The rambler rambles on -and on - and on. No subjects untouched; sacred or scared!

Latest update – what a couple of months it's been; deep, confounding lows but with some great highs. Thanks to all family and friends who've tipped up and been alongside us in their individual, unique ways. Special thanks to Kym who has been my strength and inspiration. Thanks to all those at Headway Luton for taking the trouble to correspond, make me laugh and keep the sausage sandwiches appearing – just how I like them!

Hats day at the Three Locks

A "selfie" - or more likely taken by Sarah!

Happy Birthday Bill

Just thought I would present this short low-res video form our old home catalogue. The idea was for clips of Bill, our dad. But there are precious few as he took most of the shots. The movie description has more info about that.

http://youtu.be/X4LOsyn5WCc

Day two of chemo (well three if you count Friday at hospital hoke dup to the Rituximab) Not going too badly at all - famous last words!!

Best wishes to all - love to the family on this odd day.

Roger and Kym

Hello everyone at Headway - and you lot out in the rest of the World

Hello World! 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_f-rKckYjjETGRWWmVqMXRTUms/view?usp=sharing

The link above (copy it and put it into your browser and have a laugh - don't worry - I don't sing - but there is a lurking ukulele!

It's primarily aimed at Headway Luton - but you can all have a peek.

Many apologies for being quiet for the last few months. All this illness stuff has taken a lot out of me and I find it increasingly difficult to motivate myself to get started on anything - and when when I'm going - I find it hard to sustain any endeavours.

What's been going on? A lot - but not treatment - still only two thirds through treatment with two more cycles of Chemo and three of the Rituximab. The fatigue and headaches  have got worse and the tinnitus and muffled head have increased (although today I'm blessed with little of either of those two gifts) 

Blood levels keep in the low to very low quadrant although, Alleluia,  the Lymphoedema is improving well -that is the build up of dead cells in the lymph glands around the body is diminishing nicely. Still some excess in the groin but those around my chest and neck are almost gone. My night breathing is still poor and I don't sleep as deeply as I used to.

Kym has pulled me through with careful watching my drug-taking (said it like that to make this seem more street cool) She's fed and watered me and taken me on carefully planned trips out to enjoy places but avoid crowds. we've had a nice afternoon tea at the Bedford Swan Hotel, visited a Buddhist temple with Angy, done the charity shops in Hitchin, Hatfield and Harpenden - posh people give away great stuff - however I haven't found much for a trendy old git like what I aspire to be.

I'm now getting my pensions - one I bought - and one from the University of Bristol. We don't have much of an income but these together with the Employment Support Allowance, Carers Allowance and the P.I.P and some savings I'm using - we will get by until I get my State Pension in January. It's tantamount to living on Benefit Street!

We're into month eight and there will be at least two more months of treatment. It may be October / November before I can be reviewed to establish whether I'm in remission or not. Following that I've been advised to expect three to six months minimum for a recovery period. So We might be able to take up some visits after Christmas and perhaps start some new career moves next Spring. Put simply no one knows what we have to look forward to. But believe me we are going to take a great stab at life in the future. We will be a pair of rocking geriatrics (well I will but of course Kym has a few years age-advantage on me)

We've had a nice selected selection of visitors - all welcome - just check on phone beforehand - bring a fruitcake and a bottle of single malt. Ha ha. Actually been on the bottle recently - please amend that to been on the wagon! Had to adopt a thrombocytapenic (I think) diet - this necessitates no alcohol, chocolate, omega oil and a variety of sacrifices. Leafy greens, liver, pulses, fresh fruit. Well it's something along those lines - the aim being to replenish my diminished platelets. At the last count it seem to be working as level was up from the dangerous fifty to a mere low of 99. Consultants want 100 in order to have treatment - I bet I could have got away with that had my other levels been any where near OK. But, what the heck.

Next post will have some more photos and tales of my computer disasters - I've recovered and got myself together with a S/H Dell XPS as a DAW and have got it running nice and sweet with 2 SSD's. It has taken me weeks to sort out what would have previously taken me a couple of days! Also I'm running with Windows 10 which actually is pretty lean and will give OSX a run for its money for a fraction of the cost of the hardware. Oh if anyone want the carcase of a 2008 macbook pro with a good screen, but nothing much else - give me a comment. you can have it. One day I will tell you the story of it's acquisition and demise!!

Love to all. remember the greatest problems we're facing now are climate-change, religious bigotry, faithlessness and lack of humanity. We're being hoodwinked by the government as to what the real issues are due to the old school tie. Migrants are people and need love. Do we really need HS2 and another airport around London? I don't have any answers but we could all contemplate and contribute,

Bought a new webcam (HD!) so hopefully my little videos will be clearer and I can have more control over the lighting - I should get better audio synch when I composite.

Regards!