No Seriously

I'm now quite deeply in to the business plan for my new venture. There are a few problems to sort out - mainly surrounding the type of business - self employed or a company. I'm beginning to favour self employed as I can always ramp up later if I need to. The rules are slightly different to what I am used to but the overall principles are the same.

I'm beginning to get the enthusiasm together which is what I need to carry this through. It is difficult to explain to you what I mean by that. Perhaps if you look back to how upbeat I was this time last year and again in November you'll understand. When you get fired up and interested in something you can move mountains. Well I haven't been able to move anything recently - so flat have I felt - and when you aren't feeling great, doing anything let alone getting enthusiastic about it, is difficult.

So I need to build on the sparks that are beginning to erupt from the old embers and to get moving on. These past 3 months have been really quite dark from me and whilst I'm not out of the woods with it yet, I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.

However - I can see no end to these endless metaphors :-)

Next on the list

I'm getting through this backlog that I have built myself - Sooner or later I needed to stop mooching around and get on with things. Now is a good time to start and already I can see things moving on and getting done.

I just now need to break out of the routines I have got into and to set myself new targets and to move on a bit at a time. Too much change in one go can be disruptive and unbalancing. If I have learnt nothing else these past few years it is that these massive swings do not do any good. I am being very careful these days about everything I do mentally and physically - I am still very susceptible to the slightest triggers and I am trying to avoid those but also combat what brings them on. I think your self confidence takes such a huge bashing that you really are hyper sensitive to just about anything that anyone says or does. Things hurt me deeply these days that I never ever worried about and I find myself being very defensive when perhaps I don't need to be.

Oh well, all part of the territory of the Cancer patient I reckon. No one said it would be easy and I can tell you that the road to recovery just continues to stretch out there. Maybe you never truly recover? I'd like to think that in a few years it was just a bad period I can look back on but I'm not sure it will be.

Getting on with it

I started today with good intentions but had a bit of a lie in, after all it was windy and raining. I got up, took my pills had a bit of breakfast, got on the exercise machine, had a shower and all of a sudden it is 10:30!

I have a list of things to achieve this week which will bring down the pile of outstanding items to just a few. It will get more of the desk cleared and also the drawing board and the layout table can be substantially changed in use from storage areas to working areas. There are some tough decisions to be made in terms of throwing things out or archiving but so far, I have been able to throw things out without too much concern.

The next set of decisions are whether to let my professional stuff go, memberships of associations and subscriptions to things that I just don't think I'll need again. It is a case of timing too. Some of these are due now and some a little later in the year. Some were only in place for the time I was working with the last two businesses. Frankly they can go now as I don't use them often enough to warrant paying out for them although the one I worked hard for and got my qualification will be a bit hard to lose. Oh well, things move on.

The sun is out at the moment, the clouds are racing across the sky and so we will probably get the tail a little later. You can tell that we are not used to this sort of thing as the reporter said on the news last night that the worst would come when the eye of the storm struck us? I always thought the eye was the quiet bit in the centre - hence the name. That is the trouble if you leave a reporter doing a live sequence without a properly researched script.

Sunday

A day for relaxation. In fact we cleared out the office and dumped 10 years worth of CD ROMs and Diskettes of software. Loads of magazines and old books and old files. We've archived the company records (you have to keep them for eternity + 10 years) and I can make a start on some more tomorrow.

We are battening down the hatches as we have severe weather warning of gales and rain. So I'll be stuck indoors anyway tomorrow.

Other than that - I have been quite pleased that I have found a whole bunch of documents about employment law when I was reviewing it some 6 or more years ago together with all of my case notes, that will come in most useful in a few weeks time of course.

So a good day - I'm feeling quite as well as I have in a long time. That pleases me.

Onwards and Upwards

"to Infinity & Beyond!" - What a great catch phrase? Good old Buzz Lightyear it is like giving 110%

Goodness me, the difference between me now and last Saturday is incredible. Long may this continue, I feel a lot better - it has taken a week of often quite stern reviews and having to look at the reality of the situation to get me to where I am now. Quite simply I was taking everything as a direct personal attack on me. I've read everything as being directed at me. Having taken out the emotion and applied a bit of logic to things I realise that in reality that isn't the case.

I'm back to concentrating on me now. The rest of the day will be good as I prepare for and go off to my meeting and just enjoy being with a group of like minded friends.

Saturday morning

I just sat down and watched one of my favourite films - Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I remember well going to see it with my mates as part of a double header the other film being Mel Brooks Blazing Saddles - another of my all time favourites.

It is getting the odd escape that is interesting - having a good laugh and realising that life isn't so bad after all. Also heard from a lot of the old partners today and was interested in what they had to say - I certainly don't feel paranoid anymore about that.

Later today it is my Lodge meeting which I am looking forward to enormously. One of my candidates gets initiated and my other candidate takes his next step too. I have 5 guest coming along - almost a record for me I think. It will be a great day out, very enjoyable, lots of drinks and a good evening out with my mates!

I managed to sit down and do a lot of work on the business plan today too which was a real boost to morale.

A move towards a clearer work area

All week I have been throwing out old papers and getting archive boxes filled up with books that I don't plan to be using again. All of my technology books and my PC magazines need to go too. I think that I probably wont renew many of my subscriptions to these, to my many organisations and professional memberships can also be lapse - losing the string of suffixes off the end of my surname.

I also have shelves of software CD-ROMs. It is amazing what software I have picked up over the past 10 or more years. I'm sure that it was a good idea to keep hold of the disks - that is until I see how much space they actually take up. The magazines I regularly cull as they take up too much space within a very short time.

The challenge is whether to throw stuff out or to store it, whether to try and sell it or whether to just dump it. Who knows? Of course, there is so much of it that it takes a while to decide what to do and where to put it. The waste paper man was around this morning and he certainly had a couple of sacks full of shredded paper to deal with.

Gradually

Things are getting a lot better than they were at the beginning of the week, gee was I ever low. I've moved a long way from Monday's dark despair to being relatively upbeat about things.

I also saw a job today that I've asked for more details for. A strange thing but there is a job in a Charity that appealed to me but I need to know a bit more about it to decide whether to send in my CV. It would suit me well as it would use all my IT and management skills to the maximum. The trouble is it isn't particularly well paid and if it were to be full time I wouldn't be able to do it really. I'll see what they come back with as I have asked the questions.

I somehow feel that it would satisfy a desire to put something back and to use my new insight. Let's see what they say.

The other venture is taking shape now and I just need to get it out of my head and off of my scrap books into a proper business plan. It then needs some testing and challenging to see if it really IS the thing I want to do to earn a living.

I spoke to another of the partners today and see that they haven't been contacted since December and don't know what is going on. Divide and rule.

That's better I feel clearer now

I had a good night out last night at the Jazz club and this morning have been for a bracing walk to the shops and back. I'm thinking clearly now, I am not at all worried about what might happen now and I return back to the old saying "What's the worst that could happen?" Well not a lot really. So why worry - it is a strange thing. I never ever used to be as indecisive (but now I'm not so sure - I thought I'd get that in before anyone else did!), worried, paranoid, easily upset, emotional, forgetful, procrastinating, unsure of myself, lacking in self confidence or any of these things.

It is really frustrating too as you know that you were never like this. I don't fancy doing things like going out unless I really force myself to, then when I am there I enjoy myself.

I'm pleased to say that the last few weeks have seen this come to a head and that now, I've said "enough is enough" - I haven't quite said "pull yourself together" - I'm waiting for someone to say that so I can punch them on the nose :-)

I really hope that I have turned that corner and put this stuff behind me now. I feel so much better for having it behind than in front of me.

Just ONE of those days

Well I suppose that I knew deep down inside that I wasn't going to get "satisfaction" from those whom I firmly believe to be dishonorable people. I am SO glad my parents brought me up to be like this - even though it has caused me so much grief these past few months - we should be fighting our corners and "doing the right thing". I doubt my health has been too good doing it right or not though.

The TV finally gave up the ghost today and so we had to go and buy a new one. Interesting argument - I wanted the 40000"Plasma with remote operated by a car battery and the rest didn't! Ended up with an LCD 32" TV which is actually rather nice. You may have to watch it from the next village to appreciate it but nice any way!

Chicago went away - damn shame I could have done with the impetus to shock me out of my current doldrums existence. The ex-employer not responding by the deadline - "priceless" or is that an advert??

So - my best guess is that my ex employer types are going to liquidate. I am going to over compensate, my friends are going to come and help me and finally I will get out of the "death spiral" I feel I am in at the moment. I think too much about what people think of me - I criticise myself for being selfish and yet I tend to be the least selfish person I know sometimes. Other times I am the total opposite. I feel in and out of control all the time and yet, inside, I am in control. If I rationalise, then I know that in most cases I am right. Cancer has introduced an element of self doubt in everything I do now that was never there before, a paranoia if you will that everyone is out to get me or that things are being done to hurt me or my family.

Well - looking at this post alone - it is time to "give it a rest" - Surely life isn't' really this deep and perhaps only 99% of the people are out to get me? :-) It will all be OK in the morning!

Deadline

Has now gone and as is par for the course, based on what I heard yesterday, no call came and no settlement. It will be interesting to hear what will happen next. I have a couple of weeks to clean up my witness statement now and so I'll wait to hear if they will actually make the tribunal or not.

