A Good Chemo and Amazing Meetings !!!

If there ever can be such a thing I have had a good chemo session. Im now into my 11th day since my last session and so far have had no major side effects. This is the first time it has happened since all this crap started at XMAS 

I still feel tired and my taste buds are well and truly rooted, but all in all I'm pretty good. The oral thrush is just about gone but my throat is still sore making it hard to eat, typically a bacon sandwich takes about an hour!  But it is getting better and I'm sure in a few weeks it will be back to normal.

I think im up for a scan next then its the big decision on whether they give me more treatment or just leave it alone and watch to see what happens.  Im hoping for the later and have a nice break from any treatment.

Pic below is me being pumped full of poison, I arrived at Charing Cross at 10,00 and got released at 18.00 ....its a long day!

I was joined most of the afternoon by Pat who is  mine and Elaines friend and old neighbour from Sydney.  

She and her hubby Martin have been on a mega trip to South America and Pat was on her way back to Oz via the the UK.  It fitted in with her time table so we had a good long catch up in the chemo ward.

They were our neighbors for yeas plus Elaine and Pat worked together at Roche and I played for the same football club as Martin.  

Next up was going to watch niece Kimberley showjumping.  It was a glorious day made even better by Kimberley winning both of her heights, she is a very good show jumper.

It was a lovely day for driving the Jag too.

Then it was time to buy a caravan, we have been looking for a while and a private one came up in Milton Keynes.  Its an immaculate van and although second hand is like new.

The plan is that I can take it away to various parts of the UK this summer and worst cases scenario if I was taken ill I could go home and  brother Russell would pick up the van.

Russell and Tracy will also use it when they want.

Being a private buy it came with lots of extras all  including an inflatable awning and basically everything you need to take off touring.

Talking of the Jag I noticed that although the tyres had plenty of trad on them the sidewalls looked perished, the previous owner only put a few ks on the car and it sat for a long time, so bugger the expense I had four brand new tyres fitted. I'm not taking any chances of getting a blowout etc especially towing a caravan!

A good friend from Manchester sent me two tickets to see West Ham V Man Utd, as my nephew Liam is a mental West Ham fan it only seemed right to take him along.

I booked a nice hotel near the ground as it was an evening kick off and I didn't fancy getting a late night tube and train back to Milton Keynes.

On the way to the hotel I literally bumped and I mean bumped into Sandra off of NB AreandAre at Euston station.. we first met Sandra and Barry back in 2010 in Sydney and they were a big inspiration  for  us to pack up work and start a new relaxing life on a narrowboat.  This was when they were on their boat NB Northern Pride and were going back and forwards from the boat and to NZ. They still live and trade off of a narrowboat, we last met them at a boat trade rally in Stone probably about five years ago.  What are the chances eh ??

We arrived in the hotel on Wednesday afternoon about 13,00 so after checking in we grabbed a cab and went to a couple of classic old London pubs on the Thames.

One of which was Sir Ian Mckellens pub The Grapes which is located at Limehouse 

Gandalfs staff sits behind the bar on display.

The game itself was pretty crap but we had a fun time.

Summer continues to be nice and warm, so me and Kimberley chilled out on the hammock for a while.

I also took  Bombo to the Three locks pub and used him as a pillow whilst I had a sleep by one of the locks!

Last weekend we took the caravan up to a local site so we could check that everything worked as it should.

Its a really lovely van and indeed everything did work as it should.

Tracy did an excellent job in buying bedding that matched the decor of the van, I slept like a log in my new bed.

We even put up the awning, such an easy job, 20 mins and its done.

The weather was awful on Saturday, but Sunday and Monday were superb, this was my view from the bedroom window, just as I like it....no people!

Whilst walking around the site I bumped into another couple of old friends....Joe and Lesley who were the original owners of our boat Caxton which we bought off of them back in 2012 !!  

They are now out of narrowboating and are into motor-homing and are making the most of it with some big trips around the UK and mainland Europe, yet another what the moment !!

Lesley will kill me for putting the photo up as she had just got out of the shower...still looks lovely to me xx

Finally the sad bit....Yesterday would have been our 11th wedding anniversary,  I still miss her like you wont believe and often think to myself how different my present life of  living with this fkin disease would be, because I would be her priority 24/7 because that's how she was.

So I will finish this post with a few photos from that wonderful day in Las Vegas 11 years ago.

Happy Anniversary to Me xx