Scirocco (Almost!) 2 Morocco 2008 4 Leukaemia & Lymphoma

Cure member diagnosed with Lymphoma

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Ward) — Sun, 1 Sep 2024 23:49:00 +0100

Wishing him all the best in his battle. The Cure have always been one of my favourite bands since my teens ( im 58 now!). https://metro.co.uk/2024/09/01/80s-rockstar-68-reveals-rare-aggressive-blood-cancer-diagnosis-21528956/

12 months ago today we were in Portugal !

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Ward) — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 14:07:00 +0100

Can't get over the fact that 12 months ago today myself and Glen were having a bit of a rest after a 2000 mile drive when we popped over to Silves in the Algarve to visit my old RAF mate Graham Rowland, his Portuguese wife Bela, and his step daughter Vanir. We had a great 30 hours of R and R

I now have Covid 19. Been prescribed PAXLOVID.

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Ward) — Fri, 8 Apr 2022 15:25:00 +0100

Hi Folks. A quick update from my sickbed/desk. Ok, so now 6 days in from my first Covid symtoms and 5 days in from my first positive Lateral Flow Test (LFT). How is it going? Please excuse lack of smart format and presentation.....brain fog IS a thing!! Symptom: All over body ache Sore throat Headache Phlegm in throat Slight wheezing Cough Hoarse voice Lateral flow tested on Monday (4th), Wednesday and today...still positive

URGENT APPEAL. Can you help Divit in his Leukaemia battle ?

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Ward) — Sun, 9 Jan 2022 14:21:00 GMT

Not posted on here for some time but the other day a good friend and fellow NHS worker asked me to post an appeal for a family member. can you help? Divit needs some serious funding to help him win his battle against a particularly rare form of Leukaemia. thank you 😊 Divit's Go Fund ME page

Feb 27th 2021...almost another month

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Ward) — Sat, 27 Feb 2021 09:53:00 GMT

So tomorrow is the end of the week and also the end of the month of February.

Cannot remember exactly how many months I have been Shielding in the last 12 , but I think its around 8 ......8 months out of 12 I have been told to remain at home whilst this bloody pandemic refuses to do one and let us get s back to some form of normality.....yes ,its been a very strange almost 12 months and no sign of an end just yet.

Second week of sheilding begins....

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Ward) — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 13:51:00 +0100

Whilst i am forced to hide away for my second week (of 12), i am trying to convince myself i am avoiding becoming a burden to my NHS colleagues who are valiantly fighting this virus on a daily basis.....THEY are the real heros right now, and i think the picture above says it all.

Stay home, stay safe and protect the NHS..

Covid-19 and Leukaemia. My return to Blogger April 2020.

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Ward) — Tue, 21 Apr 2020 19:05:00 +0100

So today it was confirmed that due to my CLL i am to remain at home for 12 weeks and not go to the hospital i have worked in for almost 24 years 🤨😐

The reason is pretty simple. Having had CLL for almost 14 years , and even though i still remain on "watch and wait" i am deemed now to have enhanced vulnerability to the Coronavirus.

The main issue is that my platelets are pretty low right now, around 124'000. The normal range is between 150'000 and 450'000, and this is a problem because several recent studies have identified a heightened risk for those with low platelet counts.

The condition is called thrombocytopenia.

A few links to recent studies follows:

https://www.univadis.co.uk/viewarticle/covid-19-thrombocytopenia-tied-to-higher-risk-of-severe-disease-and-mortality-715766

https://www.stgeorges.nhs.uk/service/diagnostic-services/haematology/haematology-itp-immune-thrombocytopenia/

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jth.14848

These are strange and worrying times for many...and i have decided, that since i am now being confined to barracks, i may as well get my blogging head back on and perhaps pass on some news, views and the occasional bit of humour and trivia.

Stay safe, stay well, stay in ( unless you need to go out of course !) 😉😊

Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS)....DO NOT USE ..IT IS BLEACH !!

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Ward) — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 17:35:00 GMT

Been made aware of this awful stuff recently.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/seller-miracle-mineral-solution-sentenced-prison-marketing-toxic-chemical-miracle-cure

JAILED for over 4 years in prison for selling it....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-33079776

Shady character exposed by BBC for selling this potentially lethal "quack" concoction !

https://metro.co.uk/2018/01/28/desperate-parents-trying-cure-autism-giving-children-bleach-7266567/

Seen enough yet ?

https://youtu.be/RApj_vuW8iE

DO NOT FALL FOR THGIS SCAM...it is a cruel and sickening exploitation of sick and vulnerable people.

Claims to cure all manner of afflictions... yet NO INDEPENDANT proof.....only testimony's of unqualified and easily lead customers.

Listening to Radio 4 " The life scientific " talking to Greg Winter

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Ward) — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 09:29:00 GMT

https://www.revolvy.com/page/Greg-Winter

Interesting claims about ALC causes.

