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Trip to Iceland in March booked.

 

Trip to New England (first class flights) for June about to be booked using up the last of my Avios.

 

Trip to Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California planned, awaiting better air fares.

 

Flights to Australia (business class) for the first two Ashes tests booked.

 

Employer has agreed to garden leave until they make me redundant at the end of May, when they'll give me a sizeable pay off after 30 years. I'll never work another day again.

 

Well you've got to make the best of an opportunity like this ...

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Trip to Iceland in March booked.

 

Trip to New England (first class flights) for June about to be booked using up the last of my Avios.

 

Trip to Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California planned, awaiting better air fares.

 

Flights to Australia (business class) for the first two Ashes tests booked.

 

Employer has agreed to garden leave until they make me redundant at the end of May, when they'll give me a sizeable pay off after 30 years. I'll never work another day again.

 

Well you've got to make the best of an opportunity like this ...

Enjoy it mate live it to the full

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Trip to Iceland in March booked.

 

Trip to New England (first class flights) for June about to be booked using up the last of my Avios.

 

Trip to Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California planned, awaiting better air fares.

 

Flights to Australia (business class) for the first two Ashes tests booked.

 

Employer has agreed to garden leave until they make me redundant at the end of May, when they'll give me a sizeable pay off after 30 years. I'll never work another day again.

 

Well you've got to make the best of an opportunity like this ...

Might see you in New England in June! Sounds like some good trips planned there.

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Might see you in New England in June! Sounds like some good trips planned there.

Outline route leaving Boston airport on the 7th!

 

Mid Coast Maine 1 (Portland)

Bar Harbor 2 (Cadillac Mountain Summit)

White Mountains 2 (Mt Washington summit, Conway Scenic Railroad)

Northern Vermont 2 (Ben and Jerry's factory)

Connecticut River Valley 1 (Manchester Village)

Newport Rhode Island 2 (Beach and Ten Mile Drive)

Cape Cod 2 (Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket)

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Outline route leaving Boston airport on the 7th!

 

Mid Coast Maine 1 (Portland)

Bar Harbor 2 (Cadillac Mountain Summit)

White Mountains 2 (Mt Washington summit, Conway Scenic Railroad)

Northern Vermont 2 (Ben and Jerry's factory)

Connecticut River Valley 1 (Manchester Village)

Newport Rhode Island 2 (Beach and Ten Mile Drive)

Cape Cod 2 (Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket)

Much further on than us with the itinerary. We've just booked flights to Montreal for 8th June (Grand Prix weekend) then back from Toronto on 24th. In between, we'll do Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts and New York, and do niagara before coming home. Might steal some of your ideas though!

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Much further on than us with the itinerary. We've just booked flights to Montreal for 8th June (Grand Prix weekend) then back from Toronto on 24th. In between, we'll do Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts and New York, and do niagara before coming home. Might steal some of your ideas though!

Bugger, perhaps I should have stuck a Grand Prix into my bucket list somewhere. Still time ...

 

The drive from Niagara Falls to Niagara on the Lake along the Canadian Side is well worth the effort.

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Trip to Iceland in March booked.

 

Trip to New England (first class flights) for June about to be booked using up the last of my Avios.

 

Trip to Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California planned, awaiting better air fares.

 

Flights to Australia (business class) for the first two Ashes tests booked.

 

Employer has agreed to garden leave until they make me redundant at the end of May, when they'll give me a sizeable pay off after 30 years. I'll never work another day again.

 

Well you've got to make the best of an opportunity like this ...

Planning on visiting Iceland next January (25th wedding anniversary, the woman is a martyr). Let us know how it goes and what you recommend.

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You don't seem like the kind of guy that would necessarily want the publicity, but have you thought about contacting the Chron or the MEN to tell them how you're tackling this illness?

 

The attitude you have and all the things that you're aiming to do could/will be an inspiration to offer people fighting the illness...

 

?

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You don't seem like the kind of guy that would necessarily want the publicity, but have you thought about contacting the Chron or the MEN to tell them how you're tackling this illness?

 

The attitude you have and all the things that you're aiming to do could/will be an inspiration to offer people fighting the illness...

 

?

