David Nove

2012-02-01T15:11:00.003Z

Apologies for delay. Yeesterday was quite busy.

The District Nurse duly arrived as promised and removed said catheter. SHe also rang early afternoon to make sure I was able to urinate properly. I was instructed to keep drinking plenty preferrably water or Juice rather than tea and coffee.

I am pleased to say things are slowly returning to normal though having sudden urges to go to the toilet is a little disconcerting.

I have penned what I would call constructive criticism of my treatment at the weekend to the Island NHS Chief Executive. I shall let you know what response I get. I am still seething at what I still think was unecessary delay in being fitted with a catheter.

I'll also blog progress here.

2012-01-30T14:34:00.001Z

There has been a breakdown in communications. The nurse is coming to remove catheter tomorrow morning. Will report again tomorrow.

2012-01-29T11:57:00.002Z

This is the second time for me in writing this blog so here goes.

I duly had my "procedure" yesterday. As is their won't you have to report to Hospitals well before they put you under the microscope. Thus I got up at 530AM to have my pills as nothing was permitted to drink after 6.00AM. Our day ended at 2.00AM today. Quite a saga so here goes.

We got to the Hospital at 730 the appointed time. You could tell the day surgery unit does not normally function on a Saturday because the heating wasn't on. Anyway blood pressure etc. checked, I was ready for what was to follow. In the event I went into the operating theatre at 11.00. The procedure was very quick, a short jab with a needle and that was that. The good news is that nothing untoward was found except from a back up of phlegm which may explain the cough and occasional voice croak. The consultant said he would see me again in clinic in a few weeks time.

After tea and toast Ev took me home for about 2.00PM. I first noticed something was wrong an hour later when I tried to wee and found that nothing much was happening. At first I was inclined to think it was because up till then I had had little to drink. As Afternoon turned to evening it got worse.

On the Island we have a phone number for a non emergency but you need medical help fast. It's 111. I had interviewed the Manager of this line on my radio show and he assured listeners that the call handlers were medically trained.

At about 630 I rang said number and told the call handler what the problem was and that I had had anaesthetic that morning. She went away for a few seconds and then came back to say I should see a GP within 24 hours. Now on the Island the out of hours GP and Accident and Emergency are in the same building. I was offered an appointment for 730PM so off poor Ev and I went to the Hospital. We got there for 720 to find a room full of people all waiting to see one very overworked Doctor. In the event we found the system operated on a first come first served basis. Getting more and more uncomfortable we waited and waited. Eventually we got to see the Doctor at about 940. The 111 operator had filled in the details of what I had said accurately but the GP told us we had been referred to him incorrectly as a catheter would be needed and that was the job of A and E. He added that urine retention was one of the possible side effects of General Anaesthetic. Given that the call handlers are supposed to be medically trained you would have thought she would know to refer me straight to A and E.

By this time , it being Saturday, A and E was busy. The GP did tell us he would see what he could do given that I had been in since 720 and was very uncomfortable. We went back to the waiting room at about 950. Half an hour later we went through to the area and were shown into a cubicle. I could lie on the bed but Ev had to make do with an uncomfortable chair. However it was gone midnight when a Doctor came to see me. To be fair he was both pleasant and very competent. He took some blood tests to check if the kidneys had been infected and then applied the dreadful catheter with great care. We then had to wait for an hour till the results of the blood test came back. Thankfully all was clear.

Finally the leg bag was attached(the catheter had taken 60 mils of urine)and were were given a number of night bags to take with us. We left the Hospital finally at 1.45. The 4 hour waiting time was adhered to as A and E's clock only started when we went in there at 1020.

The District Nurse is coming in tomorrow to check the bag and hopefully remove it. If however I can't wee on my own she will have to come back and put it back on.

What a farrago. I'll let you know what happens.

2012-01-18T20:37:00.002Z

The NHS works in odd ways sometimes.

The Hospital rang to say that they had had a cancellation. As a result I am to have a pre med this Saturday(21st.) and the actual endoscopy on Saturday 28th January.

For those of you who thought the NHS didn't do this sort of thing on a Saturday you are not alone. Hopefully this is just routine but I'll report back on 29th January.

2012-01-13T13:22:00.002Z

I saw the ENT person yesterday.

He did a brief examination by sticking a machine up my left nostril(charming).

He wants to do an Endoscopy. This one though will be by general anaesthetic. It will involve sticking a steel tube down my throat(oh joy. He did say that he was probably being cautious but better that than missing something.

Apparently my throat is both tight and sensitive which explains both the dry cough and the difficulty in swallowing.

I have a 4 to 6 week wait for this and I shall keep you posted.

2012-01-11T12:29:00.002Z

A belated happy newe year to all our readers.

Healthwise things have been more good than otherwise. I am keeping my weight up and am eating well. Thanks to Ev I am able to go out in winter with a warm coat, hat, coat and trousers. Speaking of which I did use to joke about older people wearing Long Johns. I can however understand the point. It does of course help that we are having at the time of writing a mild winter.

I did though have one acid attack whilst on holiday at Christmas for reasons I still don't follow. What it did do was produce an irritating dry cough which took me two weeks to shift. I did go to a Local Doctor in Cheshire who did explain to me that I should avoid taking Gavescon and the anti acid tablets within two hours of each other. Gavescon in fact nullifies the effect of the tablets if taken either together or within close proximity.

Tomorrow I go to the ENT Clinic and I'll post the results of that on here.

2011-12-17T14:21:00.002Z

Events have shaken me somewhat. I am okay but two prominent people Bryan Gould and Christopher Hitchens have recently both dies from Esophageal Cancer. On top of that yesterday(December16) Karen, one of the members of the Upper GI Patients' support group, passed away. It makes you realise that recovery from this sort of illness is not guaranteed. On the other hand another member of the group Mike who had the operation in 2008 missed the last meeting because he was attending a business conference in Bruges.

The other day I had another acid attack. The infrequency of these attacks makes it more of a chore when it does happen. I can only put this down to eating a mince pie late. Otherwise though all is going well. The winter has finally arrived so it's wrap up warm to stop any chest infections. I am due to see the ONT Specialist at the end of January.

I try hard not to bring politics into this blog but I have to say rumoured Government proposals for work place assessments for those on chemotherapy are plain daft. Having been through this, the effects of chemo vary from person to person. What still sticks with me was that no two days were ever the same. Yes had I been of work age there were days when I could have gone in but more often it would be a non starter. Now I am as anxious as anyone that welfare money isn't wasted on those who are deliberately absenting themselves from the workplace but I wouldn't put those undergoing chemo in that category.

I shall try and post again before Christmas but in the meantime I hope your preparations are going well.

2011-12-04T16:46:00.002Z

Well I saw someone from ENT at the Hospital last Wednesday. Nothing seems to have changed since the last time I saw them way back in July. I am to see the Head Honcho on 12 January.

I had wondered if the appointment would have gone ahead. For readers outside the UK, 30 November was a day when large sections of the public sector workers were on strike. Though some Hospitals around the country had to cancel out patients appointments St. Mary's here on the Island wasn't one of them. The only difference was that those staff who were in couldn't access the re booking computer system so they made a manual note to send an appointment the next day which as above duly happened. Speaking of the strike, the organisers of the winter of discontent in the 70s would be turning in their graves. There were pickets outside the Hospital but rather than make drinks by heating water from a brazier they came into the League of Friends Coffee Shop in the Hospital for a Coffee.

Otherwise I had a great trip back to the North East to see some ex colleagues who worked on the Regional Training Team. That period was my happiest time in the Inland Revenue. From those who still work there all is clearly far from well.

One of the Ferry Companies is threatened with strike action in the run up to Christmas. It's over the sacking of an Employee. What he is supposed to have done nobody knows except the protagonists.

Anyway my health continues to be good. I am keeping my weight up, take regular exercise and am eating well. On Tuesday Ev and I are going to the Patients Support Group's Christmas Lunch which should be fun and on Thursday on Angel Radio I am looking forward to interviewing Paul Armfield a local singer songwriter who also is the Island Branch Manager of Waterstone's Book shop.

2011-11-08T16:10:00.002Z

Life goes on. Most days everything is okay so when as happened the other day acid reflux returns it is a bit of a shock.

Now readers of this epistle will by now I hope realise I don't do sorry for myself. Thus I must confess I contributed in no small measure to my own downfall. Occasionally I like to treat myself to a chinese meal. Last Thursday I thought I would try a chicken chow mein. That dish after all consists of easy to swallow soft noodles and very nice it was too but.............

I went to bed at 11.00 feeling fine but at about 1.30 I woke with a throat that felt it was being scraped with sand paper, heartburn that was painful and short of breath. I could taste the Chow Mein. Water is of limited value in these circumstances other than to rinse the mouth out. Swallowing merely returns said acid down the tubes. There is only one solution in this situation which is to sit up for about an hour or until the hiatus subsides.

The moral of this story is not to eat this type of Chinese Food in the evening if at all.

Other than that life has been fine. We had a few days at the caravan at Topcliffe. We went to see Janis Ian in concert which was great fun. Ev and I also met up with some wonderful friends on Teesside. It made me realise how lucky we are to know so many good people.

Following North Yorkshire we went to North Wales to celebrate Harry's fourth birthday. He thoroughly enjoyed himself. It was then back to the Island.

As a final medical note I have an appointment with the ENT people on 30 November to check over my vocal chords. I shall keep you posted.

2011-10-22T11:09:00.002+01:00

Given the slightest hint(thanks Norman) it really is time to give a health update.

Last Monday I saw the wonderful Oncologist Dr. Judith Cave. She told me that my blood tests were fine, my weight constant and in short all was okay. The real bonus was that I have been put on a 6 month review instead of 3. As I put on Facebook this week, I regarded this fact as a good result. At the risk of repeating myself I know I am fortunate in that the operation and chemo don't always work out. It's also worth remembering that the 5 year period since the operation does not expire until August 2014.

It would be wrong however to think that all has been 100% these last weeks. Recently I had the embarrassment of dirtying myself. This happened without warning and started when I was walking home form the Surgery. I found this disturbing because the dreaded word incontinent came to the fore. I dread the thought of this happening when I am out visiting. Dr. CDave thought this was one of the after effects of the operation and may result in an alteration of lifestyle if it persists. Hmm we shall see.

To happier times. I mentioned that I was due to have my second Birthday Bash on 9 October. Nineteen of us gathered together and we had a really lovely day. Yes as a family we do get on. There's no don't sit so and so with such and such. My niece Clare produced some marvellous cup cakes, which were more like works of art to be honest.

Yesterday I recorded an interview with Ventnor resident, Musician Richard Studt. My good friend Terry Pearson recorded the interview for me. It will go out in my show on Angel Radio on 10 November. Richard was very accommodatingly and I thank both him and his wife for their kind hospitality.

Today it's Grand Daughter Emily's tenth birthday so I am off to help celebrate.

2011-10-03T15:18:00.002+01:00

Wow it has been a long time since I posted. Perhaps I should use the cliche time flies when you are enjoying yourself.

Fundamentally my health remains excellent. I look okay(well physically if you see what I mean) and feel great. Thankfully there have been no more "hot flushes" and dizzy spells when we have been out walking. Oh sure there have been one or two acid attacks. They have with one exception tended to be mild compared with some over a year ago. I find now I am having the same size portions of meals as Ev and also I am able to eat a bigger range of food. I still need to keep my liquid intake up.

The power of the Internet knows no bounds. When we were staying at Topcliffe in August one of the other users there said he has been following this blog. Fame at last. He found it through the Angel Radio website www.angelradioisleofwight.moonfruit.com. The other person was a woman I met at a patients' support group. She had had the same operation as me earlier this year. It turns out Gill Jones the clinical nurse specialist had recommended this blog. Thanks Gill.

Speaking of the Patients' support group Ev gave a talk at this meeting of what it is like being a carer. She put a lot of thought into this and had made some notes. Essentially however she spoke from the heart. She did brilliantly. I don't know about you dear reader but I always know when a speaker is holding an audience's attention in that there is no shuffling or coughing or any noise really. When Ev had finished and questions were asked one of the men present remarked no, Ev had said it all. I felt really proud of her. As I have remarked before I shudder to think what I would have done without her.

What else has been going on? I have had a good run of guests on my Thursday Radio Show and that is set to continue for the rest of the year. This Thursday we are talking tax with an expert(definitely not me). Then we have in the following weeks a representative of the Island Food Bank, Jazz Historian Ian Campbell and representatives of local pharmacists and Age Concern plus an interview with the new Director of the Island Hospice.

Finally we have just got back from 2 weeks in the Algarve with Christopher, Gillian, Harry and Gillian's parents where amongst other things we celebrated my 70th birthday. This coming Sunday(the 9th) the rest of the family is coming to the Island for another celebration.

I am a lucky guy.

2011-08-06T13:47:00.002+01:00

I finally made it to the Doctor. I missed the previous appointment due to rank carelessness on my part. I had to wait a week for a new one. I figured the results of the tests would be not serious or they would have hauled me in earlier.

Anyway the good news is that the 24 hour blood pressure monitor showed up no abnormalities. I was within the 140/90 range throughout. The ECG is fine and though my cholesterol is slightly high it's apparently nothing to be alarmed about. The Diabetes test showed no symptoms.

Whilst all this is fine it still does not explain the flushes and sweating. The Doctor did point out that these kind of incidents do happen. He did think(and I agree) that I don't drink enough fluids so I must make a better effort to drink at least 2 litres of liquids a day.

My voice still comes and goes a bit. This Wednesday I am going to have an x ray whilst swallowing in the presence of someone from the Speech Therapy Department. Well it's different I suppose. In my next blog I'll report on that result.

But hey it's two years since the operation and I feel great.

2011-07-21T15:48:00.002+01:00

Truth to tell I've been waiting for something concrete to report before completing my latest entry. So to matters medical.

Last Monday I went to see the good Doctor Cave, Oncologist. She told me that my latest blood tests are fine, my weight is steady and my chest and lungs are fine. I have to say that I consider myself fortunate in my reccovery. My brother Perry pointed me to an article about somebody called Bryan Gould who has had two operations for this type of cancer and for a time had to be fed through a tube. At the self help group some of my fellow ex patients suffer from what is known as dumping. This is where food is digested too quickly due to the re arranged digestive system. This causes all sorts of stomach pains. For me I have missed all of this and I am eating larger portions of food. Curiously the one item that I have really struggled with is the good old English Sausage. However that is still a very small price to pay.

