All been quiet

 Sorry for the quietness around what's been going on but since Sherlock passed away its been difficult to concentrate on what to update on, but there are a few things that have happened over the past couple of weeks, which has been mainly positive!

14th July 2025

Had my second "leak" test where they check how well you are swallowing, the last one wasn't so good as I had a hole into my jaw and an airway aspiration, so it failed 😝

This time around was much better, the hole had healed and my airway aspiration was much less to the extent the radiographer thought it would be fine. So then it was just a waiting game until the 24th (see below) when I had my appointment with Prof. Winter

Been having a few friends drop in which has been really lovely and so nice to see people and have a chat, you know who you are and thank you, I really appreciate the time and effort you have put in to come and see me so thank you I really appreciate it.

18th July 2025

Picked up Sherlocks ashes today, and it just bring's back all the emotions of losing a good friend, very upsetting and the thought really comes home that he is no longer around, I miss him so much everyday and I think his bro & sis do as well, the house has been so quiet. He was a big presence, but he is home now and we'll ensure he rests in peace.

Also, had a catch up with my GP, which was really useful and he upped my paracetamol and suggested a few other things to sort out my bowels

24th July 2025

Off to the Churchill Hospital and the Blenheim Head & Neck outpatients for my appointment with Prof. Winter, as usual they check your height and weight, and from my peak weight I am 8kgs lighter so not to bad that anyone is going to look a piling more calories down me with these shit shakes you have to take - on that subject my diet now consists of shakes and drugs!

7 shakes 125ml per day

8 paracetamol per day

2 of another drug every night, got a long name which I can never remember 

I'm also taking a daily laxative as these shakes bung you up big time - not the best subject but the important thing when you have cancer or recovering from, it is you keep your bowels working otherwise you can get all sorts of other problems!

Anyway, back to our appointment;

They are very pleased with the progress I have made, and he explains it's now all about the second phase of recovery and really pressing on with that. the good news is that the "leak" test was good enough that I can start drinking "sips" of water - for me this is a massive step and not one you would really think of being that important, but trust me it is, one reason is you know you are moving in the right direction albeit small steps, the other is to get the muscles in your mouth and throat to start working again.

There is still a lot of swelling but as this goes down so it will all become easier, it may take 6 months but its going in the right direction.

Finally some good and not so good news - The got the whole tumour, the cancer has gone, which is a huge relief and if I could drink it would have been worth a glass of champagne - will just have to wait to celebrate that

The not so good news is they found an 8mm tumour on my thyroid gland, but they have emphasised this is not an issue that it can be managed and a decision can be made as to treatment once I am over this current battle, so we'll park it, move on until we need to face the music on it, so no need to worry I have confidence in the Prof. as I am sure if it was a problem he would deal with it quickly

But the important news is my current cancer is gone and that is worth knowing as I can start to rebuild my daily routines, doing my work, get back in the gym, walk my dogs, socialise more with my grandkids and the rest of my family, go off on our family holiday which we've been worrying whether I would be able to go or not, but Prof. gave the green light and said it would be a good break which I agree with - so off to France at the end of August, on the train so should be nice a relaxing 👍

I see the Prof. again in a month, will have further scans in a couple of months and I now pick up with the speech therapist who will help with my swallowing, drinking and eating, so this is the next stage to bash through

A VERY SAD DAY

 12th July 2025

Today is one of the saddest days of my life, my wonderful, beautiful Basset Hound Sherlock passed away, I can't even start to tell you what a loss he is and the hole he leaves is huge. I am absolutely devastated.

Not only that but I needed him more than you would know, he helped me so much through my first bout of cancer and he helped give me that fight to get through it, and I needed him this time so much. 

He was such a gentle soul, an easy going laid back dog, always up to mischief and a real pain in the arse at times, but he was my pain in the arse and I loved him so much. I will never forget him.

At the vets as we said our goodbyes he lifted his head to me as if to acknowledge me, it was one of the most touching things I have ever felt, he then laid back down and slowly slipped away. 

We took Jackson up to see him and to say his goodbyes which again was very moving but also strange in how he didn't really recognise him or understand what was going on with his bro'

We are absolutely lost without him, he was such a big part of our family and can never be replaced, he was with us for over 13+ years, he came back from South Africa with us where we originally bought him from a pet shop in Morningside Mall, that we had to act quickly to get him as another couple were also interested him, but once I picked him up he was never going anywhere but home with us.

So many stories as well, like the night they escaped and ended up in the police station and the picture the police officer sent summed up Sherlock, laying by his feet, eating all the snacks, he certainly loved his food

He was always so pleased to see you especially if I had been away travelling for a while and made it such a joy to see him when you returned home, and the same if you picked him up from the kennels after a holiday, just loved us so much as we loved him

Rest in Peace my friend and I hope its true that dogs come back in a different life because you deserve to and to give your love and happiness to another family, just wish it could be us again.

28th June - 5th July

 Monday comes along and loads of positive talk about going home. The final drain is removed so another big hurdle gone!

All the chat about going home continues, My good friend Angela pops in and we can actually go downstairs to the cafe, where I get a call to say that I can go home - yippee I think, so get back to the ward and pretty much everything is prepared to go....except

One of the surgeons turns up who has had a further look at the hole in my mouth and is not happy, so now not going home, they plug it overnight and want to check the results in the morning which seems reasonable. The following day they have another look, the hole is still there surprise surprise, but now after much debate I can go home.

Kendal has come to see me and it now becomes a bit annoying with the details around going home. To start with the discharge has been a joke!

A young student nurse is sent over to tell me I can go home and have to leave now as they now need the bed, so no bedside manner and I now feel I am being sent home as its convenient to the ward and not necessarily convenient to me, so I'm a bit pissed off to say the least. sThe convo is confirm I can go mow and my daughter will take me home or I'm here until 4pm when my wife can get here!

When the ward sister comes over to my bed to organise the discharge I provide her with my thoughts on this and that its not very satisfactory, she gives me some lame excuses and we pack up ready to go, and thats it, my time in hospital is over - certainly a journey good and bad but on my way home and I feel. much better within myself, be in my own home, see my dogs and have my loving wife to help me, much better situation in my book! Still a long way to go but I think my recovery will be easier at home, loads of appointments being setup and I'll touch on these as they come up

   Tuesday 1st July 2025 a big day 

Arrive home and it does feel good, Carol has setup our downstairs room which is much easier for me and also next to our shower/toilet room , I already feel a lot better, and we'll obviously see how things go in the following days, but feeling good at the moment