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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.