday in the sun of Turkey.

Tomorrow Ev will be looking after Emily and Adam whilst I am off to meet my brother Perry in Portsmouth for some Lunch.

Days 83, 84 and 85

Sorry the blog has been a bit out of sequence. As I have mentioned Harry's cot was in the office and Ev and I were staying at Andrea's.

Anyway we saw them off this morning. Their journey back took them the better side of 5 hours(distance some 240 miles). I felt sadness to see them go. Partly this was because it reminded well both of us how far the Island was from anywhere. However this is also to do with the fact that the next time I shall see them all will be post operation.

I guess as the time gets nearer I am thinking more and more about it. The medical people have to tell you about the risks involved with this kind of operation. However I feel confident that it will go without a hitch. What I have been doing is catching up with what will happen after the op. itself. Apart from the time in hospital(about 2 weeks) there will be a further 4 to 6 week period when I won't be able to do too much. As the literature says an operation of this nature weakens some muscles so it's important that I do get some exercise.

The big change though will be to my eating habits. As mentioned earlier my stomach will be smaller which means not so much that I eat less but I have smaller amounts but at more regular intervals. Now as an inveterate snacker this is going to mean a huge alteration in my life style. Everyone assures me that in time I shall get back to a normal life. As to when that will be everyone is different. For example both Ev and I think very doubtful we shall be able to go to our time share in Florida next April. Apart from how well I may be feeling there would be concerns that I might not get any travel insurance.

In the meantime we have to get on with life. Yesterday was nice and sunny so we had a day on the beach. I say everyone because Ev stayed behind to make the tea.

So the countdown to next Sunday begins.

days 81 and 82

Taking things in order, yesterday(Wednesday) was a reasonably quite one. The weather was rather poor but we did go to the beach at Yaverland which the Grandchildren all liked. It certainly helped entertain Harry the youngest family member.

Today though was the big day(Thursday). We went over to Southampton for the pre operation check and also to meet one of the anaesthetists. A number of cancer patients who live on the Island receive treatment in Southampton most notably those having Radiotherapy. Thanks to some excellent fund raising a minibus has been provided to take patients from the ferry terminal to the Hospital. We were able to hitch a ride on the minibus both ways. In passing the NHS has an arrangement that those who need daily doses of radio therapy can stay at the Jurys Inn Hotel in Central Southampton.

To come back to my own treatment, we saw various people and learned quite a lot. Firstly the operation itself involves the removal of the lower part of the Oesophagus. It will be replaced by part of my stomach. As a result my stomach will reduce in size. The Consultant uses key hole surgery in both the chest and belly. He also will be passing something down my throat because it is quite a delicate process to remove the offending part of the Oesophagus. This is why the operation itself though routine takes between 4 and 6 hours.

The process begins with some sedative. I then will have an epidural in the spine. The reason for this is to reduce the likelihood of pain. The work the Consultant does in the affected area can cause a lot of discomfort. If the epidural does not work they can use morphine but this slows the recovery. After the epidural I shall be put to sleep under General Anaesthetic. If all goes well I shall be woken up as soon as the operation is finished. If it does not the wake up may take a little longer. I shall have tubes in my nose, neck, both arms, one hand, belly and chest. Oh yes and a wretched catheter. For the first three or four days I shall be in a high dependency bed or in Intensive Care should there may be no HDP. This is because I shall need one to one nursing.

I have been told that the staff will get me out of bed the day after the operation even if it is only to sit in a chair. All being well I shall remain in High Dependency for 3 or 4 days during which most if not all the tubes will be removed. The total stay in Hospital will be between 10 and 14 days again assuming there are no complications.

The good news is that I am disgustingly healthy. Blood pressure and heart are doing fine. I have put on nearly a stone in weight but I was told this was a good sign in that the body is responding to nourishment.

Altogether there is a lot to take in but I remain confident that the staff at Southampton know what they are doing and that I shall get better.

Day 80

The unpredictability of the British Weather is no better illustrated than this week. Last year at the time Jack, Lucy and Harry were with us we had what I would describe as the only decent week of the summer. Thus far this year has been something of a washout. On Day 80 for example we have been treated to a persistent strong wind and also some rain. I went yesterday with Jack and Lucy to see Transformer 2. This has a 12A certificate. Jack and Lucy enjoyed it which is the main point. For my part I thought it over long and to be honest after the third robot fight in the first thirty minutes rather boring. Still films like this are not designed for people like me.