Based on yesterday's conversation - I am guessing that they may throw the towel in next week. I certainly hope so as we can all pack up our bits and move on then.

Wow - Discrimination

Unbelievable isn't it. You'd think that in this day and age people wouldn't get all up tight about cancer yet they do. It is almost how some people treated Leprosy years ago and AIDS for that matter. I re-read some of the points my alleged ex-employers made in the defence document and it looks as if they would play that as a ticket. it would be stunningly stupid of them to do something like that but the thing I can't get over is that other sufferers coming back to work remade to work at the same rate (believe me, you can hardly walk at the same pace let alone work at it). Some complain of total alienation in the workplace and that their colleagues ignore them.

It makes you wonder what is wrong with people. Whilst I wouldn't wish ill on anyone, perhaps everyone should get some insight into what it is like to get something that is life threatening - yet controllable? Living with the stress of recurrence and other such things and treatments and operations would all be a little bit better if people didn't treat you like they could catch it off you!

Chicago?

Not this time. I got the rejection note this morning so no Chicago for me in August - I imagine it is very hot there anyway and we don't do hot.

Whilst I am a little disappointed with that - at least, given the circumstances now (possibly getting none of last year's money owed to me) I won't be financially embarrassed or have to take the whole family over there for a holiday. I'll have to re-think my strategy on all of this now.

Fragility of the mind

I can say that I have gone through the mill these past 20 or so months. I've beaten myself up regularly and gotten depressed (oops the "D" Word). I've gotten wound up over a lot of things and yet, I like to think, that I am the victim in this little lot and shouldn't be feeling like the criminal. The mind does strange things to you.

I just cannot believe that a few years ago I'd have gone for the jugular on this and it wouldn't have worried me at all. These days I lack the self confidence I used to have even though I should continue to trust my instincts and should have reacted a little earlier.

Did these people take advantage of me because of what I had? Well I'd have liked to think so, but they have messed a lot of other people about too and it isn't just me anymore who is complaining.

I need to work on building my self confidence and to strengthen my mind too.

Well I can say that this is a bit better

You know that I was feeling quite depressed about the whole thing earlier in the week and since this afternoon, I'm a lot happier that I've found out what has been going on these past few months. The load has lightened significantly again and I feel a lot better about things even to the fact that I can probably now take this as the compelling event and the trigger to get me to move on. No matter what happens now, it is unlikely that any of us are going to get our money paid to us and rather than it just being me fighting for it - there will be a number of people all equally keen to get their investments back and some I know have much bigger solicitors and significantly more clout than I do.

Knowing what I thought I knew does mean that tomorrows "negotiations" can be approached with a small sprinkling of salt.

I now have a list of things that I can do to sort out the office and get my sad arse in gear!

A little background helps

A ha - no wonder they want to settle for less. They have lost another bunch of people who want their money back and they are blaming me for not having the money to repay them. Money was due to a number of older creditors later this month too. They think that I am due a large amount of money (who advises these people?) as I'm not.

It will be interesting indeed to see quite what goes on in the next few weeks. I have just gone up the road and bought a packet of wine gums to celebrate! I liked the bit that they thought I hadn't told anyone - and yet most know already, the overstatement of the facts, the innocence and naivety demonstrated and above all the final realisation that this could be the end game. Four months after they reckoned that it was all OK, they still aren't there and neither is the money. The problem all along was that we all communicated with each other and realised each was being given a different version of the "facts".

Now it may be a strange thing to say but it has cheered me up and confirmed what I felt was actually going on. Why am I happy? At least the thing can come to an end, they can get a liquidator in and a line can be drawn under the whole sordid affair. I may get nothing but at least no other person will get stiffed by these guys.

A better day so far

The conciliators have come back with some sort of settlement. I've said I'm open to suggestions but I don't hold out that much hope that they'll come up with anything new or exciting. They are not even going to meet the figure itself which shows their contempt for the process.

Ho hum. So what else? I got on with tidying up the office and with beginning to spec out the new company web sites and details. Also potentially getting some work for a friend of mine at the same time. Such is the level of "laid backness" today that I ave now managed to sort out some of my to do list without hardly realising it. A little more to go yet though as I need to sort out some financials and get some money paid into various bank accounts. I think I will do that tomorrow.

For the moment - the clock is ticking - mediation finishes tomorrow evening. If things cannot be settled then off to the Tribunal we go. They may not have realised that I will be taking the approach from now on that I have nothing to lose as I already lost it and am trying to get it back. The nearer it gets to the day the more Win/Lose it becomes.

Good

That's better - I've changed my morning routine, I have spent some time just thinking about things and am in a much better frame of mind this morning. In fact I was feeling quite OK when I went to bed last night too. Almost at peace with myself if that makes sense?

I'm back onto exercising this morning - properly and not haphazardly and I'm beginning to feel good about myself again. Not sure how long that will last but I will try and keep looking at things positively.

Better

A friend was around this evening and it was good to talk to someone who understood some of the jargon going on around the tribunal. It is all very well telling the wife and kids but I hardly expect them to understand the finer points of the Law of Employment - although they would probably understand them better than my previous employer.

Anyway, I am cheered up a lot more now which is good, I was definitely on a very low one today. Not as bad as my old friend the black dog but not far short of it!

Anyway, I have started to clear out my room and I am throwing away stuff that reminds me of it and getting on with things. Tomorrow - I start to get out and to live a little bit more.

Thanks KP

This cheered me up.

It says

So you think YOU had a bad day?

It Can Always be worse!

A second walk helped

With the wife - we went out and had a bracing walk it is getting very cold out there. A bit of a chat and a bit of balance into the equation. There are so many variables at the moment and it doesn't help to try and second guess the issue either.

I will be glad when I get some clarity either way and can get on with whatever I am going to do next.

Well kind of

I suppose that it has helped a bit - I am just going through a bad period at the moment. I've tried distraction and other techniques and the walk seems to have calmed things down a bit - I'm going to do a bit more in a few hours to see if that might help a bit more to break up the day and stop me dwelling on the negatives

It really is annoying as I know what is wrong and I should be able to deal with this - I always used to but again, I find that having had cancer has really weakened my mind. You get really strong in some ways fighting it and facing up to the treatment and then you get this stuff gnawing away at you.

I hope that I can get this lot out of the way and get on with my life as this is just stupid.

Roller Coaster Continues

Spoke to the conciliator - I am hoping that the work I have now done clearly lays out the choices for them. It is stark stuff but my documents make it clear what the case was. I'm only talking to the middle man and yet my chest is heaving. I'm going to take myself out for a walk to see if that does me some good.

Somewhat better

I was having a very bad day yesterday and yet, rationalising it as I went to bed - I just cannot see what it is that should be triggering me off I suppose it is just annoying and I'm worried about getting angry and aggressive or "losing it" during the tribunal but again, if I think long and hard about this, it is obvious what is going on. They don't work the same way that I do and my personality cannot make sense of it. In fact that is probably more like it. I can see the wood from the trees - they really haven't worked out that yet. They can't even see there is either there.

Of course, it isn't just that which is gnawing away at me either. The painfully slow road to recovery is also getting to me. I realise that it is also probably getting old but I don't have the energy levels and fitness levels I used to have which limits me and I'm going to start to tackle those sometime this week as I need to literally and figuratively "get out more". Sitting at this PC day in and day out really isn't going to make me fit.

Oh well, I'm feeling a lot better than yesterday and I have no doubt this week will bring much in the way of ups and downs too. I just need to work my way through them.

Getting quite depressed again

All of a sudden it came on again, not big nasty old black dog but inward looking, fed up, can't move on, introspective me.

I really really hate this at the moment. I feel quite sick inside and just when I feel good or move a bit, something comes along and knocks me back again. I have to get on with things and yet I'd quite happily go and sit quietly somewhere and brood over something.

I know I'm like this because of the tribunal thing - I mean what did I expect to happen? They lied last year so why change the way they approach their business and no doubt personal ethics. Probably that is right at the heart of it. I feel cheated and used and taken advantage of and I really cannot forgive or forget that with all the other troubles I've had they did this to me. Better than that, they have brought that up as some form of defence. Perhaps that is also at the heart of it, it is almost like some prejudice about me having had cancer or dared to have had treatment when I was meant to be working for nothing for them.

I'm not entirely sure how to tackle this at the moment. I hope that this week will see it all go away in some form or another.

I'm certainly going to try and do something different tomorrow to move myself on with it. They get the documents tomorrow so perhaps that will set some sort of resolution in process.

As parties go

It wasn't one I'd have made an effort to go to. I knew - my wife only and no one else! I did my best, hosed down a few beers and listened to the music which was a redeeming feature of the evening.

Other than that - I have to say I was bored senseless. Oh well, you have to go to these things sometimes I suppose.

Off out in a minute

Totally forgotten that we are off out tonight - are you coming? I was just asked ??????

A "dress to Impress" party - great - I'll see if the DJ still fits, my shirt is creased to blazes so I can't take off my jacket :-)

Great. Oh well - free booze so I should be alright I guess.

Interesting

A few more documents than I envisaged were produced for the tribunal by my ex-employers. Mine will land on their desk on Monday and so we will see what they make of them as they ave missed 4 absolutely key documents out. I imagine once that they see them things will change.

After all of that I'm getting on and catching up with my list of things to do. I've managed to clear out quite a bit of initial paperwork today and need to get on and do some more this afternoon.

