downer

On a bit of a downer today. Double treatment (chemo & radio) which always zonks me out, but not really well enough to go to Archie's awards ceremony tonight. This is a bit cruel. Have told him that he'll have to win one again next year.

Thanks to Bod, Kev & Elliot for the Johnny Shuttleworth cd 's which are lightening the mood, and of course to Jackie & Angie for their torrent of get well cards. Much appreciated you guys.

See you tomoz, In the meantime here's some quality Shuttleworth.

http://youtu.be/PI7o-FJM8f4

day off

Radio at 8.30 this morning and a meeting with the Abbot nurse to explain how to feed through the tube properly meant I was done for the day at half eleven. Exhausted, so a day off blogging and catching up with done more Breaking Bad.

manic monday

Busy day. Bank at 9.30 to try and sort out our finances followed by a rest for 2 hours to recover from the exertion. Trying to build up enough energy to sort out my end of year accounts, but failed miserably. Maybe tomorrow.

Having stitches out if feeding tube later ong with 15th radio. Followed by weekly health check.Lost a few pounds this last couple of days, I just can't eat anything. Mouth is now full of ulcers, I've got a sore throat and it's as dry as a dry thing. This pretty much prevents me eating anything but porridge.

Tomorrow I will be having a lesson in how to feed through my tube which I think will be how things go from now on.

Bit depressing but holding on to the fact that the end of treatment is in sight and the hoped for recovery will kick in soon after.

It's amazing how much you can miss the physical act of eating, let alone the taste and texture of food. The prospect of chomping down on a huge burger and chips in a couple of months is another little dream that is keeping me going. In the meantime, baby food and milk will keep me going and get us to where we want to be.

Me eating breakfast earlier. Yum.

gurning

a consequence of the radiotherapy treatment is that it can have a detrimental effect on the health of your teeth and jaw.

To try and counteract the damage to the jaw which can lead to problems opening your mouth to it's full extent post treatment, you are encouraged to perform some mouth exercises. Basically this means opening and closing and twisting your mouth in a yawning action about 10 times, 3 or 4 times a day.

To summarise, it's gurning.

14/30

14 radios out of 30. Half way on Monday.

chickens

a day of distraction at our great friends john & vicki's. They invited us over for the kids to do a bit of pot throwing and for Keeley to turn some wood.

I kept a watching brief and threw the odd expert comment into the mix.

I also took a very pleasant tour of the estate and acquainted myself with the chickens.

Keeley hasn't done any turning (of the wood variety) for over 20 years but dropped back into it like a seasoned veteran.

Grace is a natural 

Archie, not so much. His talents lie elsewhere. He has assured us that when he is the CEO of his own multinational company that he will buy me & his mum a big house with a workshop where we can throw pots and turn wood to our hearts content. Good lad.

Thanks for everything J&V.

skin

Will start posting more pics as of today as I am conscious that physically things are beginning to change.

My neck is getting scrawnier and my skin is incredibly dry. The effects of the chemo as I was warned, are now kicking in. My face feels really flushed and skin is getting blotchy and red.

Can't really begin to describe how dry my mouth and throat are. I can literally have a glass of water and 30 seconds later have no moisture left in my mouth. Because of this I have to insure my mouth is clean by rinsing 8 times a day with a salt and bicarbonate of soda mix, 3 times a day with Difflam and 2/3 times a day with a lemon syrup which I can also swallow which helps my throat. Quite an undertaking.

When I am having my radio treatment the mask is so tight that I rely on breathing through my nose because my mouth is tight shut. Because of this when the treatment is done, my mouth is so dry that I have no voice and end up whispering for 10 minutes until I can get some moisture in. Can only imagine this is a taste of things to come.

It is my 12th treatment today (2 weeks in)so the timeline as explained at the start is spot on in as much as the side effects will really kick in after 2 weeks. It's baby food and liquid from here in, whether using the traditional method (ie mouth) or the slightly more unconventional method ( the feeding tube)

Can report that the high calorie drinks that I started yesterday are, as reported by dear old father in law Pete during his illness, similar to baby whale milk. Absolutely minging. Hey ho.

comedians

In God's waiting room again awaiting my 11th radio session. Slightly earlier today so a different group waiting with me. Absolutely hilarious, a bit like being in the audience for The Comedians in 1975. Mike Read opposite with some off-colour mother in law jokes, Bernard Manning and ken Shuttleworth doing a bit of their 'I wouldn't say my wife's fat/stupid' material. Shouldn't laugh but it's funny. Indomitable spirit on show for all to see, along with the blokes legs sticking out of their shorty dressing gowns.

