Another One Bites the Dust!

[Filonian]

Thanks for the update Ian.

I am glad to read that you are now able to manage the pain better.

Graham

[Tomliner]

Thanks for the update Ian.Hopefully life is still enjoyable for the majority of the time.Best wishes as always EricT

[dfarrow]

Ian , good to hear your story . Just think , perhaps you should write this up for The Alternative Archers , an every day tale of Wiltshire folk . Don't think it would fit in Corrie or Eastenders .... Or you write it as a screenplay for Carry on Doctor 2 .... if so could I bag the Sid James part ?
Unless of course a Wessex version of Summer Wine ........ I'm a dead ringer for Compo ..

Keep your end up

Brgds dave f

[Jon.M]

Thanks for the update Ian.

It's good to hear the morphine is helping control the pain better. I'm sure that with some fine tuning it will help more. Like Dave I think I would also avoid the chemo if it's only expected to extend the suffering for a short time. But unless one is actually faced with the decision for real I can't know for sure.

I watched most of the MotoGp, we had all three races on one channel whilst the Superbike and Super Sport races were live on a second channel. I'm currently in a hotel at the seaside and the cousin of the family who run the hotel was competing in the super sport race in Germany. So we had to watch the start of that race in preference to the motoGP.
I did see the end of the MotoGP race though and what a cracker it was. I'm enjoying watching Lorenzo fight back against the young genius Marquez.

One of the books I bought to read on holiday is The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins and this is all your fault. Well you and your ex-colleague anyway.

I hope you manage the trip to Scotland.

Jon

[speedbird591]

Hi Jon, Dave. Yes, the decision on whether or not to take treatment is rarely going to be an easy one. Although in my case it was! The factors were a) that there was never going to be a chance of a cure, b) the benefits weren't obvious, c) the possible side effects were numerous, unpleasant and the treatment of them involved as many drugs as treating the cancer, d) my age and whether I or my family could gain anything by me living a bit longer. While reading through the info packs and talking to doctors I could just hear this little voice saying 'Let's just get it over with '. So I just got on with sorting everything out in good time so I can relax

On the other hand, if you're younger, have a chance of survival and perhaps a younger family who still need you, then you don't have the luxury of turning it down. If there's a chance then you'd have to go with it. But in that case it also puts an enormous strain on the family and finances for a long long time. This is much harder than what I'm going through. A colleague at work has just been given the all-clear after five years of chemo and rehabilitation and going from an extremely fit 40 year old competition cyclist to a completely exhausted and drained shadow who now has to start his climb back up to fitness from rock bottom. He still has his train driver's job but his and his family's life have been at a standstill all that time and it will be a while yet before they fully recover.

Anyway, Jon. Yes, Marquez is extraordinary. Every week he amazes us. This week he crashed in warm up and dislocated his shoulder. He gets it popped back in, has a painkilling injection, one sighting lap and then rode a complete race and only just got pipped for the win. He'll be world champion in his rookie season and his domination of his bike is even more unbelievable than Casey Stoner's. Did you see how he controlled that wheelspin past the pits in qualifying at 200 mph? It didn't even phase him and he went on to break the lap record by some margin.

But only last season he was being beaten by Scott Redding in Moto2! BTW - congratulations to Scott for winning todays Moto2 British GP and for extending his lead in the World Championship. Another one to watch for Moto GP next year.

Don't expect Prof. Dawkins to provide the final proof in The God Delusion. He gets very close and makes some very detailed arguments but even he will never convince somebody who doesn't want to be convinced. It's still a good read, though - the best in it's class!

Ian

[speedbird591]

Have you decided on getting a 'flash' motor or still undecided?

I can't decide yet because the earliest that Tom can pass his test is the end of October. If he passes then he gets my Yaris. If not, it rolls on until his next attempt.

So when we get closer to that time I need to have a decision ready. That's why I thought I'd ask everybody's opinion now! It's possible that I may have to give up driving by then anyway so he can run me around. But if I'm still going we'll see how strong I am and how long I might keep going

If I've got a year's driving left I might get something luxurious but if it's only a few months, I'll get a cheap runabout to trash.

Ian

[DaveB]

That makes sense mate. Fingers crossed he breezes through it

ATB
DaveB

[Nigel H-J]

Hi Ian, thanks for the update. Really pleased to hear that you are able to manage your pain, the morphine will certainly do you wonders. Well, it did for me when my bowel perforated and had to wait 12 hours before undergoing a 6 hour operation, the morphine certainly helped in controlling the pain.

Hope that you are able to make the trip up to Scotland, that northern air will do you the world of good!!

All the very best

Regards
Nigel.

[Jon.M]

Hi Ian,

I did see all of the Moto 2 race and enjoyed Redding's win. I like the determination that makes him compete even when he's at a disadvantage. I hope he gets a competitive ride in MotoGP. He's currently beating the other Espargaro who I understand is going to get the second factory Yamaha next year when Rossi retires. You'd have thought that having all of the best bikes ridden by Spaniards (however good they are) would be bad for the MotoGP brand and it's publicity appeal.

Dawkins' book is next up, after the holiday blockbuster I'm currently reading. I found the book at a car boot sale last weekend for 50p and after reading your debate the other week I had to buy it. In my case he's preaching to the choir to use an inappropriate analogy but a line from a Rowan Atkinson sketch comes to mind. In his devil's welcoming speech to hell the devil says "Atheists. Over here please. You must be feeling a right bunch of charlies."

Jon

[speedbird591]

At the moment I'm not sure if I feel up to my First Class rail trip to Scotland on the 9th so I'll wait until I've seen the Doc and decide after that.

After a chat with my mate today we decided that the prospect of being in pain for an 11 hour train journey, albeit in First Class seats, was too risky. So I'm flying from Bristol to Inverness with squeezyjet and get the beers in ready for him. It's a lot cheaper and I won't be in any one place for more than an hour or so. Hopefully...

Ian