Health wise, it has not all been plain sailing. For some time I have been getting hot flushes and thought little of them. These have been accompanied by a tightness in the stomach and shortness of breath. I had one such problem whilst we were in Florida. A couple of weeks back we were out walking with two visitors in the Botanic Gardens in Ventnor. It was sunny but hardly hot. We had been walking for about an hour when I felt rather odd. I didn't feel I was about to faint but I definitely needed to sit down. Sweat was pouring off me. A welcoming cup of tea and a sleep did a fine job to pull me round.

I mentioned all this to Dr. Cave who bless her arranged for an ECG at the Hospital which showed up fine. I was however recommended to go to my GP. I saw Dr. Groves who asked a number of questions and took my blood pressure which she noticed had dropped momentarily when I stood up. She sent me for a blood test to check for Diabetes. Fortunately that did not show up. I was also given a 24 hour blood pressure monitor which I had to wear. They seem to think it may be Vasa Vagal which affects the Vagas Nerve causing a slowing down of blood circulation. I am going back to see Dr. Groves on Tuesday afternoon to get the results of the various tests and see what she suggests. They say a little learning is a dangerous thing but from a cursory reading of Google it does not seem anything to worry about. I shall report here next week.

Onn the Radio front, alas the FM transmitter for Angel is off the air at the moment due to an electrical problem. Hopefully it will be up and running again soon.

2011-06-27T13:58:00.003+01:00

It's been a while since I blogged here. It's been a good news month health wise.

Since increasing the gavescon dose and in particular taking some every night last thing before bed time, the incidence of acid attacks has mercifully all but disappeared.

I have also been referred to a speech therapist. She has given me all kinds of exercises to do the purpose of which is designed to improve my swallowing. She thinks the problems I have been having with my voice originated with the acid reflux. The exercises do seem to be helping to improve matters. The next step is for me to have an x ray whilst eating something and drinking no doubt a revolting liquid. The therapist will be present to observe what actually happens when I swallow. This will happen either on 20 July or in August.

Elsewhere we have just returned from 10 days at our caravan in Topcliffe North Yorkshire. The site has new owners who are making changes that are as far as we can see an improvement.

2011-06-01T21:42:00.002+01:00

Just a short note to say I have had tooth removed. The injection numbing the mouth was very effective as I didn't feel a thing. Now the numbing has worn off it's another story.

Back to Angel Radio tomorrow to interview someone from the Salvation Army.

2011-05-27T10:55:00.002+01:00

Since I last posted, I had a very productive meeting with first of all a specialist in the ENT Department followed by a visit from someone from the speech therapy department.

I was referred by Dr. Cave in view of the fact that my voice has shown signs of strain. The |Consultant put a camera up my nose(charming). The voice box showed a haematoma. This was a cue to send for the dictionary. Haematoma is a collection of blood in the tissues which causes bruising. Apparently this has caused the voice box when I speak to move both side to side and backwards and forwards. The good news is that this condition is likely to heal itself. We had a useful discussion at which having plenty to drink was emphasised. Whilst I can have tea and coffee with caffeine if I want, this shouldn't count towards my daily intake of fluids.

Last Monday I was visited by a speech therapist who announced that she wanted to observe me eating a sandwich. This is not as daft as it sounds. She noted that towrds the end I was struggling to swallow at one go. She is sending me a list of exercises to do and I am due to see her at a Hospital Clinic on 8 June.

Both practioners emphasised that they didn't want me to give up the Radio work. I would add that I found both people were very good at speaking politely in plain language.

2011-05-16T08:55:00.002+01:00

One of the things I have tried to avoid this past two years plus is to feel sorry for myself. Let's face it there are loads of people who have problems who can't do anything about them and I have not been in that category.

I mention this because last week I found myself in danger of a bout of self pity. This would be silly as I have to take responsibility for some of what has happened.

Since getting the stronger drug prescriptions the number of acid attacks has fallen but still I could not guarantee trouble free nights. A week ago the alarm bells rang. I woke up in the early hours with a mouthful of bile, heartburn and a throat that felt it had been given a going over with sandpaper. Normally when I have had such attacks I sorted them out by sitting up for an hour and sipping water. This time it didn't work. I found myself coughing violently(again) and feeling cold shivering uncontrollably. Eventually feeling very wobbly and also short of breath I did get some sleep and thankfully we were able to get an appointment with the GP.

The Doctor checked my chest for infections and found none. He reckoned all that had happened was down to the acid, which he explained had gone down the windpipe causing discomfort and coughing. He checked my notes and put antibiotics on my repeat prescription. The idea is that I should keep a supply in the house so that if and when coughing started I wouldn't have to waste time making a Doctor's appointment. He then tackled the question of Gavescon. I had to confess that I tended to take it intermittently depending on if I had indigestion. He echoed others(including Ev) in saying I needed to take it last thing every night. Thus Gavescon was also put on the repeat list.

Since then I have been taking anti biotics and the cough has improved though it has not yet gone. One of the side effects of those pills is diarrhoea as I found to my cost in a public space. All sorts of thoughts go through your mind at this stage. I am 70 this year, is this the start of incontinence etc. I needed to calm down.

Just to add to the jolly state of things I have had a grumbling tooth for a while and in the course of a routine check up the Dentist told me it has to come out and that will happen on 1 June.

Like I said at the top of this entry, it's very easy to get things out of perspective. As for the runs I am reminded of the old saying "it's often difficult to appreciate when the bottom is dropping out of your world when the world is dropping out of your bottom."

Though I was not able for reasons that I hope are clear to take part in the Island walking festival Ev was. She raised some much needed cash for the Island Hospice. Altogether some 11,000 people took part. Despite a lot of negative publicity the Island has a lot going for it.

I end with I hope a nice image. Last Tuesday whilst taking Ev and a friend to catch the ferry it was a beautiful cloudless sky, the Solent looked a lovely shade of blue and there sailing less than a mile off the Pier was the Queen Mary 2 on her way to New York. It was a great sight.

2011-04-25T12:01:00.002+01:00

Here we are back from two weeks at the always excellent Berkshire on the Ocean in Delray Beach, Florida. The time share units are kept immaculately clean. The weather was glorious.

On the health front, I can report only one acid attack and we put that down to a rather greasy pizza from you guessed it Pizza Hut. Apart from that, I ate well and I reckon healthily. We both probably needed the break and it was nice to spend some time with my Cousin David and his wife MaryAnne.

Mind you on our way I did wonder briefly if we would ever get there. As we had booked quite late, we were shocked at the price of tickets to fly direct to Miami. By travelling out to Fort Lauderdale by Air Canada via Montreal on the way out and by United/Continental via Chicago on the way back we saved about £1,000.

I should say the Air Canada flight to Montreal on the way out was great. The check in was smooth, the loading up process hassle free, the food okay and the cabin crew excellent. It was when we were due out of Montreal that the fun started.

We were settled into our seats when we became aware of the noise of someone trying and failing to close a door. The cockpit door was open and we could see a maintenance man talking to the Pilot. We were in a row of three and the bloke sat next to us in the aisle seat started taking pictures. The Captain then came on the intercom to tell us that not only were they having problems with the catch of the cargo hold door but a woman passenger had indicated that she now didn't want to travel so her case would have to be retrieved.

We waited with bated breath for the next announcement. The Pilot told us some minutes later that though they had managed to remove her case the catch still wouldn't work and that we would have to de plane. He said they did have a spare aircraft over in the domestic part of the terminal. At this point I groaned because as we were going straight through to the USA we hadn't gone through Canadian immigration and Customs. However he received a phone call and said he would get back to us. The bloke next to us was still taking pictures.

A number of events followed and I'm not sure if I have them in the correct order. The chief steward became aware of the pictures being taken and told the Guy he was not happy with this. The steward took the bloke's boarding pass off of him together with his three travelling companions. The passes were taken to the Captain. Looking back I could see the crew's point. With security a big issue pictures of the cockpit and crew could be useful to those who wish ill on the human race. Eventually the passes were returned and all the bloke got was a warning.

Hooray for maintenance followed. They had removed the catch from the other plane and glory be it fitted the door on our flight. The Chief Steward then told us over the tannoy that the woman who had got off the plane was a very nervous passenger who after she had got on the plane had changed her mind about travelling. This, we were assured had nothing to do with the carry on over the errant door catch.

Whilst this little drama was being played out we had become aware of one or two passengers going in and out of the plane. The cabin door had been of course open. At this point panic followed well for the cabin crew anyway. They thought we had lost a passenger and a number of head counts followed. Honestly it was like a Shearings Coach Tour as in is everybody back on the bus. It turned out that a woman had moved seats.

As a result we left nearly an hour late but made up quite a bit of time flying South. I am delighted to report that we both laughed at the silliness of it all.

I end this entry on a health note. When I got back there was a letter telling me I have an appointment with the ENT people on 19 May. My voice by the way though still not back to normal is better for my two weeks away.

2011-04-08T19:38:00.002+01:00

Just a quck note to say that I am going to be away for the next 2 weeks. Therfore the next blog will be after Easter.

2011-04-05T20:38:00.003+01:00

It's good news. The Ct Scan showed all clear. Apparently the sticky thing near the lung that the chest x ray found was in fact scar tissue from the operation.

I did raise with Dr. Cave the fact that I had had two violent coughing outbursts in 6 months. Her opinion was that the operation had meant that my wind and food pipes were much closer together than before and it was possible that food sometimes got into the wrong channel. She emphasised that at the first sign of coughing I should return to the GP for anti biotics.

We went on to talk about the strength of my medication. I repeated what the clinical specialist nurse Donna had said about staying on the stronger dose for at least three months, which were just about up. Dr. cave was emphatic that I should stay on the higher dose for the foreseeable future. Certainly since going on to the stronger ones I have not had an acid attack.

The only not so satisfactory part is that my voice still isn't right. Dr. Cave will be referring me to the ENT section. There is a waiting list which is fair enough given that it is not urgent.

Overall though, I am in good health and that's what really matters.

2011-03-23T20:53:00.002Z

Just a short update.

Following all the recent events, I contacted the specialist clinical nurse at Southampton who felt I should see the Oncologist sooner rather than May. As a result I am having a CT Scan at the Hospital on 31 March with results to come the following week.

2011-03-18T10:49:00.003Z

First of all I must apologise for no entry for a couple of weeks. I had my fifth chest x ray last Thursday and was due to see my GP to get results today(Friday). I thought I would wait until I has seen her so that I could give you an up to date report.

The good news is that the second lot of blood tests showed that the infection had cleared. Apparently though in the earlier tests some evidence of anaemia was found. The GP did apologise for not mentioning this before. It might have explained why I had been feeling a little tired during the day. Anyway that's behind me.

The chest x rays(there were two taken one from the front and one from the side) showed that there was still some infection in the left lung caused apparently by some sticking in the diaphragm. She has given me some more anti biotics in the hope that they will clear the infection.

We then went on to discuss whether there was a more fundamental problem. She asked me whether I was more worried that the cancer might be back or whether I was concerned that I might have another attack of violent coughing. I tend towards the latter view. I am not losing weight and I am eating much better than say 3 months ago. As I have said here though I don't believe that amount of coughing will do me any good. There is also the fact that my voice has still not returned to normal. I am being referred to the chest clinic at the Hospital. This may take a few weeks but if they can suggest anything that would help it will be worth the wait. As far as the cancer side of things is concerned, I am still being seen every 3 months by the Oncologist.

Last weekend was a special birthday for Ev. We all went up to Christopher and Gillian's to celebrate the occasion. It would be remiss of me not to thank both Christopher and Andrea in assembling some friends from both the North East and Shropshire for a very pleasant evening. Ev was surrounded by all five Grandchildren.

Later today I am going to a meeting of the Patient's support group, which is always worth supporting.

More hopefully next week.

Days 644 to 651

2011-03-04T18:32:00.002Z

I've deliberately held off making an entry until after I had seen my GP.

To go back to where we were when I made my last entry. I started to take the anti biotics and went into Angel Radio last Thursday. I had wanted to do this as I was talking to someone who was organising a sponsored kayak trip from Penzance to Cowes in April. As things turned out the event has been postponed until August but as someone once said that's showbiz.

By Saturday at least I was able to sleep in bed as distinct from an armchair. The coughing if not stopped altogether is now under control but the voice is still a bit croaky.

The importance of the latest chest x ray was that unlike the others it was taken whilst I still had the bad cough. It detected an infection in my left lung. The Hospital have recommended having another x ray in a week's time in which they will take two pictures one front on and one from the side. It normally takes a week for the results to come back to the GP so I have booked an appointment for a fortnight today(Friday) to discuss the results.

I asked the GP what she thought was causing this recurring problem. She gave three possible causes. One is that the operation has weakened my resistance to germs. The second is that some of the acid has got into the lungs and third there's cancer cells. On this last point neither she nor I think this likely. In the last month I have put 4 pounds on so that should knock that on the head.

I feel okay both physically and mentally so we push onward and upward. More next week.

Days 637 to 643

2011-02-23T21:12:00.003Z

This was supposed after my last blog entry to be a continuing health improvement story. However this last week has been a right trial.

Looking back to an entry last September, I wrote about one particular acid attack that had caused a bad cough which wouldn't go away without anti biotics. History has I am afraid started to repeat itself. The acid had been rolling around in the system and I started coughing quite violently. At first coming up was acid but gradually that went away but alas not so the cough. Though I managed to get through the show on Angel I had to cancel my other radio work. I had to miss Martin's Dad's Birthday Bash on Sunday. Once again I tried the usual non prescription stuff such as Lemsip, Cough Candy(sweets), Honey, Hot Juice etc. all to no avail.

Thus I went back to the Surgery today and saw a new Doctor. She actually listened to me, then checked temperature, blood pressure and chest. She said she could find no evidence of infection. However like me she wasn't happy that this problem was recurring. I was given some anti biotics and asked to go for another chest x ray. However the difference this time is that I am to have it before the course of anti biotics has kicked in. Not only that but she has made me an appointment on Friday 4 March when the results are back to discuss things further. This is an improvement on what has gone before where all you get is a comment from the reception that no further action is required.

Now I don't want this to sound like I have what is sometimes described as a medical condition. However I could do with losing the dratted cough. It's always worse when I lie down so for the last week I have been sleeping downstairs which at least means poor Ev gets some chance for some peace and quiet.

What has been a pity is that I have had this whilst we have had Grandson Harry with us for 10 days whilst his parents had a holiday. It was great fun having him here. He certainly likes his Grandma's house. He is well across the fact that to get here he has to travel on a boat. We returned him to North Wales on Monday and the poor soul didn't want to get off the ferry(well he is only three).

More next week when hopefully the anti biotics have done their work.