I'm feeling OK about the tribunal stuff now as there isn't anything in there that shouldn't be and only a couple of documents that I wouldn't have had a chance to see. There is a surprise one in there - quite why they have such a fixation with my bladder cancer and treatment I don't know. However, I think that it should be interesting to see what they would present to a tribunal. Perhaps that cancer patients don't have employment rights.

Leap Year

I was in London yesterday - we had a good few beers and a curry after a meeting and blow me - I couldn't believe how much money I got through. I certainly cannot drink as much as I used to though I was feeling very slow indeed as I started to refuse drinks

Today I was up early, posted the documents and then went off to sort out a database problem. That took ages. I did divert on the way back and have a couple of beers and some rolls as I missed lunch hanging around waiting for stuff to get done.

It was really whilst I was sitting down and doing my usual - making notes - today that I decided to move on to the next stage in the process and fully assemble a commercial plan for my new venture and to get something moving on that. Tomorrow should see the start of some serious work on the business as I spoke to someone yesterday who really put the current situation into perspective for me. I have been focusing on how unjust things have been but I really should sweep it away and get on with things. Not easy - I need to realise that it isn't personal, that they really are going to fall even harder if they continue to act like they do and also that it isn't that important.

Earthquake - what Earthquake?

I didn't hear it or feel it but I got up at 1 in the morning just after the quake struck but it could only have woken me - I would have had no idea what was going on otherwise.

As with most of the larger natural events - it looks as if I managed to sleep through this one and the Hurricane in 1987. Which reminds me - I've lived in this house now for 20 years in July - goodness - where did the time go?

We don't get extreme events here in the UK but given the BBC's coverage you would have thought half the country had tumbled into the sea or something. A few Chimney pots crashed to the ground and one person was hurt. I'm not sure that it takes up that much space when the deaths by RTAs was probably in the tens of people.

Putting things in order and to bed

I finally wrapped up the documents today for the Tribunal and they are ready to be posted off. That is something out of the way. I have completed the Witness statement and have that ready to go too.

I feel that this bit of the problem can start to be shut down now and that moves are taking place to resolve that.

I now need to move on the other areas and get closure and also to move on with my career and my new venture. I've been side tracked enough these past few weeks with spurious jobs that haven't gotten anywhere. I've sent off my CV and that has gone nowhere and the job for this week didn't materialise either. I think I need to go back to making my own luck from now on.

The next thing is to get back into some sort of work routines which have been sadly missing these past few months unfortunately.

New Look

Someone commented that the blog was Pink - which I did originally from the Breast Cancer colours. However, it is about time we had a change and so a more blue hue has been chosen.

Strength Comparison

I haven't driven that sort of distance since before I was diagnosed. Perhaps the longest I have done was 4 hours divided into two journeys. So it was an interesting comparison on my overall levels of fitness before and after.

Yesterday's and the day before journeys of 6 and about 8 hours were eye opening ones for me as I realised that I can now only realistically drive for about 2 hours at a time before needing to get a break. My legs were almost numb by then. it could be my footwear as I have noticed that they tend to give me a numb foot occasionally so I need to perhaps drive around in different shoes and see if that helps. The amazing thing is that I really needed the breaks where years ago, I would have been able to perhaps do the 6 hour trip with one stop and the 8 hour one with 2 or perhaps 3.

Overall I really felt the drive and even my nice car, which is very comfortable, didn't help me much. Sure it flies along at great speed but didn't help in the comfort department if my leg was going numb on me.

It was a marked difference. What do you expect? I can hear many shouting at me. Well, I really wasn't expecting to be quite so tired and weak as I was. At least I can start to work on that a bit more now.

Feint Light

That something will happen about the Tribunal before going to the full Tribunal itself. I certainly hope so as it would make sense given the paperwork I have.

We will have to wait and see what happens on this. There is only a limited time available to settle and so let's hope that they do something about it.

Back from Uni

Nice campus down at Falmouth - place was full of students (Art and Design types). An excellent place though almost brand new and fully equipped for photography.

A had her interview this morning now we have to wait and see. So far - all the others have given an offer. It is a long way there and back so we stayed at a nice Hotel last night. I would like to have stayed longer but perhaps if she gets a place we can. It took 6 hours down and close to 8 back although I did come along the scenic route.

One up One Down

Heard over the weekend that one friend has Esophagus Cancer and they have shrunk the tumour and will operate in the next few weeks. Also today that one of my co BC sufferers got the clear and is on maintenance.

Well - the first is looking quite good so far - fingers crossed. Dare I say = there is a lot of it about.

Too much hassle

It often feels that to go and chase all the money owed to me is too much hassle but I figure that I should do this even if there is little chance of collecting as some other poor person may also end up being ripped off. It also annoys the hell out of me that someone actually thinks that it is acceptable behaviour to use your time and expertise and do this.

These people mess up your mind but I'm beginning to think, in the overall scheme of things, that they will turn over one too many people and someone who is bigger and less subtle than I am may intervene. I love the way these guys are always playing the innocent as well. After 2 years or more of mismanagement - somehow it ends up as being my problem!

Anyway, a few days out will help this week I hope.

Preparation

It was a good meeting yesterday - so good in fact that I didn't have a chance to post a blog. Someone asked me why I did this blog yesterday. It all started when a friend of mine suggested it; that was way back in October 2006.

Since then it has become almost a daily ritual. It may perhaps surprise most people to know that I don't keep a diary normally.

We are preparing to go away as my eldest has an important interview at a University the other end of the country so we need to drive and stay there. Her photography work continues to surprise and amaze us and the project she had to submit just to get this interview was as much as a single 3 month module on its own.

my documents for University have also come through so I am reading through these.

Hell- we were on form tonight

I went to m friend's daughter's 18th birthday party - we arrived late as both daughters could not interpret the detailed instructions - I am being given a lift home - if I need you to pick me up - I will call.

So I get dropped off at home and no one is here and the phone goes off saying they are outside. Outside where I inquire? They are outside the place I was in 30 minutes previous as the girls had been so busy watching their programme hadn't interpreted the data I gave them correctly.

we got to the party fashionably late and encountered an audience who were up for "my sense of humour" and so I enjoyed myself. The wife looked to the heavens and the daughter's just wanted the floor to open up.

We kept the masses entertained which was what was needed!

Another good evening - I am now going to be working for an hour or two as I have a meeting to attend to in less than 8 hours time! It only happens 3 times a year but tomorrow is one of those times!

OOhh

Excellent - you wont have to hear from me for a few days next week as I am away. I know you will be relieved :-)

How busy am I this week

Crazy, I am out again this afternoon and have to come back and then get changed and off to a party - tomorrow I am out at the crack of sparrows for another long meeting. That would make me having been out every day this week already! Phew.

On an interesting note I went back over some of my documents and noticed that the tribunal notes from the ex-employer stated I had written something some months prior to getting the job - so I had but also - so had they so it added another 6 documents to my argument. excellent.

A really nice night out

Especially as I didn't have to drive - a friend offered. We had a great evening and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The wine flowed freely. The beer came from a never ending tap and we just had a whale of a time.

Whilst much alcohol was consumed, with the meal and plenty of bread and cheese to mop it up - I am feeling quite sober really. Anyway - a good time had by all, my friend hasn't heard about all of his investments with the mob I am in legals with either! Well, there's a clue I suppose!

Another friend dropped me a line - he is also going for scans - I hope to see him on Saturday and fingers crossed that he is OK. There is a lot of it around unfortunately.

Happier

Have sorted out stuff for the Tribunal with their brief and all is cool on dates etc.

Will be interesting as the disclosures all look back to front to me. Oh well - we will see what the first transfer does for every-one's nerves. It is like playing Poker but you have to disclose your hand first. Interesting.
Off out soon and looking forward to a good evening and a few beers too.

Out and About

It was an interesting day yesterday - I went to sort out some software problems, was bought lunch - nice and then had a few more beers - wandered home and had a few more beers and suddenly the amazing properties of alcohol kicked in and nothing looked that bad after all.

Of course, trying to actually get going this morning is a bit difficult.

A good night out

It was indeed a great night out and I did thoroughly enjoy myself. I do once I get off my arse and get going. I could do with the world stopping for a week or ten and just going away and letting every body else get on with it.

I still end up organising and doing and organising and I'm the one with all the problems!


I had a nice talk with a friend of mine who stared at the man a few years ago with a massive heart attack. He is fine now and has some great views on life, the universe and all of that. Anyway - I must dash as I need to be ready to go out in the morning and I need to prepare myself for seizures in my legs again - can you believe that they hurt like hell still? I really am still feeling as if I will cramp up at any time.

Oh well - let's see how tonight goes !!

Oh Great

Tribunal has been postponed for a month! Just what I needed.

I'd better go see what they want to do with the Witness Statements and Documents then?

What a week and it's only Tuesday!

Cramp - Twice

Last night was not good - I was off my food - unlike me - didn't feel great - probably writing the Witness Statement which sickened me doing it.

Abut 4 this morning I got the wide awake bit and ouch - cramp left leg - a really bad one - the sort where you scream and invent new swear words! Bad - I tried to get out of bed - my leg gave way - I crashed into my exercise machine and gashed by right big toe, so I ended up lying on my back trying to undo the large knot that was my calf muscle and staunch the flow of blood from the right toe!!