Fourth chemo this morning went fine. Prescribed some extra mouth wash to try and cope with the daily drying out of my mouth, and some Ensure high calorie drinks to compensate for my decreasing appetite.

eg. I know when the mother-in-law is due to come round to our house, the mice start throwing themselves on the traps.

I'm here all week. (Literally)

routine

• wake at 6.30 with a mouth like a buzzards flip flop

• my long-suffering,patient & beautiful wife brings me a whistle-wetting cup of tea

• 8.00 Keeley leaves for work, I embark on my extensive bathroom routine, which consists of:

- brush teeth (2minutes) and mouthwash

- cover feeding tube in plastic cling film stuff to enable me to have a shower

- shower trying very hard not to get tube wet

- emerge from shower & dry

- proceed with tube flushing & cleaning of area around stoma (hole in tummy)

- commence slathering (?) myself, particularly neck. & face, in acquious cream. My skin is literally dropping off due to the dehydrating nature of the treatment. To put this in context the bathroom floor needs hoovering every day!

- complete bathroom routine, retire to bedroom & get dressed, descend downstairs for my porridge which is now pretty much the only solid-ish thing I can manage.

- kids, suitably briefed by Keeley, offer cups of tea etc.

• take position on sofa and wait to see what the day brings. 

easter monday

absolutely no energy levels at all today.Eating anything other than porridge is becoming a real chore so not surprising really. I think that when I see the dietician this week she will prescribe some high calorie drinks to try and get round this.

Still, only another month of treatment (if all goes well ) so will try and keep in good spirits with this in mind.

Woke up this morning with some of the tomato soup I had yesterday in the external bit of my feeding tube, which was a bit of a shock. I suppose the tube is just an extension of my stomach so anything I eat might make an appearance. Anyway, a quick flush through and the soup was on it's way to the place where all soup ends up.

10th radio due tomorrow and a meeting in the mould room to assess my weight, the condition of my mouth and neck and to make any adjustments to my mask if I have lost too much weight.

Laters homies

easter sunday

Quiet day on the sofa watching footer. Happy Easter one and all.

day off

no news today. Feeling fine, mouth very, very dry so bottle of water a constant companion. Options for eating are becoming less and less as things progress so I'm pretty much on liquids, but still got a bit of chub to fall back on so not worried.

A good result for the Potters later will lift the spirits.

dates

not sure what's going on with the dates on this weeks bloggage, I wrote yesterday's at 5.30 in the morning (the 17th) but it is listed as the 16th. No worries, it's all in the right chronological order.

Got home yesterday at 12ish. All done, then back to radio for my 3 o'clock slot (8/30), then a quick dash up to ward 103 to be officially let out. Bit of tea then slept until about 7 this morning.

Touch wood, the pain after this op is much less, so I shouldn't have any trouble lying flat for my radio at 11 this morning. The effects of the chemo are building up though. We think partly because I couldn't take in any fluids on wednesday because of the op, and consequently didn't allow my body to flush out the chemo nastiness, I came out in a nasty rash last night. Tablets have sorted it for now. Also, my mouth is becoming a bit of a disaster area, very dry, a nasty green(!) coating on my tongue, so I think we are entering the tricky part of the game.

Anyway, enough of my woes. Looking forward to the start of a nice relaxing Easter weekend.

To cheer us all up, here's a picture from my old college mate Wendy which shows me in hairier times at our degree ceremony at Trentham in 1993.

déjà vous

yesterday went as well as could be expected:

1 x chemo

1 x blood test

2 x canular successfully inserted (no bruises)

1 x radio

1 x naso-gastric tube up my hooter

1 x naso-gastric tube out of my hooter

1 x feeding tube re-fitted

1 x tummy covered in fluorescent pink anti-septic stuff that will take 2 weeks to get off

4 x painkillers to offset pain of trapped wind ( see previous op )

1 x sleepless night

1 x complete nutter in bed opposite complaining about everything and providing running commentary on the whole night. eg why can't I sleep in these effing  beds, what's wrong with you people, why me, it 's too hot, it's too cold, where is everyone - I resisted the urge to shout shut the effing hell up, on behalf of myself and the other 4 sufferers on the ward, but only just.

