Day 74 - 31st October, 2024

     

This week it’s time to say thank you to all the kind people who have supported me and donated to my Charity Fund. Your support is really appreciated.

The United Services club in Blake avenue, Barking have supported me from the moment they knew about my Charity Walk and have my poster on their notice board and a collection box available to those who wish to donate. The club was originally formed in 1936 and have taken on a variety of forms over the years. Although they are just around the corner to where I live I have never previously visited and was surprised at how big and comfortable it was and how social the members were (see photo).They house a variety of ventures such as dart leagues, karate, bingo etc. and have evening entertainment as well and I would recommend it to anyone who would like a drink in a very social environment from time to time.

Likewise, Valence House in Dagenham are supporting me in a similar fashion although their function is totally different. Much of the history of Barking and Dagenham is archived there and available to anybody who is interested. Thank you to the staff for their support.

Eastbury Manor House is the back drop to my daily walks and the team there are also supporting my cause. James is the new manager and has made a big impact on the increased number events on offer to visitors. There is pretty much something for everybody.  Its great to see the ‘House’ coming alive and becoming a community hub for visitors of all ages.

The support from James and his team is also greatly appreciated.

We now have an additional member to our team who has attached herself to our cause and has made a very big effort to widen our audience. Michèle is involved in the gardening at both Eastbury House and Valence house and has taken our campaign very much to her heart. Thank you, it’s a pleasure to have you aboard.

The support from everybody no matter how big or small makes me feel very humble and having my local community behind me is very heartening.

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Terry's Cancer Journey - Episode 8 - Post-surgery

Two days after my surgery I was transferred to a general ward, which I still believe was too early, but can only surmise that pressures on bed space could have been the reason. The week in the general ward was not easy. At first I was fed intravenously but slowly was introduced to clear liquids, then onto other liquids and finally onto some more solid food. I hardly ate anything. The food simply was not to my liking and I had very little appetite anyway. I couldn’t get out of the bed without the aid of a nurse because of all the tubes that were attached, so trying to get a little bit of exercise by walking around the ward was difficult. During my time in the hospital I had to have regular blood tests which became another problem because of my shy veins and invariably a very experienced nurse of some sort had to be enlisted. The time came however when I was deemed fit and all the tubes had been removed but I was not allowed home until I could satisfy the physiotherapists that I would able to cope in my home environment and could walk unaided both up and down a flight of stairs. At every opportunity I insisted that I be helped out of bed and walked circuits, adding one more every time, around the nurses station until I could fulfil their criteria. I wasn’t going to stay any longer than was absolutely necessary. I was on my way home two days later on the 5^th August.

 

The speed and the meticulous care I had been given right from the start of my original diagnosis had been amazing and had been as good as I would have received anywhere in the world. Perhaps anybody reading this will understand more why I feel so strongly about giving something back to all those wonderful and hardworking people who saved my life and are saving lives every day of the week, month, year.

           

A major problem then, as it is now, is that any ‘after care’ is not automatic and not joined up. It was up to us to arrange for district nurses to visit to clean and re-bandage my surgical wounds but the calls on their services were such that they weren’t always available. This is not acceptable, and politicians need to put aside their party differences to put together a comprehensive plan that operates in a similar way to the rest of the NHS. Yes, it will cost and it probably won’t be perfect but the care of the people of this country should be paramount and should not be fractured and fragmented as it currently is. Pressures on families, especially carers, are already high without having to spend time trying to organise help that should be easily accessible to them. Whilst trying to raise the funds for “Queen’s” is my specific goal, raising awareness of this issue is also very important to me.

         

During the time I was hospitalised Mr Mukherjee and his team visited me every day and Mr. Boulton and his team every few days. Given how precious the consultants’ time is I felt very privileged. Pat had visited me every day despite me protesting it wasn’t necessary. The journey to and fro to the hospital was tiring but at least she had some time at home when she could get on with other things and even have a rest for a few minutes now and then. It’s hard to imagine how she kept going but things for her were going to get harder not easier.

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Day 67 - 24th October, 2024

Today I am celebrating my 81st birthday and will be raising a glass to the Oncology and Surgical units at Queen’s Hospital in Romford, Essex who, because of the world class treatment they gave me, made this celebration possible.

