Finally over... mebbe

Aight dudes... sorry about the lack of updates, but been busy / not feelin' great / lazy:P Anyway - just had (hopefully) my last chemo... so it's another week of feelin' a bit crap, then with a bit of luck only a scan and a few checkups to deal with - piece o'cake;)

As you probs know, Prill's gettin' the piccies sorted - head to her blog for the link, but I couldn't resist putting this picture on - my dad took it:


Hehe - it's me yawnin' at the end of the ride:P nah it weren't that boring, was just knackered.


And just for the hell of it, some more comedy value ones: my mum attempting to play Super Mario Bros;)

Going...

Going...

Gone!

And with a bit of luck this'll work - you'll probs want to right click and "Save target as..." I reckon - for those who don't know (très amusant - keep watchin' 'til the end):
Super Prillio

Hehe call me cruel, but hey - revenge for that pic on the kr3w blog:P. Anyway, here I am, nearly at the end of it all, and "there's light at the end of the tunnel"... rofl jus' kiddin'.

So yeah - I still have my eyebrows!!! Hmm... just about anyway. Hopefully they'll cling on until this stuff wears off:P Coz I was told that it was gonna be everything - eyelashes and all. Although I aint that bothered about my appearance - I hardly ever think about it. Am used to the bald head now - it aint all that bad. I'm thinkin' of keepin' it like that for a while, but probs just until I know it's all gonna grow back properly. I only really remember my lack of hair (apart from when lookin in the mirror...) when I notice the odd school people glancing at me - it's quite obvious sometimes, but it aint like it bothers me:)

Ah yeah - at leavers (which was awesome... but everybody knows that, so I won't drone on), Greg "pulled me over" for a word, when everyone was sayin' goodbye. He was sayin' how he'd been pretty quiet over the last few months - to me that is. Which is true - he was sayin' that he didn't know how to take it, and said that someone who smokes 20 a day should have been dealt what I have, and not me. Which was kinda nice of him. He's always been a mate, not very close or anything, but we always used to have a laugh - like goin' out on the booze on choir trips abroad:P hehe. But yeah, maybe someone else does deserve to get cancer more than I do, but I'm not bitter or anything, it's not like it's been absolute hell - I've had great people supporting me, and I reckon positive attitude can help ya quite a bit in these kinda circumstances. There's no point moaning about what's happened when you're only just putting yourself down, only to feel even crapper. It's not like I've felt 100% or been completely happy all the time - I've had me rough bits (and no Rob, that doesn't mean sandpaper glued to privates:P), but still, I try to stay on top of things:)

Anyway, I hope I don't blabber on about this kinda stuff too much - you guys gotta tell me if you're fed up with the ill guy:P Well... it's my blog anyway, I can do what I like:P

Peace out

Back by popular demand

...well actually back coz of Rob's incessant nagging, but hey. Naaah jus' kiddin':P. So anyhow - I've been at Center Parcs if anyone's forgotten that they were meant to be jealous. And since I had my first and last written exam, you can probably expect to see at least a little more blog:P Oh yeah - I'm trying to figure out how to widen the text box thingy - will do it a.s.a.p. to make it an easier read.

Anyway - woohoo!!! Prill just gave me my very early birthday pressie - most of you probably already knew what it was, but anyway - a Gameboy Advance SP & Super Mario. Suffice to say there is a very happy Jimmy at the other end of this blog:D My birthday's in such an annoying place - right after the hols, so I don't get a chance to play:P teehee - such a kid.

Had a nice relaxing time at Center Parcs, but it wasn't without it hiccups... I think I'll get the most embarassing one out of the way first - yes, I fell off my bike. Goin' round a corner behind me mam, she braked, so did I, lost me footing, fell off. Cue some nice grazes. It caned to start with - but I was fine after a while. Except that coz of my treatment, I had to get my bullet wounds (think I'll stick to the Solo invasion of France story) inspected, cleaned and dressed every day in case they get infected, as my immune system is so low.

It's a lil bit weird - the way you recognize a cancer patient is by their baldness, lack of energy & lack of appetite (although I do my best to fight the latter and just stuff myself anyway). But of course all those things come from being treated - they're nothing to do with the cancer directly. So it's the ones who don't know they have cancer, and are actually dying inside, that look like they're ok, at least until later on. Whilst I, having had a rather nasty cough that wasn't actually the cancer speaking, but a bronchial infection brought on by those unusual chest growths of mine (no, not the Will P style ones), am the one suffering, only to be healed in the end. Fairly obvious I spose, but I just read it in Lance Armstrong's autobiography and felt like puttin' it in. For those of you that don't know, Lance Armstrong is an American world class cyclist who got cancer - diagnosed pretty late, was told his chances were less than 40%, and still pulled through. Quite a good book if you're interested - I never thought I'd read a sports book, but Mr. Thomson lent it to me, so I felt obliged, and I ended up with a very satisfying read.

So yeah - back to Center Parcs - the wildlife was awesome - nothing I've never seen before, but they're all so tame - you can get nice n close. Well, ok most of the time you can get close. It's the annoying little kids whose parents don't discipline them enough that do the damage. They'll jump over the barriers, run around and shout their heads off - which I saw a few times - once when I was very obviously trying to take a few nice pics. What did the parents do? Almost nothing - just an annoyed "come on" and that's it. So all the animals ran away, and I was left with my camera pointing at the empty trees. Grrrrr:@ lol. I said a few annoyed words to my mum, and she says:
"What? You were like that once."
No I wasn't. Yeah I might have been an annoying kid, but I never did something like that - the odd pigeon in the park maybe, but that's about it.
I reckon most kids could do with a bit more discipline:P Lol I don't plan to beat my kids to a pulp or anything, but I dunno, saw so many careless parents in my week away.