Days 629 to 636

2011-02-16T17:28:00.002Z

I saw the Consultant who operated on me in August 2009 today. No offence but I hope never to see him again unless it's for a social event. He was very pleased with me.

We had the opportunity to discuss my acid problems. Most of the talking was done by Donna the Nurse Specialist. I am to be given a much stronger tablet to take along with medicine to assist in food digestion. She also recommended that I take the tablets half an hour before having a meal. This new regime will last for a minimum of 3 months.

From now on I shall be under the care of the Oncologists whom I shall see every 3 months. My next appointment is in April. Should any problems occur then the Consultant will get to know sharpish.

Thus no more trekking across to Southampton. This is good news. There will be more from me next week when the new tablets have had a chance to do their work.

Days 622 to 628

2011-02-08T22:08:00.002Z

It's not been the best week to be honest. Not only have I had more acid attacks in the last week than nights of peace and quiet but the night before had a real sting in the tail. As I have recorded before the drill when it happens is to get up, get a glass of water and sit in an arm chair for an hour. I then go back to bed and get a bit more sleep. Thus when I woke up at 230AM downstairs I went. I watched the end of the Super Bowl and at about 330 went back to bed. At 700 I was woken up with another attack. As I have reported here I am struggling to have confidence in the GPs at the surgery who seem to think this is something up with which I should put. Next Wednesday I am due to see the Consultant who operated on me so we shall see how that works.

Last Saturday we had two very pleasant and entertaining guests for a meal. It was one of the those good nights where the hours just flew by. My guest on Angel Radio last Thursday was an organiser of Classical Music Concerts here on the Island. He proved to be a highly entertaining guest with some informative chat about how you go about promoting a concert.

My next post will be on either Wednesday or Thursday next week after I have seen the Consultant.

Days 615 to 621

2011-02-01T07:29:00.002Z

I have only had one acid attack since my last blog. I have been given a larger strength tablet to take. However it would seem that when I eat is as important as the type of food I use. The acid followed a trip to London to see Charles and Jess. I had Lunch in town which was fine. However as I have recorded in the past I do need to for want of a better expression need to keep grazing. On the way home I bought myself a sandwich and crisps from Marks and Spencer. This was a little bit later than normal. Otherwise my health is doing well. My weight has remained unchanged for the last 4 weeks and I am able to follow a normal life.

Martin has entered the whole family based here on the Island into a sponsored walk in May. It's not the main walk across the Island(that's 26 odd miles of hilly terrain). This is an 8 mile trip along an old railway line. This has the merit of being flat. So Ev and I may well be in the market for sponsorship. Some preparation and training is needed. Let's hope this long and rather dreary winter weather comes to an end soon.

My guest on Angel Radio last week was Dave Kitching who in December 2010 retired after 18 years as a Primary School Head Teacher. It was a classic story of someone born on the Island who left determined never to return deciding to come back.

Here's looking forward to a good week I hope.

Days 607 to 614

2011-01-25T20:03:00.002Z

I hate to sound like a long playing record but once again the acid is back. I have had two in the last week. One of the problems is trying to find a reason. I tend nowadays just to have a snack after about 8PM. Some time I have this and it's no problem but other times it's ugh. The drill when this happens is that I get up and sit down in an armchair before going back to bed. I am due to see the Consultant on February 16. Hopefully he may have some ideas.

Adrian, Andrea's brother in law, had a Birthday last week and on Sunday we went for Lunch at Culver Haven, which is a nice place on a cliff top with excellent sea views. Gosh I sound like a tour guide.

The Isle of Wight is staging the Island Games later on this year. Martin has been going to some meetings about this. There will be a lot of visitors later this year.

2011-01-17T13:43:00.002Z

Days 600 to 606

I am not long back from seeing the Oncologist Dr. Patterson. Coincidentally with this visit I had a bad night last night with acid. Until about 2 weeks ago, I was having this difficulty about once a week. More recently that has changed and last night was the third such incident in the last 7 days.

My blood tests were absolutely fine, my weight is not a problem and check of chest and tummy showed all is well. I went through with the good Doctor the history of my chest x rays and reduction in the strength of the anti acid tablets. I mentioned to Dr. Patterson the conversation I had with the GP about the relative cost of the drugs. Dr. P's view was that what mattered was what worked best for the patient. He told us that the cost of a months supply of the stronger version was £25 and the one I am currently on was £5. After some discussion Dr. P agreed to write to the GP suggesting I take a stronger dose. It would be nice to at the very least control these attacks better.

The day hadn't kicked off well with two of the three parking machines not working and the third spewing out money but no ticket. I am due to see Dr. Cave(back from maternity leave) in April.

The past week seems to have passed in a flash. My guest on Angel Radio was from Age UK who are running an exercise and good health programme. This provoked response from listeners. The project is paid for out of lottery funding and is free to customers.

Right here's hoping for a better week. I shall report progress or lack of it next week.

Days 595 to 599

2011-01-10T21:33:00.002Z

I decided to leave a blog entry until Ev and I had seen the King's Speech. For once I think a film is worthy of all the hype. It has a super cast, is well written and Directed.

It's been a busy old night though with a Hospital Radio Committee meeting as well. Speaking of Radio, both my guests for last Thursday's show had to call off for a variety of reasons. However I was lucky in that Carol Bridgestock one of the organisers of a writing competition was able to come in very much at the last minute to tell us about the various entries received. My guest this Thursday in complete contrast will be Alex Welford of Age UK who is going to talk about that organisation's fit as a fiddle programme.

I don't know if fit as a fiddle would describe me just now. The various radio projects certainly keep me busy. The shop from where I have been getting my newspaper has stopped selling papers so I have a slightly longer walk to do. This may or may not be a good thing.

Acid attacks seem to come down to one a week. I had another one last night and not for the first time I can't offer any explanation as to why. On the bright side there does not appear to be any fluid on the lungs or elsewhere. A source of momentary alarm today was the bathroom weighing machine. For reasons best known to itself the weight was shown in pounds rather than stones and pounds. You can imagine my surprise when the scales showed 184 when previously I was 13 stone one pound. After some thought I worked out I had put on a pound.

That's it for this report more probably next Monday.

Days 586 to 594

2011-01-05T10:49:00.003Z

A happy new year to all our readers. Apologies for this update being a day late.

We had a spendid New Year break in North Wales with Christopher, Gillian, Jack, Lucy and Harry. Additionally we saw Gillian's parents Ian and Lorna. New Years Eve has been something of a tradition where we play a selected board game until round about 1145, then we get ready to toast in the New Year. This time was no exception. I can heartily recommend a game called Sequence which involves playing cards, is non gambling but does require some thought and of course luck.

Mercifully the weather has relented so the journey both to Holt and back was uneventful. I do though have to say that New Year's Eve in Chester was cold mainly because of the damp. On Sunday I went with Christopher, Jack and a friend Nick to the DW Stadium in Wigan to watch the match against Newcastle United. We won which is nice and full marks to the DJ who at half time gave us some great Motown Sounds.

There was only one acid problem. I blame both the Stolen Cake and the time I ate it. Things are definitely improving. Touch wood there has been no rattling cough to bother me.

I shall try to write the next bulletin at the weekend.

Days 578 to 585

2010-12-27T12:56:00.002Z

I hope you all had a good Christmas and are getting ready to bring in the New Year.

We had a great family time with thankfully no aggro. In an age where more and more our lives are dominated by supermarkets, we got our turkey from a Farmshop here on the Island and very nice it was too. Speaking of Christmas Dinner I am pleased to report that I found I could eat a lot more than this time last year.

Thankfully the snow has continued to miss us though it has by Island standards been quite cold. Somebody recorded a temperature of minus 8 going into Boxing Day Morning. Thus far our central heating is working(fingers crossed).

Since my last report I have had one acid attack only which served to remind me I must not get complacent. Strangely enough I woke up in the early hours thinking I was having another one and it took me a couple of minutes to realise I was having no such thing. I must have been dreaming.

Today(Monday) we are having a lazy day I am pleased to say. My next post all being well will be Tuesday 4 January.

Days 571 to 577

2010-12-19T16:21:00.002Z

I am having a break from preparing scripts for a review of 2010 for an on line Radio Station. It's funny how quickly you forget certain things, the volcanic ash cloud for example. Speaking of Radio, my guest last Thursday on Angel was a poet and photographer Sean Potter. He was an absolute delight. The Poetry he read summed up anecdotes about his life. I felt it was a good topic for just before Christmas. I have one show left on Angel this year and that is this Thursday (23 December) with some Christmas Music. You can hear this between 12 noon and 2Pm(Greenwich Mean Time) on www.angelradioisleofwight.moonfruit.com.

Away from shameless self promotion, I am pleased to report no acid attacks in the last week. I finished my anti biotics and went for another chest xray on Wednesday. I'll get the results during the week and will report in my next blog over the weekend. Otherwise I continue to eat well and feel fine. Now if only the weather was better. Once again on the Island we appear to have escaped the worst of the snow and ice but it is still bitterly cold.

So onward and upward towards Christmas we go. If I don't post an entry before have a wonderful Christmas.

Days 565 to 570

2010-12-12T11:01:00.003Z

We'll start with the good news. Jack is getting 3 school Governors awards for the best marks in the year for English Language, Literature and History. We are all very proud of him.

I did ring the patients association help line for a chat. They told me that the Doctor was right to reduce the drug strength on health grounds. They also said that the GP was wrong to mention cost. The Government wants to give all the fund holding to GPs and if money is tight I can see more problems particularly if patients lose trust in their Doctors on the grounds that they are looking at the money rather than what is best for the patient.

Mercifuuly I have been clear of acid reflux this week. However the rattle is back or rather it's back when I lie on my right hand side. This is strange not least because for a long time after the operation I couldn't lie on my left side as chronicled in earlier blog entries. So it was back to the Doctor a different one this time. Dr. Legg is pleasant but business like. She didn't listen to my chest but did say that the previous anti biotics were not strong enough. She has given me stronger ones and gave me a referral form for another chest x ray when the course of tablets has finished. As far as acid was concerned she said this is something with which I have to cope. When I left the surgery I felt more confused than anything else. There is a notice in the surgery that it's the patient's responsibility to contact the practice for the results of tests and x rays but if something abnormal was to show up that needed urgent action would that rule apply?

Curiously I saw Dr. Legg the following evening in another context. We went to see Emily in her school play(she was excellent by the way all bias to one side) and the Doctor was sitting in the same row.

My guest on Angel Radio last Thursday was a woman who has Parkinson's which is bad enough. However her experiences of getting to see a Consultant were not good. Angel Radio as a policy does not do political controversy but we felt her story was worth airing and she was at the end of the interview grateful for the opportunity. In the interests of balance I did contact the NHS Trust about waiting times to see Neurologists.

Finally on Friday we went to a concert of classical music given by an Orchestra put together by a man called Richard Studt who comes from Ventnor here on the Island. It was excellent. The event took place in All Saints Church Ryde. The accoustics there are first class.

More next weekend.

Days 558 to 564

2010-12-06T15:02:00.002Z

Where is 2010 going? I only ask because the weeks seem to be rushing past ever more quickly.

In the last week I have had three acid night time attacks. There does not seem to be any pattern to it at all. I have already learned not to eat a meal too late but on some days a biscuit with a late cup of tea does no harm. On other days it clearly does. It may be this is something I have to learn to live with like so many other conditions. I am reluctant to go back to my GP in view of his comments about the cost of drugs. There is a national helpline which I may well contact to see if they can offer any advice. My weight by the way is unchanged from last week.

Otherwise the week has been dominated by the weather. For North American readers the snow, ice and temperatures are nothing new. However the average temperature in Britain for this time of the year is 10 degrees and when you have daytime temperatures of minus 2 or 3 and nightime as low minus 19 you can understand why things have been a bit chaotic.

Here on the Island we have got off fairly lightly. It started snowing on Wednesday Evening but overnight on Friday/Saturday it all but disappeared. It's till cold but the forecast is for it to get milder.

Fortunately I was away from Angel Radio on Thursday so missed having fun in trying to catch a bus.

That's all for this week. More hopefully on Monday.

Days 550 to 557

2010-11-29T14:28:00.002Z

Apologies for delay in completing latest blog. A combination of tiredness and some good TV stopped me from completing this yesterday.

Acid reared its head yesterday for the first time in quite a while. I have only myself to blame because late on I ate some nice fudge. The time has definitely come when if I do have a late night snack it is confined to a biscuit. My weight by the way is doing okay. I actually put on 2 pounds in the last week.

I didn't do my show on Angel Radio last week because I was in the North East(of which more in a moment). This Thursday once again I shall be missing as Ev and I are going to the Patients' Support Group Christmas Lunch. Normal service will be resumed on 9 December. Other than 30 December, I should be doing my normal shows.

Back to the North East. The happiest time in my Revenue Life was the last 6 years when I was a member of the North Regional Training Team. The work was stimulating and the Company good fun. At the time when I reached 60 you had to go. All of which was a pity because had I been able to I would have stayed on until 65. The team alas is no more but some stalwart members have decided on a regular meet up. It's a long way for me to travel but it was very kind of the organisers to include me. One or two ex colleagues I met last Friday in York I hadn't seen in 9 years.

I wouldn't have been able to go if it hadn't been for the generous hospitality of my good friends Peter and Gill Clark so thanks to them. There were substantial snow falls in the North East. They took me to the station on some fairly treacherous roads.

Having undertaken a number of train trips, I make the following observations about the Railways. The South West Train Service to London from Portsmouth continues to be good. I have never failed to get a seat on these trains and it is almost always on time. It's when you head North from London that your problems start. More people want to travel than there are seats on board. Given that you can pay over £100 to travel to Newcastle from King's Cross that often means you have to stand for the privilidge. You can get some cheap concessions but you have to travel on a specified train in a specified seat. If you change without approval of the Company you have to pay the full fare.

I was unlucky on both Thursday and Saturday in that a broken down train caused massive delays on both days. The fact it was snowing and extremely chilly standing on platforms didn't help. Fortunately I had my reservation on both days so had a seat(which is more than I managed on the service to York) but it was a bit galling to see other trains scheduled for later times than the one you are booked on leaving earlier.

The snow mentioned above is due to spread to the Island later in the week. My next blog will be on Sunday.

Days 543 to 549

2010-11-21T11:07:00.003Z

The results of the latest chest xray are in. Once again they can find nothing untoward and the Doctor says xray shows symptoms are consistent with a chest infection. If it (a rattling cough) occurs again I should make another appointment to see the GP. The anti biotics I was given have once gain worked. The only slight concern I do have is having two chest infections in a matter of 6 weeks. This may of course be due to the fact that having had the illness the body resistance to germs and infections of one kind or another has weakened. Still at the moment I am feeling fine. My weight is remaining constant at 12 stone 12 with which the medics are happy.

