It's not moneysaving, but you might help save a life !

mike_paterson

Nearly at 80% !!!

19th April : 00.30





Good God! It’s not often that you go to the newsagents and see your own ugly mug staring out from the front page of a paper!


Well, that’s where we are - on the front page of the Bridgwater Mercury. Simon, the journalist who wrote the piece, did say he’d try and give us a ‘prominent position’ in the paper - you can’t get more prominent than that, can you?!!


CLICK HERE for a massive scan of the front page (Broadband)


CLICK HERE for a smaller scan of the front page (Dial-up)


You can also view a very brief version of our article by going to the Bridgwater Mercury website by clicking HERE.


It’s done us the world of good already. I’ve had loads of offers of help for Sunday’s match, plus some extra prizes for the raffle and some lovely handmade cards to sell.


“But I thought you didn’t want press involved?” - I hear you cry. Well, we didn’t really, but when there’s a footy match that we want folk to attend, we didn’t really have a choice.


Imagine someone shaking a tin in a shopping centre: “Please help this woman (who I can name), but she’s got cancer and she works at a local school (that I also can’t name) and her partner (who I can’t name) has a website (that I can’t name) to try and raise money for her. Please give generously!”


Nah - I wouldn’t give a penny either.


Unfortunately, to get a bit, you have to give a bit. And that’s exactly what we’ve done.


Su and I have discussed it with the kids and made sure they’re happy with it all. Their response is one of realistic stoicism - if that’s what we need to do to get the cash for Mum to get better, then that’s what we’ll do.


It’s pretty much a case of ‘no holes barred’ now.


I’m going to get on the local radio stations this week and will try my hardest to place my ugly mug on the local telly as well. If our story gets picked up by a national, I’m going to try to convince Su to allow it to happen. I’ve said from the start - if it had been in something like the Daily Mail or The Sun, we’d have reached our target long ago.


Anyhow, if you can’t make it on Sunday to the match, at least tell your mates about it - we need as many bums on seats as possible.


Night all xxx





14th April : 23.55


An ultra-brief update tonight just to tell you that we’re featured in this weeks Bridgwater Times! They wrote a very nice little article to publicise our forthcoming football match between Cross Rifles and Huntspill Crowns.


You can see a rather wonky scan of it by clicking HERE.


Look out for us in next week’s Bridgwater Mercury too. I’m also hoping to get on some radio stations and perhaps some TV.


Night all xxx





12th April : 21:00


A quick update today just to let you all know about an extra event in our fundraising calendar.


A local children’s football team are playing a charity match against their mums! The children involved are mainly pupils from our school and it promises to be a very fun-filled match with plenty of giggles.


Go to our events page for more details.


Also, as promised, a small snap showing the darkening of Su’s skin. Here’s a picture of her hand next to mine.





The difference is plain to see. On a good note, it seems that it is unlikely Su will lose her hair. Our nurse, Maxine, told us yesterday that it should really have happened by now.


We had to go to Taunton for an x-ray today, as Maxine was concerned to see that the length of PICC line from Su’s arm has become longer by a couple of centimetres. This could have meant that the line is not hanging in the heart as it should be. We didn’t find out results straight away - they told us they’d phone us soon. Anyway, Healthcare At Home phoned to say that the x-ray had reached them (how do they send it so quickly - email?) and all is well. Su was very relieved as she was worried she’d have to go through another PICC line insertion.


Anyway, huge hugs to you all - more news soon xxx

Former_MSE_Forum_Manager

We are happy for this thread to remain, but i've moved it to the charity board where it seems more suited

mike_paterson

Approx 90% of target reached - please help them get there !

Latest news:

1st May : 16.30

I’ve added loads of bits to the site today.

There’s a new Media section, which contains all of our newspaper cuttings and recordings of interviews.

Also, I’ve added a page of photos from our football match to our Events page. Go the the bottom of the Events section and you’ll find a link. Alternatively, just CLICK HERE.

Plus in the Gallery, I’ve added a few pictures of Su and the family.

Bye xxx



30th April : 14.00

It’s been a week since the last update - sorry for the lack of news.

I’ve spent the last 7 days relaxing after the huge amount of work our football match demanded and it’s been rather nice to be able to concentrate on Su and my job.

I’ve got a huge amount of stuff to put on the site over the next few days - photos from the match, another interview I did for Somerset Sound on Monday, the follow-up articles from the Bridgwater Mercury and Bridgwater Times, plus I’d like to get some new photos of Su on here.