I am continuing with my 137 day walk every day, without fail and regardless of the weather, in an effort to raise funds to help purchase a specialized ultra sound machine that the hospital needs to help them maintain the standard of treatment they offer to their patients. I have now completed 67 days and walked a cumulative 40 miles. This machine, in addition to the vital information it supplies to the doctors and surgeons, will also speed up patients treatment and enable more to be dealt with. Waiting times for treatment have reached an all-time high and lives are being lost unnecessarily. You can help me to do something about that.

I recognize that there are many people across the country trying to raise funds for all sorts of worthy causes including the major appeals such as Poppy day and Children In Need etc. Many of these causes are supported by Stars and Celebrities who generate much publicity but I’m not a Star or a Celebrity and I don’t know any Stars or celebrities. I’m just a common or garden bloke trying to do something worthwhile for current Cancer sufferers and those that will undoubtedly follow. My campaign is just as worthy and as important any other but I need your help. Cancer is indiscriminate and sadly it’s been announced that Sir Chris Hoy, a super athlete, is terminally ill because of it, just one of the 1000 new Cancer diagnosis every day. Cancer has no pause button and will continue relentlessly and I hope, with your support and kind donations to do my small part in arresting it’s progress. Please make a donation to my ‘Just Giving’ page, matter how small, it all helps. Thank you.

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Terry's Cancer Journey - Episode 7 – Surgery

Before my surgery there was no real time to rest. A meeting with both surgeons and the anaesthetist took place along with an ECG and a heart scan. The anaesthetist was present to ask my permission to use a new method of administering and controlling the anaesthetic which was being trialed, which I had no hesitation in agreeing to.

         

I still had not told my family about the cancers but I couldn’t put it off any longer. My son and his family live in North Yorkshire so all our contact throughout this period had been on the phone. I arranged to meet Roy in a little pub next to Blackfriars station in London and it was there that I broke the news. His shock was tinged with annoyance that I had not told him earlier but reluctantly accepted my reasoning for this. I had also made up my mind that, other than Pat, I wanted no visitors in hospital before or after my operation. I didn’t want my grandchildren especially to be upset at the sight of me.

         

The surgery date was set, the 26^th July. All my affairs were in order and a letter given to Pat expressing my love for her to which I added a P.S stating that if I survived I would deny all knowledge of the letter. There was nothing left for me to do, it was now in the hands of the surgeons and their teams.

         

My understanding is that the oesophagus operation took place first (9 hours) through my back, followed by the bowel operation (3 hours) through the front, and both by keyhole surgery. I have heard any number of cancer survivors proclaim that they have ‘beaten’ cancer but I don’t prescribe to that view. Whilst those two surgeons and their teams worked tirelessly to remove the cancers, probably not even taking the time for a tuna and sweetcorn sandwich, what was I doing? I was fast asleep, hardly a worthwhile contribution.

         

The drama came immediately before the operation in an ante room to the operating theatre. This was the room where the anaesthetic would be administered…. if a vein could be found. There was the problem, and it took several attempts before success was achieved and, I am convinced, a few curses made. Obviously, I was fully conscious at that point and starting to get really concerned. Please don’t abort the operation I prayed; I can’t go through all this again. Minutes later I was oblivious to everything.        

I awoke in the HDU (High Dependency Unit) ward and the first face that I saw was Pat’s. I have no idea what I must have looked like but Pat later told me she had counted twelve tubes in me. I never found out what they were all for but I don’t think there was one orifice that didn’t have a tube in it except for my ears. The stoma bag that had been fitted was not apparent to her at that point and would be removed at a later date. 

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Pat's blog post

Hello, I’m Pat, for my sins I am Terry’s wife and I want to tell you about the type of man he is. Having been married to him for 41 years and his partner for some years before that, nobody knows him better than I do. Like all human beings he has his good points and some not so good points. 

He has a bulldog tenacity and once he starts something he will finish it to the very end. He never gives up. This can be a blessing but it can also be a curse because he never knows when he has reached his personal limit. He has tunnel vision, which he disputes, preferring to call it concentration. I am backing him all the way with the Charity Walk fund but I am also responsible for his well-being and making sure that he comes to no harm, mostly from himself. His general attitude is ‘no pain, no gain’ and ‘you can’t know what your limits are until you reach them’.

He is infuriatingly argumentative and we argue like cats and dogs but he will always have the last word. Yes, there are times when I would love to throttle him, and then what does he do?, he makes me laugh.