I finally managed to settle back down after about 2 hours only to get the right leg do the exact same thing at 8 in the morning.

I really don't need or deserve this right now - I really could do without it. I need to get this ugly nasty stuff off of my desk and into the Tribunal people and leave it for them to sort out. I certainly could do without all the other nonsense going on at the same time too.

That is

Another day just writing up what happened. I think I will do a review and call it a day in the morning and then get this over to the them and see what they make of it.

This is making me ill, I haven't got the belly for this sort of stuff anymore - I may have gone through all sorts of stuff but I really don't care for this petty bickering and greed of some people or their need to bully their way around this sort of thing.

Oh well - get to bed and relax I can finish this off in the morning and that will do - there are other things that need to be gotten on with.

Whoops - I'd better go to bed

I got a lot of work done today but I am still at it and it is almost 1 am. Time for bed I think.

Preparing all of this stuff for the Tribunal is tedious but it is at least making things straight in my head as to what happened and now I a lot happier that things will play out as best they can.

Closure - I need closure on this stuff. I have also to remember that sometimes the Dragon actually wins.

Sleep on it

And I did and things are much clearer this morning. All the obfuscation these guys put up is a smoke screen. I need to prepare things pretty swiftly but don't need to answer some of the more obscure stuff they put in to their statement. I just need to concentrate on what the facts are.

Good - that is a weight off of my mind. I shall try and get it finished by tonight and then I don't need to worry about it.

A friend in need

Is a nuisance - get rid of him (thanks Tommy Cooper!).

No really, a friend of mine turned up today and we went through some paper work that I was having trouble with and I think that helped sort out something that had been bugging me. We then went off for a few beers and I felt a lot better after that as I was able to get some of the worry off my chest about the Tribunal and the nonsense going on there.

I came home and had a few beers and feel nice and sleepy now :-) Which is good as I don't want a sleepless night worrying like I did last night!

Oh well

The documentation is through and they are going to fight their corner- perhaps I shouldn't have expected anything else. It has annoyed me quite a bit that they have dragged a load of unnecessary stuff into the response to obfuscate things. I suppose that is the way they work.

So feeling pretty miserable as a result but will hopefully cheer myself up a bit over the weekend.

A bit better night

The cramps didn't materialise into much more than just a set of twinges although I was up a number of times over night. I tend to forget that the treatment does that. The brain is pretty good at forgetting little facts like the amount of times you need to trot off to the toilet!

Anyway, the main thing is that I didn't wake up with my muscles tied in knots last night and yet this morning I can still feel a slight low down ache in my calves. I shall have to take myself off for a walk or something later to see if I can sort that out.

The deadline has gone for the response and I have heard nothing so far. That determines the next actions I have to do and so with a bit of luck I'll hear today or Monday on that as if I have to produce evidence - I will need to go and get that copied and bound and posted off ASAP.

I am feeling a lot better about myself these days, it helped to talk to two friends over the past week who have been through similar experiences and realise that they are getting on with things - I'm getting on with things now and hope that I'll soon start getting "closure" on some of these.

Ouch again

Mmm, I've got cramps in my legs again tonight - not bad but I can tell they are there! I am still suffering slightly - my mate said to me that I didn't look 100% today and I was a bit whiter than usual.

Oh well, take thing easy - get to bed early and also I mustn't forget to make the phone call I forgot last week!

And I mustn't forget to drop a note to a contact who left me a message last week and ll those e-mails to deal with. I need to give myself a stern talking to in the morning and get on with the growing list of to dos I have here.

Disturbed Night

I get this occasionally - cramp in my calf muscles. It seems to be after the treatment but also - and I am almost convincing myself about this now - as part of these Statins I am taking. Granted, I'm not back up to full fitness yet and so perhaps now that I can start to get myself back into shape this will go away again. However, I'm not enjoying the 3 am wake up with cramp and the yelling and stretching and massaging my leg back to normality. It always seems to happen on or about the 2nd or 3rd day after treatment too.

On a lighter note, I am looking forward to going out to lunch today with my friend. It is a milestone day in some respects as it is the deadline for a response to be entered by my ex-employers. Once that is known then we can go forward again to the next step and see what happens next. Going out will mean that I am not stewing over what the response is. In a way I hope they miss it or realise that the defence they are going with is stretching the imagination a bit!

So - hopefully a good day ahead and a pleasant lunch time.

Still a little painful

I tend to forget that the after effects can go on for a while after treatment and I'm certainly feeling a few twinges. At least this is the last for a while.

Tomorrow is the deadline for my ex-employer to get their response back to the Tribunal and so I guess I will hear on Friday whether things now move forward to the full hearing or whether there will be a default judgement. Either way now suits me and I can prepare the next step of the process.

I out with a good friend tomorrow to discuss the latest in both of our recoveries and to talk about 2008 and new opportunities. It will be a good meeting whatever as we enjoy each other's company. Looking forward to comparing notes again.

Another one

I just spoke to an old friend who had a lump examined under ultrasound yesterday and now has to go and have biopsies taken on Friday. It is the waiting around for the results I told him which was the worst bit.

He hadn't realised what sort of cancer I had had - so he drew a sharp intake of breath when I told him. Modern science and medicine these days is such that you stand a very good chance of survival. I was surprised that some forms of cancer are coming down in their rating and you cannot insure against some of them if they are at an early CIS type stage! In some cases of course, they can now fully cure cancer which is brilliant. A lot more of course live in remission.

Anyway, I do hope that they find it is non cancerous and sort it out and I hope that he stops smoking! I can understand that he is stressed to bits too so I hope that I managed to give him the survivor's view!

I don't envy him the waiting. I remember the last lot and even knowing that it "looked" OK it was still a worry. A wonderful day too for me of course but 3 or 4 weeks of concern.

A good evening

Another old friend turned up last night and we had some good reminiscences. At one point we were laughing so loud I thought we were going to get chucked out of the pub.

I was doing the "every 15 minute" trip to the loo, which must have seemed strange - I've needed to go a few times before but not like that - it is one of the side effects of the treatment, it will go away in a few days time.

Had a brief but interesting conversation with my friend who didn't set up as self-employed but as a Limited company - I need to go and think this through now. I cannot decide whether to go self employed, a limited business change my existing business or quite what. Thinking cap on for the rest of the week.

I'm still a little bit sore but not too bad considering the side effects on Monday night. I am hoping that I can start next week without having to worry about anything and also getting my Monday and Tuesday back to useful employment now that I don't have the treatment to contend with.

A quick post

Before I go out and meet up with the lads. I deserve a beer, I really do. I need to make sure that I am also quite near the toilet too :-)

No really - it will be good to meet up again - it seems ages but is only a month since the last one. I hope to get some good data out of one of my friends who is self employed. One of the key things I got from the weekend course was that it may be worth me doing that than having a company behind me. Of course that opens you up to liability issues but the business isn't one where I will be buying massive chunks of equipment or owning anyone money so it shouldn't get to that.

Anyway - I'd better go and get ready and make my way over and enjoy a few glasses of warm british beer.

Treatment News

So yesterday was the last of this batch - my goodness I have had 18 of these - I'm sure the Urology nurse has seen my tackle more often than the wife :-)

Anyway - so I asked what the next steps are if all is clear:

Another batch of BCG like this one - which is 3 followed by a 9 week wait and another 3 and then operation and biopsies 12 weeks later. If that is clear, repeat the same one more time. If that is clear - then that is it! No 8 years worth and longer periods in between operations etc. I imagine that there would be some visual scoping and tests along the way.

That was a surprise - I was expecting a lot longer but modern practice appears to be this regimen. I could be finished with all of this around about this time next year in that case. Amazing.

A change in the wind

I am up, I am hurting (you'd better believe it) and I'm feeling good about myself at last.

First, the treatment was instilled quickly and easily and with minimum discomfort - better than the previous two but the side effects this time were immediate and started bang on 2 hours in. I am pretty uncomfortable right now as not only is the area sore but also there are occasional spasms of my bladder and urethra. Interesting and these things are strange - imagine if you have had a muscle spasm or twitch and then transfer that downstairs - a very strange sensation (where do you change the batteries?).

So I am going to leave his PC alone and go and rest up in a few minutes as I know I need some rest - I should have stayed in bed longer but someone put the phone back in my room and someone called about 45 minutes ago so I was awake then.

Other than this - I am feeling a lot better knowing I don't have another one of these next week and that things seem to be changing, my outlook is better and I notice that I am beginning to look outside of my own little world which I've lived in for quite a while. I am not feeling so thunderously depressed as I was and the weekend seemed to do me good - perhaps I had someone who had suffered the same stuff as me and so I was able to get a lot of it off of my chest. It was very therapeutic and I feel like a huge weight is lifted off me. I also think that the course I went on also made me confident that I could make a living at it and that I could be successful (not being nasty but a lot of people hadn't thought it through before they went).

I've written off for details of a BA Hons History Degree that I think I'd like to study and I have the details of the Professional Genealogists course too. If I can make the figures stack up, then I will look at this if the other job that a friend has lined up doesn't materialise.

So whilst I am not feeling great this morning physically I am feeling very positive mentally - more so than for a long time. Long may that continue.

