Time to focus on this site.
OK – I realise that I need to produce the hospital account promised in the last post but that is a work in progress so it will be my next priority.
The main news since the last post is that the “mass” that was removed although pre-cancerous in places was not in itself cancerous and I do not require any treatment. This of course was the most wonderful news and means that the surgery will have ensured that I shall not be under threat of pancreatic cancer. Everyone I talk to agrees that I have been very very lucky in how things have gone and I can only thank the young doctor at A&E at RSH for effectively extending my life. I have written to the hospital to try and get his name but have not yet had a reply. So whoever you are thank you so very very much.
In terms of recovery, I am making good progress with a few set-backs including a night on a trolley in RSH surgical assessment unit about three weeks ago. For about two days I had been having stomach pain including three occasions when it was as painful as I have ever known leading me to scream and cry in pain. When I was admitted however, blood tests and all other signs were normal. The hospital contacted Mr Laing and I had an endoscopy (again) which thankfully showed good healing around the site of the operation but everything else was in order (as I could see on the screen)!! Thanks to all the staff at RSH for their support and understanding.
Things have settled and by taking regular notes I have realised that the attacks occur if I am sitting or lying about one and a half to two hours after eating. I have begun to manage this by moving around but also I have increased the Creon after advice from Dr Bland and Emma at Stoke that the food in my stomach may not be fully digesting. The pattern continues with some sitting causing discomfort. But I am fairly certain that it is wind causing the problem and although I have come close to an “incident” over the last three weeks I have not had a serious episode. I am still balancing the Creon and although my digestive system is not as it once was I think this is something that I have to learn to live with – after all, the surgery was the “least worst option” and I think I shall get used to the vagaries of my system over time.
In the meantime, having decided after the last few months that I needed to be more productive with my time, I have been a bit lazy with a lot of time re-playing Horizon Forbidden West on the PS4 on story mode. This is in addition to playing it now on PC where I thought buying a new multi-button mouse would constitute learning!! I realise that this is ultimately a pointless activity. So this morning I have decided that I really need to focus on this blog/lifestory and ensure that it is up to date. It is after all paid for until 2028!! I have assembled all my old training diaries in the study and so I hope the history section of this blog will develop.
A further development is that I am putting together the video and time-lapse material from the Canal Ride. This has been made more difficult by the fact that I have found it difficult to organise the time lapse material into a form that I can use in Final Cut Pro but I think I am getting there and I hope to add the material to a YouTube channel soon.
In terms of training and challenges I have entered the ballot for the London Marathon in 2025 and also applied for a place with Pancreatic Cancer UK who happen to be the headline charity. I should know by August if I get a place so I am intending to increase my walking. If I do get a place then my October challenge this year will be the Wye Valley walk from source to sea (well the Bristol Channel). I am aiming to do it over 8 to 10 days. If I do not get a place for the Marathon then I shall do another canal ride which will probably be the Trent and Mersey canal with bits of the Shropshire Union thrown in. So I am trying to maintain my cycling although much of it has been in the garage so far.
One of the consequences of my stay in Stoke hospital was that I lost 2 stone over a month and most of this appeared to be muscle. I have acquired what I describe as “old man arms” where the muscle has wasted away. I intend to try and start to restore this with a combination of resistance training and rowing (in the garage) so that hopefully I can do some kayaking later in the year.
I haven’t yet played golf as I had to cancel my planned round with Roger on Thursday as I had a very runny nose and cough and did not get much sleep on Wednesday. But while in Shrewsbury yesterday I went to the driving range and hit about 50 balls with the 5 and 8 iron so hopefully I shall get onto the course before long. Having looked at the site this morning I realise this section is hopelessly out of date so I shall try and compile my scores from last year into a record and then record more fully as the year goes on.
So I am getting back to plodding and also trying to be more productive.
Onwards slowly
AJMB