Even in his darkest moments his sense of humour will shine through. The first time I was allowed to see him after his operations was in H.D.U. He was awake and I stood at the end of his bed not believing what I was seeing. I remember seeing tubes coming out of him from all angles, later I counted twelve, and was distressed to say the least. I didn’t know what to say. ‘How are you feeling?’ just didn’t seem appropriate. He saw me and the first thing he said was ‘I suppose sex is out of the question?’ I knew then that he was going to pull through.

There were times during his treatment he hit absolute rock bottom.

His treatment was stressful but he was managing, it was all the other seemingly minor things that were going wrong that nearly broke him.

He is the first person people turn to when there is a problem and need help  and he will help anybody, even total strangers, but if you let him down there are no second chances. Life with him is a rollercoaster and I never know what ‘cunning plan’ he is going to come up with next. 

He has waited a long time to show his gratitude to all the people at Queen’s Hospital and that gratitude is unbounded, which is why this Charity Walk fund is so important to him. For Terry it is now or, possibly, never, and that’s what  makes him the person that he is.

Terry’s Cancer Journey - Episode 6 - Continuing Chemotherapy

This week I would like to thank Time 107.5FM (https://www.time1075.net/) for interviewing me and including my story in their news bulletins.

Anyway, back to my journey.....

Many of the days during that 9-week period of chemotherapy I was like a zombie, I couldn’t think properly or think at all in many cases. It was only with Pat’s help that I could manage to get in and out of bed, in and out of the shower or up and down the stairs. My taste buds disappeared completely and were followed by my appetite. I went through a period of constipation that became so acute that, during an assessment interview with a nurse from the Oncology unit, it was so noticeable that I was unwell I was rushed into the unit where the chemotherapy was administered and a doctor summoned to prescribe something to help me. At home I wasn’t capable of doing anything at all. Everything was now having to be done by Pat which was not only physically demanding but mentally stressful too. Watching someone you love go through what I was experiencing was going to take its toll but somehow Pat did it without a murmur and I felt too ill to notice the effect this was having on her, not that I could have done anything about it. I had no aches or pains I just felt Ill but couldn’t explain in what way. Pat stopped asking how I felt because there were no good days just days that weren’t quite as bad as others.

The whole chemotherapy session was a nightmare except for one amazing incident. It was the only morning that I woke up with a clear mind and was lucid. In my mind was a short story completely written and etched on my mind. I am told, although whether it is true or not I don’t know, that this happened to Paul McCartney but in his case it was the music and lyrics to a song. Having got downstairs and comfortable I got out my iPad and started to write the story down. After 15/20 minutes or so the lucidity vanished and I became incapable of proceeding any further so it was left barely started.

          

During this chemotherapy treatment I had to attend several assessment interviews either with a nurse or Prof. Tahir and also with my two surgeons. A C.T. scan was carried out just before the treatment was completed and blood tests done although the problem of finding a vein was becoming more frequent. A close eye was being kept on me on a regular basis but I was becoming exhausted. To my immense relief, on the 26^th June my Chemotherapy treatment was over.

         

The next stage of my treatment would be the surgery to remove the cancers.

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Day 52 - 9th October, 2024

A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to TIME RADIO 107.5 F.M for inviting me to tell their listeners about my Charity Walk and what I am endeavouring to do and why. Just as important they have given me the opportunity to reach many, many more people than I would otherwise have be able to do. I very much hope those listeners will support me with donations and help their local hospital and community. It would be wonderful if local businesses would also come forward to sponsor me and allow me the opportunity to sing their praises during my daily walks and in this blog and on my social media platforms. I want to give something tangible to this community and I need all the help I can get to achieve my goal. 

Thank you to all those people who have already sent donations. I am so very grateful!

This is Errol and his ‘vehicle’. Errol is our street hygienist and minutes before this photo was taken, he had offered me a lift which I had to politely refuse (no pun intended) not because I am a snob but because I didn’t want to get his vehicle (cart) dirty. Errol is a great bloke and takes pride in his job and we always know when he has been around because our street is pristine. He even cleans the gutters. He is always happy and we really appreciate what he does.

Wish we had more like him.

Day 48 - 5th October, 2024

Arnold and Terry about to commence walk

Let me introduce you to Arnold. Arnold is owned by our friend and neighbour Keri, who often needs us to look after him for either short periods or much longer periods depending on circumstances. He has been with us so often he feels very much at home and has his own basket etc. He recently underwent an operation on one of his back legs and he was with us for three weeks while he recuperated and will now be with us for another two weeks while Keri goes on a well earned holiday. He is a lively Cockapoo with a wonderful and loving personality and he is a pleasure to look after but he is camera-shy and one thing he isn’t is obedient.