There is no doubt that despite my best efforts as the time for the operation comes nearer I am starting to feel just a little bit edgy. When my Daughter in Law, Gillian, went home yesterday I felt some sadness as I realised that the next time I would see her would be after my hospital treatment. Other slightly irrational thoughts have occurred. In Britain the media and Government have gone into full panic mode over swine flu. We are told that schools might have to stay closed and high dependency beds reserved for flu victims. Now I have been told that unless there is a bed available in high dependency my operation won't happen. I know its irrational and almost certainly won't happen, I am afraid I would be less than human if the thought did not cross my mind.

All that said, I am determined to go forward with the treatment and cope with the recovery period no matter how long it takes.

Day 79

This day felt like the morning after the night before. I was very impressed with the way that things had been cleared away but there was still much to do. By the time Monday Evening had drawn to a close things were more or less back to normal.

The saga of the speed sensor was finally resolved. The garage did the work and now the ABS signal no longer shows.

As a punishment for over eating on Sunday, on Monday I didn't eat anything until after 8.00. I have no one but myself to blame for this state of affairs. One of the local Chinese Take Aways does a very good special fried rice. It is not greasy. It went down without incident. We all had a pleasant evening and we stayed up to watch the last part of The Wire Series 3.

Otherwise health seems to be okay though when we go to Southampton on Thursday to meet various people at the Hospital we shall find out more. In the meantime I need to get on with life.

Day 78

First of all apologies for missing my blog yesterday. As I have previously said Grandson Harry is sleeping in the computer room. I didn't get back from the 40th birthday bash until after he had gone to sleep.

The party was a big success. At various times there were up to 70 people present including family and friends. Having complained on these pages about me struggling to eat things, I am afraid I went too far the other way yesterday. There were lots of goodies at the BBQ and I am afraid to say I simply ate too much. Boy did I pay for that overnight. There is of course only one cure for that kind of thing which is to eat nothing until my stomach calms down. Believe it or not there is plenty of food left but I must not eat it, well not just yet. I suppose it's part of me thinking after the operation I won't be able to do certain things. All that however is for the future. For today it's have some Gavescon and get on with it.

day 77

I was reminded that even though I feel much better than 3 weeks ago, I still have a long road to travel. I have had a fairly quiet day. I do feel awful about the fact that Ev is doing an awful lot of running about and I am not. Anyway whilst Ev was making cakes up at Andrea's, I waited in for the Tesco delivery. The effort of putting stuff away from the delivery, which in the past has been no bother, tired me out completely and I had a short snooze. Like I say even though Ev is very understanding I still feel guilty.

Today is Grandson Jack's 15th birthday. Bless him he spent a large chunk of his day in a car driving here(well catching the ferry at Southampton) from West Yorkshire. We shall be celebrating this event shortly.

I need to move on as Harry will shorty be going to bed. Tomorrow is Andrea's birthday with lots of guests. That should be a lot of fun.

day 76

I did e mail the Upper Gi Nurse Joya today. Impressively she replied within an hour. She confirmed that patients receiving chemotherapy were at greater risk of contacting swine flu than most others. If I were still having that treatment I would need to ring the chemo unit at the hospital if I felt any flu symptoms. However as I am off the pills for now at least if I get said symptoms I would need to contact the GP Surgery during office hours and NHS Direct or A and E out of hours. However according to the news procedures seem to be changing quite frequently so we need to keep up to date should something happen.

Otherwise it's been a busy day for Ev helping out with getting ready for Andrea's 40th birthday bash this Sunday. Alas the forecast for the weekend and early part of next week is one of sunshine and showers some of them heavy. What happened to the prediction of a long hot Summer?

Health wise things continue to go well. I managed to eat fish and chips today without any discomfort. I suspect after the operation I shall not be able to eat such things.

Finally our local council are continuing their habit of doing major roadworks right in the middle of the holiday season. There are traffic jams everywhere. Oh and one final point. From tomorrow our youngest Grandson Harry will be sleeping in this room. As a result the blog will be posted earlier in the day.

day 75

It's the little things that get me going. I received a letter from the Hospital in Southampton confirming my admission date and asking me to confirm this was okay. I was to ring the number shown at the top of the latter. Only there was no number shown. I did get to speak to the right person by telephoning the main switchboard. Evidently there is a small sticker that should be put at the top of the letter but somebody forgot to do so.

