About this Blog

This blog started as an online diary and place for me to rant about annoyances in my family.

However since July it has become a place for me to catalogue and express my views and opinions on the treatment I have recieved following the diagnosis of a potentially cancerous tumor in my bowel.

On 3rd August 2011 I was told that it was cancerous. In April 2012 I was given the all clear.

October 15th 2013 I was diagnosed with peritoneal disease and liver metastases. The cancer was back and this time it is inoperable.

It is a little bit out of date as the NHS doesn't tend to have a WiFi connection in hospital and I can only post when I get home and posts take a while to write.

It is NOT about individuals or the nursing profession. It is about some of the inadequacies in the system and the way the NHS is failing some people.

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Sunday 11 January 2015

It's Guinness Time!

Well, they say that you have to wait for the best things in life, Guinness takes a long time to pour properly and I have learnt many fascinating things either whilst drinking the black stuff or talking about it.  For example, if there are bubbles on the inside of the glass once it has been poured, then the glass is not properly clean!

Right back onto task....apologies for the break in communication.  Some of you will be aware that things have taken a rather unexpected turn of events.  I have met someone.  Her name is Kathleen and she is a widow too, with 2 adorable kids and they all live over just outside of Bristol.

Whilst this isn't completely out of the blue, I must say that it was not something I was looking for however we have really hit it off over the last few months.

The kids met her and her kids for the first time during December and we then spent New Year at their house and have just got back from another trip westward.  Kathleen and her children have been over to the east twice too.  The distance will not be an issue as long as we choose to not make it so.

So now that is completely out in the open, I can now say that we did genuinely have an excellent Christmas break.

It all started off the weekend before with me taking Kathleen and all 5 of the kids on a pilgrimage to the Bluebell and a trip on a Santa Special; this is something very dear to my heart as I used to manage one of the 3 sets of trains running from a on-board hospitality point of view but in the change in family circumstances, this is something I had to give up this year.  Well we all had a lovely day.

Then fast forward to Xmas eve and again back to the Bluebell, this time I volunteered for the full day and on the last train, as per tradition, the kids joined me on the journey.  This time it was my 3 plus my Godson (Thomas) and my future Godson (William - yes, I have been asked to be a Godfather again which I am absolutely thrilled about!) with their parents, Rob & Vicky and my dear Mother.

Christmas day had been planned for a while but I had to fit a visit into Bristol at Kathleen's for a cuppa on the way past.  So it was presents at home, pile the kids into the car, drive to Kathleen's, then down to Barbara & Martins (Ruth's Parents) for Christmas Dinner.  Barbara (and her army of helpers) put on a great spread as always.  It was lovely to see so many people around the table (Me, Isaac, Imogen, Hope, Geraldine (my mum), Barbara, Martin, Jo (Ruth's Sister), Sharon (Ruth's other sister) and Jamie (Sharon's lovely husband).  Boxing day was a busy affair too, with the addition of another 4 (Phil - (Ruth's Brother) and his Wife Rebecca and their kids Alfie and Hattie).

Then, I popped to Bristol for a couple of days, back to Taunton for a couple of days and then took the kids to Bristol for 6 days over new year.

The kids are back at school, Isaac's reading is fabulous, Imogen is learning so fast it is impressive and Hope is starting to show an interest in the potty (at 19 months).  Isaac has really taken a shine to learning and this has been accelerated by using computer based learning software; the main one being called "Mathletics".  I think this software is great and have already told the school that it is great they are integrating learning in this way - they introduced Isaac to it; not me!

What else has happened?  Oh yes!  The School play!!  Isaac was a Snowflake, wearing a handcrafted outfit made by Ruby's Nan (Ruby being Isaac's best friend as School).  Imogen was one of the Mary's (Her class of approx 30 were Josephs, Mary's and Donkeys!).  Both were great and sung well.  Hope likes singing the title song "A Christmas Recipe" too.

So it is 11th January, there are toys everywhere, the house looks like a bomb has hit it and then an earthquake has followed through.  Looks like I will have to tidy up a bit tomorrow.

So to sign off, apologies again for the delay in writing but with so much happening the last 2 months it was more of a case of what to say and what not to say!  Being in a position that I can not say all, I have.

Love to you all and as always, feel free to drop me a message or come round for a coffee (that's something else that's changed; I now drink it black and no (yes, NO) sugar!

Anthony (Tony) "Daddy" Hayllar

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