I mention the big F in my column and she drops off her perch...spooky stuff.So, we are now on the final cycle of 4 weeks. Cant believe we have come so far, it feels like only yesterday when the bottom dropped out of my world. Now an old hand giving a helping hand to the newbies. Simply frightening how quickly that has happened. One lady of 20 was in a tearful state about her 'line' being blocked and having to have it changed to the other arm, and my child sits down next to her and explains how
Wednesday night's practice was run in near-perfect conditions but featured a bumper number of incidents, one of which proved fatal. A total of 13 riders suffered falls, with an injury to a marshal at Ballacraine also reported. Thankfully she is o.k. and will be fit to continue duties tonight. Spilt oil caused Stuart Noon to fall at Quarterbridge, but he is likely to be discharged from hospital later today. Of the other incidents, TT sidecar driver Glyn Jones fell off at the Mountain Box with no
Below is a brief summary of Monday's practice times. Most riders improved on their speeds from Saturday, with the fastest lap of the meeting so far now standing at over 117mph. Tuesday's practice was lost to the weather despite the roads being shut for over an hour.Monday's Times - Senior top 61. (4) Alan Jackson 117.5672. (7) Ian Pattinson 115.5983. (10) Seamus Greene 115.2604. (25) Johnny Bradshaw 114.5015. (1) Kenneth McCrea 1
The Practice times for last night (Saturday) have now been released:Senior Name Machine Lap Time Lap Speed1. (10) Seamus Greene 750 Suzuki 20m 28. 46s 110. 568 mph2. (29) Karl Moss 750 Suzuki 20.47.67 108.8653. (16) Philip McGurk 750 Suzuki 20m 50. 24s 108.6424. (77) Glyn Jones 1000 M. Guzzi 21m 08. 71s 10
The 2005 MGP kicked off last night with the first practice night. Unfortunately, and typically, things didn't start too well as the bikes were delayed for over an hour before eventually leaving the Grandstand 65 mins late, at 7.20.Firstly, a grain truck had spilled most of its load near to the Wildlife Park, and then a house fire in Kirk Michael delayed proceedings even further due to its proximity to the course. When it eventually Ballagarey corner in Geln Vine. The fire was only accessible by
Bored rigid so read almost every page of today's Examiner. I read Fenella in the same way one pokes a sore tooth...twisted sort of pleasure in seeing if the bad bits are still as bad! Anyway, she made a comment about a friend noticing how many people are going for treatment for cancer and it was explained away that perhaps because we live in such a small community we actually know - or know of - people who are going for treatment. If you lived in the UK the chances are that you wouldn't know
How sad am I? Cant even bring myself to read the thread on 'cure for cancer' on these very forums. I know too much, you see. A violent unthinking, unreasoning rage is within me, close to the surface, bubbling away unseen like a hideous jurassic carnivore who hasn't had any dinner - sort of like the Sweeney! So I dont look. I promised myself I'd never sucumb to extremes of emotion, believing that it would only damage me in the end - but I can put up with a bit of crumbling at the corners these
death, that is. So so sad and poignant. Same ward for a time as well. I honestly dont know how a person could cope emotionally working in this line. How does your soul cope when your patients die all the time? And yet, here they are smiling as if you are the patient they've specially come to work today to see. How do they do it? Of course it's a calling - but from whom?Here's a statistic - 6 teenagers a DAY find out they've got cancer. So when you're feeling life has kicked you in the teeth
And what has this experience taught me so far? That you know who your real friends are in adversity. But that comparative and complete strangers can surprise and delight you with their good will and generosity. What the word 'aquaintance' really means. That some people run for the hills when emotions are involved, and we have also learned that there is no shame for them in that. We have learned about tolerance and about keeping your face as straight as a poker player in Vegas when circumsta
Well we had a setback - probably the first of many over the coming months - and no chemo because the line had a clot in it. In the awful position of having to wait for a porter to push the wheelchair back up to the ward where they are waiting to take it out...and wait... and wait - til finally a doctor came down to see what had happened. Sat in a bizarre wheelchair queue of people at least 30 years older, burping, farting and coughing and sneezing - I placed myself between them and my precious c
Somehow, if I had seen a vision of my child with head shaved - I would have believed it some kind of initiation to join some hippy boho commune or something. Or a religious order. Or something.Not cancer. you just dont see that on the 'medium' shows do you....yes..i can see you with your head shaved..and yessss...you have cancer...and it's life threatening...clapping from the studio audience......keep hearing the peter cook and dudley moore skit from 'derek and clive live' where every person th
Danny Feeney died. Same hospital, same ward, next door but one room. We owe a great debt to him and Graham; helping us unselfishly even when they were undergoing much much worse than us. Smiling and joking and taking the mickey, telling us not to be afraid, even telling the professor bloke in charge to look after us properly or else. Sending us get well cards and a teddy to hug.We didn't go this week because of a low blood count - too low for a dose of chemo - isn't that a contradiction in term
Some of the discussion in the thread about the London bombings last Thursday is getting a bit heated.Sadly, Survivor knows someone who may have lost their life in this tragedy.So, I've started a In Memorium thread
Dear Diary,Oh what a day it's been in the land of Manxforums. It seems high drama is afoot as Survivor tells us she's leaving this fair Isle. I worry that it will break Stav's heart. Not half as much as I worry about Stav stalking me.You learn some interesting things on forums. This week I've learned that some Germans do have a sense of humour. Glad I was sitting down when I read that one.