Don't laugh but I have volunteered to take part in the Ryde Methodist Church Nativity Play. No I am not playing the back legs of the Donkey. I am Melchior one of the three kings. There are all of four lines to say so I am not as of yet on the luvvie circuit.

On Angel Radio last Thursday I had two guests. In the first hour Tony King had some entertaining stories about his life on the buses and in the second hour Emma Dixey previewed this season's concerts by the Isle of Wight Symphony Orchestra. I am having a two week break from the show and my guest on 9 December will be Janet Lack.

My next blog all being well will be next Sunday.

Days 538 to 542

2010-11-14T13:57:00.003Z

It's not been the best week health wise to be honest. As I may have mentioned before the infamous rattle was back plus the acid.

I went back to the Doctor partly because of the cough. She felt another chest xray would be in order since it was 6 weeks since the last one. Whilst she felt it unlikely any acid that I swallowed back would cause a build up of fluid, she said that it was quite possible that when the acid came up through the night it could cause some fluid to spread to the lungs. I was given some more anti biotics which seem to have settled the cough down. I also went for the xray on Wednesday and the results from that should be available in 4 or 5 days time.

Sadly the acid attacks have continued though it's been okay the last two nights because I have been taking two Lamprazole instead of one.

Otherwise life is as busy as ever. My guest on Angel Radio was Andrew Campbell who heads up Hampshire and Isle of Wight Mediation a charity that tries to help separating and divorcing couples avoid the cost and emotional trauma of court in settling issues such as child custody. A very nice man he answered all questions directly and without using jargon.

As I look outside it's still raining but thankfully nothing like it was the other day. My next blog will be at the weekend when hopefully I'll about the chest xray.

Days 529 to 537

2010-11-09T15:02:00.002Z

The expression mixed is the one I am looking for as far as health matters are concerned. During last week I had two acid attacks in the night, one of which was particularly unpleasant. As I have indicated before, this in many ways is more depressing than when it happened say six months ago. To have several weeks where nothing takes place and then for it to rear its ugly head comes as something of a shock.

In trying to work this out, Ev and I have come up with one common denominator and that is eating late. Usually we eat between 6 and 7 but there have been some occasions when either through me feeling hungry at night or us getting back late when it's been 8.00 plus when we have had Dinner. Since then I have been having a meal by 7.00 and so far it seems to be working.

In the meantime I can report that my weight remains at 12 stone 12(180 pounds).

We spent the weekend at Christopher and Gillan's house in North Wales. It was Harry's Birthday on Sunday and Lucy will be 13 on November 17. On Saturday we had a nice meal featuring two of Lucy's favourites. One was roasted Gammon and the other chocolate fudge cake. Ev did the cooking honours and Lucy was genuinely grateful. Sunday saw us go to a nearby Ice Cream Farm where Harry and his pals enjoyed a Birthday play and tea.

Gillian's parents(Ian and Lorna) were also there. We all agreed it was a grand way to spend a weekend. Poor Harry when he got back from nursery on Monday night that there was nobody here as in all Grandparents had gone home.

On a more sober note on Monday we went to a funeral. It was the mother of avery good friend of both Andrea and Ev when we lived in Shropshire. The deceased was 91 and died after a short illness. It is at times like this that you count your own lucky stars.

When we got back to the Island the heavens opened and the ferocity of the rain was like something I haven't heard in a long time. The brook at the back of the house burst its banks but fortunately we were not flooded though several properties were in Ryde and roads were closed.

Finally you may remember in a previous blog I mentioned the campaign by the Island's MP to retain an Island only constituency. He failed in his attempt in the House of Commons and will be hoping the House of Lords may listen. It turns out many other parts of the country are not happy with the arrangements either. I remain of the view though that the basic principle of constituencies being of roughly equal size is a difficult one to argue against.

More next Sunday.

Days 523 to 528

2010-10-31T12:02:00.002Z

It's been another busy old week. Half Term saw us spending some time with Grand Children. Andrea also has been busy as a member of the Band in the South Wight Youth Theatre Production of Half a Sixpence. This was staged on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Ev and I went on Saturday Night and very good it was too. Much rubbish is written about young people. The sheer hard work everyone put in and the enjoyment were there for all to see.

The production proved to be a welcome distraction for me from above average coughing. We know this can't be caused by a chest infection as last Monday the good Doctor examined said chest and found nothing wrong. Nevertheless it does tend to follow when I have eaten anything. I wouldn't say I was worried. In truth it is more of an irritation. This week also I have had one acid attack in the night. Again as this is not the norm when it does happen I tend to get annoyed rather than anything else.

Looking at the week's news I do like the story about a bloke who flashed in front of a woman getting bitten by the Woman's Dog. Serves him right.

We are next weekend celebrating Harry and Lucy's Birthdays so all being well my next blog will be on Tuesday 9 November.

Days 515 to 522

2010-10-25T11:38:00.002+01:00

I thought today going to be a no no when we got to the Hospital only to discover that Dr. Pattinson(the Oncologist) was off sick. However subsequent events showed juts how wrong I can be sometimes.

We were ushered in to see a Consultant from the Chemo Unit and very pleasant she was too. There was good news all round. My latest blood test showed Kidneys, Liver, Pancreas etc. all in excellent working order. My weight is fine. The Consultant kindly showed me the actual results of the chest x ray I had done last month. It said that symptoms shown were consistent with a chest infection as the GP thought. I have another appointment in January but I was assured that if I had any concerns to ring the Secretary so that an earlier appointment could be arranged.

I came out with a feeling almost of euphoria. It's a reminder yet again of how lucky I have been. The sun is shining, it's a little on the cool side(7 degrees)but all is well. Once again Ev was there during the appointment to offer support and prompt me when I had forgotten something.

This last week has been busy as always. My guest on Angel Radio was local business woman Lyn Blackledge who has lead a remarkable life. Her get up and go spirit left me lost in admiration. Wearing one of my other hats on another Radio Station I had to sum up the Coalition Announced Cuts. I like to think I did this in an unbiased way. In one way it was quite easy as I don't think anyone will know how successful or otherwise the review will be for a couple of years or so.

Thus we start another week. I intend posting my next entry on Sunday.

Days 514 to 521

2010-10-17T11:12:00.002+01:00

Definitely a much better week. Apart from an irritating neck muscle I have been able to get about this week. I have lost one pound over the last week. However for Tea last night Ev made me a Baked Potato with Tuna Mayo topped with grated cheese and some salad. Even six months ago I would have struggled to finish it but I was able to look at an empty plate. Things are looking up.

I read this week of two people whose lives were claimed by Cancer. One is Clare Rayner(Agony Aunt) and the other is Simon Mccorkindale who was only 58. It kind of reminded me how lucky I have been.

Otherwise it's been a busy old week. I did four Radio Shows for three different stations. For Angel I interviewed a representative of the Help for Heroes Charity and marvelled at the amount of money they are raising. I was also grateful to Ian Campbell who has worked with the Chilean Navy and knows that Country well. He was able to give some useful insights into Chile and the importance of its mining. Who said a community station can't do topical stories?

Days 508 to 513

2010-10-09T10:06:00.002+01:00

The chest xray results are in and I am delighted to say no problems have been found. The antibiotics seem to have done the trick in that the coughing has for the most part stopped. My voice is still not 100% but it is loads better than before.

As far as my back is concerned,the magic of the Chiropractor has worked. I feel a lot freer in terms of my movement. Yesterday I walked the mile or so to Ryde Bus Station something I couldn't have imagined me doing this time last week.

My weight is remaining steady at 13 stone.

In short I feel better. My next appointment with the Oncologist is on 25 October so hopefully the improvement will continue.

No news to report on the MP reorganisation plan except that some people are asking why when public sector workers are threatened with redundancy the Island is in effect getting a second MP.

Days 502 to 507

2010-10-03T11:02:00.002+01:00

It's been a very eventful few days.

I decided as it was my Birthday last Wednesday not to spend in Hospital having an xray. We went to the Island Garlic Farm and had a nice Lunch. It was nothing fancy but the waiting staff were very pleasant and had a good knowledge of what the meals actually contained. It was nice to get lots of texts and facebook messages from amongst others Jack and Lucy and a lovely card from Harry. Emily and Adam helped me blow out the candles. When I went to bed all was well with the world.

In the middle of the night I woke up in agony with horrible back pain. It was one of those it only hurts when you move type of things. I managed to get an appointment with a very good Chiropractor. She reckons all that coughing has meant that the pelvis has become twisted. She did all kinds of unspeakable things and promised it would work. Bless her some 3 days on things are much better. I am due to go and see her again on Friday.

In the meantime broadcasting was not an option so Thursday's show got cancelled and I only felt strong enough to go for the xray on Friday Afternoon. Fortunately there was no queue. The results will be with the GP by next Friday but I don't feel unduly concerned even though I still have a cough. It's much less of a problem. My weight continues to stabilise at around 13 stone and I am eating better.

I shall post again when xray results are known.

Days 492 to 501

2010-09-28T20:14:00.002+01:00

You will have noticed dear reader up until now my health reports have all sounded positive. Over the last week however things could have been a lot better.

I have had a minor amount of coughing these last few weeks. I tended to dismiss it as part of the reflux acid. We flew up to Edinburgh to stay with Gillian's parents Ian and Lorna. Overnight I had a really bad bout of acid which caused much coughing. Now normally when this does happen after sitting up for an hour or so everything settles down. Sadly though the acid went down the coughing didn't. It has basically persisted virtually non stop for 5 days. The cough has been accompanied by a rattling sound. I have tried Gavescon, water, honey, honey and hoe water, inhaling steam with crystals all to little avail.

I went to see my GP. He checked me out and was clearly concerned about the noise from the chest. I have been given a week's supply of Penicillin but he is also sending me for an xray on my chest in view of my past history. I am likely to go to the Hospital tomorrow(I do pick the best places for my Birthday. Te GP will get the results next week and we shall see where we go from there.

The GP also enquired why I was still on the stronger type of tablet. I said this followed my visit to the Consultant Mr. Byrne. Dr. Hudson said it was too strong and then came the killer point it's too expensive. He wanted to put me on a more minor dose straight away but after discussion we agreed to reduce the dosage to one a day. If I start to get more attacks I shall go back to two a day. Hmm.

Apart from that we had a great long weekend. For the first time we had a chat with Ian and Lorna's neighbours Bob and Ann. I also flew for the first time since the bad experience I had on a flight from Hong Kong in January last year. Both flights were uneventful but my dislike of the whole thing remains. I know sometimes it is what you have to do though.

I shall post again next week once I know the results of the xray.

Days 486 to 491

2010-09-18T12:02:00.002+01:00

Is it just me or are the weeks rushing by more rapidly than ever?

My weight has remained unchanged. I am starting to be able to eat what amounts to a normal size portion. Last night for example I ate some Chicken Chassuer with potatoes and other vegetables. One thing I have noticed though is that I find it easier to swallow food in the evening rather than the morning. I did though have one acid attack in the week but I am not sure why. The only thing I can think of is that I slipped off the pillows and was lying flat. Anyway the last two nights have been fine.

My guest on Angel Radio last Thursday was David Ouston a street pastor. It would take a very hard heart not to be impressed with the work they do to defuse anti social behaviour on a Friday Night.

On Monday last we went on a short walk along the Coastal Footpath at Ventnor Botanic Gardens. There were innumerable blackberries and sloes. We should have brought some bags with us.

No more news on the Onewight campaign mentioned in my last blog. My next entry will probably be on Tuesday week.

Days 479 to 485

2010-09-12T11:01:00.003+01:00

I am not really speaking to this blog as I wrote a lengthy blog last night which it lost somewhere in the ether.

On Friday Ev and I went to a meeting of the Patients' Support Group. We were all asked to introduce ourselves. I said I was getting better. Ev quite correctly pointed out that I am better. Since my last report I have had no further acid attacks(goodbye Peanuts) and I continue to be able to lie on my left as well as my right. My weight this week has remained unchanged at 13 stone 12.

My guest on Angel Radio last Thursday was Paul Armfield. Paul's day job is Manager of Waterstones Book Shop in Newport. He is also a bass player in assorted bands, a singer, song writer and very grounded family man. I played some tracks from his CDs, which are available in HMV on the Island. He was a pleasure to interview in that he didn't dodge any questions. It never ceases to amaze me how many people there are on the Island doing very positive things. My guest on Thursday will be David Ouston from the Island Street Pastors.

Speaking of the Island the big issue is Parliamentary Representation. Historically the Island has always had its own MP. As more and more people move here to escape from the Mainland so numbers on the electoral roll have increased. In the General Election this year there were 109,000 voters here compared with a national average of around 64,000.

As part of a Coalition Government drive to cut the costs of Politics there are proposals to even out the size of constituencies to an average of 70,000 electors. Now dear reader you must be reasonably good at Maths. Here on the Isle of Wight we have too many voters to fit into one new Parliamentary Seat but not enough for two. The proposal therefore is to put 34,000 people who live on the Island into a constituency on the Mainland.

Unfortunately the Government has made exceptions in its plans for the Outer Hebrides and Orkney and Shetland because of their remoteness. This has raised the hackles of the Island's MP plus his Lib Dem and Labour defeated opponents. The demand quite simply is to leave the Island out of it on the grounds that what folk who live here want may be at odds with them there Mainland folk. There was delivered to Downing Street a 16,000 petition last week. I have to say opinion here is not unanimous. Many feel that we are under represented in Parliament(some seats in England have less than 60,000 voters). They also point out that given that almost half the electorate in the proposed new seat will live on the Island any MP who ignored their opinions would do so at their peril.

This story will run and run.

Hopefully this entry will be published. More next weekend.

Days 473 to 478

2010-09-05T11:16:00.002+01:00

It's been a busy week. The health continues to go on an upward curve. I have lost one pound in the last week which is hardly serious.

My guest on Angel Radio last Thursday was Mike Kaye who was charming and very modest. This is a guy who failed his 11 plus, left school at 16, didn't go to University until he was 26 and ended up playing a major role in building the reputation of the University of Portsmouth Business School. Like me he had Esophageal Cancer but that happened in 2008. Off air we compared notes as he had the same treatment as me. He had a worse experience than me with his Chemotherapy having to abandon it after two courses of treatment following visits to Hospital with high temperatures. He is well on the way back to normal. We shall meet up again on Friday in the next meeting of the patients' support group.

