We took a long walk through the New Forest yesterday afternoon & Dave took the opportunity to shoot some deer (with his camera rather than a shotgun!). We eventually managed to find our way back to where the car was parked after a couple of hours walk! It was amazing to see so many deer, wild ponies, gorse-lands & incredible tall trees.
Back to reality this morning and Dave went back to work & I headed to London to see the surgeon. He was very thorough and talked through the surgery and all potential outcomes. Their plan is to remove the tumour and some of the healthy tissue surrounding it as well as the main lymph node under my arm which they will test there and then.
They may need to remove several  or all my lymph nodes, depending on what they find. Best case scenario they will keep me in for one night following surgery but if they have to remove all lymph nodes,they will keep me in for up to 5 days. There is a small chance that I may need follow up surgery two weeks later, depending on test results once they examine the tumour in the lab.
Now that there's only a few days to go, it all seems very real and a bit daunting but I'm confident that I am in the best possible hands - not just with the top class surgeon and medical staff but ultimately I'm in Gods hands and he has looked after me very well up to now :)
Apologies I haven't updated the blog for a few days - Dave & I are away in Hampshire for the weekend & having a lovely break. It's been really nice to spend time with Dave, enjoy a hotel in the middle of the countryside & to see a new part of the country.
It's great to get some time out before the busyness of next week - I have an appointment to see the surgeon in London tomorrow, I'm seeing the radiotherapy consultant in Oxford on Thursday & then to hospital in London on Friday afternoon for pre-surgery & surgery on Saturday.
I made it - without the ferry!! I was booked to fly back from Cork to Bristol yesterday afternoon and amazingly it was one of the first flights to leave (on time) when the airport was up and running. I managed to get to Cork on one of the last flights last Wednesday and back on one the first flights yesterday :) I'm so thankful for the way it worked out as I was originally planning to travel a few days later and probably wouldn't have got there at all!
It was a busy few days going round to meet up with friends and family but it was so good to see everyone. Over the last two days, it was great to see Leslie & Evelyn, Andy, Peta, Michelle, Claire and the Scott family as well as spend time with my family :) Thank you all for your hospitality and for taking time out to see me.
As Dave said, we are truly blessed to have such amazing love and support (not just in Cork but in the UK as well) and we really appreciate everything you do.
 Substitute blog-writer called into action today - I have just spoken with my wife on the phone and she is doing very well by all accounts. She has visited some family and friends the past day or so, but please bear with us if she didn't get to see you on this trip. Please be assured that we REALLY value your love and support and hope to see you soon.
What has become even more evident from Sharon's trip is the realisation that so many people regularly read this simple update as often as possible. What has really moved us both is the fact that so many people are praying about this health situation. Thank You doesn't really cut it and I think we have run up some very big IOU's with everyone.
Well, no prizes for guessing why the picture on today's entry... Sharon is booked on the ferry for Thursday if she is unable to fly back to the UK tomorrow. Will be good to get her back in a safe and timely manner ready for next week.
That's all for today, other than to hijack Sharon's blog to send a personal message to a young friend of ours, Ben (who Sharon saw today) - I can't wait to beat you at tennis :)
It's been such a lovely day today catching up with family - we've all been at my brother's house in Rosscarbery this afternoon for a BBQ, enjoying the fabulous weather. Thank you Andrew & Orla for the amazing food and for putting us up this evening!! It's been lovely to get to church this morning and see everyone there, see Orla's parents and call in to see some of my Aunts, Uncles and cousins too :)
Apologies I haven't been able to update my blog over the last few days. I'm still here - alive & well and enjoying my time in Cork :) I'm so glad I travelled on Wednesday as all flights between UK & Ireland have been cancelled since Thursday! Just hoping that I will be able to get back to the UK next week - my flight is booked for Wednesday so we'll have to wait & see if flights are back to normal by then. It's been lovely to see my family and spend time with Dad, Roger, Heather, Tommy & the three girls....really looking forward to seeing Andrew & Orla tomorrow. I got to see Peta on Thursday and went into work on Friday afternoon to catch up with everyone there, including Kevin who was stranded in Ireland due to the flight chaos!! I had such a lovely time with Carolyn and the kids today - we went to Fota gardens for a walk & a picnic and then spent the afternoon sitting in the back garden, enjoying the amazing sunshine :)
Anyone seen my wife? :)
Please accept our apologies for not updating the blog for a while. If you have been checking it the past couple of days and wondering why no update, Sharon has travelled back to Cork and not had chance yet to get internet access. So, please don't give up reading just yet and bear with us.
By all accounts, she is continuing to do OK healthwise and even got to enjoy her first BBQ of 2010 last night (not that I'm the jealous type).