I haven’t got time to do this now, as Su’s had a really rough couple of days and I need to spend my time today looking after her. Hopefully, tomorrow I’ll be able to get everything online.

A huge thank you to Jackie and Alistair (Su’s sister and brother-in-law) who have boosted our fund this weekend with a massive chunk of cash. We’re now very close to hitting our £40000 target and it’s so reassuring to know that when each treatment bill arrives through the letterbox, we’ve got the money to pay for it.

A giant hug to my Auntie Jan and Chris who popped in yesterday to say hello. They brought a birthday present for me; a lovely table and chair set for the garden. I’m looking forward to a nice sunny day when I can get them out, with Su and I sipping a nice bottle of wine together.

We’ve had news of when Su’s first scan will be - 23rd May. This will be a very nervous time for us, as it will be the first time we’ll see what effect the treatment is having. Fingers crossed everyone!

Check the site over the next few days - there’ll be loads of extra bits popping up.

Bye xxx



23rd April : 22.30

Wow, what a day!

Our football match was attended by around 500 people today and we raised £2500!

I haven’t fully counted everything properly yet, so our site total doesn’t include the full amount, but I have added the bulk of today’s proceeds to it. Expect it to leap up by a few hundred quid over the next few days.

When I’ve got more time, I’ll pop a page of photos from the day on the site and give a full rundown.

Here’s a few titbits from the match: Cross Rifles won the first Bridgwater and District Community Shield against Huntspill Crowns. The score was 5-2.

A huge thank you to the following people: John, Julie, Chris and David from Cross Rifles FC, Dudley and Ryan from Huntspill Crowns, Roger from Bridgwater Town, BCR FM, all the wonderful folk from our school who manned the stalls, my mate Dave who made balloon animals, Tina and Jamie for their endless support, Vikki for her hard work on the gate and if I’ve left anyone out, let me know!

The biggest thank you goes to the two teams of players and all you wonderful spectators who came to support our cause.



Night all xx



22nd April : 15.20

A quick update for those of you coming to the match tomorrow. If you’re unsure about where we’ll be, take a look at Bridgwater Town’s own website by clicking HERE. There are excellent directions for those coming into Bridgwater from either the north or south of the town.

I was on two radio stations this morning, talking about our cause and our footy match. I appeared on BBC Somerset Sound at 8am and then on BBC Radio Bristol at 9am. I was given a huge amount of time to plug our cause and fundraisers, so hopefully it should bring a few more people to the match. We were also the top story on the local radio news this morning and one bulletin even featured a rather groggy Su! I’ve managed (with the superb help of Matt, my brother) to get recordings of everything for your listening pleasure. They’re in mp3 format and are in our Media section.



A huge thank you to all the people at the Beeb who were so nice today - Alex the producer, Simon Parkin and Ali Vowles.



A big big big big thank you to the wonderful staff and customers of Somerfield, Bridgwater who have had buckets on their checkouts for the last week or two. They have managed to raise the great total of £240! A superb boost to our fund!



See you all tomorrow!



21st April : 22.15

An ultra-brief update tonight just to let you know that I’m on BBC Somerset Sound and BBC Radio Bristol this Saturday. If you’re a local, then tune in at 8am to hear me on Somerset Sound and at 9am to hear me on Radio Bristol. I’m just doing a quick interview about our fund and how we’re doing. It will hopefully get a few more people to our football match on Sunday! I should be able to put the interviews on this site as mp3 files at some point so you’ll all be able to hear them and judge whether I sound like a prat on the airwaves!

Night all xxx

Little_Miss_Winner

Courageous lady (and family too)

Have just donated what I could afford.

hugs
pot
xx

mike_paterson

4th May : 23.00

It’s been a superb day for our fund. Thanks to some very generous individuals, our total has been swelled by £1400.

Firstly, at lunchtime today I met with a wonderful lady who has helped us out with a very substantial sum of money. It really did bring a tear to my eye.

We’ve also had some very generous donations via Paypal this evening. A bug hug and thanks to Matthew and Georgina.

A former pupil of mine popped into school today with her mum. Tania did a sponsored swim for us and managed to raise over £220! A massive hug from us both.

This weekend, something very special is happening, but I’ll keep you in suspense until Sunday night on that score!