Days 457 to 472

2010-08-30T19:17:00.002+01:00

The gap in postings is mainly down to BT. We spent a couple of weeks at our static caravan in North Yorkshire. We thought we had a BT line to enable us to use a lap top there. However the park has changed hands. On the day this happened (just before we arrived) BT discontinued the line even though asked not to. Apparently they can cut a line at anytime but it takes them nigh on 4 weeks to restore it.

So where was I? Oh yes first and foremost congratulations to two family memebers. First of all Jack got his GCSE results. He took 13 exams and achieved passes at Grade C and above in all of them. Included in that total were 2 A stars and 7 Grade As. All good stuff. Well done also to Andrew who is off to the University of Hertfordshire to study Psychology.

Usually the waether in the South of the country is better than the North. This year we were lucky to have dry and often sunny days in Yorkshire. In contrast the Island has had rain, rain and more rain.

On the health front, I have only had two acid attacks since my last post. One of those can be traced to salted peanuts. I now know better than to try them again. My weight has stabisided at 13 stone. I have yet to hear when my next appointment with the Oncologist so shall ring the Hospital in the morning.

Days 448 to 456

2010-08-14T11:40:00.002+01:00

It's been a busy last week or so. We had a visit from Peter and Sally our friends who live in Saltburn plus we have had some time out with Emily and Adam.

Emily has been involved in a music group workshop that gave us a show last Thursday. Considering everybody only got together for the first time on Monday Afternoon the standard was incredibly high. There were songs from musicals ranging from Guys and Dolls to Grease.

I shall be returning to Angel Radio in September but on the basis of one show a week rather than two. In the meantime we shall be having a few days at the caravan. Jack and Lucy have been in Turkey with their Mum, Gerard and his son also called Jack. It appears they were affected by a stomach bug. I hope to find out more next week.

In the last week I have lost 2 pounds so am at 13 stone exactly. Thankfully though there has been only one acid attack. The outlook is certainly promising.

Days 446 and 447

2010-08-05T22:58:00.002+01:00

Just a very short note to bring you some good news.

I have posted endlessly about my inability to eat much meat due to the fact that it does not break down in the mouth. Prior to my operation Gammon Steak was one of my favourites. Well last night I ate a small such steak and suffered no ill effects.

Tonight we stumbled on a very good Pub Restaurant called Culver Haven. With our friends Peter and Sally we enjoyed an excellent meal whilst looking at a stunning view of the English Channel.

Days 444 and 445

2010-08-03T20:03:00.002+01:00

So this is it. On this date a year ago I had what has turned out to be a life changing operation.

Ev remarked that although the time has passed fairly quickly in other respects it seems a million miles away. I can truthfully say I never worried that I might not recover from the operation. I remember that for the 2 weeks that followed I either had no food or I was fed through a drip. The worst was the nil by mouth period when my lips were very dry and all they gave you were lip sponges. I hated the bottles. As a worrier I always wanted a good supply of them so I wasn't caught short. The last thing I wanted was to cause the nursing staff unnecessary grief.

After my set back I did at one point wonder if I was ever going to get out. The feeling of relief when I was told I could go home was something that will always be with me. One of the nurses on that day must have seen me quite emotional and contacted a very nice woman from the Chaplain's Office. We had a nice chat and contrary to some beliefs she made no attempt to "convert" me.

Enough of looking back, because I have made huge progress this past 12 months. I shall never be able to eat as much as I did before but that is no bad thing. I am able to lead a busy life and enjoy family.

Finally I place on record my thanks to Ev whose support, encouragement and wisdom have all proved to be invaluable.

Days 429 tom 443

2010-08-01T08:27:00.002+01:00

My apologies for such a long gap. This is partly due to us having visitors. Time certainly rushes by and the fact that I have since last posting not had any crisis is of itself encouraging.

In the 2 weeks since my last report, I am pleased to say that I have had only 2 acid attacks and only one of them caused me both heartburn and coughing. It has now got to the point where I am starting to feel disappointed if I do wake up with that problem. Two months ago I guess I just knew it was going to happen.

My weight seems to have stabilised at around 13 stone 1 pound. Chewing red meat is still something of a difficulty. I was at a very pleasant church BBQ yesterday and coped well with various salads. However when I tried eating a burger(without the bun) I struggled.

I am very conscious that Tuesday coming is the first anniversary of my operation. Though I promise no polemic I hope on that day to put down some thoughts over the last 12 months.

Days 423 to 428

2010-07-17T15:39:00.003+01:00

It's been a much better week. To begin with I have had only one acid attack since I last reported. In some ways when you think you have cracked something it comes as a bigger shock when you have to get up in the night again. There's no doubt that the anti sickness pills have made a huge difference.

My weight seems to have stabilised at 13 stone 1 pound. I feel okay though and certainly I don't feel sick. I am sure with making certain I don't stop bothering to eat this will sort itself out.

The other news of a positive nature is that I have started to be able to go through the day without the need of a sleep. My Radio work continues to be busy though with visitors, holiday etc. I am taking 5 weeks off from Angel Radio. I am working on my guest list for September though.

After rather a windy last few days, sunshine is back on the menu. Let's hope it holds until this Friday at least when the gang are all here.

Days 418 to 422

2010-07-11T16:52:00.002+01:00

After a great deal of rushing about it's nice to report a quiet weekend. The weather has been good. As I may have reported elsewhere there always seems to be a breeze on the Island which prevents it from getting humid. Christopher, Gillian, Jack, Lucy and Harry are due here a week on Friday so let's hope this lasts.

Since my last post I have had only one acid attack. The anti sickness pills certainly seem to be doing the trick. A slight worry is my weight however which is now at 12 stone 13. I say a slight worry as I don't feel sick and I am able to eat reasonably well. We shall see how this goes over the next few weeks. If this persists I shall make contact with Gill at the Hospital.

Otherwise things are okay. We have the final of the World Cup to look forward to tonight. Spain should win but if any team is capable of knocking them out of their stride it's the Dutch. Sadly England are a million miles away in terms of technique and big match temperament.

More in the week.

Days 412 to 417

2010-07-06T17:08:00.002+01:00

Having spent a few days with the family in North Wales, I am now back home.

Fingers and toes crossed but the news from the last few days has been good. For a start I have put on 2 pounds in weight. It would be wrong to say I was starting to worry but I do like to keep within the 13 and a half stone range(189 pounds). The big news though is that I have had now three nights in a row with no acid attacks and no coughing. This would appear to be directly related to the introduction of the anti sickness pill into the medicine cabinet. Morale is so much better for that.

Otherwise we both keep plenty busy. Ev is this evening singing with the Barbershop Chorus on the Island so am looking forward to that. Today Martin came to the studio to talk about his trip to South Africa.

My next blog will be at the weekend when hopefully the improvement will be sustained.

Days 409 to 411

2010-06-30T18:00:00.002+01:00

The warm dry spell continues. It's nice after a lousy winter and cold spring to be out and about in shirt sleeves. However as we have had no serious rain this year I have little doubt we shall have hose Pipe bans before long.

I seem to have developed an irritating dry cough during the day. I presume this is caused by the acid. I have got some anti sickness tablets to take on top of what I have already got which I hope will do the trick. So far (touch wood) it has not affected my radio work.

Tomorrow I shall weigh myself to see if now I am back home I have been able to put on some weight. Yesterday I tried eating part of a nice stir fry Ev had prepared and then leaving that to digest for half an hour and then I was able to finish it. We shall see.

Days 408 to 421

2010-06-27T09:59:00.002+01:00

Sorry folks but I am a day late back on the air. Yesterday was a busy one with both a school fete and Armed Forces Day celebrations. It was very sunny and warm and the day ended with a great firework display on the sea front.The reason for the gap in postings is that Ev and I have been on the Queen Mary 2 on a Voyage (the Commander insisted we call it that)to the Land of the Midnight Sun.

This was my first holiday since my health troubles began. I am delighted to report that it was a very enjoyable experience. We had been on the ship(sorry Liner) before in 2007 when we went to New York and back. There is a very human temptation to make comparisons. Truth to tell there were some instances of standards if not slipping then lower than we remembered but overall the Cunard people look after you very well. Above all they work on the premise that to look after 2000 odd passengers you need staff on the ground. This applies when you check in, book excursions, get on and off the ship by tender and in lots of small ways.

What follows could in isolation be taken as a moan but it needs to be read in the context of a very nice and relaxing break. I look and feel healthy. I was able to enjoy shore excursions and in several cases walking about in various Norwegian Towns and Cities. For me the biggest achievement was climbing 419 steps up to a view point above the beautiful town of Alesund.

I could go on about the scenery and the weather(well you don't go North of the Arctic Circle expecting a heat wave) but this blog is in essence about my state of health. At the risk of repeating myself the acid reflux thing proved to be very variable. In all probability I should have kept a diary of these things but the days I wasn't troubled with it were roughly half. The worst was when I woke from an afternoon nap with not only acid in the mouth but a burning sensation at the back of the throat. At home when these attacks happen I go downstairs to avoid keeping Ev awake. When however you are in a Stateroom this is not so easy.

As to the cause I am as much in the dark as ever. I was for the most part careful with what I ate. We did though trace Tomato Juice as a cause which was a bit sad as I quite enjoyed a drink of same before bed time. On a p[positive side I was able to enjoy a glass of wine with my Dinner. As on some nights having drunk same I had problems but on others I didn't I don't think this caused any trouble.

The food was fine. There were certain dishes it was easy to avoid. For example I am still off eating red meat. On the plus side I enjoyed several imaginative Vegetarian Dishes. As far as weight is concerned I lost 3 pounds whilst we were away taking me down ro 13 stone 2 pounds. This is getting me slightly out of my comfort zone. This is probably due to the fact that whilst on board I wasn't doing as much of what I do at home namely have snacks during the day.

Overall though the voyage, cruise or what ever you want to call it was a great experience. We met two other very nice couples as well as spending time with our friends Suzanne and Bob who were also on board.

Finally I must place on record my love and thanks to Ev for organising, packing the right clothes and being patient.

Days 405 to 407

2010-06-13T11:35:00.002+01:00

I continue to play ducks and drakes with acid reflux. The score since my last posting is 1 poor night, 1 where I was able to go back to sleep and 1 okay night(the last one). All I can do is persevere. However it does play hell with sleeping patterns. Because I struggle sometimes to get a decent night's sleep, I often nod off eithe early evening or more seriously around 9.00PM. This means I tend to go to bed later than probably I should. Mind you last night I did stay awake to see England's non performance against the USA. I am no football expert but my first World Cup Memory was 1958 in Sweden. I was at the famous 1966 final at Wembley. The one thing all of this has in common is that technically we tend to get outplayed and players who once they put an England shirt on become unrecognisable from when they play for their clubs.

Last night we had a Chinese Take Away and for the first time sampled some dishes since the Operation(well I've had Prawn Crackers but that's not the same thing really). I thought I coped okay. Currently I weigh 13 stone 4 pounds.

Today is the final day of the Isle of Wight Festival. Apart from overnight on Friday they've had decent weather. This is the time of year where you see people with rucksacks carrying loads of Beer and you know where they are all going.

I'm taking a two week break from posting. Hopefully I'll be back on air on 26 June.

Days 400 to 404

2010-06-10T21:48:00.002+01:00

It's been a busy few days. On Monday I went to see Dr. Patterson who is covering for Judith Cave whilst she is on Maternity Leave(she has had a boy by the way). I had a blood test and was given the usual once over. I am delighted to report all is well. My next check up will be in September. It will be good to be kept on the radar.

Tuesday saw Ev and I travel to London for the day to see the Jersey Boys. This is the story of the band the Four Seasons. It was an excellent show because it didn't just have the songs it told the story of the four warts and all. It's definitely a show worth going to see.

The Island's annual music festival is upon us. It's not now like the famous one in 10970 when some 400,000 people came to the Island for what turned out to be Jimmi Hendrix's last live performance. Today the event is held in Newport the main town. The numbers are kept to around 50,000. As you can imagine the ferries are very busy and the traffic jams mind boggling. The outward journey to Cowes(12miles) took an hour, going back courtesy of a diversion taking 45 minutes. Thus far the weather hasn't been too kind though the forecast for Saturday and Sunday is pretty good.

The only downside continues the saga of acid attacks at night. It will get better I am sure.

Day 399

2010-06-05T19:59:00.002+01:00

I feel cheated. I followed all the sage advice. I had nothing to eat after 7.00PM and took all my pills and potions plus a Rennie tablet last thing. You guessed it after 3 hours I was woken by the acid, coughing and heart burn. Really there seems neither rhyme nor reason behind all this. Never mind I am persevering and we shall see what happens tonight.

Having done most of our Supermarket Shopping at Tesco, I decided to give Morrison's a try. What a mistake. The produce was okay but the aisles are too narrow with the result that you are always bumping into somebody literally. It's not that the fellow customers were being rude or anything. Everyone was being ultra careful. I couldn't wait to get out though. It didn't help that I had to queue 15 minutes at the check out. Say what you like about Tesco they always seem to have enough people around at the tills.

I watched the Women's Singles Tennis Final at the French Open this afternoon. It was a good match to watch played by contestants who hadn't won a grand slam title before. No disrespects to Justine Henin and the Williams Sisters but it was a refreshing change.

Ev has gone out on a hen night wearing the most wonderful wig. Martin has taken some pictures which just may turn up on facebook.

Day 398

2010-06-04T20:08:00.002+01:00

Today Ev and I went to a meeting of the Upper GI Patent's support group here on the Island. I have mentioned Joya the previous Nurse Specialist. Well she put a load of extra hours to keep the group going. Her successor Gill is very nice but simply does not have the time to devote to organising the group. Fortunately there is in place an ad hoc committee who agreed basically to run the show. Gill promised to attend the quarterly meetings and help in providing guest speakers.

The Group provides a useful forum for people to discuss how they feel with others who have been through the mill. I spoke to a bloke who had the same operation as me but a year earlier. He too has had acid problems but coped by not eating after 8.00PM. Certainly last night was better than the one before and I hadn't eaten anything much past 830.

The next meeting of the group will be in September.

Day 397

2010-06-03T22:26:00.002+01:00

Me and my big mouth. Having posted that I have had no acid attacks for a week you know what happened last night. It was quite bad, which is very depressing.

I went to the Surgery who knew nothing about the Hospital giving me new treatment. Sadly the liaison officer in Southampton is on leave until 5 July. I still have my old medicines on repeat prescription so we shall see how that works.

Because I woke up early I made the mistake of sitting in a chair this evening and dozed off for 2 hours. This probably means I shall stay awake until heaven knows what time.

