Flops' Friday mini blog

[crazylegs]

Yep hope all goes good Mr Flopp's..Glad you sorted with the lottery and work..Keep smiling..

 

[Abarbarian]

Also, my appointment letter for tomorrow didn’t have that clause about being ready for a pre-operative medical which bodes well.

Probably did not want you to worry

Naughty naughty boy. Exercise is good.Remember how good you felt after all those cross country runs in the freezing wet when you were at school

Best of luck for today mate.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Just back from Hospital. For me, some good news and some bad news, mostly good news, on reflection.

Good news is the biopsy result showed no cancer. However, the pathologists run a series of tests over several days, each test getting progressively more intense than the last in their attempts to trace cancer cells.

Although no positive ID can be made in the samples taken from me the pathologists advised that the margin surrounding the area taken from my tongue was not wide enough so on Monday I'm going into hospital for another operation and they are going to remove a few slivers more of my tongue 'to be on the safe side'.

Apparently cancer tumours in the tongue can 'throw out spores' to the surrounding area which are almost undetectable to the naked eye or pathologists tests but the pathologists identified several areas around my 'excavation' they said should be removed to reduce the risk of cancer returning should any spores be there.

I don't profess to fully understand all that but as far as I can make out that's the gist of it.

And as I've received intensive radiotherapy to that area five and a half years ago surgery is the only treatment the medical team can use to combat my cancer.

I've just has the pre-op medical and at the moment my blood pressure is too high for an op, mostly because I've found it difficult to take regular pills with swollen tongue but I will now start taking the pills and hopefully blood pressure down for Monday morning. If it isn't lower they won't perform surgery so it's imperative it comes down. I was also, understandably, pretty stressed at the time my blood pressure was taken this morning.

Initially I was cheesed off cos I need to have another op but when I started to see the bigger picture I began to feel a little pleased, this second op will considerably lower the risk of the cancer returning and if I'm real lucky it will never return, but who knows?

All in all, considering the original tongue tumour appeared in March, I think I'm extremely lucky. Lucky in as much as the cancer doesn't appear to have spread.

So, into Guys at 7am Monday, I'll likely stay overnight because if I wanted to return home the day of the op I'd need somebody to accompany me home and it's a bit short notice for me to find somebody. Still, one night not a prob.

I did ask if they could perform surgery sooner than later as I have some work to do starting the 13th August so they moved pretty quick eh?

This weekend I am going to nothing but play computer games, ride my bicycle and get drunk. Voice from stage left: 'So, business as normal then eh Tony?' Erm, yes, I suppose you're right

 

[muckshifter]

ouch!

you int arf getting a pig-in-a-poke deal on this crap.

 

[crazylegs]

Wishing you well Tony for Monday

Business as usual you can say that again, have one for me too..

 

[floppybootstomp]

Thanks you 2.

I can imagine folks could be getting a bit poxed off about me forever rambling on about my woes, mostly only do it cos folk seem to be interested but sometimes I think I really should shut the **** up. Whatever peeps think, please please please don't think I'm whingeing cos I is not. Just relating stuff as stuff goes down, is all.

Funny thing, cigarettes. As a kid, always spoke out against them. Left home at 18 and only smoked puff. Puff ran out, turned to cigarettes as substitute, and from then on Benson and Hedges Gold Bond, Senior Service to Golden Virginia tobacco, all supplying a steady carcinogenic stream across the delicate membranes of my inner mouth area.

So you see, folks, mild drugs DO lead to harder drugs, lol, marijuanna to cigarettes. Seriously.

If I could ever turn back time I'd shoot Sir Walter Raleigh and on a personal note I never, ever, would have smoked.

But I did. And here I am.

Waffling again Tony, lol

Might just take a trip to Berwick Street tomorrow, maybe one of the three shops has a vinyl copy of St Dominics Preview.

 

[Taffycat]

Are you certain the Speech Therapist didn't arrange this as a penance for not doing those tongue exercises....?

I seriously doubt that anyone here is feeling poxed-off with you Tony, you're blog is always an interesting read. As for whinging ... per-lease! You've really been going through he mill lately and, as friends, we're interested to hear what's happening. So please don't be so hard on yourself.

