Back in the loop.

[donski1]

Not sure where to post this, so I've decided to settle on "Chat".

I've been rather absent from this forum for a while now. A bit dejected.

3 July of this year I was diagnosed as having cancer. A bit of a bummer; we've all heard the stories about 6 weeks, Abide With Me, and so on, etc.

Well, the cancer spread and I did the "hideaway" thing a bit more.

Thing is ~ that 6 weeks has passed twice over and a bit. I'm feeling good. And the Doc has told me that whilst its not "cureable" its definately "treatable". What he means is that whilst I'll not be free of it, a bit of chemo here; some radiotherapy there; and I'll be sticking around long enough to irritate the Hell out of more and new people.

I don't know if there's any good news in this for you ~ the BAD news is that I'm upright and conscious with a pulse therefore I'll be posting in this forum some more

L&K at ya!!

D1

[mikkh]

Glad you're feeling OK and long may it remain that way. A lot of people imagine the worst when the C word is mentioned, but it doesn't always mean a ticking bomb on a short fuse. The wife of a mate of mine was diagnosed shortly after having their last child, but lived to see her reach late teens and never mentioned it outside the family circle. On the other boot is another friend with his Dad dying of cancer, but totally failing to come to terms with it. He's rude and aggressive to all those that love him and just does nothing all day.

Keep enjoying life kiddo and don't be a stranger

[merchant42]

Nice to see you back

Feel free to irritate as much as you want !!!

[Lynnrose]

Awwww Don, sorry to hear about that, but so glad that you are still around and we are one of the places that you are choosing to spend a bit of time with.
Good luck with everything and I hope to see you posting loads!

Lynnrose xxx

[larrye]

Glad to see you back posting. Keep the chin up, doctors have been proven to be wrong sometimes and the "incurable" just suddenly becomes quite curable. I'll keep my fingers crossed that is your case and you'll be around to bug the hell out of a couple more generations.

[elvisuk]

Good to see you back donski1, doctors what do thy now

[ken]

Great to see you back mate. I beat TB a long time ago and then got cancer. Three operations and radio therapy took it out of me a bit. Then last February the doctors said as it hadn't come back for over 6 years it probably wouldn't bother. I'm gonna try Ebola next. Keep you chin up and never let it get ya down and you will be alright.

[donski1]

Mikkh. Aye, you're right about the "C" word. We all have the bomb, its just the length of fuse that varies. A Doc once said ~ in my hearing ~ that "everyone in this room will die of cancer. If they live long enough."

Larrye. I'll settle for "treatable" so long as "cureable" hasn't arrived. I have a lifelong bus-pass now, and intend to wear it out!

Ken. Give that Third World State of Ebola a right whorristing, mate. Give them the vote if needs must. Just a word of warning on your journey to years anew; watch out for stray wimmin. That Mrs A can be a bugger of a harridan, so I'm told.

All. Instead of just keeping our chins up, why don't we (with Lynnrose's permission) start a thread of our successes? Show WHY we can keep our chins up? True tales only; witticisms allowed: it'd be a great (and hopefully long) thread?

D1

(Mrs A? MRSA ~ the virus.)

[Lynnrose]

Go ahead Don, you can be first!

[donski1]

Well ... I'm alive and kicking, if only with my left leg.
My little argument with Cancer has ~ so far ~ resulted in it being beaten back into the corner. Current score is out of 3 sites 2 are settled and the outstanding one ~ not cureable ~ is stable and under control.

It hasn't always been easy, at times I've been emabarrased into keeping my chin up, but the main fact right now is that I return to work Monday 22 Feb.

[ken]

Welcome back Don.

Great to see you have hopped in and posted again and look forward to seeing more of you. Pleased to hear that everything is under control and your rejoining the working class. Give um hell on Monday 22nd. Sorry to hear about your right leg, as long as the rest of you is OK is the main thing.

[Lynnrose]

Hey Don, lovely to see you here and to know that things are getting better for you. I hope you enjoy your day back at work! See you on the boards x

[donski1]

Ken; Lynnrose et al
Thanks for this

Ken
My right leg isn't a write off! The thighbone was affected and I had to have a plate put in (makes fun at the metal detector travelling abroad!) followed by a course of radiotherapy. Maybe I need some more radiotherapy because it feels like the plague is returning. Meanwhile, gentle exercise ~ 870m to the pub!

