It's February already... and the final cycle has started!

Brian started his 8th (and final) cycle of Chemo yesterday. 1st March is the final date, but his doctors at the Royal Marsden advised him not to return to work for at least six weeks from finishing the cycle. On Tuesday 1st February we both attended Brian's "Return to Work" interview at M&S, and at the moment it is set as 11th April. He is now about to go onto holiday pay, and will then be eligible for some more Company Sick Pay. That eases the pressure financially for him, and his bosses are happy to be helping him again.

Well, we have been busy this year already. I've been working in the movies, as well as continuing performances of "Madam Butterfly" at the King's Head Theatre, and rehearsals for Julius Caesar in May, and I saw Brent Opera's "Il Trovatore" at the end of last month.

We had Tony's birthday on 17th January and my dad Dave's birthday this past weekend 6th February. Brian came up with a new cooking plan. Everything in one dish. He often makes lasagne and has used the principle of layering in creating his dishes! Veg/sauce/chicken/sauce/veg/sauce/bacon/potato and all topped off with cheese! It's cooked the day before, then heated through on the day. It has been well received!

Together with Nikki from M&S, Brian, Tony and Geoffrey went to visit Alan and Ann Brimble for morning coffee and cakes. A great time was had by all. Other visitors include Fiona, who worked with Brian and Geoffrey at the Royal Festival Hall. They all went to the Coulsdon MS Centre and joined in one of the exercise classes.
Michael Parsons joined M&S at the same time as Brian, and he also has cancer and is attending the Royal Marsden in Sutton. They had a great lunch catching up on news.
And this morning we had a visit from David on Menswear at M&S, too.

Brian's brother Ian is constantly in touch and sent tickets for Brian and myself to go to see the film "The King's Speech" at the cinema. Excellent, with Brian in tears at the end!

EasyJet released their tickets for September and so Brian & I, and Graham have booked for Turkey. Brian is very excited (as am I, as I haven't yet been!) as it feels like life is getting back to normal!

As you know from reading this blog, we've been having massage therapy at the South East Cancer Help Centre in Purley, and we've now persuaded Anna to come to the house. Brian just loves it and finds it so relaxing - we've also been having Reiki treatment at the Centre, and I find that very relaxing too! It's a little more spiritual than the massage, but amazing benefits physically. Brian usually snores through his sessions!!

Last week the Centre had a Jewellery making class - no prizes for guessing who was at the front of the queue!! He came staggering home with a bag of earrings - I don't think Tiffany's has anything to worry about, but it was a good effort!

Finally, on Tuesday this week, a firm came round to fit glass shelves on Geoffrey's back wall of his lounge, so now we can look forward to ridding ourselves of the last few boxes from our house!

Ian xx

Happy New Year... 2011 or 20-11?

I read yesterday in the Evening Standard that David Hockney, the famous artist, has launched a campaign for us to say "Twenty-eleven", as we used to say "Nineteen-Eighty-Nine". Personally, I prefer "Two thousand and...", what do you think?

Anyway, it's time to get on with the blog - and wish a HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone! Christmas was great, just four of us on Christmas Day (Brian, Tony, Geoffrey and myself), and then on 26th Graham joined the four of us. My birthday was on 31st December, and I was 40 years young! There were 9 of us for supper to see in the New Year. It was great to catch up, remember 2010 and look forward to 2011. (2010 will certainly be a year to remember!) We watched the fireworks on t.v. and we all thought they were the best since they started doing them in 2000!

New Year's Day we had "Open House" for friends to pop in, and celebrate New Year (and my birthday). About 25 people turned up, it was great to see friends we hadn't seen for some time, and Brian did a lovely buffet table.

This Saturday (8th Jan), Brian is attending the M&S Christmas Dinner-Dance at the Croydon Park Lane Hotel, which will be a nice opportunity for him to dress up! Tony celebrates his 76th birthday on 17th January, and as it's a Monday, we will have a celebratory lunch on Sunday 16th.

Brian finishes his sixth cycle of chemotherapy on 11th January, and we go back to the Royal Marsden on the 18th to collect cycles 7 and 8, then that is it!! He takes the final pill on the 22nd February. Hooray! Let's hope it will have done it's stuff. He has been fantastic throughout and just got on with it, getting up every day and keeping busy and occupied. There have beenside effects and there are times when he just has to stop and rest, but otherwise it has been difficult to detect any real difference. A positive attitude really can see you through.

Christmas is almost here...

Finally able to post our Christmas blog. Apologies, it has been so hectic these last few weeks with me in rehearsals for OperaUpClose's "Madam Butterfly" (more on that later) and I've also spent the last ten days suffering with a heavy cold, flu and chest infection. (And no, it wasn't just "man-flu"!!)

As I said, it has been very hectic preparing for Christmas, and of course the weather hasn't helped any, either. Snow in the last week of November followed by more snow last week! (Which is still here.)