In the next few days, I’ll be busy getting the ball rolling on some publicity for the under 11s v Mums footy match and our Mitch Benn comedy night. If all goes to plan, there should be something in next week’s Bridgwater Mercury.

Night all xxx

mike_paterson

Sorry I have not updated the thread for a while - I now have to update in 2 posts to meet the maximum post size !

9th May : 00.15

Okay, okay! I didn’t do the update on Sunday night as I had originally hoped, but I was a bit tired after the events of the day!

Well, here’s the good news...

We’ve reached £40000!



This was all thanks to Cross Rifles FC sorting out the remainder of the money raised via our football match, plus some extra cash from the Woolavington Quilling Group. Thank you SO much.

Also, I met a wonderful and brave family on Sunday. The Hale family are still recovering from the terrible loss of Angela Hale, a young mother who was tragically killed in a car accident on January 27th. She was only 23 and was pregnant at the time with her second child. She leaves her partner, Craig, and their little girl Emily.

On April 30th, the family held a charity football tournament at Bridgwater Town’s ground to raise money for the NSPCC (Angela’s favourite charity) and to raise funds to pay for a memorial to Angela. I am so delighted to say that they raised £5000, which was more than the family had hoped for. They then made the incredibly generous decision to give £500 to Su.

On Sunday, at Bridgwater Town’s football ground, Angela’s mother, Lyn, presented me with a cheque and I was truly humbled by the family’s bravery and generosity.

If anyone from the Hale family, or Craig, her partner, reads this website, Su and I would like to say that we cannot begin to understand the loss you have suffered and we thank you unreservedly from the bottom of our hearts for your gift. You and your lovely girl, Angela, will be in our thoughts for a long long time to come.





For Angela, Craig and darling Emily.





Some of you may be thinking- “if you’ve got the £40000, why is the site still here?”

Well, I’d just like to point out...

a) We’re not getting greedy

b) We’re not being ungrateful

c) We’re not trying to get a new car

d) And so on.



It’s just that I had a bit of a shock last Friday.

Each chemo treatment costs £2270. This is given every fortnight for approximately six months (10 or 11 treatments). Then, from the middle of September, Su will receive Avastin only. This lasts for six months (13 or so treatments). This will then cost around £1400 per fortnight. Our £40000 will pay for all of this.

However, what is not included is this cost are the tests, the consultations with the GPs (£120 per monthly appointment, which lasts all of ten minutes), the CT scans, the x-rays etc.

And that was the shock on Friday. The first bill for Su’s x-ray and blood tests arrived. I was stunned to read the amount of £627!

Su is given fortnightly blood tests. She is x-rayed monthly to make sure her PICC line is still in place. She has her first CT scan on the 23rd and I can only guess at what the charge for that will be (the nurse estimated around £1000).

So, although we’ve hit our target of £40000, I’d like to continue until we get £44000. I’ve done a few sums and I think that amount will see us through nicely, as I’m confident I can pay the rest from my wages.

And, no, once we reach £44000 I’m not going to say “oh well, there’s other things we have to pay for too etc.” and set yet another target. When we hit £44000, you won’t see the main page when you log onto this site, you’ll see a huge picture of a champagne bottle and hear some celebratory music blasting out of your computer’s speakers.

What happens to the site after that? Wait and see. I have huge plans and hopes for this site; it’s got over 300 daily visitors and we’re easily found on Google. The world has helped us and I want to give something back. When we hit £44000, you’ll find out exactly what I want to do.

And it’s special- trust me, it’s good.

So why no update on Sunday night? Why so tired on what should have been a euphoric occasion? Sunday was a strange day. Don’t get me wrong; I was over the moon to hit our initial £40000 target. But it was a day of mixed emotions.

The photographer from the Bridgwater Mercury was there to take a photo of Lyn Hale and David Cornish (manager of Cross Rifles FC) presenting me with the cheques and cash. When he took his snap, I didn’t know whether to smile (which might look insensitive considering the tragic origins of the Hale family’s donation) or whether to have a serious look on my face (and then risk looking like a terrifically ungrateful sod). To meet the Hale family was truly humbling and very moving. To be meeting with the people who have helped us so much (Chris, John, Julie, David and Roger) for probably quite a while was poignant.

Also, to have reached the end of a ten week campaign to raise the cash was unbelievable.

I said to Su earlier, it made me think of Ian Botham when he used to do those ‘Lands End to John O’Groats’ walks in the 1980s.