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You don't seem like the kind of guy that would necessarily want the publicity, but have you thought about contacting the Chron or the MEN to tell them how you're tackling this illness?

 

The attitude you have and all the things that you're aiming to do could/will be an inspiration to offer people fighting the illness...

 

 

agree with this think i wouldnt be able to stay as positive as you massive respect mate oh and how about sticking a home game as guest of shezza etc on your list shadow them from pre match meal to the post match press conferance a game to remember for you and yours

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You don't seem like the kind of guy that would necessarily want the publicity, but have you thought about contacting the Chron or the MEN to tell them how you're tackling this illness?

The attitude you have and all the things that you're aiming to do could/will be an inspiration to offer people fighting the illness...

 

I'd rather not, but thanks for the suggestion.

 

Going on about it here helps me, but it's relatively anonymous and that's fine with me.

 

Some of the things that impact me are:

 

- looking at older people and feeling very slightly resentful.

- crying at the thought of potential future events that I probably won't see.

- being pissed off knowing lung cancer is the biggest killer but doesn't have the biggest share of research money.

- never having smoked.

 

But on the other side of the coin:

 

- knowing my kids are adults now is a major plus. I'd have been far angrier if they were still young.

- being able to focus on making this year superb. I even get to miss Walsall away.

- being lucky enough to collect a redundancy cheque in May. The timing is excellent.

- despite being a relatively insular person I now see how many good friends I have.

- being knowledgable enough to turn a final salary pension that dies with me into an inheritable pot of cash.

- not having to face chemo. Yet.

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agree with this think i wouldnt be able to stay as positive as you massive respect mate oh and how about sticking a home game as guest of shezza etc on your list shadow them from pre match meal to the post match press conferance a game to remember for you and yours

 

Like it!

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Oh O4U - where is your sense of adventure - chemotherapy is wonderful - you get the joy of eating food that permanently tastes of cardboard, that is when you actually feel hungry because you will notice that you tend to stop eating for periods of time, feeling tired all the time, being unable to concentrate for long periods of time (but you will already be used to that with our performances to date this season.

 

I agree with some of your thoughts though, especially the one relating to lung cancer and being pissed off. As I said in one of my earlier messages back to you, unfortunately all you can do is fight the little bugger and keep a positive attitude because that will help a lot.

 

Anyway I think you and me should have our own body bag competition to see if we can extend medical science!!!

 

Best Wishes

John

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A trip to Malta for 3 nights after the Chesterfield game.

 

£40 flights.

£54 B&B in a 3* hotel

£15 car hire

 

That'll do me!

If you get the chance while you're there, spend a day in Gozo, an island off the north coast

Only a couple of pounds on the ferry and 20 mins or so

Much quieter and friendlier IMHO

 

Enjoy a few Cisks too, the local brew

? ☀️

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I havent been on here for a longtime... I still cant quite take this all in...

It's all a little surreal.

 

While the big story is desperately unlucky it's coincided with redundancy, so at least I can afford to see a bit more of the world before it gets me.

 

Five year survival rate of 14% on my drug (4% overall) - something to aim for and perhaps time for a new wonder drug to be found.

 

In the meantime, no point feeling down. Time to make something of what's left.

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You don't seem like the kind of guy that would necessarily want the publicity, but have you thought about contacting the Chron or the MEN to tell them how you're tackling this illness?

The attitude you have and all the things that you're aiming to do could/will be an inspiration to offer people fighting the illness...

 

Ive started a blog focusing on my travel plans and, to a lesser extent, illness.

https://travelinhopeblog.wordpress.com

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At the moment I'm pinning my hopes on a few twists of success in medical science.

 

I've gone from having a 6-9 month life expectancy to 32 months after testing positive for the "right" mutation in my cancer. Walter White eat your heart out! One pill a day buys me time.

 

Last week my oncologist told me about a new drug that might be suitable for me when the current one fails. Osimertinib adds an average 11 months to things. But 2% of patients have been left with no sign of any cancer at all.

 

Another immunotherapy trial at Christie seems to have "cured" a bloke of his lung cancer.

 

I might not get lucky. But I'm sure as hell going to try and hang on in there. It looks like there's never been a better time to have lung cancer that's spread.

 

Blog:

https://travelinhopeblog.wordpress.com

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