Results from yesterday

NO	DRIVER	PASSENGER	CAR	CC	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	Total	AWARD	Place
62	KEITH PETTIT	PETER CUBBENS	AH SPRITE	1275	21	10	12	6	5	54.00	AUTUMN CUP-OVERALL WINNER	1
41	DAVE HARVEY	AUDREY HARVEY	IMP	915	23	16	9	4	4	56.00	BEST IN CLASS	2
26	DON SKELTON	HELEN SKELTON	A7	750	24	10	12	9	4	59.00	BEST IN CLASS	3
61	ADRIAN TUCKER-PEAKE	ANDREW TUCKER-PEAKE	MG F	1796	24	14	13	9	4	64.00	BEST IN CLASS	4
75	RICHARD IRVINE	OLIVER IRVINE	LIEGE	998	29	13	11	9	5	67.00	BEST IN CLASS	5
42	RICHARD TOMPKINS	JANET TOMPKINS	IMP	915	29	17	14	10	6	76.00		6
71	KEITH OAKES	ALLAN OAKES	DUTTON	1600	36	17	16	8	4	81.00		7
12	COLIN REID	GEORGE REID	GOLF GTI	1780	33	13	17	12	10	85.00	BEST IN CLASS	8
63	ANDREW TUCKER-PEAKE	ADRIAN TUCKER-PEAKE	MG F	1796	32	20	212	8	7	88.00	BEST NOVICE	9
22	IAN WEBB	JON YEELES	A7	747	34	21	16	13	8	92.00		10
73	ALLAN OAKES	KEITH OAKES	DUTTON	1600	38	18	21	10	6	93.00		11
16	TREVOR CLARKE	ANGELA JONES	KA	1598	38	14	17	13	12	94.00		12
45	DAVE SULLIVAN	PETE EDEN	BEETLE	1200	29	24	17	13	12	95.00		13
82	MARK ENDLEY	GINNY ENDLEY	TROLL	1700	35	19	17	12	12	95.00		14
44	GRAHAM WHITING	LAUREN WHITING	SKODA	1289	31	17	19	11	19	97.00		15
72	CHRIS JOHNS	NEIL CAMPBELL	BUCKLER	1172	36	16	23	20	8	103.00		16
43	PETE EDEN	DAVE SULLIVAN	BEETLE	1200	34	25	25	13	12	109.00		17
51	JONATHAN TOULMIN	PAT TOULMIN	X 90	1600	38	23	22	18	11	112.00		18
21	NIGEL GLOVER	MARTYN WILKIE	A7	747	40	35	17	22	15	129.00		19
15	NIGEL WHITEN	SUE WHITEN	KA	1300	53	30	23	14	12	132.00		20
14	PAUL DAVEY	JONATHAN DAVEY	ROVER	1798	42	34	29	16	12	133.00		21
46	LAUREN WHITING	GRAHAM WHITING	SKODA	1289	43	36	30	14	10	133.00		22
24	FRANK VAUTIER	NICK TAYLOR	MG TA	1350	40	37	31	18	23	149.00	ALLEN TROPHY - BEST MGCC	23
11	JONATHAN DAVEY	PAUL DAVEY	ROVER	1798	49	37	31	17	16	150.00		24
23	GRAEME WATT	SAMUEL&PETER WATT	A7	750	45	37	34	32	31	179.00		25
25	MATT JOHNSTON	HANNAH WOOD	A7	747	25	RETIRED						26
74	DAVID MONTGOMERY	JAMES SALMON	BUCKLER	1172	49	18	RETIRED					27
76	JAMES SALMON	DAVID MONTGOMERY	BUCKLER	1172	46	11	RETIRED					28
81	IAN NUTE	HEATHER NUTE	CHANCER	2000	37	21	RETIRED					29

Frank Vautier, who won the award for the highest placed MGCC member in an MG has been racing and driving MGs since the 1970s.  Lauren beat him.  I am really proud of her.  If you look at the scores for each round, she also beat me in round 5, I'm not so proud of that :-).

Another Fantastic Day

Back on the pazobanib this morning.  Took it at 7:00 am and then went back to sleep for half an hour.  No noticeable side effects.  But, it does cause a different kind of pain in the tumour.  Without pazobanib I get sore and stinging feelings.  With pazobanib it burns.