1 x other gentleman in ward who speaks only Italian

1 x  very sore throat having not had anything to eat or drink for 12 hours 

Thanks to mum for taxi duties yesterday. And to Keeley's cousin Jo for the food parcel from Hong Kong. Also for the continuing flood of GWS cards, especially  from Jackie & Angie who are making a card shop in Stamford very rich.

As I speak it's 5.37 and the commentary from opposite continues unabated. I 'm going to try and block it out under the blanket. Hopefully today will bring:

1 x going home

1 x radiotherapy 8/30

5 x banana nesquik

& some klp.

Tara a bit.

busy

Quiet day yesterday hanging around to hear what was happening about the feeding tube. Call at 2 confirming it will have to be redone on Wednesday. Bugger.

So, a very busy day today.Chemo at 10. Radio at 2. New feeding tube op ( bed permitting ) straight after. Overnight stay. 

Not allowed food and water after 8 this morning, which when you have the dryest mouth in the world and the op won't be until teatime is a bit a bit daunting.

Anyway, I will report back tomorrow (Thursday)

drama

So yesterday, which was supposed to be a quiet day with the family, turned in to a full on Emergency Ward 10.

You will remember that a couple of weeks ago I had a feeding tube fitted in preparation for when eating becomes difficult over the next month or so. Up to now the tube has been fixed externally by a couple of stitches and internally by a clever little balloon device which inflates with water to hold it in place. Or at least that's the theory.

Yesterday morning the district nurse came to remove the external stitches, which went fine, but it transpired that these stitches were the only things holding the tube in place.

About an hour before my 3 o'clock radio session I went to get ready to leave, pulled up my t-shirt to check all was well with the tube and to my horror found it hanging out, connected only by a bit if medical tape. Panic stations.

We zoomed down to the hospital where it was established that the balloon was and had been since it was fitted, busted, and the whole tube would have to be replaced. This got me thinking about the day of the op and when I went back to the ward. The nurse taking care of me knew that she had to flush out the tube, but had never seen one like mine before. As a result she flushed the wrong connection and the popping sound which I heard, but dismissed, was obviously the sound of the bubble bursting.

Because the bubble was in effect floating around it had pulled through the hole that had been made into my stomach which had subsequently healed up, and was just in the space between my stomach and skin, and consequently when the external stitches were removed it just fell out.

The external hole (stoma) is still there so I have had a new pipe pushed through it and taped up and I await an appointment today to have the pipe 'eased' into a new hole in my stomach . Lovely.

On the positive side, because the staff in radio were so quick to sort things out yesterday, I didn't miss my session, so we are up to date with my treatment.

Today could be interesting.

Fig.1 the exploding balloon

day off

Today I have had my stitches out. My lovely sister & nieces are visiting and I am going for radiotherapy session no.5 this afternoon. I have no time for this blog stuff. 

I will be back tomoz.

waiting

You see some sights in the radiotherapy waiting room. The old chaps coming in for a bit of a zap on the old prostate are a case in point.

They come in to the waiting room fully dressed then disappear into the changing room. Only to re-emerge minutes later clothed in their, just a bit too short,dressing gowns, but crucially, still with their shoes and socks on. The waiting room is then full of blokes trying to sit with dignity on a chair, with their clothes in a plastic bag, shoes and socks on, and trying not to flash their wares to all and sundry. Funny.

I sit there looking cool as a cucumber in my jogging bottoms and bobble hat!

Radio 4 of 30 went fine yesterday. Mouth getting drier and my window of opportunity where I could eat anything has sadly passed. Savoury even slightly salty food is now inedible so I am now on melon, porridge, nesquik and tea.

Laters homeguys and gals

dry

Day 3 of radio ticked off yesterday. Effects kicking in a bit. Very dry mouth and neck getting a little bit red and aching a bit. Felt completely zonked after yesterday's session but fine after putting my feet up for a bit and some talc from Keeley.

Another session this afternoon (Saturday) to compensate for the upcoming bank holiday. Means my slim hopes of getting to Stoke this afternoon are scuppered. Oh well, another good result will compensate.

    my tongue pictured yesterday.

Quick thank you to the fantastic Shirley over in Oirland who has knitted me a lucky charm. Tremendous.