When he set off, he probably thought “how the hell am I going to do this?” When he was a quarter of the way, he would have felt he’d crossed a milestone but there was so much left to do. He would have faced difficulties and setbacks along the way; his feet would have been blistered and it might have become too much to bear but he continued. When the end was in sight he would have burst every blood vessel and torn each of his muscles to get across the finish line.

But then when you finally cross it, how do you feel? You don’t want to cheer or shout. It’s not that kind of feeling.

That’s how I felt on Sunday.

This site has been my life since March 1st. Every hour of my free time has been spent maintaining everything, emailing people, banking money, keeping tabs on our totals, organising fundraisers, meeting people, blagging stuff from local shops, putting flyers on car windscreens and so on. Generally running around like a headless chicken.

I’m not looking for praise or a pat on the back. It’s been a two-way thing. This was for Su but it was also for me too. This is my therapy.

When your partner is unwell, you want to make them better. If your husband, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend wakes up in the middle of the night with a headache - what do you do? You tiptoe downstairs and return with a paracetamol in one hand and a glass of water in the other.

You want to make them better.

With cancer, it ain’t that simple. As Su’s partner, I initially felt so helpless, weak and pathetic. There she was, dying in front of my eyes and I was powerless to halt the ravages of the tumours growing and spreading inside her beautiful frame.

I thought the site might raise £1000 if I was lucky. But once it was obviously going to raise so much more, this site became the outlet for my energies. To be able to talk to all of you (some of you people I know in Bridgwater or further afield, some strangers on the other side of the world, who I will never meet) has been incredibly therapeutic.

Who needs a psychologist when you’ve got 300 shoulders to cry on every day?

So the site continues. We’re £3300 away from our final target with a few fundraisers left to go.

Incidentally, I had a lovely chat with Mitch Benn this evening about his comedy gig next Monday. It’s on, it’s happening, spread the word. This guy is a naturally funny man with a superb act.

It’s an absolute bargain. £5 to see a top London comic that would normally cost £16 in the capital. It’s a deal, it’s a steal! Plus, you’re helping a good cause. I am seriously looking forward to it. It’ll be a great night.

That’s me done. I’ve waffled way too much tonight and, although I began typing at 11pm Monday, it’s now Tuesday morning.

Thank you so much for all your donations and support over the last ten weeks. We’re on the home straight now and I cannot wait to tell you what’s going to happen to this site when we hit our £44000.

Su and I love you all. I love you all especially.

You’re keeping my girl alive.

Night all xxxx

mike_paterson

Sorry I've been a bit remiss with my updates - here is the latest:

16th May : 23.30

Last night was our last ‘big’ fundraiser and has boosted our fund by £200!

I was a right bundle of nerves. Firstly, Mitch Benn phoned to tell me there’d been an accident on the M4 and he was stuck in a 4 mile tailback moving at walking pace. It was clear he would be arriving late.

Then by 8.30pm, we had about 30 people in the hall and it was obvious that we weren’t going to be getting any more. I was a bit disappointed as I’d expected at least 50. There were quite a few folk who had told me they would be attending, and then didn’t show.

However, it’s by things like this that you learn from your mistakes. Firstly, having it on a weekday evening didn’t help, although Mitch is a very busy guy and is solidly booked for weekend gigs for the next year, so could only do a weekday. Secondly, perhaps it wasn’t advertised to the right people. I did the usual posters and flyers, got onto the radio and I even posted it onto several comedy websites. But I can’t help feeling that if we’d put it on in Taunton, where there are regular comedy gigs at places like the Brewhouse, we’d have drawn a bigger crowd as the audience is already there.

Never mind. Mitch arrived just after 9pm and then treated us to a hour of absolute comedy gold. We may have been a small audience, but it sounded like there were 200 people laughing. What an absolute star he was.

After all my nerves and disappointment, I really enjoyed the evening and everyone else did too.

A big hug to those who came (and to the mystery people who put a load of coins into our bucket on the bar).

A huge thank you to Mitch Benn, who travelled all the way from South London to entertain us (for no charge whatsoever) and then had to travel all the way back again. What a saint. Su and I are incredibly grateful.

Anyway, that’s it for a bit. Getting these things organised has really taken its toll on me and I’ve got to take a rest for a while. There are other things in the pipeline though, as I’ve had some very generous offers from various people.

Su has had a sleepy day today, but she’s still had a very good treatment this time. No nausea, just a lot of fatigue. She had a very good weekend and was almost her normal self.