Arnold is so grateful that we look after him like he was our own that he has asked that I include him in the Charity walk. Accompanying me is his way of saying thank you but he is not keen on the t-shirt because it’s not been made to measure and doesn’t come from Savile Row. Dream on Arnold.

Pat in 60’s retrospective mode. Think Twiggy.

Pat really likes the t- shirt as she thinks it fits her body shape perfectly and gives her that retrospective look of the 60’s (think Twiggy). Arnold is not so sure but as it is rumored that Vogue have taken an interest he wants to be involved and they are awaiting a possible phone call to arrange a photo shoot session.

Pat and Arnold waiting for the call from Vogue

Talking about animals, Arnold that is not Pat, another of our neighbours who lives 2 doors away often goes back to visit his relations in Mauritius over the Christmas period and we have looked after his Budgerigar named Dodo during the period he is away.  Last Christmas he was due to come to us as normal but when Tony arrived at our doorstep the morning of handover he announced that he had found Dodo dead in his cage that morning. Literally he was as dead as a…. Dodo.

When I thought about it a bit later I started to wonder how we would have broken the news to Tony had Dodo died the morning after Tony had left for his time away. Not only that but how would we have disposed of the body and would we have responsibility for any of the funeral costs.

Arnold resting after his exhausting walk

Tony now has a new budgerigar but we have decided that we can’t take the chance of this situation arising again especially as the name of the new budgerigar is….Dodo.

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Terry’s Cancer Journey - Episode 5 - Starting Chemotherapy

A pre-assessment meeting took place with Prof. Tahir on the 17^th April and on the 24^th my first chemotherapy treatment was administered. A blood test had been taken some days before and the worrying trend of the shy veins continued. I have never had a problem with needles and during my life I had given over 100 blood donations. I can only assume that my age was a factor.        

I arrived at “Queen’s” at the appointed time and took my place in the short queue at the reception desk. I didn’t know what to expect and trepidation is the only word to describe the way I felt at that moment. I watched the lady receptionist and noted how efficient she was and the professional but friendly way she dealt with the people soon to have, like me, their chemotherapy treatment. Having been ticked off the list I was asked to wait in the waiting room until my nurse became available. As I walked from the reception counter I thought to myself that if the rest of my experience that day was going to be as good and professional as this I really had nothing to worry about. I later learned that the receptionist’s name was Tracy and I don’t believe you could find a better person for that position than her. I described her as the shop window to the chemotherapy unit and have never forgotten her calming effect on me.

         

Let me say straight away that chemotherapy is an essential part of many cancer sufferers treatment despite its well-known side effects. I had been given a list of those side effects most experienced by patients but it was far from a comprehensive list.  Each person however responds to the treatment in their own unique way. Everybody’s experience differs. Even patients being given the same treatment react differently. Don’t think that you know what a person is going through if you know they are having chemotherapy treatment. You don’t and you can’t. Only that person knows and rarely do they have the words to articulate how they feel.

 

Chemotherapy doesn’t target cancers directly, it is indiscriminate and attacks every part of your body and organs including your brain. I described it later to Prof. Tahir as being medieval and he agreed but rightly pointed out it was the best we had and it works.

 

The chemotherapy course was to last for 9 weeks and was divided into 3 replica segments. On day one the cocktail of drugs was administered intravenously which took some hours. Every day after that in the 21-day cycle I had to take two tablets at home, twelve hours apart, and to use gloves when doing so. Toxic.

         

The treatment on that first day went without a hitch and I felt fine. Pat had arrived at the hospital some time during the treatment and sat with me as we watched the nurses constantly on the move setting up drips and making sure that all the patients there, maybe 20 or possibly more, were alright. No loitering in that department that’s for sure. The treatment over, under Pat’s watchful eye and with her support, we made our way home on the bus.

“How are you feeling?” Pat asked when we got home “Okay, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be” I replied. Famous last words.

         

I went to bed that night expecting to sleep like a baby and I did, at first. The events of the day had drained me of energy and I felt so tired but at some point during the night I sneezed and, for what seemed like an eternity although it was probably no more than five seconds, I had flashing lights and siren noises going off in my head. The same thing happened each time I coughed. That wasn’t on the list of side effects I had been given and was so unexpected it was frightening. This only happened on the three nights that I had been fed the Chemotherapy cocktail intravenously.

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