   To be sure

radio 4/30

waffer thin

With apologies to my face tube buddies who will have seen this yesterday. I have just been given carte Blanche by my dietician to eat all the junk I can, while I still can. Full fat milk, sugar puffs, full English breakfast ( fried if possible ), burgers, mars bars ( fried if possible ) you name it, I can eat it with no guilt.

Huzzah!

                                                                  Waffer Thin Mint

There's always a downside though. Obviously in a couple of weeks it will start to get difficult/impossible to eat anything solid so I'm filling my boots. However, because of the cumulative effect of the chemo and radio, I have started to create (look away now if you are sensitive )a lot of nasty mucous in my mouth, which is best dissipated by a mouth was which is made up of: 1 pint of water, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda. Delicious.

Had my feeding tube checked yesterday, all fine. I am flushing and maintaining it correctly. It's a bit like checking your bike tyres really. 

Second radio went without a hitch. Bumped into my mate George who I was on the ward with a couple of weeks ago. He's been home and gone back in again, but was in good spirits (see yesterday's blog for inspirational effect this has).

Pleasant soundtrack in the background of the radio room consisted of:

Virginia Plain - Roxy Music

Sunday Girl - Blondie

Moonlight Shadow - Mike Oldfield

Mr Blue Sky - ELO

Can't complain at that. Then it was all done.

Another day ticked off.

radio 2/30

weight:95kg / 14stone 9lbs

happiness

Spoiler alert. I've been thinking again. I have these moments of clarity at 6 in the morning and have to get them down. The stuff of the day clouds my simple brain somewhat so anything written before breakfast is a bit more thoughtful. I'll let you decide.

This time it's about the human brain and how it deals with stuff. Here you go for what it's worth.

Firstly, we all know our ultimate fate on this earth but most of us fortunately are having such a good time living our lives that we never think about it. Then what happens is that your circumstances change.

This may be in the form of an illness like mine or maybe to someone you know or just by being made aware of something on the news.

So then the old ultimate fate thing kicks in. In my case I am fully aware of what is happening to me and the percentage for success and failure of my treatment, but because of the fantastic support I am receiving from Keeley, my family and friends and staff at the hospital, I  choose to remain positive.

I think this is because I am a positive person, but also because there is an element of my fuzzy little brain compartmentalising things and putting the bad things to the back and trying not to think about them.

I have experiences to help me do this. The time we had when dad was diagnosed (very late on ) with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma nearly 22 years ago, and passed away about a month later, was obviously very traumatic, but without that experience I wouldn't have recognised the initial signs of my own illness, got it checked out, and be in the position we are in now where we have caught it early and have every chance of beating it.

What I am saying is that my brain is using this experience we had with dad and somehow filtering out the bad bits and stashing those away in a room 101 type place, allowing me to remember dad in a very positive way. 

I am doing exactly the same thing with this. Externally and, most of the time,  I am being positive, internally I think about the big picture, but whether it's because I am a bit thick,  I seem able to not think about what might happen if the treatment doesn't work. I have sort of put it in Room 101, which is great, but don't ask me to explain how it's done.

Now I understand that people's experiences are different. Not everyone has the support network I have. If I was sat at home on my own without a family things might be very different. People are obviously much more poorly than me, which I have witnessed first hand, and in those cases it must be so much more difficult. But it's how positive these people are that has been such a big eye opener to me. You literally can't help but not be given a massive boost when the guy in the bed next to you, who you have just heard being told, that he has cancer ( much more serious than mine ), remains totally positive and is looking forward to the way his life will change for the better after his op. He is planning caravan holidays with his wife already.Outstanding.

So when the negative stuff kicks in, which it inevitably does, the effects of this experience, the friends, love of family, just normality, gives you a direct pathway to room 101 to dump the bad stuff until next time.

There you go. Not sure if that makes sense. It did to me at 6. In the meantime, to explain things through the medium of song, here are two favourites from opposite ends of the spectrum.

The first explains where I am 90% of the time in my fuzzy, happy little world. The second is a good indicator of the other 10%.

Both worth a listen but the sentiments of the first far outweigh those of the second.

Doddy Partly because they play this at Stoke after a home victory but also because Doddy is ace.