That’s it for tonight, I’ll update again in a couple of days.

Night all xxx



14th May : 22.00

Ultra-quick update tonight!

If you’re hoping to come to our comedy night on Monday, but are stuck on how to get there, here are some directions.

Firstly if you’re in Bridgwater, our venue is on Bath Rd, directly opposite the entrance to College Way, where Bridgwater College is.

If you’re coming from outside Bridgwater on the M5, it’s probably easiest to leave the motorway at Junction 23. Take the exit for Puriton and follow the road for about a mile. You’ll go up a hill, then down the other side. Keep following the road until you reach a T-Junction. Turn right. You’ll go over a motorway bridge (with some annoyingly slow roadworks on), then you’ll pass an Esso garage on the right. Keep travelling ahead and you’ll soon pass Parkway (on your left) and the entrance to the Cellophane factory (on the right). After a while, you’ll pass a small newsagents on your right and at the end of this row of houses, you’ll find the Bridgwater Sports and Social Club. Turn right into the car park.

If that was confusing, here’s a link to Google Maps. Our venue isn’t shown on any maps, but it’s directly opposite College Way.

£5 entry, doors open at 8pm. If you come early, you can always pop into the main bar for a drink.

I’m really looking forward to seeing you all there. It’s going to be a great night.

Bye xxx



12th May : 18.30

A quick update just to say that my interview on Somerset Sound this morning has been added to our Media page. A huge thanks to Vic, Alex and the lovely lady I spoke to on the phone (sorry I’ve forgotten your name!).



11th May : 23.30

A very quick update tonight.

Sorry if I made a few of you cry with the last update! I’ve had loads of people telling me off in the last few days for making them use up the last of the Kleenex!

A few things to tell you about. Firstly, my lovely friends and colleagues Derek Nevell and Carol Sheehan from my school are doing a triathlon in Wellington for us on Sunday. They’ve been working hard in their training and have got tons of sponsors too. Hopefully, there’ll be some photos of them on the site very soon.

Also, a very good mate of mine from my days at university, Rob Watts, ran the London Marathon for us. He managed to raise £600 for us, either via direct donations on the site or by sponsorship. I’m hoping to get a few pictures of him on the site too. He’s a superb runner and got round in 2 hours and 33 minutes. Overall he was placed 93rd, which, in an event of that scale, is one hell of an achievement. He’s a journalist and you can read his stuff in the Sunday Telegraph.

Last Sunday, three families whose children attend our school did the Race For Life at Weston for us. I’ve got some photos on their way to me and they’ll appear on this page soon.

Also, a big hug to Jack from class 6S, a super young man who dropped in an envelope of 20p coins he’d saved up for us. There were tons of them and they added up to £20! Massive thanks.

I must also say thanks to Lucy, one of my pupils, who’s been dropping in little envelopes of spare change. It all adds up and we are so grateful. What a star - a big hug to Lucy!

I’m on the radio again tomorrow at 8.50am. I’ll be interviewed on BBC Somerset Sound to promote our comedy night on Monday. I’ll pop an MP3 recording of it onto our Media page tomorrow night. I’m really looking forward to next Monday, it’s going to be a fabulous evening.

Su had another treatment on Tuesday and so far, she’s been dealing with it quite well. There’s been no nausea so far, although she is incredibly tired. While I’m on the subject: it’s been lovely to hear from so many people who’d like to pop in to see her. Trouble is, I’m not entirely sure that a few of you realise quite how bad she is. Some days, she spends all her time in the toilet, constantly throwing up, or troubles with “the other end”.

If she isn’t nauseous or suffering from diarrhoea, there’s the constant fatigue. During the average day, she’s probably awake for around 4 hours out of 24. I see very little of her. I get up in the morning, give her a peck on the cheek and leave her sleeping in bed. When I arrive home, she’s nowhere to be seen. She’s upstairs asleep again. After about an hour of me arriving home, she’ll stagger downstairs, have a cup of tea with me, potter around for an hour and then disappear off to bed again. I realise that there’s a lot of you who’d like to see her, but at the moment, I’d like to see her!

If you did see her, you’d be shocked. She’s half the woman you know and love: she’s frail, weak and thin; her eyes missing their usual sparkle. She’s not well enough for people to just ‘drop in’. In any case, she’ll take one look through the spyhole in the front door and hide upstairs!

