Big H v Big C: Radio Gaga

Well they told me today that I would have to have radio therapy, which is a bit of a bummer.

I hadn't expected this as I had been told that this almost certainly wouldn't be necessary as surgery would almost certainly remove all of the melanoma. What happened was that 9 lymph nodes were removed from my neck and shoulder. Ouch I hear you cry.

Eight of these were intact. The ninth showed signs of "extra capular spread". That is it was burst. My surgeon, the brilliant Tamir Shoaib removed the muscle around the burst node but there is no way to be sure that all the cancerous cells have gone. They probably have but Radio therapy is used as a "belt and braces". I have to be fitted for a mask, which will be used to ensure that only the target area is hit by radiation. Then six weeks of radio therapy. Unfortunately I will not glow in the dark which would have been quite cool.

This is of course a bit of a set back, but I'm not worried. An individual as pig headed and stubborn as me simply will NOT be beat by cancer. So I fight on for another round, but I will get a knock out in the next round I'm sure (Cue theme from "Rocky", bit I'm running up nae B!££$% steps!)

On a lighter note my new hat is absolutely spiffing. So much so that i have taken to wearing it indoors and am morphing into Grandad from "Only Fools and Horses". Thomas seems resigned to being Rodney but I cannot get Elizabeth to respond to "Del Boy".

Hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year and that you join with me in sparing a few moments to think of the friends and familes of those killed in the awful incident in Arizona and indeed all other victims of crime, hatred and tyranny throughout the world

I'll see you on the other side

Harold