I agree with you about Walter Raleigh... smoking potatoes was never going to be a good idea.....

Hope everything will go smoothly for you on Monday, take care Sir Floppington, and may your healing be speedy.

 

[muckshifter]

nope, I do not for one minute think you is winger, if anything I hope your 'blog' about your experiences helps to eleaviate some of the tension and anxieties by writing it down.

chin up, hope all goes well.

 

[nivrip]

Mucks is right. It's great therapy.

Keep it coming.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Thanks folks I do of course realise I'm not the only one suffering in this world, there's people way worse off than I.

I've been out this morning and the place has gone nutty, There are people everywhere. And I think half of them are guides or policemen. Main entrance to Greenwich Station had at least 50 coppers outside, several of them armed.

Will grudgingly admit there is a bit of a buzz about the place but for me it's kind of a false buzz cos sport not my thing. There were two young girls with violins playing some lively Irish diddly diddly music by the DLR entrance, enjoyed that, was good, put a coin in their hat

I didn't watch the opening ceremony. Last night there was a disco/rave thing for free in the grounds of the University so I stepped out to go there about 19:30 and it promptly poured down with rain. So I went back home and played computer games then done some ironing whilst listening to vinyl. The rain did stop about 21:00 but by then I couldn't be bothered going out anymore.

All in all, a pleasant evening, albeit a solitary evening.

Games. There are 14 chapters of Max Payne 3 and I'm stuck at the end of Chapter 12. For 3 days now I've been stuck at one point, I may have to concede defeat I've tried that part about ten times each day and it just ends up with me wanting to break things

Way back awhile I bought DIRT 2 for the Xbox 360 and didn't like it much so took it back for part-ex. I saw it on Steam for £3.74 coupla days so thought I'd try it again. And I think it's great, really enjoying it. If you play on easiest setting it's almost a piece of cake and you can buy better cars and unlock raceways quite quickly then play at medium level, which I'm now doing.

Played a real long stretch of F1 2010 yesterday, that's also a good game, though I'm not very good at it.

Also bought F1 2011 for the Xbox 360 for £15 at a Gamestation store but haven't tried it yet.

Latest vinyl acquisitions, both new, bought The Bends by Radiohead from HMV and The Magic Band live at Oxford UK June 6th 2005, a double album, from a dealer in Germany.

Swapped out 2Tb HDD in Media machine for 3Tb HDD, transferred data, now have 1Tb of free space.

Used redundant 2Tb HDD to replace 1Tb HDD Games storage HDD in main machine, transferred data so now also have 1Tb free space for games.

Which leaves me with another 1Tb HDD for external dock - more backup space.

Can't think of anything more to say so all you folks enjoy what's left of the weekend

 

[cirianz]

So you see, folks, mild drugs DO lead to harder drugs, lol, marijuanna to cigarettes. Seriously.

Funnily enough I did it that way 'round too... you might be on to something there.

As for "whingeing"... if I catch you saying that again I'll come 'round there & smack you one! I know we're gorgeous & all, but we aren't here just for decoration you know, we're your friends

 

[Anon_F]

hope all goes ok, tony.
my thoughts will be with you on monday.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Thanks all

Just finished Max Payne 3. That was a good game, quite hard even on easy setting.

 

[Taffycat]

All the very bestist for tomorrow. Also hope your travel plans won't be too much affected by all the Olympic chaos.

 

[Anon_F]

M3 had queues for 3 miles going east before M25 today.
And M25 was queuing J9 to J13 & J13 to J10.
Surely everyone was not going or returning from the events?

Oh and i do realise tony will not be using the motorways tomorrow!!!