The Unsung Hero - Heroine actually

Is my wife. Today she will run me up to the Hospital and double park to wait for me to have my treatment, she drives me home, keeps an eye on the timings and puts up with all the side effects such as me being grumpy or tired or lazy or sleepy or wide awake or insomniatic and just about everything else. I can't imagine that it is great to see me in the state I'll be in later today or to hear me grunting and groaning every-time I try and move to make myself comfortable.

She has never once complained about it, she has just got on and been there all the time and she has cheered me up when I've needed it too.

I will have to start acting as if I deserved all of this attention.

Right - off to get ready for the last one this session - I'm sure that I'll be back on this stuff again in June or July if all goes OK with the Biopsies.

Suddenly it is all matter of fact

I was just reading the previous post. It sounded more like a press release than me talking. Such is the ongoing normalness of such things like treatment and operations that it is just something that happens to me now.

Before I used to be all wound up about it but it appears to me to be part of my every day life now.

My friend in Canterbury asked me if I feared anything these days? I thought that was a strange question but I was able to answer that no I didn't fear anything now. I can still get angry or anxious but I don't fear things anymore. There is probably a good reason behind his question but there is something quite refreshing about being a cancer survivor. You don't take prisoners anymore and you deal with shallow people in a very assertive way. You don't worry too much about things - what is the worst that can happen?

Having said that - I am pretty bent out of shape by the stuff going on around the Tribunal but again, what is the worst that can happen? The worst that can happen is that I lose the case. Is that fear or just anger?

Anyway, I am just surprised at myself for being so matter of fact about getting the treatment, having an operation and all of that. That is a big change in less than a year.

So here we are - final treatment of this session

Count three months from today - about the 6th May - and I should be in Hospital getting biopsies and we will see just how effective things have been. The longer you go without recurrence, then the greater the chances are that you are winning the battle. There is chart somewhere that explains all of this but, it generally shows that your odds of recovery improve greatly as time goes on and there are no set-backs.

By continuing to treat and then pulling that out over a period of time the treatment continues to renew the bladder lining and so lessen the chances of recurrence.

Anyway, final treatment and in a few hours I'll swing into the usual patterns and rituals to see me through the day. The last time, this third one proved to be the worst of the 3 so I will again be on my guard. You have to treat them all with respect.

Not a criticism - just an observation

When you get Cancer - your friends are too close to you to know what to do about it as they have been hit about as hard as you have (in a different way). SO I don't want it so sound at all as if it is a criticism, in fact, I only realised this the other night talking to my friend in Canterbury. Those nearest and dearest to you get thwacked with your Cancer diagnosis themselves and they have to deal with it too. I'm annoyed now that they went through that and that it has taken me this long to realise.

What was amazing was that those who I knew well but I wouldn't put them into family and friends category came in closer whilst the close ones moved away slightly.

I'm not sure that this post is making sense or being sensitive enough about this. Just an observation that in getting my diagnosis it hurt the circle of my friends and family. It didn't send anyone into misbehaviour (apart from me) - I don't think anyone got angry or bent out of shape about it, we don't do emotion as a family and it is rare that voices are raised or doors slammed etc. My friends have been great but I hadn't thought that my diagnosis and treatment would upset anyone else but me - it does tend to be a personal and selfish experience in my humble opinion. It does affect other people around you and we all deal with it differently.

I'm annoyed with myself for not seeing this until now - sure - I've had lots on my plate but it isn't at all like me - I am pretty good about this sort of thing. Some would say that I was superficial but they'd just be scratching the surface!

All is OK now - I think that it is just an interesting subject to explore a bit deeper when I get time. I never asked anyone else how "they" felt about it as it seemed to be so personal to me.

I've been so often I didn't know the half of it

I have been to Canterbury a lot of times. For the Cricket - for work but not since I was a youngster have I been in the centre or in the wonderful surrounding streets.

I was a lovely walk to the IHGS offices through some period streets, buildings all out of square and regular shape as they sag with age and display a character new buildings just cannot. I shall have to take myself off to Canterbury again, armed with a camera and a good guide book the streets should come alive and tell me their history. It looked marvellous and I eaves dropped a number of tourists and their guide talking about one building. Fascinating stuff.

It isn't that far from me but takes a good 1 1/2 hours on the train. It takes that long by car too unfortunately. However, the whole town looks great - the traffic has always been a problem and I think I have spent more time on the ring road than in the town.

So there you have it - another wonder explored and a place to go on my to do list.

The course was a useful one I thought - you needed to contribute and yet not too many people did. I felt that a number hadn't really thought through their business strategy and were somehow hoping that by a miracle it would all come clear and they would go home and start trading in Monday. In reality I actually felt I could start trading on Monday as I have already covered off most of the bases. I Won't of course, as Monday and Tuesday are probably going to be spent in a darkened room with the last of my current batch of treatments.

Anyway, having met A's mentor and had a longs chat and having done the course and seen those who I am up against as potential competitors (and having met those taking the course) I can see that there is a market to be achieved out there and it just needs a few more major decisions to be made as to whether to incorporate or not or whether to trade in my own name (self branding no corporate branding) that needs to be decided. Having an interchangeable or two businesses is also a possibility but then there are two set up and admin costs and split equipment charges etc. All very confusing and perhaps the most difficult decision to make.

Thought Provoking

An interesting day and lots of information that I can say I already knew - perhaps 80% of what i heard was as I had expected. The 20% though was interesting. Afterwards I spent a great evening with someone who I have a lot of time for and that I am growing to like more and more. A's mentor in the photographic world. A lovely guy and a kindred spirit. Isn't it great when you meet someone you can relate to and share similar experiences with?

A good day out in Canterbury and I'll say more as it sinks in - for now - it is late and I need to go and get my beauty sleep!

Treatment day on Monday and that is the lot for a while - yippee!

Looking forward to tomorrow

Off to bed now as an early start and I am looking forward to having a day of working out whether I ought to be doing family history research or not. It will be interesting to hear what others have to say about it and whether there is a living to be made or whether it is all just so much wishful thinking.

Well - I'll find out tomorrow.

Come on Brain!

The one thing that I have noticed is how "slow" and forgetful I am these days. It could be the treatment it may be the Statins it may be just old age but blast it all, I forget things that I never used to forget before! Like making a phone call that I should have done this morning - my alarm went off but that isn't a lot of use when I wasn't even anywhere near to hear it go off! I've just recalled that I should have been doing something. I thought perhaps I should be out somewhere or doing something and when I went to look, there it was a missed phone call. Blast it!

If there is one thing I miss it is my previous ability to have all my tasks worked out and to tackle them - these days I write out the list and promptly forget where I put the damn thing!

Anyway - I am looking forward to tomorrow so much. I am off to Canterbury to go on this course and I will see how I stack up against the competition and what the "experts" reckon on taking up a researchers role. I have printed off some business cards as a temporary measure so I can hand those out and start networking early. I just need to check train times and get my stuff together for the morning and I can go off and enjoy myself. After the meeting I am going to be going out for a few beers with a very nice guy who is helping my daughter with her photography and lets her use his studio and facilities. As he wont allow us to pay for the materials I ought to at least buy him a slap up meal and a beer!

Friday again

Where did the week go to again? It is Friday and suddenly another week has gone and I couldn't tell you where the time went.

I fixed my CV up this morning and whacked that off to my friend. Let's see what they make of it? It is amazing how many really interesting and complicated projects I have been involved with over the years. I was quite impressed once I wrote down a list of some of my achievements. I haven't put them on m CV as they aren't recent and yet - these are all household names and well known businesses and buildings. These days, the recruiters tend to go on the first page only of your CV - you could turn water to wine or make gold from lead and they wouldn't notice it :-)

It will be interesting to see quite what they make of my experience and also what sort of value they put on that level of experience and expertise. There aren't too many have sat on both sides of the fence or who fully appreciate the needs of the builder and the IT personnel too.

Way over left field

Well that was a bolt out of the blue. An old friend of mine just called - they are looking for someone who has a good background in construction and computer room design and implementation and also has good IT skills too. Strangely enough, there aren't too many people can do all the building work and understand the IT piece too. Can I send my CV in tomorrow? Well I suppose I can and see where that goes. It is a bit strange as there have been a number of e-mails and phone calls with people after my services.

I ought to follow this one up as it is a massive corporate and household name and that in itself would be interesting to me. It wouldn't do any harm I suppose to go and look at it at least. Perhaps that is what I need in the short term - someone to think for me?

I got a lot done yesterday - I am still up because the oldest has been out to a concert in London and has just got back! She seems happy enough as the band gave away some freebies and she got a handful of them - the freebies that is!


Still no news about Chicago although the registration has now commenced there is no program published either as of yet. I hope I hear soon as that will also determine what I do this year too. I can then get to and plan what I will do about holiday/vacation in and around Illinois. Buffalo/Niagara and Rochester are all within striking distance so perhaps spend some time driving around the lakes.

Anyway - it is late and I need to get off to bed as I have to get myself ready for Saturday and my course and work out train times and so on.

Breaking the bonds

Gradually I can feel myself making positive progress forwards. I'm not quite as focused on the baggage dragging along from the past at the moment, maybe because I have done something about it? This morning feels a lot better and I don't know, perhaps as I actually talked to someone about it last night or that in a week their response to the tribunal should be through and things can move on. Production of some hard evidence would be useful I suppose.