I'm thinking of getting a t-shirt that says 'Stanford V saved my life' to be handed out when the course is over and successful (derrrr!) Thats the chemo stuff - 12 weeks of it. I already bought the wristbands from the teenage cancer trust website. saddo!Ordered a wig today amid much black humour of the benny hill kind with wigs flying off in the wind, on the end of fishing lines or dogs chasing after it if it comes off...not to mention that sometimes ALL your hair drops off - nudge nudge wink
So we sat, witnesses for the victim, injections and tablets and finally, watching as the drip did its hateful/wonderful job, red as blood and stinking like nail varnish remover...waiting for nausea and vile sickness or worse... and waited, and waited some more... it didn't happen, and even though the nurses had 'I told you so' writ large upon their foreheads, we said nothing and slid out for a pint whilst the patient watched eastenders...!Chemo works by killing off rapidly reproducing cells at t
Someone I have had a bit of a rift with sent me an email today offering help of a major kind. Simply stunned. Simply simply stunned. Between you me and the gatepost - I have been trying complementary vits and other good stuff - and something said by the medical bods makes me think - could it be working? They are professional people and dont make mistakes about the size of tumours, so how come the size has gone down in the 2 weeks since I started giving the 'extras'? I'm grasping at straws of
Gave myself minus marks out of nothing today for wanting to run and hide in the deepest darkest hole and let someone else deal with the responsibility that comes with parenthood. Then I thought, I'm only watching this - how terrible is that when I even consider not being there? The shame was like a bucket of ice water and I found a bit of reserves left, took a deep breath and did it. Horrendous is not even close to the experience.There were at least 3 other Manxies there today - some much muc
Someone left a message to say we'd missed an appointment at a hospital across today. It might help cut down on the 'no shows' if they let the patient know in advance, dont you think? Or am I way out on a limb here with those kind of radical suggestions? So professional, makes you feel positively rosy with confidence doesn't it? My inner self is demanding we 'go private' immediately.Cannot describe my feelings without reverting to anglo-saxon.
Wigs - what's that all about then?! Oh, I've seen some belters. Danny La Rue would be positively spinning. That shows my age. Bet you dont know how they keep em on. It's a sick world out there, let me tell you that for nothing!Someone sent bunches of flowers round and I wanted to scream and scream till I made myself sick - anger management courses could be good i'm thinking!Someone else sent round such a maudlin card, we hid it. Not dead yet for heavens sake. Hysterically funny if it wasn't r
looks like I'm going to get to know them well. Back up to speed now, apologies for the wallowing in self-pity. I'm feeling much more positive having seen the specialist, have some direction now and a known enemy to fight.Doing alot of research, thank you internettyweb
Unfortunately I couldn't be at either the Superstock or Supersport Junior races today, so rather than just cheat and copy a report straight off another site, I'll give you a couple of URLs so you can have a look yourselves. See below.Race Results - TT Superstock1st - (3) Bruce Anstey [TAS Suzuki] 54:39.74, 2nd – (6) Ian Lougher [Honda] 55:15.73 3rd – (1) Ryan Farquhar [Kawasaki] 55:16.82Race Results - TT Supersport Junior1. (6) Ian Lougher (Team DMRR Honda Racing) 1:14:52.84 2. (10) John McGuinn