Same as I developed a nodule (tumour) on my shoulder. Had radiotherapy and my follow-up is in 2 weeks, although the specialist says he's confident its cured. Gentle weightlifting; approx 568g or 25g or multiples thereof, such exercise to be carried out under the supervision of the lass behind the bar.

The lungcancer is the incurable one, but following chemotherapy it is currently stable and controlled. Chemotherapy was a right beggar to deal with ~ I spent more time in hospital BECAUSE of it than I did HAVING it.

Leads me to another thing ~ NHS. We always hear about the NHS ~ maltreatment; malpractice; negligence and so on, its said to be the general standard. Well not at Cumberland Infirmary, Carlisle its not; by the flames of Hades its most definitely not. Excellence is the minimum standard for the way I've been treated, and I'm prepared to name the staff if needs be!

Returning to work. Yes, its going to happen; probably with a bang rather than a whimper. And I'm right impressed with the attitude of my managers and employers.
Because I'm now "disabled" Jobcentre ~ Access to work ~ are involved, and made their recommendations. My managers considered and then trashed the recommendations, making their own better ones, which have been accepted.
It involves virtually ripping out the workshop and refurbishing it. Something approaching £3k of new kit.
I seriously WANT to get back to work and I get the impression they'd like to have me back too??

Returning to work. Part deux.
Colleagues or friends? Take your pick. There's them as managed to get me from Carlisle to Newcastle in plenty of time for an 8.00am appointment. And there's them that put up with me on the phone wallowing in self pity at ungodly hours. David A and Mary P are two examples of how I've been lifted and supported through this, and perhaps them not realising that a little help can be a monumental boost to someone's dignity.
I intend ~ on my return to work ~ to do something that says "thanks" to the people who have been behind me. Probably over one hundred as compared to the (possible) two I thought of the day I was diagnosed.

I should wind this up! The road ahead is paved with something, only time will tell if its gold or brown "stuff". I'm keeping a little diary of this ~ amazing how looking through it keeps me buoyant, but that's realising that folks genuinely want to help me.
Thanks to everyone, and I hope to irritate you soon!!

D1

[ken]

I've got 2.25 lbs of metal in my leg Don, they stripped me off at Juan Santa Maria airport when leaving Costa Rica. They would probably have dismantled my body looking for the machine gun, if the chief of customs hadn't arrived. He was a mate of mine, who remembered when they stuck it in me in Hospital San Juan de Dios. Never had any trouble over here or in Europe and I used to go through the detectors several times a week.

I have to agree, the cancer units in Queens Med and City Hospital are the only bits of the hospitals that treat you like a human being. They are without doubt excellent. My old surgeon; Professor Pat Bradley, retired just over a year ago. Within a couple of months he took the post as head of a country wide cancer group. I don't think they are inventing new treatment, they are making sure the right people and equipment are scattered around the country. Their aim is to get equal treatment country wide.

I was lucky and didn't have chemo, I only had 32 doses of radio therapy. I had bad radiation burns, but it didn't put me off my Guinness. That was the only time I was drinking Guinness on doctors orders. Normally I don't need any encouragement.

Its really good to hear your starting work again, I think thats good therapy to get back to a resemblance of normality.

Hope everything goes really well for you.

[donski1]

I feel like ripping my hair out ~ what little chemotherapy left me with.

Throughout this last seven months my Managers have both been totally supportive toward me in my little argument with cancer. TOTALLY supportive.

We've read the rules; the Policies; the Riot Act has been considered, and we've come up with a structured and phased return-to-work strategy for me, starting Monday coming.
HR were informed of the full shenanigans beginning of last week.

Because HR weren't included in the conversations I can NOT return to work. Talk about a Jobsworth?

On the "upside" my senior manager has arranged a meeting in the HR meeting room at 8.30 tomorrow morning, says he's INSTRUCTED HR to attend even though its earlier than the prissy buggers normally start, and have arranged transport for me.

I work for a Mental Health NHS ~ much more of this and I'll be on the Client List as well as the payroll.

Don

[Lynnrose]

What a pain for you Don, hope it sorts out in your favour, good luck!

[donski1]

Not particularly, Lynnrose, not particularly at all.

"No manual handling for the forseeable future." In an IT workshop? It went downhill from there. HR hardly let me speak, so any suggestions and recommendations from me and the specialislts who have been treating me went unheard.

I'm still to be in charge of the workshop, but the most work I'm to do involves clicking of the mouse. I'm to take regular breaks from that, too.

What an utter waste of my time.

[Lynnrose]

Sounds like they have rules to follow and daren't allow you to go back to fully doing what you did before.