She’s slowly improving; she’s virtually cut out the morphine and loads of other drugs. She has far more sparky moments these days, when she’s like her old self, although these generally don’t last long!

Right, that’s it. I’m off to bed. I woke up this morning with a horrific sore throat and I’m starting to feel a bit shivery. A nice snotty cold- just what I need!

Night all xxx

Sallys_Savings

Mike..
thank you for linking this site on here.

I'm sitting with tears in my eyes....ok ok I admit it I have tears rolling down my cheeks.

I have just listened to the radio interviews and read through the web site.
A friend of mine died of breast cancer three years ago, leaving 5 children.

My heart gos out to them all..and sincerely wish Su and her lovely family the best of luck with their fundraising and future.

x

mike_paterson

Sallys_Savings wrote:

Mike..
thank you for linking this site on here.

I'm sitting with tears in my eyes....ok ok I admit it I have tears rolling down my cheeks.

I have just listened to the radio interviews and read through the web site.
A friend of mine died of breast cancer three years ago, leaving 5 children.

My heart gos out to them all..and sincerely wish Su and her lovely family the best of luck with their fundraising and future.

x

Thanks for your kind words - it is a tragic situation and when i heard about them I felt that I had to post here on MSE.
Cheer up
Mike

mike_paterson

13th June : 01.30

A bit of a late update this one - I can’t sleep.

As I said in my last update, Su had a black day a few days ago. Now it’s my turn.

As we come ever closer to hitting our target, I can’t help but feel as though this was all a token gesture, a selfish way to make me feel as though I was doing something, rather than sitting around feeling helpless.

The first scan showed that the tumours hadn’t shrunk. What if the next scan shows the same? What words of comfort can I then give Su? How will I be able to keep up the ‘brave face’ for the kids when all I want to do is fall down and weep?

I’m sorry if this seems as though I’m being overly depressive but I can’t help it. I just feel really down and so bloody angry.

We only got together properly in April of last year when we bought our house together.

I keep chastising myself for not doing it sooner. I was going through a weird thing in my head; trying to ensure that I was ‘okay’ with settling down with Su and the kids. My dilly-dallying cost us time; in hindsight, very precious time. We’d had barely 4 months of happiness together and making plans, before this cancer crap kicked off.

That’s why I feel so angry tonight.

Why is it that the scum that live just up from our road can take countless drugs, create anti-social noise 24 hours a day, stagger around drunk, puking over the pavements, get various girls pregnant with God knows how many kids already in tow, sponge off the state, never work, pick up their giro and still walk about, healthy and well as ever? How do they get away with it? Why doesn’t this kind of gut-wrenching, emotion-bleeding, heart-breaking !!!! happen to them? WHY?

When I’m feeling down, it’s the ever-recurring question in my mind - why us? Why did it have to happen to us? To a mother of two children who need and dote on her? To a couple who had only just begun their time together? Why were we denied our chance? What the hell did we ever do wrong to deserve this?

It makes me SO livid and bitter and begrudging and... I won’t bore you with the rest of my thesaurus of negativity.

I don’t just feel angry for Su, the children, or for myself, but for YOU. You’ve all worked so damn hard to get us the money we need, to get us the medication, to give Su a chance.

The folk that did our Bridgwater Town football match, the guys that did our eBay auctions, Mitch Benn, the Hale family, Jamie and Tina, Ryan Mogg, the kids football match, all the people who’ve donated so much money online, the car boot sales, coffee mornings, jumble sales, the Fun Runs, Triathlons, Marathons, the Race For Life, the sponsored walks and sponsored cycles, the children at school who bring me in envelopes and bags containing the last bits of change from their money boxes, the notes and cheques that arrive in the post from people who leave only their first name and no address, the folk that emptied every last penny from their pocket in the Cross Rifles pub a few weeks ago and everyone else that’s donated in whatever way - sorry if I haven’t namechecked you, I’m just typing off the top of my head.

You’ve all given so damn much. We’ll never ever be able to thank you enough.

I’ve come to a decision in the last week and it’ll be a nice bit of good news. I can’t say anything yet but it’ll appear on this very page, hopefully within the next fortnight.

Apologies if I’ve depressed the living gubbins out of you, but I’ve never been a liar. If I’m happy then I type happy, if I’m sad then I type sad. I’ll feel better tomorrow.

Argh! Tomorrow! It’s already tomorrow! “Time for bed” said Zebedee.