It was a good night out last night - I really enjoyed myself and the only thing is that this morning I still ave this sore throat and very very slight cold. It is just there in the background - I expect the immunotherapy is beating it up as we speak!

Lots of things to get on with today and I've already sorted out one batch of letters and posters to send out for the Easter Egg hunt which is looming large this year.

I now need to get cracking on a load of labels and addresses for a mass mailing I have to do - thank goodness that most of the stuff now goes out by e-mail.

Well - I'd better go and get stuck in to that I suppose.

So many things to do, so many excuses not to do them

I got the table plan and dining cards sorted out and then two people cried off so had to re-do the lot. It is too late now - if they can't get their act together then so be it! They will just have to be sat where I put them and tough luck.

It was quite amusing some time ago when someone forgot to tell me until the day he was dining and I put him out of order with his rank and position - after the meal he was quite indignant. To which I used the now famous words "Did it make your food taste any different?" and "Well, it was hardly life threatening now was it?" I believe he may have complained about me but who gives a toss! Life's too short.

Talking of which, I still cannot get my a**e in gear. It is just so easy to get distracted or lose time over the day - it just bleeds away - a bit here and a bit there. I've been mucking about with this dining plan for about 3 hours. It should be a 45 minute job at most. I've spent time reading some blogs, looking at a few web sites. OK I did a little bit of research on shopping carts for my potential new business too but as my old boss used to say "Never confuse effort with achievement".

Mind you, I'm not feeling that bright and have been yawning most of this afternoon and have taken tablets for this sore throat which doesn't seem to be going away although (touch wood) it isn't getting any worse either.

At least the meeting this afternoon will cheer me up.

Slightly Empty yet Overloaded

I saw a blog post from someone also with BC who was in "burn out". They'd got to a point where they had information overload about their condition, had lots of recurrences and more procedures than you could count on two hands. The upshot was that they were just staring at loads of paper, reports, and their job was messed up as there was no continuity through the amount of time off. Finally, they had been concentrating so hard looking inwards that they had forgotten everything else that was going on around them. That's about the time I reckon I'd just go and lie down somewhere or try and get a break.

it made me stop to think and consider that this is a lonely disease and quite an introverted one at that. I have this blog - it has been really good for getting stuff off my chest no matter how trivial it may appear. This is an outlet for much of the anger, aggression, sadness and minutiae of the things I go through. I can see that there is a build up of negative energy in the way things have panned out for me. I'm particularly disappointed that I never really got to celebrate being given the all clear and that I cancelled a lot of things for the business (and I use that term in its loosest possible meaning) that I worked for. I had a lot of focus last year on that and it took my mind off of what was going on here. I was busy and up until the end part enjoyed that. I don't have that enthusiasm at the moment nor can I get that sort of enthusiasm for this new venture. It is as if that spark has been extinguished.

What am I getting at here? Only that I begin to recognise the barriers in my way and the things I now need to overcome to get myself back on form and back to somewhere near my old self. I presently have too much time to think and analyse rather than getting on and doing. I hope that this weekend will convince me to either go or drop my business plans. Whatever way the decision goes, at least another hurdle can be navigated and things can move on.

I don't feel like I'm burnt out, I do feel like I am overloaded with detail and fact and that I am taking ages to come to decisions (not surprising considering the thought that went into taking the last job and the outcome so far). I am probably doubting my own abilities and I am still coming to terms with things round the disease, even now!

More as I work my way through this. It isn't new information, it is what I have been struggling with since December in reality. Oh well - another set of things to overcome and without my magic wand none of them will go away easily. Perhaps knowing what all these things are will make it easier to deal with - I certainly hope so, I'm not enjoying life at the moment, it is full of conflict (real or imagined) and I don't need that. I guess some of that will iron itself out in the next few weeks - let's hope so.

Dawn Breaks

The sore throat is still here but hasn't got any worse and the sneezes are at bay at the moment. I shall take a few pills to see if I can shift it as it is quite annoying.

I'm up early as I set my mind to it and I have a stack of things to do today - not least of which is to work out how to do some partial labels in a mail merge. That will be fun.

I'm off out tonight and have to do a table plan and sort out the dining and so that is also something to get on with.

I've been OK so far this morning - I still feel sore around my middle but no debris falling out of me so far today.

I will not overdo it today though - nice and easy with the recovery. Only one more to go and this time next week I should be looking forward to a couple of months rest before the next phase!

Onwards and upwards

Certainly - I have been taking it easy today and tomorrow I intend to get cracking at last and get some more off of my to do list sorted. Today I have taken it easy but i needed to as I have been having quite a bit of debris falling out of me and whilst things are a lot less sore than last week the debris tends to give off a little stinger every now and then.

I spent quite a bit of time on the new business plans today. I'm looking forward to the weekend when I go on the course run by the IHGS - Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies. I think this will give me the "acid test" that I need to determine whether this really is a viable business opportunity or whether I am off on some dream. I tend to think that I can put myself to this, I certainly hope so and I really want to make a success of it if I do. After the course I hope to meet up with a friend and have a few beers and perhaps grab something to eat too.

I'm a bit worried tonight as I have been sneezing a lot and have a slight sore throat. I don't think that I have had a cold since July 2006! All this immunotherapy has seen to that. I need to be careful as it can be one of the side effects or, if I do have a cold, I have to be certain that they will let me have the last treatment - they don't want to confuse the side effects with a cold that looks like flu that is! Fingers crossed it is just me stirring up the dust in my office :-)

Ongoing Treatment

I was told a bit more about this as I explained that I was due for a Flexi but cancelled it (the right thing to do). Apparently, in the short term - no flexi at all!

I get the operation for biopsies and then further treatment and then another operation for biopsies and on we go until they are happy. The reason is that they need to look at the cellular level for the tests. The flexi can only give an overview of what is going on. So - whilst I wasn't happy that it will continue to be operations I am glad that they don't take any chances on this.

I was wondering whether there ought to be a customer rewards scheme for the Hospital - I go there often enough I could collect loads of points!

Anyway - all I need to know now is the ongoing treatment regime so I can understand that as the period between treatments slowly extends. The nightmare would be to get this to recur and have to start it off again! Let's not go there shall we :-0

Recovery from treatment 2

Well I certainly know I've had this treatment. It wasn't anywhere near as bad as I was expecting and was less than last week's in some ways. The treatment definitely worked though and there were some large bits of debris which were really the only eye watering moments. The catheter this time was OK - you'll never get used to it but it was much quicker and nowhere near as painful as last week.

I'm pretty sore around my middle - I would have said feeling like I had been "Kicked by a Mule" but I have no idea what that feels like so let's just say it feels as if someone has punched me just below the stomach and just above the Crown Jewels :-)

I intend to get a day of rest again. I could sit here and start to "do things" but I'd only put a strain on my middle and I don't want that. All I want is severe thumb strain from using the remote to dodge day-time TV - whoever invented that ought to be cathertherised and made to watch it with lots of fizzy drink!!

Anyway, only 1 more to go and then I can relax for 3 months. Then I have to have an operation. More of that next post!

Here we go then

Off now to turn off Phones and PC and then it will be a shower, loose clothes, get the MP3 player ready, the pills are there, the notebook and hold onto the rails and strap myself in for he free roller coaster ride!

Here we go treatment day 2

Well the Giants won but I really couldn't stay awake long enough to watch that.

Even now, despite getting off to bed early I still feel a bit tired this morning. As usual I feel OK if not a little tentative about going to get the treatment. As you may recall the 2nd one is often the one that gives me the most side effects and that in itself is the bit that is most difficult to explain to people in the suddenness and ferocity of them and also how quickly they go too.

And it is just like that - for a few hours afterwards everything is OK and it creeps up on you and all of a sudden it is as if you are aware that just about every bit of you is having some sort of trouble. It is that quick and I think that it normally comes on about 4 to 5 hours after treatment. It tends to last for a good 4 hours after that and then subsides. Overnight you know you've had the side effects as it is almost as if you are getting after-shocks from then to remind you as they finally subside into your memory as you subside into fitful but later deeper sleep.

Typically side-effects include being very sore, difficulty urinating (you need to go, you can go but it feels like glass or emery powder is included), aching legs, arms and lower body, sweats, generally hot sweats, occasionally cold ones too! Urgency, wanting to go every 5 or 10 minutes which is not the right thing to do you need to try and hold back if possible otherwise it just hurts more. Unable to get comfortable; this is caused by the aches and sweats and you just cannot get into a comfortable position. When you finally do get somewhere near bearable - you guessed it - you want to go to the loo again!

Anyway - we will see how I get on. I have most of my standard pills ready by my bed so I will make more use of these today if I need to.

Other than that today feels relatively normal although I need to remember to eat early and hopefully I wont get harried by phone calls which used to happen a lot - perhaps I shall just let them ring this time.

Superbowl Tiredness

Sorry - got to go to bed - too early and not even half way through the second quarter.

And yes - we do like the New England Patriots over here, or the Dolphins, or the Giants. The trouble is - it is on when it is live too late for us :-(

Come on Patriots!

Right - off to bed - treatment in 13 hours!

Countdown

Just 24 hours or so until the next treatment and the countdown starts now really. A number of phone calls and e-mails arrive that wish me well for tomorrow. I am - or feel I am - recovered enough to go for treatment and so the worry I had about being too sore to go is no longer there.