This point occurred to me after reading an excellent article in the Guardian written by a Journalist called Jenni Russell. Without going into detail she pointed out that all of us judge public services by what happens when we come into contact with them. We are not concerned about Government pronouncements that spending on say the NHS has increased ten fold. If someone has had a bad time in Hospital then the NHS is to that person rubbish.

Fortunately today we had plenty to occupy our minds. Whilst Ev went with Emily to meet a friend, I took Adam to the cinema to watch Ice Age 3. Not having watched the first two I didn't know what to expect. There were lots of roaring and threatening beasts so much so that I was surprised the film was given a U certificate. Anyway Adam enjoyed it.

Otherwise the newspapers are doing their bit to induce panic over swine flu. I know it's their job to sell copies and not to give the Government an easy ride but spreading alarm is not in my view a sensible thing to do. Mind you as someone who has had chemotherapy I don't know if I am in a high risk category or not. I might e mail the Upper GI Nurse.

Day 74

It's been an odd day in many ways.

On the plus side I went and did my hospital radio show. Realistically this will be the last one for a while. Next week we shall be busy with visitors and the week after we may be at Topcilffe again. After that of course it's hospital for yours truly. I am pleased to report that on the show all the links worked and I timed my music accurately so I didn't need to chop a disc short. Forgive me for being an anorak but these things are important if you present a radio show. Other good news is that the speed sensor has turned up and will be sorted on Monday.

On the negative side it turns out there was nothing wrong with the TV. Clearly the caravan site has reception problems. We shall need to speak to the aerial man in Thirsk.

Every now and then, though my eating has improved, I am reminded when some things stick in the gullet that though I am feeling better the operation is strictly necessary. The papers here are making a big fuss about swine flu. As a DJ remarked the Government will say don't panic because they never will tell us to panic. I try very hard to push thoughts on that to the back of my mind. No doubt when we go to Southampton next week we can ask about possible risks of infection but until then I don't want to worry about it. This of course applies to all family members.

Days 73 to 78

We are back from another visit to Topcliffe. The weather was very kind to us.

I managed one trip up to Middlesbrough to meet with some ex work mates. These are a group of fine people who I laughingly attempted to manage in the 1980s. As a team we were split up for reasons I would rather not go into, in 1988 and we have kept in touch ever since. When we lived on Tesside we would meet every month. Obviously with living over 300 miles away I don't see them as often but it was nice to meet up again and catch up with news.

Everybody remarked on how healthy I looked. This is very morale boosting. Certainly I felt a lot stronger than the last visit. This time I also did a 2 hour driving stint on both legs of the journey. It's still a long way though. Door to door Topcliffe to Ryde took 7 hours 10 minutes and that was without any major hold ups on the road.

We heard some good news whilst we were away. Grand Daughter Lucy got some excellent SATS results. She goes to Senior School in the Autumn. We are sure she will do well. We are very proud of her.

When we got back, there was a letter from the Hospital in Southampton confirming arrangements for the pre assessment on 23 July and reporting for the operation on 2 August. Whilst we were away a friend asked me how I was feeling about the operation. I answered that truthfully I hadn't been thinking about it too much but I guessed as the date got nearer that would change. The letter said it was expected that I would remain in hospital for 10 days though that could be a movable feast.

Still no word on speed sensors from the garage and the Digital TV we bought gives off pixilated pictures on some channels so it's back to the shop with it. Life at times gets tedious don't it?

Day 72

Needless to say the missing car part remains just that missing. Evidently due to the recession dealers no longer carry that many spare parts. On the principle of "just in time", orders are sent in as and when needed. Only on this occasion the chain has broken down. The part was ordered on Friday and at the time of writing has not surfaced.

Thankfully we have better things to worry about. Martin, Andrea and the children are off today for a few days at Euro Disney. There was much excitement all round. Ev helped them pack. This evening was wonderful for two reasons. First it was nice to see Gillian looking well. She works for Iceland and a new shop opens in Southampton tomorrow. She will be socialising with various people including the Mayor. The second plus point for me was that it was my first meal out in quite a while. You have to be careful in what you order. Alas that meant giving some wonderful looking burgers a miss. However I did have ham and eggs plus sticky toffee Pudding with Ice Cream. By cutting things up into small pieces I was able to eat everything up without discomfort.