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Ward) — Tue, 22 May 2018 07:36:00 +0100

I saw this on the BBC and thought you should see it: Missing microbes 'cause' childhood cancer - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-44199844

Scirocco 2 Morocco 10 years on. Scarlett Mk3...The new chapter begins :-)

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Ward) — Sun, 11 Feb 2018 19:28:00 GMT

Obviously anyone who has been following my blog over the last 10 years must be aware of the disaster which befell my Mk2 Scirocco Scala "Scarlett".

After my brilliant car was fatally damaged by a 42 ton lorry on the A17 in 2014 I was left, after a messy and financially crippling court case, with not only no car, but with a £2000 legal bill and permanent Tinnitus. The other driver had a much better legal team than me and on the day the judge decided to award fault to both parties....although the 3 versions of the other drivers statement should have made him question what ACTUALLY happened on that cold February morning !!

Anyway. I digress.

This post is to let you know that I AM BACK !

Gone is the Ford Focus ST which i owned for around 2 and a half years primarily due to my long term good friend David who, Observing my predicament and being a very kind fella, offered to sell me the ST for a bargain price......a very welcome and generous gesture being as i had spent the last 2 years feeling incredibly stressed and ultimately humiliated and financially ruined by a system that appears to hold such things as the truth as being incidental to the facts !.....i'm off again aren't I lol :-)

So. Ladies and Gentlemen. Can i now then present to you Scarlett Mk3 (She's a Mk3 Scirocco so hence the label!)

This cracking motor is an October 2008 Scirocco 2.0ltr TSI GT which is finished in Salsa Red, which is not such a dissimilar colour to my previous Mk2 (Paprika Red)....which is a nod to the old girl of course :-)

Of course this year (September) marks 10 years since I and my excellent friend Glen Place set off on our Scirocco 2 Morocco adventure.....and on our return to the UK we were invited to attend the launch of the New Scirocco Mk3 at Heron VW in Newark upon Trent. If i remember correctly Glen was unable to make it up to my neck of the woods but myself and my son attended with Scarlett and her half Roc trailer.....so the fact i now own a Scirocco from that particular moment in time seems somehow fitting as a continuation of my love of these cars.

So....here she is.

Scarlett Mk3......

Of course the Registration is quite poignant as this is actually my 6th Scirocco (S6) (6 and a half if you count the trailer!) and its a Volks Wagen Scirocco (VWS)... nice :-)

So far the car has been fantastic, and i hope to be showing her at the Scirocco Register National Meeting in August 2018.....alongside Glens newly refurbished 1988 Scala.....should be EPIC :-)

Another tragic death due AML. Terrible news.

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Ward) — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 12:50:00 GMT

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/heartbroken-sky-sports-presenter-simon-11899013

plaw3211@gmail.com

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Ward) — Sun, 10 Dec 2017 16:41:00 GMT

Messages people about items for sale.... calls themselves Parker (but probably has numerous identities ). I chose to ignore them....😂😂😂

Does DKMS duplicate Anthony Nolan work ?

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Ward) — Thu, 2 Nov 2017 08:17:00 GMT

Looking into a company with the acronym DKMS (Deutsche Knochenmarkspenderdatei (German Marrow Donor Program) I find it slightly worrying that this company,established in 1991,appears to be pretty much duplicating the marrow donors register that was set up in the 1970's by Shirley Nolan. That is not to say that their work is not good or indeed important....but why duplicate a system already in place (worldwide by the 1990's) instead of working in conjunction with a well established marrow register ?The only major difference appears to be the extended upper recruitment age (55) which has always been an issue with ANT which has a much lower upper age cut off .
I have contacted them via Facebook and hope to get some more information which I will post at a later date 😊

Take care folks 😊

New treatment for ALL

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Ward) — Wed, 30 Aug 2017 21:14:00 +0100

The therapy, which will be marketed as Kymriah, works against acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

I saw this on the BBC and thought you should see it:

Historic 'living drug' gets go-ahead - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41094990

Pitons and Props 2017.East Kirkby Airfield.

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Ward) — Tue, 29 Aug 2017 19:16:00 +0100

Well . what an amazing day!!

Exotic cars AND Historic Aircraft...bliss !! :-).

Pictures and a full write up to follow .

Adam West AKA Batman dies aged 88

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Ward) — Sat, 10 Jun 2017 18:19:00 +0100

I was really sad to hear that one of my childhood hero's Mr Adam West famous for playing the Batman character in the hit 1960's TV series has recently passed away.

His family released a statement stating that this lovely fella had been suffering from Leukaemia and thanking all for their love and support for Adam over the many years of his career .

RIP Adam West ...THE Batman 😊😊

So. How is MY Leukaemia doing these days ?

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Ward) — Sat, 22 Apr 2017 20:38:00 +0100

Well I am glad to report that so far it is behaving itself ! :-). August 15th this year marks 11 years since my CLL diagnosis at Grantham Hospital during what i had believed to be a "routine" appointment!!

In the last 11 years I have gone from blood tests and prods every 3 moths to blood tests and check-ups every 12 months. As an added bonus I am now under the excellent care of Mr Tim Moorby,of the resident Haematology Consultants at the hospital I have worked at now for almost 21 years....so getting to my appointments is a relatively straight forward affair :-).