Thanks for listening folks. After talking it through with you, I feel better about things already. Can you see how you do me good? Do you understand what a vital part of this whole process you are?

You’re special. I love you.

Night night x x x

7th June : 18.45

We’ve had some extra donations for our fund today. Our school raised £500 for us from the recent fun run. Massive hugs and thanks to everyone!

Also, the kind folk at Bridgwater Fire Station have donated £100! A huge thank you to you all!

This latest batch of donations means we have only £978 left to raise.

Su received her first ‘new’ treatment yesterday. So far, the side-effects haven’t been anywhere near as bad as the ones she’s suffered so far. Her energy levels are up and she hasn’t suffered any nausea or diarrhoea either.

Also, at the weekend I was able to take her out to the pub for a drink, which is something we haven’t been able to do since last October. We both spent Sunday rearranging the lounge and putting in a new sofa (not ‘new’ but given to us by our friends Carolyn and Rob).

Despite her physical boost, she had a very black day on Saturday. The children were with their father for the night and once they were safely out of the way, Su had a good cry in the afternoon. It’s only when the kids disappear that you realise how much of a brave front you’ve been putting on for them. We had incredibly hard chats about our uncertain future and talked about hypothetical arrangements “in case the worst happens”.

I cannot tell you how difficult it is for us to talk to each other about such things. Every sentence uttered brings a lump to the throat and every decision made summons a tear from the eye.

Since the weekend, Su’s become a lot happier and positive; she wants to try everything she can to kill off her cancer, so we’re looking down every avenue. Homeopathy, herbal etc.

I’m finding things more difficult to deal with. When I was fundraising heavily, it was a great distraction. Now we’re so close to our target and the ‘big events’ have all passed, there is far more time to think and reflect. The slightest thing can set me off - seeing people in the street hugging their kids, songs on the radio, photos around the house and so on.

Since Su’s cancer was first diagnosed, I’ve started to look at the world in a new way, a philosophical light. I’ve never been very materialistic anyway, but it’s truly brought home to me what the important things in life are; love, companionship, family, devotion, joy and hope.

Before I leave you, a little word of warning - it’s not a moan, just an explanation.

Every day, I am asked by so many people how Su is. That’s lovely, really great; it’s wonderful that so many people care about her. But please bear in mind that from the moment I get up, I am dealing with Su and her condition; from getting her medication when I get out of bed, driving the kids to school (with them asking me awkward questions about Mum), then getting to work and being asked continually about Su and saying the reply I’ve used 100 times already that day, then finishing work, driving home with Bethany (more questions) and finally walking in the front door, where I’m straight back into the carer role again. It’s 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and bloody depressing.

So when you ask me how Su is, please don’t be offended if I reply with a somewhat tired tone. I wouldn’t be rude to anyone, of course, but it’s very hard to maintain the facade of cheerful positivity all of the time. Please remember that you’re probably the 50th person that’s asked me about Su.

Sometimes I just want to put it out of my mind for a few hours and being constantly reminded about it can become a little wearing.

It’s difficult to forget as it is. For example, on Friday the children were watching their favourite TV programme. Su has a running joke with them, where she always sings over the opening theme in a horrendously out-of-tune voice, while the kids scream at her to be quiet. On Friday, Su did her usual performance and the kids shouted their usual responses.

Without thinking, Su said “Ha! You’ll miss my singing when I’m gone.” Her face dropped when she’d realised what she had said.

Josh and Beth instantly grabbed their mum and hugged her as hard as they could.

It was the most moving sight I’ve ever seen.

Love and hugs to all of you, for your donations, kind words and endless support. xxx

30th May : 13.15

There’s good news and there’s bad news.

Bad news first - the tumours in Su’s liver haven’t shrunk in size, which means that surgery is not yet an option.

Right, now that’s out of the way, let’s get onto the good news.

Su’s blood shows that the tumours are much less active than they were. Our oncologist said that her ‘tumour profile’ (I may be using the wrong terms) was down from 700 to 200. What these numbers are measured in, Lord only knows. So at least the cancer isn’t spreading. Our oncologist’s words were ‘the cancer’s been stabilised and it’s under control’.

While the tumours haven’t shrunk, I was relieved that they hadn’t grown. Dr Falk said that although they were the same size, they were ‘more defined’. He said that on the last scan the tumours had a blurry and blobby edge around them; now they have a definite edge.