With the date of the operation brought forward, we have decided to have another few days away. As a result the next blog entry will be next Tuesday 14 July(Bastille Day).

A correction by the way from yesterday's entry. It was the heasd of Urology not Oncology who spoke to me about catheters.

Day 71

Today has been a quite day with only the car plus thinking ahead towards the operation and its aftermath to contemplate.

We have been talking about chemotherapy. It is quite normal now to find the Oncology Department to recommend an additional three sessions. It is also the case that they recommend this happens when recovery from the operation is still continuing.

Now I must assume the Oncology Department is not staffed by sadists. Therefore it would be recommended for the long term good of my health. So the argument goes it lessens the chances of as recurring problem. It may of course well be that when the operation happens some cells may still be lurking in which case chemo would be a necessity. It would be very sad if there was a recurrence and I had declined to have any more chemo.

Why do I hesitate and ask rhetorical questions? Constipation plus the catheter represented for me a very low point. Two years ago I had an operation to remove the prostate. The guy in charge of the Oncology Department told me that in the long run having catheters fitted and unfitted wouldn't do me any good in the long term. I am mindful that during two of the three chemo sessions I have ended up in Accident and Emergency. In the circumstances I hope dear reader you can understand my hesitation. There is also the spread of swine flu to think about. Chemo patients are particularly vulnerable to infections.

In reality I don't have to make up my mind until after I come home. I need therefore not to worry at this stage but to be mindful that the question is more likely than not to be raised.

Meanwhile back on earth we have another car problem. The ABS warning light is showing which is not a good thing if you need to go on a long car journey. The fault has been diagnosed as a faulty speed sensor. The manufacturer has not as of yet sent the part and we would like to use the car to go to the mainland on Thursday. The problem is that our special reduced offer of tickets available to residents only is available to our car. We would have to pay an admin fee should we need to use another vehicle. Such is life.

Tomorrow is a busy day. Apart from the car, we are helping Andrea out and we are going to have a meal with Gillian(Daughter in Law) in Portsmouth.

Day 70

The news today is that my operation will take place on Monday 3 August and that the surgeon doing the deed will be Mr. Byrne who we have met. This is a week earlier than planned and can only be a good thing. In addition we need to go to Southampton to meet the anesthetist and that will take place on Thursday 23 July. That will also be the operation pre assessment ritual. The only good thing about procedures like that is that they check heart rate, blood pressure etc. and at least you find out if everything is okay.

Speaking of the NHS a woman came to do a survey on behalf of said NHS. She was only doing her job so I co-operated but I have grave doubts about surveys of this nature. To give one example I was asked to say how I rated the local NHS. I was given the following options very satisfied, quite satisfied, neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, quite dissatisfied or very dissatisfied. Now if you are a regular reader of this blog you will know that I am impressed with my current GP, the two upper GI nurses not to mention Mr. Byrne. However I have not been happy with the attitude of at least two GPs here on the Island and communication within the Hospital and with patients has on occasions left a lot to be desired. Now how do you categorise that into a box to be ticked? We settled for neither satisfied nor dissatisfied. There is of course no space for qualifying your remarks. This kind of survey is just part of the box ticking culture.

So we move forward with only four weeks to go until the next part of the treatment. After that there exists the possibility of more chemotherapy. We have been musing on this subject today. Perhaps I shall have some thoughts on the subject in tomorrow's blog.

Day 69

This turned into a fairly relaxing day. We took my brother Perry and Sister in Law Viv to catch the 945 ferry this morning. I took a call about half an hour later from Perry to say the train he was due to catch had been cancelled. And there I was yesterday defending the railways.

Today we watched the final of the Men's Singles at Wimbledon which threatened to turn into an all night marathon. We both felt Andy Roddick was a shade unlucky to lose. I also went for a walk down to the Beach. Being a nice day it was very busy. It's funny how you take things for granted. We live 10 minutes walk from the Beach and treat it as one of those things. However there are many people who would be more than happy to live that close to the sea.

My eating pattern continues to improve. Today I was able to eat toast without any unpleasant side effects. This will be the first time I have managed such delights since I guess the treatment started. Waterworks are fine. I still get tired but these last two days I have managed without an afternoon nap.