Johnny Cash obvious

ps thanks to Gill for the really cool book and the keep fit tea. There's a whole other world out there other than PG tips!

radio

First radiotherapy session done. It's a bit like lying on a plank with a seatbelt round your head and your eyes shut trying not to move while you are passing through a space ship. Each whir and pop and beep of the machine comes as a surprise & you feel like you are jumping out of your skin. It's all exaggerated of course because if I was moving they would have to start again. The sound of Duran Duran on Shite FM in the background was surprisingly soothing. No honestly!

Off for an hours chemo now which is like a stroll in the park compared to the two solid weeks I had previously.

1 radio down 29 to go.

2 one hour chemos down 5 to go.

We're getting there.

Unfortunately my plan to go to the match against Newcastle has been scuppered by having an appointment on Saturday. Much to my chagrin and Keeley's delight. Another 3 points guaranteed in my albatross like non appearance. Hey ho.

quiet

Day off today. What's new? I hear you say. Well, just that the only responsibility I have today is to remember to take my tablets before radiotherapy starts tomorrow. And of course to give my rig it's initial solo flush, without the help of a nurse. It's a high octane lifestyle I'm living. 

High point will be Karl coming over to sort our bath panel out, and maybe a trip to Wickes. Talk about living the dream.

Enough excitement friends. I will be back tomorrow when with the first radio and chemo day, the fun really starts.

wonderwoman

I am feeling much better today. Pain killers have kicked in so had a good night's sleep in actual bed last night.
This morning saw us in radiotherapy verification, which was basically to check that:
• the mask fits
• I am ok to start (health wise)
• to have a practice run
• to check that the treatment plan set out by my onchologist will give me the best possible outcome with the least possible disruption to me. To say that the mask fits well is something of an understatement. When it came off after about 15 minutes the skin on my face was like a waffle where the skin sticks through the plastic. Not a great look I have to say.

All went well, we then went to get some info regarding my rig (feeding tube). We were shown how to flush it out, which basically means filling a syringe with 50ml of water and pumping it through once a day and how to clean the area around where it goes into my tummy. How to feed myself through it will be gone over as and when I need it.
Not surprisingly the food that you can use is in a liquid form, so we were surprised to hear Wendy the nurse say that she has known someone trying to force Rice Krispies through one! We were speechless.

So everything is now in place for the first radiotherapy session, followed by my second 'single' chemo session on wednesday.

If I can just bring your attention to my fantastic wife and daughter's fund raising efforts. They are running (probably walking but who cares) the Race For Life next month. I'm not sure where Keeley will find time to do any training in-between looking after all of us, working and keeping our home ticking over, but she is showing herself to be, as I have always known, some kind of superhero. Think Wonderer Woman with domestic and creative skills (and the patience of a saint) and you won't be far away.

www.justgiving.com/KeeleyandGrace

Here is a picture I took of Keeley earlier today. Wowzers.

ouch

I was a bit previous in assuming that the pain from the air making it's way round my bod under the skin was gone. It hasn't. Unbelievably painful. It gravitates it's way to the top of your rib cage and shoulders, and is like having a knife stuck in you.

Great mate Colin was despatched to get some peppermint based medicine and tea to try and alleviate the pain. This worked to a point with some strong pain killers, but I couldn't lie down so slept in the chair in the bedroom.

Keeley,as ever, is my absolute rock. Fetching cups of tea, tucking me in, just being there and reassuring me.

I am on a liquid diet for a couple of days until my tummy settles, because, as I discovered to my cost yesterday, a bowl of porridge was incredibly painful to digest. So it's nesquik, soup and tea for a while.

Before signing off here is a pic of the rig (food tube) and of my bruise where the nurse inserting the canular hit an artery rather than a vein. Ouch!

wind

I awoke this morning at 5.30 to a Dawn chorus of old men trumping. It was almost as if one started and granted permission for the one in the next bed to join in, a bit like a Mexican Wave of flatulence.

Not the best start. 

My rig is now fitted, and is fine other than feeling a bit weird. The worst part of the procedure, other than the 8 hour wait yesterday, is that the air that was pumped through the pipe into my tummy is now moving around my body under my skin. Incredibly painful, but seems to have worn off as we speak.

The pipe , for reasons unknown to me, is still wedged down my nose and throat, and is as uncomfortable as it sounds.

Hopefully I will be allowed home later this morning and look forward to a good result for Stoke this afternoon at Chelsea.

