Tuesday 29/03/2011

Firstly, i would like to say a big 'well done' to  our 2 boys for brilliant parents evening reports, very good considering the way they are sometimes.

Anyway, today i was supposed to get my results back, and finally find out what i have and what type it is. But due to my bi-opsy and bone marrow results not being back yet, i now have to wait another week ! FFS.
But from the way the specialist was talking i know shes hiding something, and here are my reasons :

1. She used the word cancer a lot today, she didn't on our first visit..

2. She said the treatment would be outpatient at Huddersfield, now its a sleep over at Leeds..

3. I go back to see her next Tuesday, she said she can book me in for treatment next Friday..

I asked about the CT scan i had, all she told me was there are a lot more lumps (like the 1 i had in my neck) in my abdomen, groin and chest, which fills me full of joy (not !)
So I'm back to waiting, again. And all I've got to look forward to is getting my stitches out on Friday morning.
We have both sat the boys down and tried to explain to them what is going to happen as good as we can, but not really knowing what I'm up against, was a bit tricky.

I would like to thank all of you from Twitter, for your support and help its very much appreciated. I really do follow some amazing people, your all truly wonderful.

Anyway that's it..... that's all i know, when i find out more i will tell you.

Thanks for reading

Offski

Saturday 26/03/2011

Yesterday was the day i went to hospital for my bi-opsy. Firstly i had to travel to Halifax, which is about 10 miles away. I get there for 7.15, to find out that I'm due in theatre at 8.30 am. This was good news due to the fact i don't like hospitals, so i sit and wait, and wait and wait. By 10.30 I've spoken several swear words in Shelley's direction and wound myself up nice and tight. I went to find a nurse and ask whats going on (not very politely), she wanders off and comes back to tell me that they have put 2 others in front of me !
Midday comes, and by now I'm in a foul mood. Then i get called, and off i go. Get on the table shaking uncontrollably, the sleep dude is asking me what i do, and the next thing is its 13.15 and I'm waking up, being wheeled to the ward.
After 30 mins i come round properly, and chat to the other to lads that are in the ward. I go to the loo, look in the mirror to see a 5 inch slit in the side of my neck held together with staples and some sort of bar. I was never the best looking guy, but FFS it makes me look like a Texas chainsaw massacre reject. Also i have a hole on my right hip, where the bone marrow was taken from.
At 14.15 Shell and the Whirlwind come to visit along with her sister-in-law and her mate. We chat and get told that im allowed home at 18.00, so the girls go and i try and get comfy.
Its home time, im dressed and waiting and stagger out of the hospital, get in a car and go home.
We order takeaway, and i try and catch up on Twitter but give it up as a loss and head to bed at 9pm with the pills working i get in to bed. The only problem is, i have this thing on the left hand side of my neck, and the hole on my hip is on the right side, so trying to get comfy is a friggin nightmare. Ive managed to get some sleep, but now cant get settled anywhere i sit !
Its been a strange Friday and now i have to just wait till Tuesday for the specialist and my results, and to find out what treatment i will need.
Thanks for reading
Offski

Sunday 20/03/2011

After having a strange week last week, its set to be another this week. I have my CT scan on Wednesday, then have to travel to Halifax on Friday to have my bi-ops and bone marrow taken. I then have to go back to the specialist next Tuesday to get the results and to see what treatment they are going to give me. In a way im glad its going so quickly so i know what it is i have to fight, but on the other hand i know its going to put a strain on everything at home, especially when i have treatment. I know were both strong enough to deal with it, but its stress we could do without.
In other news, iTunes finally wanted to play nice yesterday and got round to cleaning all the crap off my phone, and it feels lighter now to.
I seem to have lost my Twitter mojo at the moment what with all this going on, im sure it will come back with a vengence soon, i bloody hope it does anyway. While im on about Twitter, i have had another clear out of my following. I cant understand why people follow, then dont want to talk.
The Whirlwind is coming on leaps and bounds now too. She is saying more words, starting to play fight and is very cheeky. But the biggest thing is she sleeps in a big bed now, and all night, which is a big load off. I have also decided that when she grows up shes either gonna be a Stuntwoman, a Dancer or a Comedian.
Anyway enough of wasting your time, thanks for reading
Offski.

Tuesday 15/03/2011

Just an update for you all :
So been to see the Ear, Nose and Throat dude today, there was 2 of them, 1 being a doctor in training. I sat down and we chatted, then he had a feel around my neck and throat paying attention to the 2 huge lumps then finding 2 more at the base of my neck/shoulder (well he didnt find them, i knew they were there and they hurt like f#ck), he asked if they hurt while pressing it. I take the, me jumping off my chair was the answer he needed ! He then looked down my throat, and stuck a camera up my nose and down the back, it felt wierd and now all i can taste is the jelly they put on the end of it.
I then had to sit and listen to the 2 of them discuss what they had found, has per the norm it was all doctor jargon. But while they were talking, i was having a look at the notes on his desk. The only word my eyes fixed on was c....., makes it feel more real when you see THAT word.
They finished talking and decided that they need to cut a bit out of my neck ASAP, and was given a letter to take straight away to a department.
So we found the place, gave them the letter and was booked in there and then for a Pre Op Assesment for tomorrow at 10am.
The specialist says i will be in for my Op within 2 weeks, but the speed its going, i reakon i will be in early next week. Lets just wait and see.
Had a crap bus ride home, to find another appointment to go back and see the blood woman 2 weeks today and should know then what type i have and what the treatment will be..
Thanks for reading
Offski

Saturday 12/03/2011

First i would like to say how sorry i am to see whats happening in Japan. No-one should have to go through anything like that. The TV pictures of that wave coming in, and the whirlpool in the ocean, scared the shit out of me ! But has with all disasters there are the morons with the jokes, don't get me wrong, i love a joke, but not when its disrespectful and sick. So you wont be seeing any from me on Twitter.