It's easy for me to get euphoric but tomorrow we should know the date of the operation and I guess reality will kick in. In the meantime I need to build up strength. Speaking of strength(as in a tower of) Ev has been fantastic throughout. The one thing I must never do is take her for granted.

Day 68

The day began with an unsuccessful attempt to move some heavy cases into the loft.

We are also recovering from the shock that our car needs a new speed sensor. This is essential for the ABS(automated braking system) to work. It will cost between 250 and 300 pounds to fix.

Otherwise today has been okay. Our visitors turned up as did Andrea, Martin and the Grandchildren. It's been very good just sitting and having a chat. Food continues to be easier to digest though I did struggle a bit with a corned beef bun at Lunchtime.

Today's excitement was a short break in the water supply but it was fixed fairly quickly. If all of this sounds a bit humdrum in a way this is a good thing because right now we could both do without any surprises, well like some of those we have had in recent weeks.

Day 67

Whoops I pressed the wrong button.

Yesterday's news has just about sunk in. Thanks by the way to all of you who have contacted us to celebrate the good news. As I write this I am becoming aware that the operation itself draws nearer. To tell the truth I haven't thought too much about it. We did yesterday start to ask one or two questions about the aftermath. Joya, our contact nurse at the Hospital, reckons I won't know too much about the first two or three days which will be in a high dependency unit. It's when I get moved to a general ward that I shall start to notice things.

In the meantime I just get on with life. Weather today a little cooler. We were due to collect Grandson Adam who with his school mates was having a day at the beach. We got our timings wrong and as a result we had to walk a little more quickly than intended. This was a reminder that though I am feeling loads better I still tire very easily.

On a positive note I made the tea tonight and that is the first time in a while I have been able to do this. It was nothing flash just sausages, bacon and egg. However I have seen a time not so long ago when I couldn't even face food let alone cook it.

Tomorrow my Brother Perry and sister in law Viv are visiting. These are busy times indeed.

Day 67

Day 66

Yippee. The results of the scan are better than we dared hope.

First of all the scan showed Liver, Kidneys, Pancreas and Lungs are clear of any problems. Second the wall in the Oesophagus which had been thickening has been reduced. Third the lymph Nodes in the offending area have been reduced from 15 millimeters to 8.

As a result the Hospital have said the operation can go ahead. Originally this was booked for 10 August. However it may be either the week before or the one after. This will be confirmed on Monday when one of the Consultants returns from holiday. Both of us were mighty relieved to hear this news. The operation itself will be quite complicated and there is still a long way to go. However this is a step in the right direction. It may be more chemo will be needed after the op. but that is still some way off.

In the meantime I not only look better, I feel much better within myself. Today for example I ate a meat pie for my Lunch with no ill effects. I couldn't have imagined me doing that even three weeks ago.

The weather continues to be very hot and humid. Even living as close to the sea as we do there is no breeze to make it more comfortable. However having got today's news do I care about the weather?

day 65

The oldest newspaper headline came to mind today with temperatures reaching 28 degrees Celsius and humidity to match as in "phew what a scorcher." This is distinct from what happens when there is a power cut when it becomes "fuse what a scorcher."

Enough already I hear you cry. Not having heard from the Upper GI Nurse Joya I e mailed her this morning to find out about where we would be meeting her tomorrow. I had heard nothing back from her so I rang at 5.00PM. She said the reason she hadn't contacted us is that it was after 4.00 when Southampton contacted her to say what had been decided at the team meeting today. The added complication was that she was required to go to Southampton in the morning when she had been due to meet us. The appointment has been rearranged for 2.30PM. Joya said she would give us the results of the CT scan as well as telling us what the team felt was the best way forward.

Continuing on a positive note, various people today have told me that I look a lot better than I have in recent weeks. I also had my first fizzy drink in a while in the shape of a Diet Coke. I drank it without any mishap. On the scales I am down to 15 stone. This is quite good. It is three weeks since I was weighed and I suspect through the last week of the chemo I had probably lost a few pounds so maybe the weight is on the up.

I did my first Hospital Radio Show in three weeks. This went very well. It's a useful way of keeping my hand in at radio.

Finally I forgot to mention that on a sweltering day yesterday we stopped at Trowell Services on the M1. The cafe couldn't sell us any cold drinks. No apology offered. At times I despair of this country.