I've a few e-mails to review and some paperwork. Tomorrow I intend to get 2 major postings completed and some more of my to do list completed. That will allow me to have a few days off recovering. This one, the second, is generally the worst of the lot although you may recall that the third one from the last series took that particular spot last time!

i shall be taking the rest of today off and just sitting down and getting myself ready for another hectic week ahead. I am gradually making inroads to my to-do list so who knows, perhaps next week will be the week I can see what the original colour my desktop was!

Now I thoroughly enjoyed that

What a great evening. I met up with a nice group down from Scotland for the meeting and one of them handed me a Mark Token - a penny because we had never met. How nice was that? It is a specially struck coin that is handed out to candidates normally (in England) and so I have a lovely memento. I imagine it has similar uses in Scotland - someone I know has his penny always on him. I have a nice collection of these now and this one is very special because of the meaning behind the giving. A token - wondrful, charming and memorable.

The meal was great as it was part Scot and Part English - Scottish Beef for roast beef and a Haggis - piped in and addressed properly in the old tongue. Then slashed up ready to eat. It was fantastic and I have to admit (don't tell the wife) to having two extra portions! We had Neeps and Tatties and gravy (whisky) too.

So I had a great day out and it was a lovely meeting and a lovely meal Great company and a shame that I could only have a little to drink - they are off out drinking until the wee hours tonight.

Well - I am cheered up a lot by that and it is nice to get out - I do sometimes find that it takes me a while to get out of the house - but once I do I generally feel a lot better for it and for making the effort.

Where does the time go?

Getting ready to go out in a minute and that will be Saturday done for. I hope an interesting and enjoyable day as I won't be doing anything. That is the plan anyway. It is the first time that I have been to this particular Lodge and centre - it is a bit of a drive and a bit out of the way which is great.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to that but I didn't get half of what I wanted done this morning again although, having said that, I have managed to get rid of a stack of unwanted e-mails. I also have one of my old e-mail accounts closing down so I have taken the opportunity of removing it from my e-mail systems and hey presto - spam e-mails are down to perhaps 1 or 2 a day now. Excellent.

I am working my way through about 6 months of "to Do" lists and I should be able to return about half a Brazilian Rain Forrest into recycling by next week!

I'd better go and get myself ready now - Time flies.

Now I remember

Why I unsubscribed to a number of Fora (I suppose that is the plural of Forum) some years back. These are great places to find researchers or people who share similar interests to you. So genealogical fora are good places to find out about other research and get hints and tricks but, and here is the big but, there are so many posts that are not of any interest to anyone else but the person who posted and perhaps one or two other people around the world so you have to trawl through pages of stuff to find a snippet of good stuff.

It reminds me of a story someone told me about a Princess trying to find the right man to marry - "You have to kiss a hell of a lot of Frogs until you find the right one!" I like it - not kissing frogs you understand - the story!

I actually see that these fora are going to be good for me in the future if I pursue the genealogy business. Consider where else you could get captive audiences for your words of wisdom? Let's say there are 20,000 on a single forum, I only need 1% of them to remember my name and pass it on to a punter to start getting a "reputation" and building a network from there. So you have to be there but separating the wheat from the chaff is the difficult thing. Ho hum.

There may be trouble ahead

But while there's moonlight - oh go on - you get the picture.

I'm feeling - TGIF right now. What a week. I still haven't quite recovered from Monday's treatment - I hope that I don't end up going to get the next shot on Monday tingling like this or it will be "interesting".

As for the tribunal stuff - well, we will have to wait and see. Apparently there is no chance of arbitration and they are submitting their counter and so what will be will be (Thanks Doris).

I have an interesting weekend - I am out tomorrow for a Lodge meeting and I am looking forward to that immensely. I am also beginning to get on top of understanding what I want to do next or think that I am getting there. So the plans are crystallising in my mind about what I want to do, how I want to do that and I need to flesh that out some more. I have the training course next week which will help me get to that decision faster.

So I am going to have a bit of a relaxing weekend and try and forget all about the nonsense of this week and move on.

The Centre of Attention

No longer is everything revolving around me, I've got the clear diagnosis and only every now and again does it comeback and remind everyone - like now - under treatment with quarantined bathroom and me lying in a darkened room etc.

Normality is something we have always strived to maintain in the house and I think that we succeeded but things are back to normal now - it is just I haven't caught up with that yet!

I must try harder to tune in to what is going on outside of and around me, I have become very insular and very self critical and inward looking. I try to be normal here, at home, I struggle to do that elsewhere.

I feel a need to redefine myself, reinvent me and yet I cannot do that whilst I am still analyzing what has happened, what I feel like and what I want to do. Frankly, I'm not sure what I want to do.

Further thoughts

Is being given the all clear an anti climax? Do the things you've told yourself to help your recovery mean you will actually ever go out and do them? What is it all about?

Interesting isn't it? I'm readjusting to the fact that - in reality - life hasn't changed that much. I'm both stronger and weaker from the experience and that in both the mental and physical side of the meaning.

Let's take the physical side - I'm feeling a lot weaker in terms of strength - I don't know, let's say to put up a shelf or do something that is exerting. Also stamina - I can't do things for any prolonged amount of time. The only thing that I would say is that I do seem to be able to manage to walk for a long time or exercise - albeit I need to get back to some routine in that area after this batch of treatment. Where I feel I am stronger is my ability to take the treatment and ability to handle the hospital and things they do to me. I couldn't imagine them doing that before. So what is that? Physical pain is easier to handle than it used to be.

Mentally the roller coaster ride I go through most days is the obvious outcome. I go through huge mood swings daily. These used to be weekly if you look back across the blog you'll see the ups and downs. A lot is caused by FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt). These seem to be things that I was never fearful of before - work, what people think of me ,has my judgement really gone, do I mightily p*ss people off these days, paranoia, edginess, nervousness etc. They are little things that gnaw away endlessly undermining your self confidence - and that is the last thing I need eroded.

Before BC, these things were still around of course but afterwards they are magnified and are like huge barriers to get over and just when you get clear and are in an upbeat mood - along comes something else to send you back from whence you came. I'm not overly worried about these things, I know they are here and I have to deal with them. They arrive generally one at a time and you have to get over them one at a time. You can clear one only to have it get back into your head a few hours later. Such is the position I find myself in now that just when I get on top of something or try and finish something off - an event happens that tumbles me back down again. These are like ongoing disappointments, they are annoying and niggling but not like a wall of despair or anything like that - just like splinters really.

A lot of this still has to do with how shabbily the people I worked for treated - and continue to - treat me. Their posturing and white noise and general venom take their toll on me but I should know better. These aren't "reasonable" or "normal" people and yet as with all of "their sort" they are the "bully" and their tactics are those of under the surface terror. Sorry to sound dark about it but - real business people don't act like this. At the risk of sounding like "the victim" - it did get to the point of me asking myself whether I actually deserved this or not :-)

So, each day at the moment is a constant fight to keep on top of and above all this negativity and to try and get back the real me and whilst I know I can never be what I was before, I wouldn't mind getting back my drive and enthusiasm as well as my motivation and to kick this constant procrastination into touch. Oh yes and at least some of my phsical stamina as well please.

Deep and meaningful? Perhaps - I'm sure some reading this would advocate bringing back National Service - it never did them any harm :-)

Setting goals and targets

That is my next task. I have some high level things I want to get done and I have a number of "to do" lists lying around and not everything is getting done. The trouble is that interrupts are coming in thick and fast and trying to keep all of the balls up in the air at once is proving a little difficult for me these days.

I'm just not getting on and doing things. I think that it is brought about by this lack of stamina and this inability to break away or to get clear of where I am.

I said that I thought that there is perhaps some anti climax in the way that when you are ill you use your imagination and your sights are set on things - "If I pull through this, I will sail around the world" or "I will climb a mountain" or whatever. The reality is that you are still you, changed a bit, with most of the stuffing and self confidence knocked out of you. You feel things that before you never did, you are over sensitive, over reactive, soft! You don't go and do those things - you get back to living your life and sometimes, that can be a let down (not in a depressing or phone the Samaritans way - so don't worry about that - in case you were - I know you lot!) :-) You know, job, money, house, kids etc.

You take a series of quite major blows to your physical and mental capabilities and you doubt yourself and your abilities. Many will say that isn't like me. I don't have the personality and the bravura that I used to have at all now, I am losing sleep over some idle threat about winning or losing my case. I know deep down inside that I have all of the documentation to fight this. Years ago I'd have loved the fight now I don't fancy it at all. It is actually stressful and it never used to be that. I'm certain that this is part of the healing process and that you don't regain equilibrium for a long time - perhaps years.

You can recover in some way to the physical stuff you go through the operations and the inserting things into your body but you don't seem to get over that they did it to you. It is as if someone got a large spoon and shoved it inside my body and just stirred everything up so that it no longer balances out.

I think I have probably said enough tonight but the holistic must be looked at sometime and perhaps I still treat it like any other illness still. How else can you treat it any other way? That's all you've known?

Thursday Evening

And still there is an urgency about needing to go to the toilet and whilst it isn't pain I'm feeling, it is certainly a tingling . I am SO glad that I didn't need a flexible cystoscopy tomorrow - I'm not sure that I could have managed that or if not me a certain part of my anatomy twice in one week. It sends a shudder down me just to think about it.

