Day 65

So, what with FF-M yesterday and Kate Jackson featuring as guest Charles' Angel today, I guess my international readership will be a smidge closer to guessing my age.... no secret actually - the wrong side of 50 (but only just).

Another rubbish Daily Wail headline for you all below; they seem to concentrate on scare stories on health, education, property, tax, benefits and immigration (with special emphasis on the war on terror). Wonder if George 'Dubya' Bush is on their payroll as editorial adviser?

Today's headline sums it up (terrorists, Granny). Whilst McGuiness is no Mandela, The Wail joins The Times in refusing to have a pop at Maria Miller (unlike everyone else), who has been busted for 'snout in the trough' to fund her parents housing costs. Better ask Granny if this has nothing to do with The Wail's position as Tory propaganda rag? So we send single mums on benefits to prison for not paying a few hundred quid in council tax or TV licence, but cabinet ministers are (apparently) exempt from stealing £45,000 from the taxpayer? ... on top of which they arrogantly expect to keep their job? (FYI that pays for 2 nurses on Ward 61)

Anyway, even better news on the chemo front today, as it's only 2 litres of etoposide (no carboplatin). This sure beats the cisplatin regime. 

Liv's back on court in the 10k doubles today, so Yaaa Pony! (family joke - how do you make a pony go faster?... (obviously).

Day 64 - last cycle

So back on Ward 61, but (a) only 3 litres of chemo - not 10, (b) don't even have to get into bed (c) or try hospital food. 

On the minus side, Charles' Angels have clearly had some sort of management directive about photography, so I'm afraid it's going to have to be a library shot to keep the die-hards happy, and a daily dig at the Daily Wail instead:

Honestly, where do they find this rubbish? 

Liv put in a performance on court yesterday worthy of Queen Artemisia of Halicarnassus in the second outing of 300:

Liv on Court... sort of

Come on Granny, it's an historical film (er, like Boadicea) - no spaceships, time portals, zombies or the like... anyway, Liv only just lost 7-6-, 7-6 to a WTA ranked professional player, so pretty impressive for a 16-yr old. Doubles tomorrow, so go gettem, Pony!

Day 63 (featuring the Monday Mugshot)

OK, so Aunty Betty's wig took years off me, huh?

Liv put in a solid performance yesterday, winning 6-2, 6-3. A tough singles opponent today, but hey, she's tough too…. and there's the doubles to play as well. 

Ed decided to have breakfast in his sleeping bag this morning (don't ask me) and I'm just off to close a case, and pick up a new one. Then back into hospital tomorrow for Cycle 4 (which will hopefully be a lot more palatable than the previous 3.) Tomorrow's post will therefore be late afternoon………….

Day 62 - Boy Band Edition

Well, what with the septuagenarian Stones (not to mention Ozzy) still touring,  it was only a matter of time before boy bands had to wise up to equality legislation and ensure they didn't discriminate on the basis of age (or illness). So it comes as no surprise that Niall has stepped down from One Direction in favour of a more mature/critically ill model…….

In

Out

In other news, Liv now has her wild card entry, and so will be on court later today (update in tomorrow's post). Ed's visa for India has (finally) been applied for (so next hurdle will be dealing with the Royal Mail losing it). Oh yes, and Soph has caught a fox…….

Memo to Aunty Betty: It's official - the wig rocks!

Day 61

OK, ok, so no more about cars - honest (well, for a bit, anyway). Today's news is that I'm looking forward to seeing Liv play in her first Aegon GB Pro Series tennis tournament - we'll know if she gets a wild card entry later this evening, so for all of you who have said you're coming to see her play on Sunday, hold your breath & phone Tor after 6pm.

It's good that I'm feeling up to going out - that's not really been happening for the past couple of months, due to the risk of neutropenic sepsis. It's only when you have to think of usual run-of-the-mill everyday illnesses in much more serious terms (for people with suppressed immune systems) that you have to generally say 'no' to going out at all.

So, if there's a loudmouth in a Hackett polo shirt (why do they always wear those?) coughing all over everyone at the tennis venue, I'll have to avoid him…. hmmm, it'll have to be the Bruce Willis stare then…..