Spent the whole day driving the Skoda up hills with Lauren.  Apart from a row with a marshal, who was telling Lauren what to do, which had she followed would have ended in disaster, it has been a great day.  Even when we suffered fuel starvation problems the troops rallied.  Good old Matt got a screw driver out and bypassed the mechanical fuel pump, power restored.  I have been driving at Burton Dasset since before Lauren was born and today we saw the top of some hills we have never been to the top of before.  Lauren was fantastic, and beat me up some of the hills.  Unfortunately it took her longer to get into it than me, so overall I have a better score than her.

Chemo update

Had a phone call from the new intern at The Churchill this afternoon, she was going to ring me yesterday evening but decided it was too late when she found out.  They have looked at my blood results, liver is functioning almost normally, slight anomaly with the kidneys, may have been de-hydration.  Result, back to 600mg of pazobanib from tomorrow!  Lets hope the reduced dose is kinder on my liver but still enough to slow the tumours down.

After a slow and lazy start I have spent all day doing the last little jobs and packing the Skoda ready for tomorrows event.  Ian helped, and I couldn't have managed without him.  Carrying the hoover from the garage(yes I have a garage hoover) to the car was enough for me.  I could have managed the spare wheels and the compressor, but it would have finished me off for the day and I would never have been able to put them away.

Early night tonight as I have to take the pazobanib an hour before food and I am picking lauren up at 9:00, which means leaving home at 8:30 ish, so up at 7:00 for pazobanib.

Thanks everybody for all the effort and facebook chat that has gone into making tomorrow happen.  Lets hope Lauren and I don't come last.

Fantastic day!

Andy did it! Went over this morning to help him sort out the Skoda and when I got there he had already MOTd it. So, some time spent painting, cleaning and sorting out will have it ready for the MG car club autumn trial at Burton Dasset on Sunday. BIG THANK YOU Andy.

I have done some running about in it picking up bits for Andy's rally car and all seems good. Bit tired now though.

I was expecting to hear from Dr Pratap today, but haven't. It will be Monday before I can find out what's going on. Hohum.
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Reality Check

I have had a pretty shit day today. I had a facebook message first thing to tell me my old boss, John Matchett, lost his battle against cancer. I saw his name on the ward board at The Churchill last year. Then I saw his wife walk along the corridor. I couldn't do anything to find out what was happening as I was flat out in bed on a chemo drip.

Then, by chance, I saw him in Sainsbury's car park. I asked how he was, and in his usual way he answered 'Fine'. I then told him I had seen him in The Churchill when I was in for chemo and he admitted he had bowel cancer.

Since then I have spoken to him on the phone a few times, exchanged txts and emails. In our last phone conversation he described us as "kindred spirits fighting the same thing". I left a message on his phone a couple of weeks ago asking him when we could meet for a coffee. I didn't hear anything back, now I know why.

I have also had a long phone chat with my Dad. He doesn't sound at all well. He is diabetic, his lungs have problems and now they have scanned his brain. Must get over to see him.

I am also worried (I know, I don't do worrying) that Andy isn't going to have time to get the Skoda sorted before Sunday. It seems there are still a number of issues to resolve before an MOT and others before it runs OK. I hope we can sort it as Burton Dasset has always been my favourite event at one of my favourite places. I'd love to say "No worries, there is always next year".

Chaired my last governors meeting this evening. Well in fact I only chaired the first 4 items and then I handed over to the new chair. It was very sad, but I got lots of appreciation.

Had to wait half an hour for a blood test at The Horton this morning. Still far better than a trip to The Churchill. No oncologist appointment tomorrow, they are all away at a conference. They are going to ring me and let me know how my liver is and whether I can start the chemo again.
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Busy week

I have been keeping myself busy this week to keep my mind off of last weeks blood test results. Have been feeling fairly good. I have also discovered that I can walk into the path lab over the road at the Horton and get blood tests done on a Thursday ready for the Churchill on a Friday, which makes life easier. I had to go to The Churchill Wednesday though to get an envelope for the blood tests to go in as it has to be signed by the doctor. Went in 500Tie, in the sun. Unfortunately it rained later so I had to get her washed before going to Classics on the Green at Wychford on Thursday evening. It was a lovely little event with a variety of vehicles on the village green outside the pub.