Just so you know Ive had a couple of my appointments come through to find out whats, what, and they start this Tuesday. I seem to be having a couple of down days due to the fact that all this is sinking in, but today i feel full of the joys of spring, so I'm making the most of it.
Also in other news, I've managed to get a new X-box 360 ! The middle brats x-box has got RROD (red ring of death) and is therefor knackered. So its been decided that he will have mine, and i get the new one, with 2 new games ! (i know, small things etc), but i don't care.
The Whirlwind seems to have grown up a lot this week too. She had her first night in a 'big' bed on Monday, and took to it straight away, also she is saying a lot more words and her cheeky side is starting to come out. She gives these cuddles that fills my heart full of joy and has me in fits of laughter with the things she does, shes ace.
Anyway it was only supposed to be a quickie,
Thanks for reading
Offski

Tubby the Tuba 3

So Normid 2000 was formed from all the older members of the youth band, and to be honest we had big expectations, how wrong we were. We got new members and got the band up to strength and went to Blackpool in the 4th section. We were drawn first, played then found a pub and got wrecked, this was to become a common activity. Out of 22 bands we come 19th ! what a shock and a hard kick in the balls that was, the journey home was a very quiet one.
We did concerts and carried on contesting but we never really won anything, which was very disapointing, and most contests were just a turn up and play, then go find a pub to get pissed in, this carried on for 3 years until a local 2nd section band came knocking.
They were the United Co-op band, and were a big deal in crewe. I went along to my first practice, sat and played my first piece and it was like WFT ! Everything was different, they sounded awesome and were very professional. I was offered a place so i took it.
We did a lot of high profile concerts and a lot contests (test piece and entertainment). The band was loved doing entertainment contests cos it wasnt so serious and we could show off. A lot of these style contests were held around the evesham, pershore and cheltnaham area, due to the fact that the conductor was from down there.
We went to Blackpool to complete in the 2nd section, the first year i went with them we came 4th, but the 2nd year we came 2nd and qualifed for London again but this year it was being held at the Wembley confrence centre. We went down again for a long weekend with the test piece called 'Firestorm' which was wrote about the gulf war, we came 6th and had a really good weekend. I even managed to get tickets to go see the Championship section at the Allbert hall. These were the best bands in the country, Black Dyke, Fodens,Cory and the Grimethorpe colliery band.
The film Brassed off was based on Grimethorpe (or Grimley) has they were in the film. If you have watched the film and you remember the bit at the end where Danny stands up and gives the big speach ? I was there, and it was a man called Major Peter Parkes, there conductor at the the time and very well to do. Every word that Danny said came from Major Parkes mouth, it put everyone in a state of shock, inculding the Queen. But he was right in what he said, and they deserved to win.
We got asked to go to Holland to do an entertainment contest over there, we jumped at the chance, it was for a week. I dont remember much about it apart from, staying awake on the coach all the way there, having a day out in Amsterdam, pissing about around the red light district, and winning. The reason i dont remember much is because of the large amount of Oranjeboom i drunk on the trip.
I got to 25 and started to lose interest, so i left and got on with my life. I still listen to Brass band music and keep an eye on results, and to be honest i would love to go back to it.... lets just wait and see.
Thanks for reading
Offski

Wednesday 09/03/2011

Hello ! for some reason i always want to start my blog with 'so' but I'm not going to.

Ive had an unusual weekend, what with the doctor on Friday, then getting my appointment on Saturday. Well yesterday was the specialist appointment and it confirmed what i already thought. I have been diagnosed with Leukemia, which sort we do not know yet. I am waiting to go in to hospital to have a bit of the lump cut from my neck, and have a bone marrow graft to find out whats, what. Then because most of the lymph glands that she could feel were enlarged, if need a CAT scan to see whats happening elsewhere. This should all be done in the next 2 weeks, then they can decided which way to go on the treatment.
I went to the docs over 2 years ago which lumps in my throat, but after a course of meds they went down. Then something has set it of again, but it means it a 'crawler' has the specialist said, so when they nail it its quite possible i wont have to go back again for a couple of years, or thats the plan anyway.
I know what to expect due to my first girlfriend's dad having the same thing, so i know i will have down days.
Now the next bit is probably gonna sound a bit far out but....
I dont know if i beleive there is anyone watching over us, but when the Whirlwind was born, and we found out that she had MCADD, i said i couple of.. well prayers i suppose. In them i asked if someone could make things ok for her, and if needed to, take bits of me to make it happen, and now im sat here typing about this.
Make of this what you will, but ive always belived in karma.
Im not looking for sympthy, what will be will be. But im going to blog about what happens and what i go through, so if you want to follow your more than welcome.

Thank you for the kind comments so far on Twitter, it means alot, and some of you might regret saying 'im here to talk to, if you need it' hahahaha.
Anyway thanks for reading, sorry its a bit morbid. Will let you know how i go on !

Offski