All was not lost today however. The weather was bright and sunny, though my guests never turned up I did though I says it myself a decent show and with Emily and Adam and of course Ev we went on a pedalo on Swan Lake in Ryde. However I am looking forward to a better day tomorrow.

Days 392 to 396

2010-06-02T20:38:00.002+01:00

Have you ever felt cheated? We did following a trip to the caravan in North Yorkshire. The previous weekend we had temperatures at around 24 degrees and bright sun. Similar temperatures are expecetd this weekend but as for the time we were there we had mostly cool and frequently wet weather. Harry is just two and it's not fair someone of that age being cooped up in a small space. It was great seeing him as well as Jack and Lucy. Needless to say the day we came away the sun came out. Thankfully with it being half term traffic was fairly light but it's still a long way(300 miles).

The good news on the health front is that by taking two of my anti acid tablets at night instead of one I have not for over a week woken up either coughing or with acid in the mouth. Things are definitely on the mend. My next appointment will be with the Oncologist on Monday.

Days 388 to391

2010-05-28T08:10:00.002+01:00

Apologies for missing a day in this blog. This was due what is known as IT problems.

The good news comes from my visit to Hospital. We met Mr. Byrne who is the Consultant who performed the operation. He said my recovery was proceeding ahead of what he would expect from someone who had had the "procedure." It was a reminder that what I had done to me last year was a major piece of surgery. Apparently my feelong tired was down to that rather than my age. It was nice to be told that I looked and sounded healthy. We discussed the acid and cough problems. He is recommending a stronger version of what I am already taking. In the meantime on his suggestion I am taking double the dose of existing tablets at night. It may be a coincidence but I have had two nights minus cough and acid. This visit was a wonderful tonic for morale.

At the end of the consultation I remarked to Mr. Byrne that I was grateful to him and the team on the grounds that without them I would not be here. I suspect he knew that but you could tell from the look on his face he knew that but was obviously pleased to hear me say this. I know it's his job but I remain a firm believer that it does no harm to praise where you have been given excellent service.

I am due to have my next appointment with him in 9 months time. I shall still be seing the Oncologist in June and every three months just to keep monitoring my progress.

My next blog entry will all being well on Wednesday.

Days 386 to 388

2010-05-25T20:53:00.002+01:00

I trust we have not finished with Summer already. I only ask because we have had four glorious days with temperatures up to around 25/26 degrees. The forecast for the coming weekend though is not so good and it's holiday time.

The collecting day on Saturday went well. Thing is though when it's as fine as it was folk tend to not go shopping preferring a trip to the beach. However a lot of people were very generous.

I have done two shows this week. One was for Vectis Radio an on line station. The boss seems happy with what I am doing. On Angel Radio today I had as my guest a guy called David George an independent film maker and professional actor. He was great fun.

Ev went back to the Doctor today. Although the chest infection is improving it's still not 100% so some more anti biotics have been prescribed. Hopefully after another few days things should clear up .

As fer as my health is concerned I can't get rid of this very dry cough. However I do have a hospital appointment tomorrow morning and you never know they may have some bright ideas. I shall report in if not tomorrow then Thursday.

Days 377 to 385

2010-05-22T08:43:00.002+01:00

First of all many apologies for lack of entries over last week or so. This was partly due to me heading North for a couple of days(of which more anon) and partly because to be honest I don't know where the time goes(to paraphrase slightly the Sandy Denny song).

I would like to start this homily by saying the night time acid problem has all but disappeared. Well I would like to but...........

Things have been improving. Occasionally I have been waking up with a slight bad taste in the mouth but nothing worse. However last night it came back in all its gory detail. By that I mean much coughing, sore throat and heart burn. In reality it was no worse than other such attacks in the past but the fact that it followed a period of relative calm was and is a big disappointment. However life goes on.

Last weekend saw a visit by two great friends of ours Peter and Gill. They live in Norton on Teesside. I don't know about anybody else but when we get visitors from another part of the country or world it makes us check things out such as local visitor attractions. Thus on Friday we went for a short walk on the bit of the coastal path around Bembridge. Saturday we went to Tennyson Down and Allum Bay on the West of the Island and on Sunday we visited St. Catherine's Lighthouse,a quite fascinating place. I say we but poor Ev has had for the last 10 days or so a nasty chest infection. This meant she had to stay in the house. The Doctor has given her a course of anti biotics and asked to see her on Tuesday. I shall let you know how that goes.

Coincidentally I had been invited to an ex Revenue colleague's retirement do in Durham. Our original intention ws to combine this with a 2 week break at the caravan. However I got a letter from the Hospital for a follow up appointment in Southampton for next Wednesday which I didn't want to miss(and it would have been a moot point if Ev had been well enough to travel). Thus I went North on the train and stayed with Peter and Gill. They looked after me very well. The Lunch was great seeing former members of the training team in some cases for the first time in 5/6 years. Work wise it was the happiest time of my life so there was a touch of sentiment about it. It was also nice to be told by so many how well I was looking.

Of the journeys I would make two observations. Outbound the train was 30 minutes late. Oh horror but if I were flying 30 minutes is neither here nor there. Second on the return journey I of all people misread the ferry timetable and as a result got back 30 minutes later than I needed to have done.

Oh yes and I have two guests booked for the next fortnight on Angel. Today on behalf of Hospital Radio I shall be out with the collecting tin. This is something I hate but needs must. It is also a baking hot day.

My next blog will hopefully be on Tuesday.

Days 375 and 376

2010-05-13T22:49:00.002+01:00

I have the new anti sickness pills and touch wood they seem to be helping. I have been able to avoid acid attacks in the night for about a week now. The curious thing is though that I still wake up in the night but don't seem to know why. It could be just force of habit. Long may this improvement continue.

I am sure dear reader that you will have come across the bugbear of I'll call you back and of course they never do. Unlike the dear old BBC who had researchers to do this sort of thing, any guest bookings for my shows on Angel Radio have to be done by me. I would say that the numbers of people who promise to call you back and don't is in the region of 40%. Thus if you find me doing music only shows for a couple of weeks that will be why.

Otherwise we are preparing to welcome our good friends the Clarks for a long weekend. Last time they came it was in May and like this time the temperatures are unseasonably cool, not of course that we are holding them personally responsible.

Days 372 to 374

2010-05-11T17:49:00.002+01:00

The acid has subsided somewhat to be replced als by something of a dry cough. I am begiining to come to the view that this will come under the heading of you will just have to live with it. I have put 3 pounds on since last week.

Ev came back from the Barbershop Chorus Convention in Gateshead tired but happy. The Chorus improved both their marks and placing from last year. The Chorus is something she really enjoys.

My guests on Angel Radio today were from the Isle of Wight Steam Railway. This very lively tourist attraction has much going for it. I learned how come the Island Line between Ryde and Shanklin got to use the old London Underground trains. In the 60s when a decision was taken to electrify the line if new trains had been used the bridges would have had to be lifted whereas with their low height tube trains could cope.

I wish it would get warmer.

Day 371

2010-05-08T22:16:00.003+01:00

The temperature today staggered up to 9 degrees. The wind is from the North East which makes it feel even colder. Call me a scrooge if you like but I do get depressed at having to put the heating on in the middle of May.

I had another disturbed night with the acid again. Having said that if I total up the number of hours slept it came to about 7. Fortunately I didn't have time to feel sorry for myself because of Adam's Birthday Party. He is a lucky lad because one of his classmates had a party at Lunchtime to which he went. I just kept a watching brief. Then it was on to his do which he shared with another pal Ben from school. Over 30 kids plus an entertainer masses of food. It was all great fun.

I am now gently unwinding and hope the weather picks up soon.

Days 366 to 370

2010-05-07T22:24:00.002+01:00

I got a phone call today from the specialist nurse at the Hospital. They have suggested that in addition to various other pills and potions I take something called Domperidone. Sadly this is not a superior glass of champagne but is in fact some medicine designed to increase the flow of food through the gut. Evidently they think that is why I am still having acid problems at nighttime. I should get this sometime next week so I shall report on how it has gone.

I am though learning about coping with the acid flow at night time. I keep a supply of Gavascon Tablets and a glass of water on my bedside table. What this means is that the attacks last for a much shorter period and more often than not I am able to go straight back to sleep. I really feel I am making progress here.

The week has been busy as usual. I had two interesting guests this week. On Tuesday a woman called Sandy Kealty spoke about a project the Alzheimer's Society are running called singing for the brain. Evidently this is about stimulation through song, dance and movement. It involves both patients and carers. In contrast on Thursday I interviewed a local Town Crier who was a real character. In his mid 60s he has only recently given up marathon running. He has competed at various places including London, Paris, Berlin, Stockholm and New York.

What else oh yes we have had an election which has produced an inconclusive result. Everyone has an opinion. Mine for what it is worth is that us Brits know what we don't want(Gordon Brown as Prime Minister) but we are not sure what we do want.

To clear my head today I went for a 3 mile walk through some pleasant countryside here on the Island. Tomorrow it's Adam's Birthday Party so it's all hands to the pumps.

Days 364 and 365

2010-05-02T18:33:00.002+01:00

It's turned cold again. Just when we all thought it was safe to turn the heating off it's perishing.

On the acid front things are once again mixed. I had had two nights in a row with no problem. This morning I was going along okay until just about seven when it all started again. When it first began I had some pain in my chest. It took me a little while to realise this was heart burn rather than anything else.

On a good news front I have managed with Ev's help to find some reasonably priced travel insurance for our cruise to Norway next month. For Saga and Age Concern to be unwilling to give me a quote I found quite galling since they are supposed to cater for older folk.

Thank goodness the election is almost upon us. Maybe it's just me but hearing the same things over and over again wearies me. Whoever wins is going to have to do some unpleasant things which they are not telling us about. It's not that they are dishonest. It's more likely we would vote against the honesty party.

Finally let's all hope and pray that all works out for Clare's Husband Shaun who had a serious operation today. The procedure went well evidently.

Days 361 to 363

2010-04-30T07:48:00.002+01:00

Yes it's almost a year since I started this blog. Actually it's a year yesterday(Thursday) that I had my first session of chemotherapy and not only my life changed but so did Ev's as well. For me there is no fanfare of trumpets or anything special. What I have to do is get on with it.

Today I bring you I hope some good news. Ev is back home from her unplanned holiday alone. I don't want to go into detail here about all of her experiences but suffice it to say I think it unlikely she will travel to Florida on her own again certainly in the foreseeable future. I can say she looks remarkably well and healthy.

Next month we are going on a cruise to the Norwegian Fjords and we have just heard from Cunard that we have been upgraded. This has come as a very pleasant surprise. I think Ev has deserved this.

I can also report that I have now managed two days in a row without being woken up by acid reflux. Getting a new V shaped pillow has definitely helped.

Also in the good news tray is that Jack has had some great results in his Physics, Chemistry and Biology Exams.

All in all then as May approaches I am I hope in good heart.

Days 359 and 360

2010-04-27T23:35:00.002+01:00

At last some decent weather to report. Well all things are relative but a daytime temperature of 18 degrees and sunshine will do me.

I had a strange couple of nights. Despite a long drive from North Yorkshire I didn't sleep too grand on Sunday night/Monday Morning. Consequently about 9PM I sat down in a chair. This was fatal as I dozed off for a couple of hours. I then woke up at 1130 and couldn't go back to sleep for a while. It was nearer 2 in the morning I went to sleep. The good news though is that apart from a brief lot of acid I didn't wake up until 930.

Speaking of good news Ev's flight home is confirmed for Wednesday night so she will God willing be back home Thursday Lunchtime. It's been a worrying 2 weeks but it will be good to see her again.

Days 352 to 358

2010-04-26T09:33:00.002+01:00

First of all apologies for not blogging whilst in North Yorkshire. It is possible to use a laptop at the Caravan and hopefully I shall do this when we are next up there.

My last post detailed my concerns for Ev. Fortunately the ban was lifted very quickly last Tuesday. It appears several long haul BA flights took off before permission to land in UK Air Space was given. This could be the only explanation of how a flight from Vancouver landed 2 minutes before the official lifting of the ban. Bear in mind the journey time here of 11 hours. Much has been written by what I call the 20/20 visionary and wise after the event people that the ban was unnecessary. We now know this to be the case but you can only imagine what would have happened if a plane had gone down and it had got out that warnings had been given. Ian and Lorna cancelled because they could not get a flight before 2 May nearly a week after Ev gets back. What this shows I guess is despite the recession loads of us are still able to fly round the world judging by the number of Brits still stranded.

As for Ev herself I have been speaking to her every day. She remains remarkably resilient but it can't be too much fun for her. Last night she told me one of the other guests had asked her if she played Scrabble. This comes under the heading of can a Duck swim? The only snag here is one of do they use American or English Spellings? I think this is one case where it is safe to leave them to work it out.

One other positive thing about Florida. We have a three week share. Cousins David and Mary Ann have bought a unit for two of the weeks we are there and Cousins June and Bill have bought a unit fot the third week. All of this has made me wonder how much more expensive it would be to fly via Canada. It would be a thought if we have another ash cloud fiasco.

I enjoyed my week at the caravan. Gosh I feel a little guilty in even saying that. Sleep pattern has been uneven. A couple of days I woke up with acid problems. One night in particular was unpleasant in that I had to get up. Otherwise courtesy of drinking water I went back to sleep. Not for the first time the pattern didn't follow any kind of timetable in when and what I ate. As far as swallowing is concerned, I am delighted to report that I am starting to worry less about leaving portions of food uneaten in Restaurants if the servings are too big. This applied to a bowl of chili con carne on Thursday and a whopping chicken Caesar salad on Saturday.

Though I would like to see people when I visit the North East I am mindful that I still need to rest. For example on Friday I had no visitors and decided to chill out completely. It was a day for reading and sleeping. This came in handy for what turned out to be a long journey South so please don't be offended. I had intended to leave the caravan at around 4.00. In the event I left half an hour earlier which was as well because there were two hold ups on the M1. I did arrive in plenty of time for the ferry having had two rest stops on the way. The total journey time was 8 hours 20 minutes. It will be interesting to know how long Ev's flight on Wednesday will take.

Time to go an do some programme preparation.

Dayys 349 to 351

2010-04-19T08:48:00.002+01:00

The weather remains bizarre. Having been beautifully warm on Saturday, it turned quite cool on Sunday here in North Wales. Today I am heading for the caravan in North Yorkshire. Christopher tells me that it's been snowing on the Pennie Tops. Well at least I got to wear my sun hat for one day.