Our main problem is one tumour that is sat right on top of a major vein. It can’t be removed as Su would not survive the massive bleed that would result. I’m not 100% sure but I think it’s on the hepatic vein.



This is the little sod we need to get rid of; the other tumours are not as much of a worry. The liver cannot be operated on until that tumour shrinks away from the vein or becomes less of a surgical risk.

So we have a slight change to our plan of action.

Currently Su takes 3 different treatments. The first is 5FU, the main chemotherapy treatment. In addition to this, she has Avastin (the one you’ve all paid for) and Irenotecan. These last two drugs serve to make the 5FU more effective.

From next week, Su will still be receiving the 5FU but we’re swapping the Irenotecan for a drug called Oxaliplatin. It is designed to interfere with the growth of cancer cells until they are eventually destroyed. Su will continue to receive Avastin, which will hopefully benefit the Oxaliplatin’s performance.

Su and I are a bit downhearted. Although it wasn’t disastrous news, we both felt a bit flat. It’s only natural to have high hopes in a situation like this and if they don’t come to fruition then one tends to feel a little let down.

However, we’re just moving onto Plan B; that’s the way I look at it.

There remains a hard battle to be fought and we’re still up against the odds. Dr Falk said Oxaliplatin only has a 30% chance of working, so get those fingers and toes crossed.
Bye xxx

27th May : 13.30

A huge update today; there’s TONS to tell you.

Firstly, Su’s first CT scan took place on Tuesday and we’re busy biting our nails down to the cuticle until we get the results next week (30th). I’ll do a quick update on Tuesday night to let you know the details.

I was in the local paper again, accepting the cheque from the Hale family and the last of the funds from our Cross Rifles v Huntspill footy match. A scan of the article is in our Media section. If you recognise any of the quoted stuff from me, it was taken from this very site! The guys at the Mercury phoned me to ask if I wanted to say anything different from what was on this update page, but I thought it seemed like a waste of their time for me to basically paraphrase what was already in black and white. The only problem with that is the phrase “It ain’t that simple” was in the article, and now I must seem like a right dimwit to their readers! The primary school teacher says “it ain’t that simple”. Guv’nor, apples and pears, me ol’ missus is a bit Tom !!!!!!, roll ahhht the barrel etc etc.

Anyway...

Our great friends Derek and Carol from school completed the Taunton Deane Triathlon for us and I’ve got some pictures. I won’t put the ones of them in their swimming gear on here (although I was sorely tempted!) but here they are looking fit and energetic. The photos are taken from a company who sell photos of athletic events and these are the ‘preview’ pictures, so apologies for the red writing slapped all over them!





They’ve both worked so hard training for the event and did really well. A huge hug from both of us for all your efforts.



A big thank you to two of our work colleagues, John and Gill. They raised some money for us in our school fun run. Thanks to everyone who sponsored them, including Milford Infant School in Yeovil.



This week, I was presented with the cash raised by the East Bower Under 11s v Mums Select XI footy match. They raised the fantastic total of £420 and the team handed over the cash to me on Thursday. A huge thank you to all the children and adults involved. Here’s a snap.



There’s a new gallery of photos from the match in our Events section. Also, I’ve put together a short video of highlights from the match, but it’s probably only suitable for those of you on broadband; if you’re on dial-up, it’ll take an age to download. Two versions, depending on your connection speed and/or patience! Click on your preferred choice (or if you want to download and save it, right-click and select “Save Target As” or “Save Link As”).

HIGHER QUALITY - LOWER QUALITY



We’re going to be a national paper soon. “The Weekly News” is going to be interviewing me next Wednesday and we should be in there the following week. The photographer Barry came today and take a load of pictures. He was a really nice guy and put us both at ease. It was like a wedding photo session, with lots of “looking into each other’s eyes” type of shot and at one point I even kissed Su’s nose! We looked through the photos before Barry left and they looked good. Su looks lovely in them; I look like a bag of spanners.



This week I heard from a lovely guy called Mick Taylor. He’s doing the Tour Of Wessex cyclosportif this weekend for us, having got £200 worth of sponsorship pledges! What a star.

I have to admit, I hadn’t heard of the event before now and I’ve been doing some reading about it on the British Cycling website. Boy, does it look a tough job! Good luck Mick, hope you emerge relatively unscathed at the end!



Right, that’s it for me today. I’ll do the next update on Tuesday night, when we know Su’s test results. Keep your fingers crossed for her.



Bye xxx