 

[Abarbarian]

All the best for tomorrow Flops. Chin up best foot forward and all that stiff upper lip British courage mate.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Here's a recipe for my favourite ever soup - roasted butternut squash with chilli and ginger. If you're not keen on chilli/ginger then fear not - it just adds a delicious warmth. The recipe is from Lorraine Pascale:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/programmes/b015fprp

1 medium butternut squash (about 800g), unpeeled, cut in half from top to bottom
1 clove of garlic, unpeeled and squashed
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
50g butter
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 x 2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
Pinch of dried chilli flakes or 1-2 fresh chillis seeded and finely chopped
900ml chicken or vegetable stock
Squeeze of lime juice

Serves 4

1. Preheat oven to 220 deg C. Put butternut squash halves on a baking tray with the garlic. Slash the squash with a knife and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30-35 mins until soft.
2. While the squash is roasting heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and the butter in a pan over a low heat, add onion and cook until soft (about 20 mins).
3. When the squash is done, scoop out the flesh and add to the pan. Squeeze out the garlic from the skin and add to the pan.. Add the ginger, chilli and stock and bring to the boil.
4. Blend the soup until smooth (might have to be done in batches). Once it has all been done, return to the pan and reheat. Add a squeeze of lime juice.

The recipe also calls for it to be served with a splash of coconut milk drizzled on the top and a sprinkle of coriander leaves, but I never bother. I also use frozen garlic, ginger and chilli as it is much easier!

It sounds more complicated than it is! Hope you like it

I'm cooking this now. I added the grated ginger and chopped chili to the onion for the last five minutes of cooking, it just felt right. Cooking the garlic with squash gave me a black crisp so I crushed some more garlic and added that to cooking onion as well.

I cooked the squash in the oven for 35 minutes on medium but much of it was still very hard, the skin didn't just fall away, I had to peel it off so atm am cooking the whole thing on hob for a while to make all squash tender. I'd suggest cooking squash on low to medium heat in oven for an hour.

It makes quite a lot doesn't it? Enough there for a starter for four I'd say.

And thanks everybody else for your good wishes

 

[bootneck02]

Good luck for Monday Tony, I have everything crossed for you.

 

[cirianz]

Luck & nurses

 

[floppybootstomp]

Home again, home again, clipetty clop. I had a young blonde American nurse looking after me, she's half way through a five year travel session, working her way round the world, Norway next. I liked her a lot, good-humoured, made me laugh. Tasty too

I was in bonzo-land all yesterday after the anesthetic but then of course had trouble sleeping overnight. They let me go this morning and some jobsworth had to open a temporary barrier for me to access my platform and looked and spoke to me as if I was something he's scraped off his shoe. I think I was supposed to take a long walk via temporary barriered walkways but I saw him let somebody else through so I asked too. All to do with the olympics - I hate the olympics

He literally scowled at me as if I was committing a great sin. I said (in my mungo type impaired speech) 'Listen pal, I've been travelling here for years and you're just a temp. A temp who appears to be trying to upset this patient who's just been released from Hospital and is weak. You ought to change your attitude mate' He didn't say anything, just stared down at the ground.

And so home. Good to be home, though it's only been 26 hours away. Tongue hurts - soluble paracetamol - check. Tongue swollen - milky porridge and soup-based blender meals - check. I shall survive.

The consultant saw me shortly before I went down to the theatre and asked if he could take a third of pint of blood whilst I was under anaesthetic 'for research' as mine was an unusual case and they wanted to grow cultures from my bloood in an attempt to find what spurred my cancers. It won't benefit me directly, apparently, but it could give valuable information to Cancer Research.

Of course I'm worried sick about being a different case now, if my cancer returned in a different place five years after the first does this make me liable for cancer to return again the future? I don't think anybody has the answer to that one, I suppose there are certain aspects of my lifestyle I can change but the future is just that - the future, unseen and unknown, so I guess I'll just go with the flow and enjoy life as much as I can.

I also wonder whether they've managed to cut all current cancer from my tongue but I'm certain they've given it their best shot. There's certainly a noticeable bigger amount of tongue been taken out, mostly in the middle of the side and they haven't stitched the wound, but stopped the blood flow with an electronic device, probably some kind of detailed cauteriser. It wasn't stitched so that when it heals the stitches won't pull the front of my tongue to the left.

And now for something completely different, my twinniepoos:

This is Sophie, she's been teaching History at a secondary school in Bath for one year now, in this pic she's with Danny, her boyfriend who's just completed basic training in the Royal Navy:

And this is Lucy, she's training to be a paramedic, had to do two extra years at Uni to qualify and she has one more year to go. The course is very much hands on, 50% theory and 50% out with crews and she recently had her first experience with the paramedic crew that use a helicopter: