So here's Uncle James joining in the 'get fit' drive, but for different reasons - he's stopped smoking (real ones, anyway) and it's starting to show a bit, around the middle......
Here's an over-the-shoulder selfie on the same run). Note (a) the increased 'ducky fuzz' (resulting in a sort of white Nick Fury look, I suppose) and (b) yes! - Uncle James is puffing hard, in second place!
Anyway, as you can see, progress is being made. There's the CBT (oh yes it is, Sue!) to look forward to at the end of next week, so an update will be provided then (unless detention under S.2/3 Mental Health Act is effected). Then there's the residential course in July to look forward to. In the meantime there's a son to pack off to India, and a daughter to the US. Thrown in an attempt to get a silver wedding trip in (and another house move) and all I can say is that it's been one hell of a year thus far..........
So you can all see the effort being put into trying to get fit again, I'm introducing a new get-fit sport suitable for chemotherapy patients. As some Doubting Thomases are bound to question the the authenticity of the claim, I'm attaching 'before' and 'after' photos as proof (and no, I have enough IT issues attaching photos, never mind photoshopping them as well).
As you can see, the sport is 'miniature wire-haired dachshund cross-country time trials'. Bit of a mouthful I know, so it's being abbreviated to 'Dachshund TT'. So you pick a 5-acre circuit and trot around it, with the hounds in hot pursuit. Eagle eyed viewers will already have noticed that the deck is well and truly stacked in the recovering patient's favour, not least as the competition's legs (and pretty much everything else) are 10 times smaller... and that's before nasal distractions (pheasants, rabbits, foxes etc) throw the competition off the scent, as it were....
Man wins!
So although I'm starting out in fairly poor shape, victory is pretty much assured, thus building self esteem for 'keeping at it'. Target is to lose half a stone by the end of the summer, and be able to jog several miles without breaking a sweat..... on top of which the Food Police have cracked down on all sorts of stuff I never thought had any calories in (wine, crisps, chocolate)
I'll keep you posted.....
So, you have to look quite carefully (and ensure a strong backlight) but it's quite definitely there.... hair, I mean - it's coming back!
The camera don't lie....
Early days I know, but hair is hair - not ginge either, so all in all, a positive result for a month after chemo. As you might imagine, there's a fair amount of witty banter from the home team on what sort of hair......
Hmm, but remember, it could be worse.... I mean, an awful lot worse - that's why you've got to be so careful with the whole hair thing....
So, at Friday's consultation with JB, he reported a clear CT scan, and seemed pleased with how the chemotherapy treatment had gone. Good. I'm now interested in getting my brain and hair and fitness back.... watch this space.....
The bad news is that I've got to have some CBT in about a month's time (oh yes it is Sue!) from the specialist Germ Cell Nurse, to make sure I'm not suicidal, suffering low self esteem/substance abuse etc. Can't see we'll have too much to chat about, so I've threatened to bring the Monopoly board (and cheat) to pass the time.
Then there's the 2-day residential course in July..... hmm, the jury's out on whether to (a) bunk off (b) get expelled (c) don't pitch up. One of the straplines reads "this course provides you with a tool kit of tried and tested techniques that can help you support your physical, emotional and spiritual health". Oh dear, do they not know Tor is already a full colonel in the Food Police?, not to mention Liv's idea fitness being against the Human Rights Act?
Item 2 doesn't excite either, I'm afraid - I mean, emo issues have never been big on my worry list (although I remain a big fan of Rod Hull and Emu - but that's not quite the same thing.....)
As for the third item, unless it features Monty Python re-runs of The Spanish Inquisition, I'm not going to like it, for sure. Anyway, Amaya's Virgin has all that covered, just in case I've got the whole Heaven/Hell thing totally wrong.
A couple of stories in today's papers:
This is terribly sad, and underlines what a killer disease cancer can be.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/27280549
... and as for this one, the trolls (just check their IP addresses) need to be rounded up and given serious community service orders - I mean, did they honestly divvy up a few quid only on the basis that Stephen was going to die imminently? Shocking.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-27283227