Today I have been to see Dr Pratap. I was expecting the worst and that they were going to say the chemo has destroyed my liver and that it won't get better and chemo will have to stop. It wasn't that bad, my liver seems to have recovered a bit and we have planned another review next week. So, no chemo again this week. It's a difficult place to be mentally, I want the chemo back as it will extend my life expectancy, but I don't want the chemo because it could fatally damage my liver. It does my head in if I think about it for too long. Hopefully my liver will have recovered again next week and chemo will recommence. Then the plan is to monitor my blood every week. No appointment next week as The Prof and Dr Pratap are both off to a conference. So, blood test Thursday at the Horton and phone conversation Friday from the conference! What service.
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Newsflash

Went out this evening for a look round the Lotus F1 factory. Guided by a friends son, who is working there, Thanks Andrew.

Whilst I was there Dr Pratap rang me. The blood tests from this afternoon indicate that my liver function is not right. She wants me to stop taking the pazobanib immediately and we will review the situation next Friday. That means getting blood tests done Thursday and a visit to The Churchill Friday.

I don't know what to do or say at the moment. It all seemed to be going so well. Then the rug got pulled again. I am devastated.
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Something to Report!

I have been to see the oncologist today, and they were on time!!!!!!!

Saw Dr Pratap, we went through all my blood pressure data and she was happy that is staying below 100 dyastolic most of the time.  I have to contact them if it goes over 100 2 days running.  We went through all the other possible side effects, of which I have none (except a bit of fatigue now and then).  I asked her if the soreness was the pazobanib doing its job or the tumour developing, she was straight and honest and said she didn't know.  She also listened to my chest.  I asked her if that was to detect side effects or to keep an eye on the findings from the last scan.  She said it was to keep an eye on the scan results and what was going on in my lungs.  She couldn't hear anything abnormal, so the pazobanib seems to be doing something. 

She is requesting a scan for me sometime before my next appointment, which was to have been the 11th October, but I moved it to the 18th, in case we decide to go to Jersey for the rally and a few days of autumn fun.

I haven't had many adventures this week.  I popped out to the Banbury Classic Car Club gathering yesterday evening, 500Tie got much admiration.  Other than that it has been dog/plumber sitting and general odds and ends this week.  Might have a trip East next week to Cambridge and my Dad to see how he is getting on.  Depends when I can book my Speed Awareness course for, as Northamptonshire have decided that this time they should let me go on a course and not give me the fine and points.  

It's been a bit too normal this week, I haven't posted a blipfoto and I haven't blogged. 

What to blog???

When I started the blog there was a lot of chemotherapy going on and much to share.  The current chemo seems so easy.  I take 4 tablets in the morning, most days I feel fine, if I overdo it I get very tired and if I walk too far I get very sore.  But generally that's it. I don't know if it is doing any good.  The tumour in my groin has gone hard (oooer missus, snigger snigger), I don't think it is any bigger and I don't think it is any smaller.  I have had some pain in my back, in the sameplace as it was in the early chemo when the Prof said it was the tumour in my kidney.  Other than that all is well and I have been busy enjoying myself.

Went down to Swansea for a couple of days this week to see Phill.  We had a day out on The Gower, walked on Port Eynon beach and had lunch overlooking Rhossilli Bay.  I drove his Jag and he enjoyed being chauffeurred, he didn't make me wear his peaked cap and he sat in the front.  The Jag is a gorgeous car, almost obscene in its opulence.  I left it fairly late to come back in the evening and got even later when my 20 minute power nap turned into an hours sleep in the Forest of Dean.  I must of needed it, I awoke refreshed and between Cheltenham and Banbury I only saw about 3 other cars.  Blasting across the Cotswolds under a star filled sky in 500Tie was gorgeous, I need more drives like that.

So with the chemo being fairly routine and me filling my time with as many adventures as I can, blogging will be sporadic.

Sorry I haven't blogged

Just realised I haven't blogged for over a week!   I have been busy having a good time.  We got back from Wales on Friday, I marshalled at the Witney motor club autocross Sunday, went to Hatton Locks bank holiday Monday and have been enjoying the sun all week.  Took a trip to the National Museum of Computing on Wednesday and now we are in Dorset for the weekend.  like I said, having a good time. 

 I didn't hear back from Prof Hassan about my blood pressure so I rang his secretary on Friday.  She said she hadn't realised I needed to hear back.  Not sure what to say about that, they asked me today increase my amlodopine dose and let them know what happened, I just expected some kind of response.  I have no idea if the blood pressure is ok or not.  But I don't really care that much, seems fairly insignificant in the overall scheme of things.   I will just carry on having a good time.