Pat and Jack were due to arrive the first weekend of December, but because of the snow had to come a week later. This meant an extra busy weekend as our dear friend Eve Barnes also arrived from Wales. All went well though, and I took Brian's parents back home on Monday 13th, popping into mine on the way.

The first photo above is our beloved Anna who has given us massages every week at the Cancer Centre. The next is a rather blurred M&S Christmas lunch, not drunken stupour, but more Brian being overwhelmed by the affection shown by all his colleagues - oh, and he had the camera on the wrong setting, so no surprises there!

Our friend Fiona come over for lunch on Friday 10th, note the hats! Then a couple of snaps from the Dorchester Hotel, where Brian went for Afternoon Tea with the Cancer Centre last Wednesday 15th. Needless to say, he felt quite at home and would love to move there permanently!

My brother Jon, and his two children Amber and David, came to visit us on Saturday 18th, to exchange Christmas presents from themselves and the rest of my family in Colchester. Brian made his first trek into London on Sunday to watch my performance of Sharpless in Puccini's "Madam Butterfly", which is now running at the King's Head, Islington. He was quite surprised to see that "she" is now a "he"!?! (It's been set in Thailand and Butterfly is a Ladyboy!)

We took gifts into M&S for some of the staff who've been visiting Brian and buying "waste" for him on Monday. The final picture is yesterday, when our neighbour Lawrence came over, along with Graham, also to exchange gifts - now all the presents have gone, apart from the ones for us, naturally!

Brian has just finished cycle 5 of 8 of chemo yesterday, now he has a week off to celebrate a quiet Christmas - it will just be Brian, Tony, Geoffrey and myself, then Graham comes on Boxing Day. We look forward to 2011 and hope for extra luck with health. Brian wants a holiday in Turkey, too.

Wishing you all a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR, love to all of you and thank you for your unfailing support!

Ian x

Moving on....

Well, it has been a while!! Sorry, but life has been hectic these past 4/5 weeks. Geoffrey has moved. Three words that sum up so much hard work and planning, but, as they say, the most stressful things in life are moving house/marriage/divorce. Detailing just how much work has gone into moving Geoffrey is BORING, but it is behind us now. Work continues, but it is now under control. I am sure that if you visit Brian, you may get to take a trip to the flat - it's only 7 minutes walk from our house!

My Dad and Shirley came to lunch on the 3rd November. We celebrated Shirley's birthday, (as the photo's show), and it was the first time in 20 years that they haven't celebrated it in the States! It was great to see them and the cake was fun!

Brian joined the other members of the BIG team, (Business Involvement Group @ M&S), for a meal at "Il Ponte" in Croydon. It was his first night out at a restaurant since July. He loved meeting up with his colleagues, but was tired when he got home.

Lots of friends have visited from M&S, the latest being Liz. Fortunately, she loves Christmas, which is just as well because Brian has turned the house into a festive grotto!! You can see Liz and Brian by the tree in our hallway. I am sure that this will be the first of many such poses!!

The chemo goes on, and on the 30th November it will be halfway with the pills. Various side-effects on each set of pills, but nothing that he can't handle, and Brian just gets on with it. We visit the Surgeon's team on Thursday 25th, after which we have a massage at the Cancer Centre in Purley. This is a highlight of Brian's week! (And mine, too!)

Pat and Jack arrive on 2nd December with Peter, Brian's brother; there will be a lunch at the Toby Carvery on Pat's birthday 4th December, and they will stay until 6th December, when I will take them home. I will then drop off Christmas gifts for my family at Dad and Shirley's on my way back.

Brian is looking forward to the M&S Christmas lunch on 7th December, the MS Centre Christmas lunch on 10th December, and Tea at the Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane with the Cancer Centre on 15th December. I have no doubt there will be photos to post after all these events.

As of 16th November, M&S stopped paying Brian, but he still gets Statutory Sick Pay. We did at least finally get a refund from our insurance company for his flights from the cancelled holiday in Turkey in September, but it was a bit of a fight!

I have been busy also with touring in Welsh National Opera's production of Beethoven's "Fidelio", tomorrow and Friday we perform in Southampton. Last week I was in sunny (and it was!) Llandudno, and I stayed in Welshpool with our dear friend Eve Barnes. The week before we were in Birmingham, and Liverpool the week before that, again I stayed with Eve. (The week before that was Geoffrey's move.) On 6th November I took part in a performance of the G&S operetta "Trial by Jury", playing the Counsel for the Plaintiff. It was at St. James', Piccadilly, and was a charity performance to raise money for the Bobby Moore Fund for Bowel Cancer. I am so thrilled that we raised over £1,000 for them, and it was such a fun performance! I'm now busy with rehearsals for "Madame Butterfly", which will open 11th December, so there's little time left, but we're managing to cope.... somehow.

All best wishes,

Ian

A scar heals, as a Star departs...

On Monday 11th, Tony drove Brian over to ASDA to look at the DVD's and CD's. Whilst Brian was relaxing, I rang to tell him that Dame Joan Sutherland had died - we were all fans and felt sad, but delighted that we have every recording, including (thanks to Paul) many live and rare recordings.

