Blog

Isle of Man Choral Society

After years of being asked and having to turn it down due to brass band competition clash, I finally am available to attend and play for my father in law, Julian Power who conducts the Isle of Man Choral Society and The Isle of Man Symphony Orchestra for their major annual concert together. I was a regular member of the Manx Sinfonia (as they were known then) when I lived on the IOM, so expecting a few familiar faces. The…

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North London Symphony Orchestra – Bizet, Korngold, Brahms

NLSO open their 2019 season in St James Church, Muswell Hill playing music by Bizet, Korngold and Brahms (third racket…) Date:    Saturday 23 March 2019Time:    7.30 pmVenue:  St James Church Muswell HillSt James LaneLondon N10 3DB Conductor: ROBERT MAX Programme: BIZET:             Carmen Suite No. 1KORNGOLD:  Violin Concerto  (Soloist: BEATRICE PHILIPS)BRAHMS:        Symphony No.3 Click here for tickets…

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Ride London 2018 Done

So, after countless sunny days, many training rides in the heat… it only tipped it down on the day, more or less all day.  It almost but didn’t break my spirit on the day… all I had to do was think back 12 months ago and remind myself that I followed the event from hospital bed, probably receiving blood transfusions that day also.  Crossing the finish line was special.. but not as special as the roar from the support team…

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Prudential Ride London 2018 Bloodwise

Time to officially announce our second fundraiser for Bloodwise.  I am riding the Prudential Ride London 2018 on July 29.  This will be my second time riding this fabulous event.  Last year, I followed the action from my bed in Barnet Hospital when I was in for my first spell with infections related to my Hairy Cell Leukaemia.  I followed the action using the official ride app, where I’d configured it to follow my father-in-law, Julian, Tom, my brother-in-law and…

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Bloodwise Tea with the Girls

On bank holiday May 7th MrsQ hosted the first of our fundraisers for Bloodwise “Tea with the Girls! (Not just for Girls).  On what turned out to be the hottest day in London this year so far, we setup the garden with as many tables and chairs as we could find. On the Menu we had:- Carrot Cake – Hummingbird Bakery Rich Chocolate Cake Rhubarb and Custard Cupcakes (with our own homegrown Rhubarb) Raspberry and Coconut Cheesecake (Vegan, gluten and dairy…

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Finished Medication back to normal!

So, earlier this week, after 6 months… I’ve finished taking daily medication as part of my treatment for Hairy Cell Leukaemia.  Another milestone… 26 weeks of daily and weekly meds… here are the numbers.. 3 daily – 546 tablets , plus 4 weekend – 208 tablets I suppose in the grand scheme of things, and the nature of Hairy Cell Leukaemia (being one of the least nasties), I got off lightly, given what I hear others have to endure! In…

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In Remission from Hairy Cell Leukaemia

On Monday 8th January 2018, 176 days after diagnosis, I was declared in remission from Hairy Cell Leukaemia by my consultant. It is quite difficult do describe my emotions on hearing and absorbing those words. Relieved, grateful, thankful .. a time for celebration, well, not quite, it didn’t feel that way. Being mindful as we’ve learned during this process that 1400 (approx) people on daily basis are diagnosed with one of the 130 varieties of blood cancer, celebration of remission…

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October in Andalucia

October in Andalucia

We are very fortunate to have a family holiday home nestled in the hills off the coast of Andalucia which we can visit as often as we like.  Of course, we don’t get to visit as often as we like as day to day life takes over.  It was great however this year to be able to get out and soak up some sunshine, given that I’d missed quite a bit of the good summer in London due to my…

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Mijas Costa Andalucia Spain

One Hundred Days with Hairy Cell Leukaemia

One Hundred days ago I was diagnosed with Hairy Cell Leukaemia.  100 days… one .. hundred … days… Looking back, at times it seems surreal, almost like flashbacks from a novel I’ve read, film, documentary I’ve seen.. but no.. it was all real. The first 20 days or so were the “worst”.  Reading about experiences of others my “worst” seems insignificant to the suffering of others with “other” blood cancers,  remember we’ve learned that there are 137 types, and HCL…

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Blood Cancer Awareness Month

Hairy Cell Leukaemia Recovery Week 6

An early morning call from the clinic at Chase Farm hospital informing me that I didn’t need to come in for a blood test that day was a great start to the week.  My neutrophils were at 1.33 from the previous week and other vital components all moving the right direction. It was a busy week at work with 2 client visits. Fortunately I was able to travel to both outside rush hour, which for the next couple of weeks…

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