A Personal Update

Hi everyone. Happy New Year to you all

Please forgive my indulgence but this article is just to bring you all up to speed with what's been going on in my world over the last 12 months.

I promise that my next article, which I intend to post soon, will be entirely football related.

When I was re-diagnosed with incurable pancreatic cancer on 1st November 2022, I was told that I could expect to live no longer than 18 months with treatment. That is now 2 years and 3 months ago.

I had 18 months of chemo and had to stop in early May last year as it was taking a toll on my body. Apparently, no-one had ever had this type of chemo for that long before. Since then I've had scans every 3 months to see how things are and, once again, I appear to have confounded the doctors because, to quote my oncologist, my cancer seems to have gone to sleep. It's practically at a stand-still and no-one can understand why my cancer is behaving differently to anyone else with my condition.

It's been decided not to undergo any further chemo while things are as they are.

I've been taking a mushroom extract called Turkey Tail since coming off chemo. It has been used to treat cancer in Japan for over 40 years so it must be doing some good otherwise they wouldn't be bothering with it for so long. I was offered a trial in September but declined as it would have completely taken over my life, and as the doctor running the trial admitted, I'm probably not the best candidate with my cancer being too small, and a biopsy could be dangerous. Above everything else it might not help at all.

As it stands, I'm fit, well, a good weight, no symptoms, and immersing myself in those things that enrich my life.

I'm volunteering as a Patient Rep with MacMillan in Huddersfield. I've been able to form a band with the intention of playing fund-raising events as well as throwing sessions open to patients to come along and have a sing-song. Hopefully they can forget about their condition if only for a short while - music as therapy. There are 5 of us in the band, all directly or indirectly associated with cancer, and we're called "The Side Effects". On top of that, I volunteer as a presenter on Huddersfield Hospital Radio. A lot of my time has been spent working closely with a Project Manager based at Harrogate NHS Trust on a project called Thinking Ahead. It's a programme for people with incurable cancer. I've delivered speeches at conferences (face to face and on-line) to GPs and a variety of healthcare professionals. I've recorded a podcast for the West Yorkshire Cancer Alliance, and last November I had a film crew follow me for a day in a variety of locations and settings to record a video to promote Thinking Ahead. The video has just been finished and is due to be released shortly, the intention being to send it to NHS Trusts across the UK, in addition to it being available on social media platforms.

As if this isn't enough, I'm involved with an ecumenical cancer prayer support group called Firm Roots. There are a number of groups across the country and the numbers are growing. I'll be setting a group up in Halifax sometime this year. The cherry on top of that cake is that we were filmed by the BBC for Songs of Praise in an edition dedicated to faith and cancer. It will be broadcast on Sunday 2nd February to tie in with World Cancer Day on the 4th.

So as you can see I've been mega busy, making the most of each day I've been given, trying to do good works and help other people - it's what I believe I'm called to do. Perhaps that's why the cancer isn't progressing. I'm not going to question why or analyse it - I'm just getting on with it. I have a good quality of life.

The big leveller for me is the unpredictable fatigue which can be completely debilitating. However, if that's all I can complain about, then I consider myself to be very lucky.

Intertwined in all of the above, is the emotional rollercoaster that is Leeds United. I follow every matchday thread and celebrate every "GET IN!!!" and suffer every "FFS" with equal rabid intensity. That will never change, nor will my desire to see LUFC do well. Last season was part catch-up, part unbelievable winning run, an incredible points tally all things considered, and the obligatory Wembley heart-break. Would we have fared just as poorly as Southampton are doing at the moment in the PL? I doubt it somehow.

Thanks Earl for your dedication to the cause and I very belatedly raise a glass to the comrades we've lost, Highland and Harj.

Thank you everyone for your contributions to the board. JA606 is like a family. It can bicker, argue and disagree but when we do away with all the stupidity, what's left is the reason we're all here to start with - we all love Leeds.

I'll finish for now - let's hope for a good performance and 3 more points in the bag tomorrow.

Sorry to prattle on so long.

MOT