I hope that next week isn't as bad as this - I think that the catheter snagging on the way in is a bit to do with it this week. I hope that the lubricant does it stuff next week and hey guys, if you want to get the willies or make your eyes water - there is no local anaesthetic - just a very sharp intake of breath as it travels around the "S" bend and past the Prostate.

As I keep saying though, better this than the other outcomes and other people suffer far worse things than this, far worse so I shouldn't complain and I should be thankful that they are treating me with same stuff they cured me with!

Settling back down again

I find this whole thing far more traumatic than I ever used to before. It does mightily p*ss me off the way people behave these days. Far more these days than it ever did before. It is their bare faced lying and defiance of common law and the norms of society that I cannot get to grips with. What gives people "the right" to try and make money out of you and turn you over is just beyond me.

I'm just getting back down off of the ceiling and realising that these guys will need to produce documents to back the case that they are making. If I remember my case law they actually need to have something signed by me to state that I didn't want them to pay me - I must go and look that up now.

It just doesn't seem to go away.

That's better

A lot better. At last I've actually managed to get on and do some things this morning and get letters and files sorted and to begin to clear things. It isn't as fast as I want it to be but gradually I am coming free of the mud so to speak. I must remember that it is all small steps as I expect a lot of myself. Small steps, a bit at a time and I'll get there.

It is amazing how pleased you become with yourself once you get things done and achieve even small goals.

Off to tackle the next bits now.

By the time

I got to sleep it must have been 3 or later. I'm up this morning and feeling a lot better than yesterday and ready to tackle the ever growing list of things to be done.

I'm going to have to make a start at moving things around, by that I mean adjusting where things are in my office. The PCs, printers, scanner and files have been in the same place for 10 years and perhaps a change around will make it look and feel new. I also need to work out ways of being productive where the current setup of three PCs on an "L" shaped desk doesn't give me much room to manoeuvre.

So many things to do, so little energy to want to do them :-)

Wide awake

At 1 in the morning and it is probably down to the extra long lie in I had on Tuesday.

I'm still quite sore - it almost feels as if it were post operative than post BCG - such is the difficulty of urinating at the moment - it is a grab the washbasin and have a little scream ordeal. Whilst it is getting a little less painful - it brings back into sharp focus how good your brain is at forgetting the last time or the true amount of pain you were in. If you did remember, maybe you wouldn't do it.

I spent the afternoon just relaxing in my comfy chair and watching TV and doing some research into the new venture. I think that I have convinced myself that there is a market out there and there are a lot of amateurs (in the nicest meaning of that word) who are doing research as sideline or for pin money. Reviewing the state of many of their web sites, I wouldn't be tempted to even contact them - only for the usability and rather pompous terminology they use. So I think that there is a market there and I think I can improve on the amateur quality out there. The next bit is perhaps a bit more difficult as I try and work out what market share there is and what value to put on the work. Not easy as again the amateurs have set wholly unrealistic targets and the profession appears to be one that undervalues its worth.

Anyway, - 1 am and awake - I had better go and work out how to get to sleep as I need to be up and working tomorrow.

One down two to go hopefully not like that

Ouch, the catheter hurt or rather stung this time and it was a little eye watering to say the least - it leaves you slightly bent over and with quite a stinging feeling.

Apart from that it was much as usual, the routine kicked in and there was sufficient blood and bits to show that the treatment worked. I slept for 12 hours or so which was good and although I feel a bit slow and a bit aching and a little bit delicate - I'm OK. I am absolutely certain that the side effects are getting more noticeable the further down the treatment track I go. Perhaps that is why many give up later on. I can see that this isn't something you would want to continue to do as each one progressively beats you up. It actually feels a bit like that, parts are swollen and and it feels as if someone has punched you all around your lower body.

On the positive side, I am not working and so that isn't making me want to rush back or try and overdo things so I am, at last, taking things easy.

Preparations are over

now I am ready to get going to the Hospital. The good news about that is that it is very close by and so it doesn't mean that I am hanging around. They have to administer the BCG in a small window of time and so I am usually in and out quite quickly. Let's hope so.

a few final things to do before we are ready to go and that is just powering down phones and the like. I need to make sure that towels and things are in place so I am not searching for those on my return too.

It is a bit like baking a cake when we get back. My wife looks after the timer and calls up after 15 minutes so that I can turn to either my side or front or back (as needed) to let the BCG hit every part of the bladder.

I'm not as jittery as I was earlier.

TTFN

Next steps

I've got my appointment letter and my stress balls ready to go and my tablets are by my bed along with my MP3 player and notepad and pen. Now to go and sort out the bathroom which is off limits from 4 pm to 8 pm today to everyone but me! Luckily we have a downstairs toilet otherwise it would be a nightmare to have to keep things as clean as possible.

After 6 hours from instillation - I am apparently no longer liable to leave BCG lying around anywhere. The bleach and wipes and soap mean we must have the cleanest bathroom in the village come the end of a Monday session.

Just under 2 hours to go and I'm relatively calm about this. I can feel some flutters already as the time nears but - pottering around and organising everything "just so" will make the time fly and I can then get sorted ready to go.

Here we go

I have to have eaten and had my last drink by midday so that I can "last" 2 hours with the BCG inside me. So lunch will be around 11:40 or so. I then go and get myself ready - shower and get into some loose clothes - turn off the mobile phone - that won't be turned on until tomorrow.

I have my notebook ready to record all that goes on and I will then go and get other stuff ready including the bleach, cleaning stuff, old towels and so on. The timer in the Kitchen does for the 15 minutes a side turning regime and the telephone will be moved out of my room once I have completed my 2 hours wait and can go to sleep. One of the key things is to get plenty of bed rest with this and not to feel you need to start leaping around just because you seem to feel OK.

Two weeks today I'll be preparing for my last one. It must be psychosomatic as I can feel myself aching already :-)

Time to move on

I really did fancy lying in this morning but got up anyway and decided that somehow and someway I need to move on. Now that sounds a strange thing to say as, given any stretch of yours or my imagination, the past 15 months of this blog and 20 months of my life have HAD to see me moving on but what I mean is slightly different to that.

I've talked about the rut I'm in, the desire to change but the ordinary sensibilities and the situation you are in - think to yourself if you have wife, family, house, commitments etc quite what could you do to break out of that without there being some sort of impact to those around you and perhaps you'll see what the problem is?

The trouble is that there is a huge desire to do something different to go off and do something life changing or something selfish (perhaps) and a lot of this has to do with common perception (I'm sure) and this is that- if you've survived something like this then you go and climb a mountain or run a marathon or do some good works etc. in reality, of course, you just survive and carry on as normal.

I don't think that I really know what I want as my head and my heart cannot make up their own minds whether the life of a freelance researcher and writer would be what I want or whether to stay and earn some money doing what I have done for 30 years or quite what to do. I'm certainly not planning any mountain climbing or marathon running or anything quite so out of the box as that though.

Whatever - it isn't going to get done either way whilst I sit here stewing about it and I'm getting to the point of trying to work out whether future treatments would impinge on going abroad or even if I get the chance to go to Chicago. It hasn't happened yet and such things are distracting and getting in the way of moving on and making a decision possible.

So this morning, I made a decision to start to put things in order and to start to adjust the way I am tackling things. It isn't going to be easy to change it around as somehow what I despise most at the moment happens to be the habits and routines I am presently in and they need to change as things just don't get done. It may sound trivial but if you can imagine that some days I can sit in front of my PC and start a letter and end up some hours later still working on it, you may see what I mean. I may start to tackle some papers on my desk and end up sitting reading something I picked up rather than dumping it in the paper bank. I'm far too easily distracted and I'm not being efficient and sorting out the things I need to do. perhaps it is some self conscious thing, perhaps some wish not to want to move on.

At least this morning I have gotten three letters completed, and made a start. I doubt that I can continue at that pace for the rest of the morning as I'll be sorting out stuff for my treatment - but at least I'll have made a start.

it's all a matter of routine and being prepared

Tomorrow will be a build up of a series of routines that I commenced when I first started having the treatments and the things I learnt about them. I will be sorting out my music, my Ibuprofen and Paracetamol tablets and getting my note book ready by my bedside. I write down the things that are going on in case I need the notes - or rather anyone else needs them - whilst it is pretty rare you can get anaphylactic shock although, I haven't so far I am very glad to say. Additionally, if I get violent side effects then at least there is a timetable of what has happened so far. If help were ever needed to be summoned there would be a blow by blow account of what I've done, drunk, swallowed, passed etc!

I tend to record all the gory details I'm afraid including what I observe falling out when urinating or as they call it "voiding". Whilst that doesn't sound a particularly pleasant thing to do, I have a system to do that without having to keep a constant eye on proceedings by voiding onto toilet tissue placed there for that purpose. Whether or not this is clinically useful - who knows but it helps to pass the time of day and certainly lets me know that the BCG is working :-)

In a way I'm now going into slightly unknown territory as the last three I had appeared to me to give me more violent reactions than any of the previous ones when I had Bladder Cancer. Of course it may also have been down to the fact that I was working like crazy at the time too. At least that worry is no longer with me and I can take time to recover properly on each treatment.

Hopefully I will sleep properly tonight - I want to be as relaxed as I can be tomorrow and a good night's sleep will certainly help to start that off properly.

So back to the routine, the preparation and ensuring that eventualities are covered.