 The amazing flowers my Aunt & Uncle brought on Friday :)
I've been feeling much better the last couple of days and have had a lot more energy. Nicky took me back to Lydiard park yesterday and this time I managed to get out of the car before I fell asleep and we had a lovely long walk...and a coffee :)
I'm planning to go back to Cork tomorrow for a week to spend time at home with family & friends before surgery on May 1st...really looking forward to catching up with everyone :)
The highlight of my week (apart from finishing chemotherapy!) was having a visit from my Aunt and Uncle from Northern Ireland and my cousin from Bristol. It was fantastic to see them and it gave me a huge lift - thank you SO much Leslie, Grace & Eric for making the time to come and see me and for the stunning flowers you brought. It was great to see photos of Jonathan & Edel's wedding too :)
The bone pains have kicked in this weekend and I haven't had a lot of energy. We planned to go for a walk at Lydiard Park yesterday but I fell asleep in the car as soon as we got to the car park :( It's good to know that this should be the last time I have these and I'll hopefully be back to full health again in a day or two!
It's nice being in Swindon now so that we can see friends and family more often. It was great to see Betty & Maurice on Friday evening and Marilyn & Andrea yesterday and we're really looking forward to catching up with Ashley & Nicky this evening.
Another good day today - I've been feeling well & the joint pains haven't hit yet. If they do it should only be for a couple of days and it's continuing to sink in that the chemotherapy is now over at last!!! I'm so delighted that I've got through the bit I was dreading the most :) I've been very fortunate that I've had very few side effects to the chemotherapy and have generally been in good health over the last few months.
The weather has been lovely today and it almost feels like Summer is on the way.....looking forward to getting to the end of the surgery & radiotherapy too and it really feels like things are starting to progress now :)
I had a great night's sleep last night & have been feeling really well today. It's slowly sinking in that chemo is over now & it feels fantastic :) I know I will probably get joint pains / fluey feeling over the next few days but once that is over I'll be through!!
Next step is surgery on May 1st so I will concentrate on getting myself back to full health between now & then and preparing to face the next stage. It's great to feel that things are really progressing now :)
8 down - 0 to go !!!
I can't believe it's finally over :) It feels a bit like finishing exams when you've been studying for months....relieved, happy, exhausted and a bit surreal! I don't think it's really hit me yet!Today went well - another long day but it's over now!! No more ice cap, chemo drugs or stomach injections - God willing. The consultant was very pleased with everything and said it couldn't be better :) What an amazing thought.....that everthing has worked out in the best possible way so far! Thank you to Andrea for taking the day off & coming with us today and Thank You to Dave who sat with me through every single one of the chemo sessions, and felt my pain as I went through it. He has been an amazing support to me and I am so thankful for him.The medical staff have been fantastic over the last few months and I have had the best care possible. I am so thankful for them, for all my family & friends and the unending support I have had since Novemeber. Thank you SO much to each and every person who reads the blog, regularly or every now and then. Thank you for your mails, comments, texts, cards, visits and especially for your prayers - I have felt the effect of them every day in the inner strength I know God has given me to get through all this and in the amazing way that healing has taken place so far. I know there is still a long way to go but this is a huge milestone and for now I really want to say a huge Thank you to all of you :)
Hope you all had a fabulous Easter. Dave & I certainly did, spending the past few days in Devon in a holiday lodge with our friends, Steve & Ruth. It was great to get away from it all & enjoy the countryside... especially this time of year with the daffodils out, lambs in the fields and sunshine (well for part of the weekend anyway!). We had a great time with Steve & Ruth and really enjoyed the time together. I've been feeling really well, apart from some coughing fits at night but they seem to be getting better now.
Tomorrow is my last chemotherapy :) I'm SO looking to tomorrow evening and finishing this part of the treatment!! Off to get a good rest now as we have an early start in the morning :(
It's been a busy few days - I had a great time with Claire, relaxing, catching up and enjoying a fabulous cream tea in Bath :) It was so lovely to have her here for a few days - thank you Claire :)
It's been really good to catch up with Ashley & Nicky & José over the last two days as well. We are fully moved into our new house now and are settling in this week. Thank you so much to Duncan & Andrea for offering their house for us to use for a while. We realise again how blessed we are to have so many good friends supporting us at this time.
Healthwise, I'm still struggling to shake off this cough & sore throat but it does seem to be getting better in the last day or so.
We are going to Devon with Steve & Ruth for the weekend and really looking forward to getting away & having time to relax, especially for Dave as he uses all his 'holiday' time to take days off to come to the hospital with me. It's lovely to have four days off together before the next (and final!) chemo session on Tuesday.
I'm not sure if we'll have internet access at the weekend but in case we don't we wish you all have a very Happy Easter!
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We took a long walk through the New Forest yesterday afternoon & Dave took the opportunity to shoot some deer (with his camera rather than a shotgun!). We eventually managed to find our way back to where the car was parked after a couple of hours walk! It was amazing to see so many deer, wild ponies, gorse-lands & incredible tall trees.
Back to reality this morning and Dave went back to work & I headed to London to see the surgeon. He was very thorough and talked through the surgery and all potential outcomes. Their plan is to remove the tumour and some 
or all my lymph nodes, depending on what they find. Best case scenario they will keep me in for one night following surgery but if they have to remove all lymph nodes,they will keep me in for up to 5 days. There is a small chance that I may need follow up surgery two weeks later, depending on test results once they examine the tumour in the lab.
Substitute blog-writer called into action today - I have just spoken with my wife on the phone and she is doing very well by all accounts. She has visited some family and friends the past day or so, but please bear with us if she didn't get to see you on this trip. Please be assured that we REALLY value your love and support and hope to see you soon.
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