I continue to be concerned for Ev. She remains in Florida on her own in the timeshare complex. Air Space continues to be closed though there are signs one or two airlines are starting to run out of patience with the blanket ban. At last Ministers are taking time out from one of the most lacklustre election campaigns I can recall to discuss the issue. Ev is not due to fly back until a week on Wednesday and the hope is that the ban will be lifted in time for the backlog to clear before she travels. There's talk of using the Royal Navy and commandeering merchant ships to get Brits home. This morning I heard an airline spokesman say there are 60,000 British Tourists stuck in Tenerife alone. The Airlines can't continue to fork out for people to stay in hotels. As far as Brits being stuck in North America there is also talk of flying to airports in Southern Spain and using land and/or sea transport from there. Problem is of course that if the authorities give the all clear and a plane goes down there will be all sorts to pay. As far as Gillian's Parents are concerned there will come a point where it ceases to be worth their while going. What a nightmare.

All this has inevitably put something of a damper on my own travels. Christopher and Gillian have looked after me wonderfully well. I spent a very enjoyable Saturday Evening with some good friends of theirs. Health Wise things continue to improve. It has been helped also by being able to spend some time with Harry. But there have been no acid attacks for some days now and the cough has eased considerably. Last night I managed to eat my first burger since the operation. It was of course without the bun but I suffered no ill effects.

I am about to head off for Topcliffe hopefully with lighter traffic now the rush hour is over. I shall head for the Library in Thirsk or Middlesbrough later in the week to bring you up to date.

Day 348

2010-04-16T23:04:00.002+01:00

Once again I am having an improved night's sleep. I woke up just the once through the night with some coughing. It's been three or four days since the last attack which has got to be good news.

I spent a pleasant morning with Gillian and Harry in Wrexham. Whilst Gillian was at the Dentist I took Harry for a walk. It may not have tired him out but me I needed a short sleep which I managed this afternoon.

The Volcanic Ash continues to cause all kinds of headaches not least to Gillian's parents who can't travel tomorrow and nobody seems to know when things will change. Ominously there are rumours that if this crisis lasts too much longer there may be lay offs in the Airline Industry. Still at least those who live close to the airports are getting some peace and quiet.

Days 346 and 347

2010-04-15T23:02:00.002+01:00

This last two days have seen Ev and I on our travels. But before mentioning that I have to thank my guest on Angel Radio Stewart Murray. He was a joy to interview about his life thus far. At 89 years young he was as sharp as anyone I have interviewed. He does a nice line in voices as well imitating Rab C Nesbitt and a Public School Army Officer.

One of the pracical difficulties of having had cancer is that when it comes to travel insurance most companies run the proverbial mile. That added to my distaste of flying meant that for me going to our timeshare in |Florida was a non starter. I felt this was not really fair on Ev so I suggested she went. The idea was that she would spend part of the first week with Cousins June and David along with the wonderful Mary Ann and Bill. She would then spend the following 10 days with Gillian's parents Ian and Lorna. Fortunately Ev flew yesterday. That was before of course Icelandic Ash intervened. As I wrire this I don't know when Ian and Lorna will be able to go. Watch this space. I spoke to Ev tonight and she is fine.

From all of this you will have gathered that the cough and acid have continued to improve. I am staying with Christopher and Gillian(not forgetting Harry)for a few days. It is nice to escape the normal routine for even a short while.

I am looking forward to a pleasant day tomorrow.

Days 344 and 345

2010-04-13T00:19:00.003+01:00

Hello folks.

It's been a better news day. To begin with I only once woke up with a coughing bout and was able to go back to sleep fairly quickly. I went on the scales and found that I have put on 2 lbs. since last week. The lesson of that particular story is to make sure I eat proper meals albeit in reduced quantities. The good Doctor Cave thinks I am at about the right weight which cheers me up no end.

Gill called from the Hospital. She had got the Biopsy Reports from Southampton. They tell of no nasty cells but do talk of inflammation. That is almost certainly caused by acid which in turn causes coughing. Other than Linctus, Gavescon and Lamprozole(which by the way I am already taking) there's not really a lot else that can be recommended. The good news is that voice, acid and cough are getting better.

In addition to Angel and Hospital Radio, I do a show on an Internet Station. The Computer generated playlist is very clever but the disadvantage is that you can't prefade to check that the song title displayed on screen matches with what is being played. Thus it was good fortune that I just said it's T Rex because what was shown as I like to Boogie was in fact Children of the Revolution(Phew).

Yesterday we went for a meal at a newly opened hotel/restaurant in Wooton. From a personal point of view it was okay in that the menu contained items that were easy to digest. I have to say however that considering how quite it was the service was extremely slow and although not bad I wouldn't describe the quality as outstanding. All of which is a pity because the location of the Hotel is very pretty. In the Evening I went to a service at the Methodist Church in which both Andrea and Ev were involved. It was very simple and very effective. Sadly I had left my reading glasses at home and therefore couldn't see the words of the Hymns.

Tomorrow we are both of on out travels. I hope to be able to blog whilst I am away but it may be towards the end of the week before the next entry.

Days 342 and 343

2010-04-10T22:05:00.003+01:00

Things are definitely improving, Mind you having some decent weather helps.

For a start I had an uninterrupted night's sleep for the first time in ages. I was able to mow the lawn today without feeling shattered at the end of it. You feel at last Winter is starting to lose its grip.

The voice is getting better and certainly the acid does not feel quite so bad. From all of which you will gather that morale has somewhat improved.

The Island comtinues to surprise. One of our roads had first the no entry signs coverd over, then a sign for two way traffic and finally a sign saying road closed. You work that one out.

Long may this improvement continue.

Day 341

2010-04-08T21:48:00.002+01:00

Thankfully today was much better. I didn't have an interrupted night's sleep but I reckon overall I managed 7 hours kip. The cough is still with me but not nearly as annoying.

The weather certainly helped reaching 16 degrees this afternoon with more or less sunshine non stop. My guest today was a man from the local Branch of the Ramblers Association. They are busy organising all kinds of walks for the Summer.

On the food front, I made sure I had a proper meal today. It was smoked Cod, Cauliflower, Broccoli and mashed potato since you ask.

Morale is definitely on the way up.

Days 338 to 340

2010-04-07T19:40:00.002+01:00

There is no point in keeping any kind of blog if I am not going to be honest. Therfore at the risk of being called an old Whinger it's not been the best these last few days.

I put myself on the scales this morning and was not suprised to find I had lost four pounds in the last week. On Monday and Tuseday I have been eating/drinking soup and Cheese Quavers with some chocolate thrown in for good measure. This is entirely my fault. In defence I can only plead that when you don't feel hungry it's easy not to bother. Today though I decided to be positive and went to a local Fish Restaurant and had Scampi and Chips. I didn't finish it but that didn't matter. For my tea this evening, I had a Lasagne meal for one courtesy of Tesco and will have a pudding later.

The othet thing that is wearying is the wretched cough which shows little sign of going away. It continues to interrupt my sleep. Fingers crossed that it will improve.

Tomorrow we are promised sunshine and a temperature of 13 degrees. I can't wait. Who knows that could prelude a rediscovery of apetite and an end to coughing.

Days 336 and 337

2010-04-04T13:19:00.002+01:00

I really ought to blog at the end of the day. Shortly after blogging on Friday, I went for a lie down. Though I dropped off to sleep, I was woken with a mouthful of acid which made me cough quite violently. Fortunately I did recover well and enjoyed a delicious Chicken Maryland Gillian had cooked. After Harry went to bed we played a fiendishly clever card game which was both taxing and fun.

Saturday saw us watching the big match Chelsea at Manchester United. We then went to a local carvery for a meal. Unfortunately I didn't appreciate the size of portion when I ordered Pasta Carbonara. There is of course no shame in not being able to finish it but I guess it was a reminder that I can't eat as I used to.

Today we have been to the Easter Food and Drink Fair at Chester Racecourse. This is a marvellous location. Virtually all the produce sold is locally grown. I managed Hog Roast with some stuffing and it was absolutely delicious. We also got some stuff to eat at Tea Time.

The wintry weather just drags on. A cold wind meant we all had to wrap up well.

On a health note, the acid seems to have taken a turn for the better but I still have an irritating cough. Hopefully courtesy of medication that will disappear.

We are off to the Caravan tomorrow and hopefully my next blog entry will be on Wednesday.

Days 334 and 335

2010-04-02T10:55:00.002+01:00

Well we made it to Holt for Easter but what a carry on.

The sedation I had had on Wednesday meant a 24 hour driving ban. I had a guest booked for Angel Radio otherwise I wouldn't have done the show. Ev in coming to collect me was held up in traffic which meant by the timewe got back we only had about 20 minutes to get everything sorted before going to the ferry. Fortunately Ev had packed most things earler in the day but it was all a rush.

Once on the road we hit Easter traffic which meant us taking a different route to normal which resulted in the journey taking an hour longer than normal.

The good news is that apart from a brief period of coughing, I had a decent night's sleep which is more than can be said about Wednesday night. So far, touch wood, the work the Consultant did seems to be working though I won't really know until the results of the Biopsy come back. I suspect this will be given to us at the next clinic I attend probably in May.

Days 332 and 333

2010-03-31T21:58:00.002+01:00

The waether has taken a turn for the worse. For the back end of March temperatures of 4degrees is a bit much. That took the shine a little bit from another excellent guest on Angel Radio. Nigel Montague is orgamising an International Film Festival in Ryde during September. It's nice when you have a guest filled with enthusiasm. I wish him well.

Today has been about my latestr visit to Hospital. Even though the appointment wasn't until 1.30 we still had to be on our way by 1030 so it was a long day. I had to have nothing to eat or drink after 7.00 this morning which meant an early breakfast. I was given some sedation as the procedure was a bit tricky. The Consultant disagreed with the Oncologist. He thought that the trouble was caused by my stomach being unable to digest the food properly due to the operation. He chose to stretch the bottom of the stomach the hope being that that will cure the acid and coughing problems as well as making it easier to swallow. I've to go back to a day clinic in a month's time to see if the procedure has worked. If it has not they will give me some medication.

I feel greatly releved and at the same time impressed with the quality of service. Within 7 days I have had my CT Scan, told I don't have returning cancer and remedial action taken re the acid.

Now I hope fully to enjoy Easter. We are off to North Wales for the weekend so I am not sure when my next post will be.

A Happy Easter to all.

Days 329 to 331

2010-03-29T19:30:00.002+01:00

Well events have moved swiftly on.Afetr a weekend one of whose highlights was playing hide and seek in a Bembridge Church Car Park(don't ask), we went and saw the good Dr. Cave today.

To confirm, a baggy Osophegus was what showed up on the chest x ray as an abnormality. This is neither life threatening nor serious according to the Doc. but she thinks this is producing uneeded acid which in turn produces the cough, sore throat and occasional stomach pain.

She told us that she was asking the surgical team at Southampton General to review my case this week and offer any advice. That was at 915. At Lunc Time we got a call from Southampton asking me to go as an out patient on Wednesday. Evidently there had been a cancellation. As a result they want to see me as an in patient on Wednesday. One of the head honchos will stick a camera down the back of the throat and work out what if anything can be done. There are three possible options. One is to leave well alone(or rather not so well). Two is to take corrective action on Wednesday and the third is to say it will need an operation. I shall let you all know in my next blog on Wednesday.

You have to hand it to the NHS locally. It really is a first class service.

Day 328

2010-03-26T21:36:00.002Z

After yesterday's excitement it's been a mercifully quiet day today. The excitement of the day was a visit to a Chiropodist. The bloke is quite a character. His passion is horse racing and he owns some racehorses which ahve had some success. He has agreed to come on my show in May. Trust me to look for guests in the most unlikely places.

I have from time to time made reference to how lucky I am. An old school friend of mine has contacted me to say that his wife has died. She had had several sessions of chemotherapy which can do wonders but can also break down the body's immune system. My sympathies to Bob on his loss.

Just seen the weather forecast and guess what with Easter on its way? Yes snow showers are forecast.

We are going to be away from home tomorrow so next blog entry will be on Sunday.

Day 327

2010-03-25T21:49:00.002Z

I got a very welcome surprise today.

I was just about to leave the house for Angel Radio, when Gill the new Upper GI Nurse Specialist rang. She had the results of yesterday's scan. She said we should still go and see Dr. Cave on Monday because there were some things she would wish to discuss with us. However the main headline was no tumors and no secondaries. Bless Gill she thought it only right to tell me so I wouldn't spend the weekend fretting. This really is the NHS with the human touch.

I was a little short of things to say but I must admit to saying yahoo when I put the phone down. Gill did say as well that she had read the entire contents of this blog last Friday. She must be a glutton for punishment. However she did say she found the contents useful as it gave a different perspective on how someone with one of these cancers feels.

Whether it was because of the good news or not I approached today's interview with Simon and Sally from Ventnor Blog with a good feeling. They were both marvellous and very much in keeping with the show's thread of presenting positive things about the Isle of Wight. Next Tuesday I shall be talking to a film maker.

Outside it's raining and do you know I couldn't care less.

Day 326

2010-03-24T22:14:00.002Z

I navigated my way successfully through the CT Scan today as I suspected I would.

The procedure is relatively straightforward. You are given an appointment time but asked to report an hour beforehand. The reason for that is because you are asked to drink the equivalent of 3 litres of water in that period. You can have nothing to eat and only water to drink from 4 hours before the appointment time.

When you are called you go in to the CT Scan room. It's a bit like an airport scanner in that you have to remove all metal objects and loosen your belt. You then lie on a bed which moves under the scanner. Oh sorry I nearly forgot. Before that they give you an injection of fluid into your arm. My veins seem to shrink at the sight of the needle. In the meantime they tell you to hold your breath for 14 seconds. They did two of these. It wasn't uncomfortable at all apart from a hot flush. When they have finished they leave the Cannula in your arm for about 15 minutes. After that they suggest you go and have a cup of tea and something to eat. If after 45 minutes or so you are okay you can go home and so it came to pass.

One thing I learned from my past visit. The staff who run the scan are not permitted to discuss the results with the patient. That is the responsibility of the person requesting the scan, in my case Dr. Cave. All roads lead to my appointment on Monday Morning. I am delighted to report that my cough and rattling chest have gone so let us be optimistic.

Tomorrow I am interviewing the owners of an alternative news source here on the Island Ventnor Blog. It should be both interesting and challenging.

Days 321 to 325

2010-03-23T19:36:00.002Z

It's been a busy few days. On Friday we learned that after a long illness my Aunt Babs died at the age of 92. She was a truly remarkable woman who cared passionately about life and was always willing to learn new things. Even though we knew that the end was near when the time came it was still very sad.