So anyway here's a few pics for ya, they aint great quality, but didn't wanna make 'em too big on here:


Hehe - I like this pic... cheeky lil squirrel pikin' all the birdfeed.


I asked the falconry man to set his bird on the little kids, but he said he'd lose his job. Spoil sport.


Ahem... how did this get here? Lol i couldn't resist.

Oh yeah - I went to their massage parlour as well:P lol. I went for a back, neck, shoulder and face massage - I was in for a nice relaxing hour and a bit. That was until I had to fill in a health form... so, the masseuse asks:
"If you don't mind me asking sir, what is the serious illness or cancer that you have had in the last 5 years?"
"Erm... I have cancer now."
"Is it in the lymph system?"
"Yes."
"Oh - I'm afraid we can't give you a full massage then - we're not allowed."

AAAAARGhslkdehfloircgn;rc. Ahem... Grrr... anyway. So I just had a face massage, but she suggested something else for free, which was nice. So I had a complimentary "Reiki" ... which is kinda spiritual - a buddhist thing I believe, about various energies in the body. Anyway, it just involves gently holding places on the body, which made my head go numb, and made me feel a gentle pulsating feeling all down my arms. Kinda weird, kinda cool, very relaxing.

Right then... I think that'll about do me for today - hope you enjoyed it. I'm in for an evening of films & SP... In case I don't blog again for a few days - good luck to everyone doing M2 and Chemistry;)

Bfn.

A walk in the country, P2, and how I'm one of the lucky ones.

Afternoon all - just been on a nice walk with Prill:) Tis nice to get out and about, 'specially when I ain't feelin' all so brill, and il fait très beau. So, apart from the constant "Argh!", "Owwww!" and "Jimmiiii!" due to the rather large growths of stinging nettles, brambles and thistles (:P hehe) twas very nice. I managed to get through without being stung or pricked, with shorts on:P So much for Prill's luck, even with slightly rolled up jeans. Ah well, she managed to pick some flowers... ahem... even though they're all pretty much dead now...

Anyway, feel miles better than yesterday, now that I've taken my two sorts of anti-nausea pills. I would write about our lovely stay in at the hospital, but Prill got there first:P so have a look there first if ya like. Lol @ Jim:P So anyway - looks like I won't be taking P3 after all. Will have to take some P2 notes to Center Parcs then - so I ain't getting it quite that easy, since I had given up on P2, coz I didn't think I'd be taking it... so I gotta learn it all over again. Anyway, that should be fine, coz it's only a little before my next treatment.

Oh yeah - read an article in the Mail the other day, while at Springfield. It was about a drug called MabThera, which is used to treat patients with NHL (what I've got). It turns out that only half of NHL patients are being given the drug (at NHS hospitals at least), due to costs. Without MabThera, survival rates for this type of cancer are about 50%. Pretty scary. But this fairly recent wonder-drug increases survival (especially in young patients) to around 95%. As I'm lucky enough to be in a private hospital, I don't have to worry about obtaining this treatment. Usually, a course of MabThera costs around £9,000 - and that's just one of the drugs. So I think my mum's family cover is gonna pay itself off pretty quickly:P So anyway, 5,000 die every year from what I have at the moment, coz the Department of Health doesn't seem to have enough money to pay for so many patients. Apparently they "are aware there are some issues around the availability of cancer drugs" and will be publishing a report soon. That's great. Of course they don't have to worry, coz they probs earn enough money for themselves and their families to be paid for should they ever develop a cancer. Yeah I know, I spose they have to spend money on loadsa other things as well, but it's still a great shame. And most of the time it depends on where you live - whether the drug is available or not. In some places like Yorkshire, only one in five patients are receiving MabThera, whereas in other places (probably like London) numbers are better, but still not brilliant. Sigh. Seems like I'm a lucky one in that respect.

Anyway, am gonna try and help Prill play Prince of Persia now (...ahem...gamer...) coz I keep hearing annoyed grunts and "oh.. d'oh!" :P hehe. So that'll do for now - catch ya later. Good luck to anyone who's got P3 tomorrow, or any other exams soon:)

Peace out.

Finalement, je blogue...

Well - here ya go, it's what you've all been waiting for: the blog of the cancerous freak. Prill finally persuaded me to set it up:P So now I've just got the small matter of thinkin' what to write...

Mebbe the "what I've done today" thing will spark some ideas:P Well.. I went for the usual blood tests this morning. This time I managed without the numbing stuff on my arm and I didn't even have to hold Prill's hand! Aren't I a big boy? :P Hehe, nah I used to be pretty bad with needles. When I was in Broomfield (before they'd figured out what was wrong with me, and before I went private and started treatment), it was probably about an hour before I let them put a needle in me, having already had 'em in my arm earlier that day - I'd had enough:P But now, having had more than my fair share of needles, they ain't all that bad. Same goes for pills.

Anyway... oh yeah - just in case I haven't rubbed it in anyone's face yet - I'm off to Center Parcs next week, after having (hopefully) finished my last exam. Teehee. My consultant's doin' some letters to excuse me from the rest of my exams, having done the minimum possible to get 3 A-levels. If I ain't feelin' well on the day next week, I can take another one instead, after I get back. Which incidentally, in no way is likely to be mechanics, due to the crappicity of a certain teacher and, as a result, the unwillingness of a certain self to go to any mechanics lessons.

Anywayz, Prill wants food, so I'm off. Oh yeah - tell me what ya think me blog, if you're that way inclined. Hope you're all having at least reasonable half terms... as I'm sure most are thinking they haven't done enough work yet, myself included.

Bfn