Onwards and up the Potters.

op

my friday:

6.30 shower, pack, kiss kids, leave for hospital at 7.10

7.20 arrive at hospital and do two circuits of the building to find the right ward

7.40 check in, obs, wave Keeley goodbye, put on lovely gown and anti thrombo tights

8.30 wheeled into side room to await pipe down nose and op.

9.00 pipe down nose. Bloody uncomfortable

10.30 old friend Dr.Dave comes in for a chat. Great to see him. He notices that the pipe has fallen out. Bugger. Nurse announces that the ward I should be going to after is shut because of a bug. Chance I will be sent home. Bugger.

13.30 yes half past one, there may be a bed, been lying here for just the 5 hours. Paul the porter eventually brings my stuff so I can at least use the phone. Haven't had anything to eat or drink since last night so a bit groggy. 

16.30 in to theatre. 3 attempts to get pipe in. First two went down windpipe. Much coughing. Rest of procedure fine. I'm now the proud owner of a feeding tube in my tummy. Onto the ward a bit worse for wear.

17.40 first banana nesquik of the day. Can't eat anything because the pipe is staying in for the time being.

radio

All went well yesterday. Went to Nuffield for the first of second phase of chemo. This lasted a couple of hours so that they could check for any reaction I may have had but all was fine. I will now have a 1 hour session every Wednesday until the end of the radiotherapy (6 weeks)

Spent an enjoyable couple of hours this morning on the Slagg Brothers Show on 6 Towns Radio. I'll put a link up later to the listen again site, although I wasn't close enough to the mike to start with so you may not hear me.

Now bracing myself for tomorrow's op. Woke up this morning with a nose bleed which is presumably my nose objecting to the fact that it's going to have a big pipe up it tomorrow! 

Will try and report in tomorrow but not sure how I will be feeling. Home on Saturday so I can update you all then.

Laters homies.

amazon

Proper ego boost this morning as Amazon have me earmarked as a cutting edge music guru on their database. They have very kindly suggested that I might like to buy the new Shit Robot album. The fact that I am calling it an album and not an mp3 or download will tell you that Shit Robot probably won't be my cup of tea. Thanks for the thought though.

The plan changed a bit yesterday. We've been offered a different chemo drug which will hopefully come with less side effects. The difference being that I will have it weekly for an hour rather than the previous plan which was 2 sessions of 8 hours. I may have what was politely called a teenage rash, zits to you and me, but like the other stuff they should clear up when the treatment is over.

The plan for the radiotherapy isn't quite finalised yet. Basically they programme into the machine a path that will avoid damaging everything but the cancerous cells. This isn't always possible. Because they are targeting my neck there are obviously lots of important bits in close proximity to the area they want to zap. Specifically the gland which produces saliva. There are two, one on each side, and if you lose one it can make things really difficult later in terms of producing enough saliva which may then effect speech, swallowing, health of teeth etc.

Anyway, I have confidence that they will do everything possible to ensure the best  outcome.

Everything is in place for my 'rig' operation on Friday. 7.30 start, blood tests, pipe down nose to pump some air into my tummy, local anaesthetic and incision into tummy, pipe inserted and stitched to skin. That's it. Stay overnight to ensure all is well, home Saturday in time to see Stoke v. Chelski at teatime on the telly. Huzzah!

Just had the call to go in for the first chemo this afternoon. Onwards and upwards.

scratch

An expression I have become familiar with over the last couple of months is' just a sharp scratch'. This is usually accompanied by a needle being stuck in my arm. As a rough estimate I think I have had 38 injections/scratches/biopsies and counting. It is just a scratch and the pain of pulling the plaster off afterwards is far worse.

The picture shows my hand where the intravenous drip was attached for chemo. The veins are a bit red and bruised where they have collapsed. This sounds dramatic but is quite normal apparently. 

Science over. This is the schedule for this week.

• Monday - blood test. Big, brave boy, I went on my own.

• Tuesday - appointment with oncholigist to discuss progress/results/drug options

• Wednesday - day off (!)

• Thursday - Radiotherapy Verification. Think this means laying out treatment dates and times, checking everything is in place to start next Wednesday.

• Friday - rig operation at 7.30am. Hopefully because of the early start I will be home later in the day, assuming all goes well. Complete with a little exhaust pipe in my tummy.