From my performance in Cardiff on Friday 8th, I drove back to Geoffrey's flat the following day to help him prepare for the move, and encourage him to sort out his papers. I was there till Monday evening, but we dumped lots of rubbish and sorted through his clothes and cupboards. He is very stressed by all of this, and Brian is stressing for him! One great piece of news is that Geoffrey got his money from the holiday insurance - Brian, as yet, has not!! (As one of our doctors said, "they are arseholes"!)

This Saturday 16th was an important milestone - Geoffrey celebrated his 60th birthday! Notice the hat in the photo! We are going to have a proper celebration once he is settled in the new flat and Brian finishes his chemo. I hope that part of this celebration can be my 40th birthday as 31st December is not an easy date, and Brian will still be on chemo at that stage.

Nicki called in for lunch on Thursday 14th, and Brian and she raised a glass to David (M&S), as it was his birthday.

Brian is enjoying reading the latest section of Paul O'Grady's autobiography (The Devil Rides Out). He can be heard chuckling away to himself, and sometimes reads out snippets. It's nice to hear him laugh. The chemo has been tougher this time. He refuses to dwell on these bad times. It's nothing he can't cope with. He was deeply touched by Nermin and Ali sending their message by photo via Graham. He is very focused on getting away next year, with all this cancer business behind him.

Thinking ahead about his holiday, he is pleased with how well the scars are healing - he's wondering what he'll look like in six months when he is mincing along the beach in a thong or mankini! He's had a few suggestions that he could incorporate the scar as part of a tattoo or piercing, perhaps, or have some sort of decorations around it? Ideas on a postcard, please!

Glitter and be gay?...

Brian says: "How come I get the chemo treatment which causes some patients to put on weight?!?" Yesterday, we went to the Royal Marsden and saw the lovely Dr. Axel, who was delighted with Brian's tolerance of the drugs, and says if you have a positive attitude and follow instructions you can make it! So, today Brian started the second of his eight chemo treatments, 2 weeks on pills, then a week off.

"Strictly Come Dancing" is back on the TV - "HURRAY!" (That's Brian, not ME!) - Bare chested tanned men swinging and twitching their hips, yards of chiffon, glittery sequins... Brian's high temperature and moist moments have nothing to do with his cancer treatment!

Pat, Jack and Peter arrived on Monday, loaded with Iced Tea. They visited Geoffrey's proposed new flat , which was much admired. Please God it completes soon whilst we all retain some sanity! (see photo above)

Tuesday and Brian was cheered up by a visit from Nicki and Carol from M&S, recalling the lunch boxes they saw in Majorca, and believe me, they were not talking sandwiches! They all agreed that it is amazing how much you can get in a thong these days!

David from M&S Menswear called in after work this afternoon, which pleased Brian to connect with another staff member from his department. He is determined to get the treatments done and dusted, so that he can get back to normal life - well, what constitutes Brian's version of normal, that is!

Off to the South East Cancer Health Centre in Purley tomorrow morning for our second massages, which we are very much looking forward to.

Ian x

You keep ringing, but you can't come in!..

Wednesday 22nd September, Chris Sargent arrived with bags of goodies. She had tried to deliver them on the way home from work on 21st, but could not make us hear the doorbell! Brian had the same problem on 23rd, when he went for his walk - unlike Chris, he hammered on the door with his umbrella till I ran downstairs and let him in! Later on Thursday, Georgie arrived looking fabulous - mainly because she was clutching a homemade fish pie - not only that, but in her bag was chicken soup! Brian and Geoffrey tucked in to that on the 24th convinced that they have discovered their very own Nigella!!

Pat and Jack decided to put the family estate on the market, with a view to downsizing. They're really just testing the market - no doubt they will be chatting about this when Brian's brother Peter brings them over on Monday 4th October.

Brian, Geoffrey and Graham were due to fly to Turkey on Tuesday 28th. With his M.S., Geoffrey was unable to travel without Brian, who obviously can't travel while he's on chemotherapy. Instead, we had a brunch at No. 2 to send Graham off on his solo trip. Nikki joined us as we chatted about the 10 days ahead. I then drove Graham to Gatwick Airport. Brian is in email contact with Nermin at the hotel in Dalyan, and will be living the holiday with Graham!

This morning, Brian and I had our first massage sessions at the South East Cancer Health Centre in Purley. It was very relaxing, I have severe tension in my shoulders and legs, which were relieved somewhat. I had the first session at 10.45, and when I came out Brian was being recruited (almost press-ganged) into joining the craft-making table, knitting and making Christmas decorations for their Christmas Fayre!
Brian went in to his session at 11.30, and looked quite spaced out on his return. Although on Wednesday he started his first week off the tablets, the chemotherapy really started to hit him on Monday and Tuesday, (which were his last two days on), and he is a great deal more tired than usual. We will see what the next set of treatment will be like from next Wednesday!

Ian xx