A look back on 2017 so much exciting News And now the Orange Fox Bikes have joined team Mavis!!

I wish everyone a very Happy New Year as I look back on 2017

So much has happened the biggest being the Launch of the Mavis Nye Foundation which I cover in Photos later on in this blog.

Then today to celebrate 2017 going out I have just had this wonderful Announcement put on my Face Book By Mark Goodwill.

Happy New Year Peeps! Hope it’s a good one! 2017 has been much easier for us and I’m genuinely really buzzing for 2018. Lots planned but one of the most exciting is deciding to support a charity this coming year – The Mavis Nye Foundation. A lot of my friends will know.

Nigel Shaddick who was diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer towards the end of 2016, more on mesothelioma and the Foundation in a later post. Nigel, a very handy endurance athlete always was an inspiration to me and many, many others and is an indisputable all round top guy. But since diagnosis he has been incredible and a fantastic ambassador to the Mavis Nye Foundation. I think the fact Nigel completed the Welsh Iron Man, one of the toughest Iron Mans in the series, with at least one lung completely non functional, just weeks before diagnosis about sums up Nigel’s tremendous courage and determination, which has continued throughout his treatment. So, how am I going to raise money this year….. To be frank, I think this charity is worthy of support any way, but I’m looking to get back into my endurance sport and aim to run 2000km and cycle 3000km in 2018. Including a few challenges (bike and running) and perhaps an Ultra marathon or two…. Not big numbers for many of you but for me who has done very little for four years and is now 20kg overweight along with the day to day it will be a challenge and anyway targets are meant for beating….
Have a look at the link and please please please it would be BRILLIANT if YOU also felt able to join me raising money for the Mavis Nye Foundation in 2018…. two heads are better than one ?
It’s on FB – that’s me committed!!
Wishing you all a very happy, healthy and fun 2018.

http://www.orangefoxbikes.co.uk/about-us/

I already have some riders in the Prudential 100 Mile I will have to get round this wonderful group to join in the Race.

Before I go any Further I would like to thank everyone that came to the Launch and made it such a great Event. In just coming you gave me so much backing and I will remember that evening with love although 2018. The money raised the fun and laughter and even the tears. I loved every minute Thankyou xxxx

So lets look back on 2017

It started with me having a very bad cold and cough. As I had a Scan and collected the results

I went in and got my blood’s done and the Ray joined me for the Doctors appointment.
Still in remission. At 208 days after last Keytruda
We all laughed. but she said please take life easy and rest as the bug hasn’t done any damage at all, your scan is very clear now.
She listened to my lungs and to my heart and is so happy with me.
I went up to Oak ward to meet my friend and his wife (I can’t mention names as they haven’t said anything on F/B yet. But a dear friend, I sat with them until they went in to get scan results and they were in there so long. Ray paced back and forth as I sat and talked to the last man standing on the 128 trial, he has had a great result of 80% and has many months still to go.
When the Mesowarrior finally came out it was to tell me he was off the trial. It was a sad moment but immediately they are talking about what the next step is and where to find the next trial. I love such positive people.
I keep waiting for them to tell the warriors but they are in shock really they just wanted Keytruda to work. I said to Our Doc yesterday they really have to find out why I have such good news and they don’t he just held my arm and squeezed it and then the Mesowarior involved. It was a very emotional moment x

So please to say the Mesowarrior is still doing well and has just had another good Christmas.

Here he is disguised as Father Christmas he played the part very well.

The Motorhome all loaded up we set off Saturday to the Park and Ride at Canterbury where we met all our friends in the Camping and Caravan Club as they arrived or already there to travel down to the City to see the Pantomime. UK’s most popular TV stars, Stephen Mulhern and Marlowe favourites, Ben Roddy and Lloyd Hollett.
The theatre is lovely as it is very new and we admired it as we sat and had a coffee.
When it was time to go in we really enjoyed the whole show. The 3 D show they put on was so great as things shot out at you.
A 3D scene – glasses are provided – works brilliantly and has young and old alike squealing with delight – once again reminding us that 3D continues to work as a visually stimulating treat in any environment when the experience of the audience and it’s ability to intrude in their space, is put as its very raison d’etre.
Stephen Mulhern (Billy) – returning to the theatre after a gap of a few years where previously he was in a supporting role – is now the lead man and it’s hard to do anything but warm to him. He’s charismatic and disarming and some of his illusions will have you mesmerised. Lisa Davina Phillip (Fairy Bow-Bells) is worthy of praise for her high-flying role too.

A Diary Of A Mesowarrior Living With #Mesothelioma #Asbestos. The Book Is Launched What a lovely Christmas Belated Christmas Present. The postman came and a parcel was there on the floor. Ray has been saying a present, he has been waiting for to give to me hadn’t arrived over Christmas, and this was it.
He disappeared and came back with a present, as it was wrapped in Christmas paper.
I opened it and was shocked to find a book with our picture on.
He has been beavering away on the computer daily, but that is normal, so I haven’t taken any notice. Turns out he has been writing my story of the last two years of my trial. Using my blog as a guide he completed it finally sent it off for publishing and it was accepted.
2 Years on a Keytruda Drugs Trial. Fighting mesothelioma an Asbestos related Terminal cancer.
This means we have a trilogy as 3 books are published and have covered the 7 years of my journey.
I was so happy with it and I have to sit down and read it now Well done Ray and thank you for all the hard work as I know how hard it is to have a book published. Every paragraph and spelling must be right. No easy task!

We have a collection of books written and published now with all the money going to Mesothelioma UK, as I support them and all the work they do.

Feb saw a visit from Storm Doris that caused damage and sadly piles of asbestos boarding laying around. we must sort that problem out.

Asbestos in Schools is back in the news with a Gov Report out.
Seems that at last they realise just how bad the situation is and we will have to wait to see what happens now.
Asbestos in schools is a “serious” problem which could threaten the health of children, a Government report has found, as it concluded that thousands of schools are failing to follow safety guidelines.
One fifth of schools which responded to an official survey were found to be “not fully compliant” with asbestos procedures, leaving over a million children potentially exposed to dangerous fibres.
Of those, over 100 schools were deemed a “significant cause for concern” and required government intervention. The Department for Education (DfE) said it emailed those schools and received “reassurances” the asbestos is now safe.

We had the latest Mesothelioma Figures from HSE They were not good The latest information from HSE shows:
There were 2,515 mesothelioma deaths in Great Britain in 2014, a similar number
to the 2,556 deaths in 2013, and 2,549 deaths in 2012.

The latest projections suggest that there will continue to be around 2,500 deaths per year for the rest of this current decade before annual numbers begin to decline.
The continuing increase in annual mesothelioma deaths in recent years has been driven mainly by deaths among those aged 75 and above.
In 2014 there were 2,101 male deaths and 414 female deaths.

There were 2,130 new cases of mesothelioma assessed for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) in 2015 compared with 2,215 in 2014.
Men who worked in the building industry when asbestos was used extensively.

2017 seem to me to be Fly Tip year so many health fears.

ASBESTOS is dumped in layby by careless fly-tippers so causing a risk of mesothelioma.

This one a mile long has shocked everyone. It cost a fortune to clear up. We have got to do something about this.

Then we came across this skip opposite our local shop:

Not only is the skip not sealed but the fact is the men that stripped all this out were not protected. Yes That is Asbestos webbing as well. It is so frustrating.

Ray and I flew to Ireland for the BTOG Conference we didn’t see much of Dublin but it was a great Conference.