Day 60

So, a smooth transaction yesterday with the Porker, but Tor's not altogether happy. The drive back (in my car) could be illustrated thus…..

Anyway, it's pre-assessment today, and a report will be filed later………

So Axel had the pleasure today, and he seemed happy with what's been going on so far. Obviously the tinnitus is a problem, so the cisplatin's being dropped from next week's cycle (and being replaced with carboplatin). This is a bonus in more ways than one, because it's a smaller dose than the cisplat, and there's no mannitol or saline to have either - this means the treatment time will be under half (about 4hrs) as opposed to the 10hrs it's taken previously. I could even be done as a day case (on 3 consecutive days) but guess what? - day cases are fully booked, so they are going to have to admit me to Ward 61 as an in-patient (even though I can bunk off each night). Brings to mind an interesting factoid that Liv came out with the other day - who are the largest 2 employers in the world? Well, it won't surprise you that the Red Army is the biggest……. with the NHS not far behind.

So, final word on cars. Let's just let them say it themselves……….

Day 59 - Motor Special

Remember the success had with Kurt on Autotrader? Well, as Tor said it was a fluke, I thought I'd prove her wrong - and so set about flogging her car, to prove the point.

OK, so it was a right pain having to deal with all of the dealers taking me for a muppet and offering trade - er, because they're dealers…… er, I'm not, so no thanks. Even worse, the plague of Asians from Leeds and Leicester, whose sole negotiating skill was: "What's the lowest price you'll take for the car?" One even offered cash - duh! - no-one takes cash anymore - it's bank transfer or not at all, you dimwit.

Anyway, a yummy mummy from Orgsfordshire duly made an appointment to view last weekend and suffice to say, the whole deal went swimmingly. Bank transfer TT'd yesterday and handover is later today. I have duly promised Tor a new '14' plate car in replacement.  What's not to like?

Day 58

Good news from Warwick University on the Beeb yesterday; is it the 'cure'? - I guess we'll have to wait and see…...

You know it's amazing which people get the same sort of cancer. I mean, look at our Nige; who would have thought that he's had the chop too?

Does this mean I should take up beer 'n fags and become a politician? Er, probably not. Still, feeling a lot better this week - just a shame I'm in for pre-assessment again on Friday, with the final dose next week. At least it is the final dose. Not doing this again. Ever.

Day 57 - April Fool Edition

OK, so it's that time of year, and everyone's worried that they won't spot the real AF and then look really stupid when they eventually do 'spot' what they think is one, which turns out to be a true story. Duh!

The Times puts in a fair effort on this front (it's the statins, Granny), although The Mirror's front page is altogether more concerning; I mean Ninety Quid for a footy top?? - it has to be a joke.

Best stick to the tried and tested, then…………………….

The two examples above are my faves, as I can't be doing with the round of Scotland/Salmond jokes currently in vogue. I don't think it's terribly funny that the Brits don't get any say on the question at all; Salmond can keep the oil, but I'll be damned if he's getting sterling (and a free future bail-out at our expense).

 Hadrian had it right; we need to build a bigger wall, trust me.

Day 56 - featuring the Monday Mugshot

Ah well, might as well get it over with then....

dammit!, it keeps doing this.............

There you are then......

Has anyone ever tried getting an Indian tourist visa? I mean, it all looked so easy in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, didn't it? (Granny will be pleased because finally, there is a reference to a film she has actually seen........

Well, for the uninitiated, it takes the best part of a day to gather all the information, and even then you are faced with answering questions in all 'required fields' - so as Ed's dad, I am required to disclose my 'employer' (but can't because I'm self-employed). Go figure. I mean, what has my employment status (in England) got to do with Ed's trip to India? Only an old colonial country could come up with such crassly irrelevant questions, to which there are no answers, and no way of progressing through the form without answering the questions you can't. Tor's doing her head in trying, and it's quite putting her off going to India herself (so it looks like the old folks home in Chippy for us, eventually then.....)