Better news has come on my health front. Not only has the cough more or less disappeared but so has the wheezing chest. I am due to have my CT Scan tomorrow. There is no way I am going to know the result until we see the Oncologist tomorrow. In the meantime our lives are to some extent on hold. I refuse to be downhearted however and I remain confident I shall cope with what ever I am told on Monday. I would have posted a blog yesterday but I was very tired coming back from an evening out. Today I did my Tuesday programme on Angel Radio. Fortunately my guest was Ian Campbell who was great value. He was one of those guests who only needs a few prompts to entertain and inform his audience.

We had the weekend in North Wales looking after Harry whilst his parents had a weekend in London. I like to think we all acquitted ourselves well. Holt the small town where thery live is a lovely part of the world. We all enjoyed ourselves thoroughly and look forward to being back for Easter.

I promise to do another post tomorrow after my scan.

Day 320

2010-03-17T20:46:00.002Z

It was another not pleasant night again. I had taken the linctus for the first time. I went to sleep quickly enough but within 2 hours I wa s awake with a mouthful of acid and being unable to breathe. Fortunately I was able to cough it all up but the whole process was very unnerving. On the bright side I did go back to sleep and managed nearly 5 hours before getting up at 7.

Today has been okay though. I did my Hospital Radio show and discovered that we had some listening figures. We finished in second place behind Isle of Wight Radio but ahead of Radio 2.

This will be my last blog before Monday as we are heading to North Wales to look after Harry for the weekend.

Day 319

2010-03-16T20:50:00.002Z

We get word today that the CT Scan will be on 24 March. This will give the Oncologist time to look at the results and let us know what's on offer on 29 March. This is going to be a long two weeks but all we can do is to continue to lead our lives as best we can.

Today has been one of those days made for Grumpy Old Men. First a communication breakdown at Wight Cable saw me wondering where my guest was and the receptionist was waiting for me to come and collect her. As a result I lost 25% of my planned show and had to wing it somewhat.

On the way home I called to collect my prescription which the Hospital assured me would be ready. Hey ho they had reallocated it to someone else thinking my date of birth was in June 1964(I wish). It took some 20 minutes to sort. I then went to book some passenger tickets for a ferry crossing on Thursday. The Jobs Worth kept telling me I could save 70 pence by buying them on the date of sailing. By this time I really wanted to go home so gave up. What this means is turning up 10 minutes earlier than necessary to allow time to join the queue and walk to the booking office. Then a classic of Island Drivers not knowing how to use a roundabout caused everything to stop.

Tomorrow has got to be better. Bah humbug.

Day 318

2010-03-15T11:22:00.002Z

Well we went to see the Oncologist today and frankly the news could be better.

Dr.Cave is something of an open book. This is meant as a complement. It is in fact one of her greatest qualities. It's not only what she says but her body language.

I duly reported on the cough getting worse and the absence of sleep. She examined me and sent me for a chest x ray. This was duly done and I went back to see her. She told us that an abnormality had shown up in the lung area. Before seeing us she had shown the plate to a Radiologist. They both agreed that a CT Scan was in order because that would identify the problem. The Scan is likely to be done in the next few days and we are going back to see Dr. cave on 29 March. To describe this as a blow to the solar plexus is an understatement. Of course it is pointless to speculate until we see her again but her parting shot was to say "I'm sorry."

All we can do is to carry on as normal until such times that somebody says no you can't. In the meantime I have been prescribed some linctus to ease the coughing problem.

I have to say I was impressed with the NHS today. My appointment was at 850. We went in to see Dr. Cave at 840. We were sent for a chest x ray, came back to see her again, handed in the prescription and had a coffee......and we were out by 945. The NHS has many problems but that was as good a service as I think I would have had anywhere.

With apologies for bearing such not good news but please spare thoughts for Ev. She has been brilliant throughout and she is there with me again. I'll go back to daily bulletins promise.

Days 315 to 317

2010-03-14T06:56:00.002Z

The fact that I am typing this at 7.00AM(or thereabouts) will tell you that the acid and cough are not getting any better. If I also tell you that last night was one of the better ones in recent days that illustrates the problem.

There is something of a pattern here. I go to bed around midnight. Maybe I manage 2 or 3 hours sleep before the cough and/or the acid reflux wakes me up. I go downstairs and sit in a reclining chair. This has the effect of stopping the coughing and I end up dozing for 2 or 3 hours, Partly as a result of that by 8PM I am normally very tired and sleep for maybe one or two hours and then the cycle starats all over again.

I try very hard not to moan here but I have to say this is very dispiriting in that I thought I had left all this far behind. On the plus side I continue with my eating pattern and I have not lost anymore weight in the last week or so. It would though be nice to have a decent night's sleep.

Friday was Ev's Birthday. A combination of poor weather plus a leisurely start to the day meant we didn't go out for Lunch. Ev was most delighted to hear Harry on the telephone wishing his Grandma a happy birthday. Later in the day she spoke to both Jack and Lucy. We did have a celebration tea at Martin and Andrea's. Martin's parents came along as well. It was all in all a nice quiet day.

As I look out of the window, spring is definitely looking on the way. The sun is shining and we are threatened with temperatures of 10 to 12 degrees and about time to.

My next blog entry will be on Monday when hopefully the Oncologist will have suggested some remedy for this wretched cough.

Days 312 to 314

2010-03-11T19:09:00.002Z

I am afraid the night time acid has returned with something of a vengeance. Once again it does not seem to follow any discernable pattern. Whether I eat early or late does not appear to make any difference. With the acid has come the continuous coughing that I experienced when I first came home from Hospital. As before the only cure is to get up and sit in a reclining chair downstairs. When I am doing this I usually manage some sleep but it does make for rather an erratic night's rest. We are due to see the Oncologist on Monday so we shall see whether she can be of any help.

Angel Radio is now back on FM after much delay due to the difficulty of obtaining a suitable mast. A lot of our regulars are pleased to see us back which is comforting.

On the Island the big story is about the Council Leader who used unfortunate language in the car park after a charity ball. Various allegations continue to swirl around. Not wishing to attract a libel suit all I shall say is that some information is in the Rotten Boroughs section of this week's Private Eye. As long as the Leader has the backing of his fellow Conservative Councillors his position remains intact.

Tomorrow is Ev's Birthday and we are expecting friends from Teesside to visit us.

Days 309 to 311

2010-03-08T23:03:00.002Z

What a weekend. First of all I have put on 2 pounds in weight. Cheered up, we sset off for Clare's wedding which turned out to be all you could hope for plus.

Thanks to the wonders of Sat Nav, we arrived at the venue Newick Park Country Hotel in good order at about 1030. Normally check in at the Hotel is 2.00 but fortunately nobody had stayed in our room over the previous night so we could make ourselves comfortable. In awarding marks, at work I used to be called Norway(nul points). I have to say that I could do no other than award 10 out of 10. The room was comfortable and clean. The Staff combined pleasantness with professional competence. The food was excellent and all other facilities were of the highest standard. The venue was set in magnificent Sussex countryside.

As I have mentioned before, after my illness last year I was always going to be grateful that I could attend. Many relatives and friends hadn't seen me for a while and all remarked how well I looked. Complements of this nature are always welcome. It was nice to see members of family enjoying each other's company. Clare and Shaun looked really happy together. It was particularly good to see Cousin Peter and his wife Terri who had flown in from Ottawa for a few days.

Alas the day flew by very quickly but what wonderful memories for everybody. On Sunday we stopped in Brighton on our way home. Sunny it may well have been but boy was there a keen penetrating wind off the sea. Today, we calmed down a lot but our hectic lives gather pace again from tomorrow.

I have also to report that I for the last few days have eaten well. In short the past 72 hours have been great.

Days 303 to 308

2010-03-05T20:02:00.002Z

Here's a question for you. When you hear that a cancer patient has an appointment for a 3 or 6 month check up what do you think happens? This came up at a meeting today(Friday) with the Island Patients' support group. We were listening to a talk by the Cancer Nurse Manager a nice chap called Peter.

The meeting was called partly to introduce Joya's successor a woman called Gill Jones. The message was that Joya put a prodigous number of hours into the job. Peter remarked that he could not employ someone on a 37 hour week and expect her or him to work 50 hours with no extra payment. This was a roundabout way of saying that Gill was not going to support the group as Joya did and that we should think of merging with a group of bowel cancer patients and carers. This body calls itself semi colon. Who said Islanders had no sense of humour?

Anyway to return to the theme of my first paragraph. Peter made no bones(the puns continue)that cuts are coming to the NHS. One thing that is being looked at is the system of review appointments. This took me back to what happened when we went to Southampton at considerable expense last September. The Consultant asked how I was and I said okay. He then said I looked properly nourished and err that was about that. If this is all that happens at a review is this in fact a waste of clinical as well as my time. Peter put it slightly differently by posing the question are we classifying some as patients when in fact they are restored to health.

All of which comes back to my good(well I hope so)self. My weight seems to have stablised, which is no bad thing. As I have endlessly on here recorded my eating pattern has changed for good and I have started to get used to as new food regime. In short am I a patient or an ex patient?

I do not wish to be critical of any member of the medical profession. People like Judith Cave are wonderful. It would be interesting though to find out what tests are made during and following any appointments and how any recurrance would be detected.

What I have mentioned is likely to be debated in the future of the NHS in this new age of auterity.

To more pleasnt topics. In the morning we are off to celebrate Clare and Shaun's wedding. The forecast is good in that it will be sunny if a little bit on the chilly side. My next blog will contain a report. I have been kind of cataloging my CD selection in a more coherent manner which is keeping me busy.

I promise not to keep as long a gap in future unless of course I am away.

Days 299 to 302

2010-02-28T19:31:00.002Z

Whoever said that when you retire you can relax more needs bringing to his/her the trade descriptions act. It's been very busy for us both.

Thursday saw me going to Yarmouth on an incredibly wet day to attend a farewell reception for Joya. It was a very pleasant occasion. A chap called Peter stood up and made one of the shortest and most effective speeches I have ever heard.

On Friday there was a letter of complaint about the length of time Angel Radio has been off the air. For anyone reading this who is a listener I can only apologise. The truth is I still don't know when the replacement mast is going to appear on the Island. Watch this space.

My normal weigh day is Sunday so I can tell you I have neither gained nor lost these last 7 days. Today I enjoyed a small portion of bangers and mash. This is I guess a sign that things are continuing to improve.

Yesterday we went to London to see the RSC Production of Twelfth Night starring Richard Wilson. It was good fun with a lot of strong performances. The edge however was somewhat taken off by various transport problems. On the Railways and London Underground weekends mean engineering works. We had already decided to travel by car due to part of the line between Portsmouth and London. We drove to Ruislip and parked the car at the station(it only charges £1 on a weekend). The idea was to travel the rest of the way on the tube. Several lines are closed on weekends. This puts added pressure on the ones that are open. The journey into Town was difficult but the one coming back was a nightmare. To start there was a delay due to someone setting off the passenger alarm. Then the train we were on got taken out of service. As a result we were very badly squashed. Sometimes despite what you hear to the contrary you get the idea the authorities want us to travel by car.

To end on a positive note we had a nice meal and chat with Charles and Jess before heading for the ferry and home.

Days 294 to 298

2010-02-24T12:06:00.002Z

As I look out of the window, glory be the sun is out and the temperature is hitting a giddy 8 degrees. It makes you feel good to be alive.

What news can I pass on? On weight day I found I had lost another pound...now I weigh in at 13 stone 7 pounds. I could still lose another half stone or so without worrying too much.

I was about to write that the acid had left me at night time but last night I woke up with some reflux and a great deal of coughing. Otherwise though health continues on an upward curve. The results have come from my x ray and blood tests and they show up as normal. We are due to see the Oncologist Judith cave on 15 March. This will be the first medical appointment we shall have had without Joya Moris in attendance. She left her job at the end of January but a combination of bad weather and a norro virus outbreak put paid to that. However tomorrow I am going to a farewell do for her in Yarmouth. More on that on the next entry.

In a preview of what is to come over the next two or three years nationally, the Island Council will vote for some pretty unpleasant service cuts this week, which could have profound implications for the way the vulnerable are cared for. All Councils of course need to cut unecessary waste but people are kidding themselves if they think cuts can be achieved without touching the big ticket items. There was a big demonstration in Birmingham by local Government workers yesterday in protest about possible 2,000 job losses. This issue will not go away no matter who wins the next election. Coming back to the Island, my question is do we have faith in the Council to achieve more with less. On that point the jury is still out.

Isn't it marvellous? Less than a year on from surgery and here I am ruminating about the economic outlook.

Days 291 to 293

2010-02-19T18:37:00.002Z

It's been an interesting few days. Half Term has arrived. This is reckoned by people the most difficult of those breaks. The one in the Autumn often means the kids enjoy some late Autumn sunshine and have Halloween to think about. The break in May can often signal some almost Summer weather and a few days away. In contrast this break happens with some fairly naff weather and with Easter still some way away a lot of attractions remain closed. Ev took Emily and Adam to a place called Fired Art which they both enjoy. It involves some creative painting.

Ev has gone with Andrea and the children to Shropshire for a few days. Today Harry has met up with his Cousins in Shrewsbury for a noisy time at a play place.

Big story on the Island. Last week there was a big charity function in Cowes. The event itself passed off okay but the leader of the Council got involved in an argument, with whom is not clear. The partner of the Member of Parliament offered the Council Leader's Girl Friend a lift home. The Council Leader used apparently unparliamentary language to suggest that said MP's partner go away. Unfortunately this animated conversation was recorded and has made the local news. The man has duly apologised but at a time when the Council is under fire because of Budget Cuts the timing is to say the least unfortunate.

One concession that I currently enjoy is a free Bus Pass. Being a sad person I sat on the top deck of a bus that brought me home the long way round. Cold though it was the sunshine made parts of the Island look very pretty. The view out to sea was magic........oh dear there I go dreaming again.

I have gone nearly a week since I have had any acid nighttime problems. Consequently I feel a lot less tired during the day. I have started to think a lot more when I am eating out because you are not always sure whether what you have ordered may contain something difficult to swallow. I often tend to play safe and order soup. This is not meant to sound like I am moaning because I am truly grateful still to be here. The words of the Anesthetist just before the operation that I would need a great deal of mental toughness to see things through. Touch wood I am passing the test. I am still partial to dreadful jokes and complaining about the weather.

Oh yes and the saga of Angel Radio's new Ariel continues. It was dispatched last Monday. From where we know not and when it will arrive we know not either. There are a lot of people who are missing the shows. We can only apologise.