In the old days a decade or so ago I had to make my way to Grantham to see a random consultant {never quite sure who I would be seen by!) and the blood results would take between 7 to 10 days before they arrived at my GP surgery.....awaiting the results was a very stressful situation believe me !

So. I will be 51 in May, diagnosed in 2006 aged 40....now 11 years on...hopefully this little resume will give a bit of encouragement to anyone who is newly diagnosed.....i wish i could have read something like this early on in my journey because fear (and insomnia) had to be the worst aspects in the early years.

As my good friend (Sadly now departed ) Geoff Brocklebank told me in the dark weeks after my shock discovery..." You are more likely to die with CLL than from it".....that simple sentence was like an epiphany to me...and gave me the strength and drive to get my head in order...and to get involved in things such as this Blog. Thanks Geoff....you are sadly missed my friend, but you gave me the inspiration to get off my sorry ass and do something useful with my (new, post CLL) life :-)

Until next time.

Andy

Can't Pay we'll take it away Delroy Anglin needs your help to find a donor

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Ward) — Sat, 22 Apr 2017 19:35:00 +0100

Hi folks. Ok, this is my first post in quite some time but I felt compelled to post a message appealing for folk to rally together to help a very nice guy that many of us have seen on the TV series "Can't pay we'll take it away".

Delroy always came across as the sort of chap that , given hobsons choice!, most of us would prefer to be knocking on our door in relation to "financial issues"!. He does a job as a court debt collection agent that often attracts a lot of abuse ...which he always deals with amicably :-).

In November last year Delroy sadly discovered he had developed Leukaemia and indeed is currently in the care of the Royal Marsden hospital.

Delroy NEEDS A BONE MARROW donor IMMEDIATELY!

Can you or anyone you might know from the African Caribbean community help find him one URGENTLY?

If you can could you please contact the Africa Caribbean Leukaemia Trust via their website

Thanks people . Let's hope his search is successful :-)

Best of Luck Delroy. We are all with you my friend :-)

http://www.voice-online.co.uk/article/lifesaving-donor-needed-tv-debt-collector-delroy

Mad drivers. Especially the HGV drivers !!

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Ward) — Tue, 1 Nov 2016 21:02:00 GMT

https://youtu.be/epOvkwTVNBw

Urgent appeal for donors. Nicole Di Pietro-Fisher.

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Ward) — Tue, 26 Jul 2016 15:36:00 +0100

http://m.lincolnshireecho.co.uk/devastated-woman-24-told-she-could-be-dead-within-weeks/story-29548753-detail/story.html

An interesting CLL blog by a US doctor

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Ward) — Sat, 9 Jul 2016 08:27:00 +0100

http://bkoffman.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1

1/18 scale Scarlett and half Rocco trailer model (98261358022322056074)

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Ward) — Thu, 7 Jul 2016 22:56:00 +0100

In May this year I celebrated my 50th birthday.

After a crushing result in court in February relating to the loss of my amazing Scirocco "Scarlett" in an accident in 2014 I was feeling pretty low having lost the vehicle, the compensation and now suffering from chronic Tinnitus, things were not so rosy for celebrating my 5 decades of life.......but the amazing hard work, skill and dedication of one amazing chap named Glen Place provided me with an epic ,mind-blowing gift that can only really be appreciated by seeing it in the flesh ( or cast perhaps?).

No words now, just pictures to document the amazing thing that Glen has done for me in completing this incredible project

Scarlett and trailer in 1/18 scale....

No win, No Fee.....A cautionary tale..

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Ward) — Tue, 5 Jul 2016 11:49:00 +0100

As many of my regular readers will already know,In April 2014 my amazing 1987 Mk2 Scirocco "Scarlett"was rear ended by a 44 ton HGV whilst I was making a right hand turn into a layby.

Most people I spoke too about this accident told me that it was obviously the lorry drivers fault and that any future court case would follow that line of reasoning....but the law, as I have found out to my cost, is not so clear cut, or a fair as the layman would like believe.

I had, up until my court date in 2016, had no experience of what to expect, and so, in the interest of assisting and informing anyone else considering following the same course, have decided to share my own experience and make them aware of many aspects of choosing a "No win, No fee" route that they are probably not aware of.

Over the next few posts I will tell the story of my experience of such an occurrence...and the astonishing and expensive result of my seeking justice .

A tale of misplaced faith, miss understood choices and miss guided trust in a legal process which , when it goes terribly wrong, does not give the client a voice, allows people to lie and get away with it.....and lands the "victim" with huge costs which they may, like i was, be unaware they could face.

Due to legal minefields I will change the names of the parties involved, but will tell you a tale which may make you wonder if the safety net we call the process of taking a claim to court is actually as just and fair a decision as we may all like to believe it is......

Can anybody help with this appeal?

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Ward) — Fri, 10 Jun 2016 07:33:00 +0100

http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/thames-ditton-leukaemia-sufferer-needs-11432257