Nearly there....

[wadsy]

Re: Re:

Oh good grief, I had forgotten that the Urban Camo look had been embraced by that lot.

I was looking into to defending wearing this stuff, when I stumbled across Visor Down’s “Top 10 Crimes against motorcycle fashion”….. and at number 2: Camo Trousers :facepalm:

“The whole point of camouflage is to merge with the environment and avoid detection from the enemy forces, but this really doesn’t work when worn on a road bike. Camo trousers are really only deemed acceptable by the streetfighter crowd but that doesn’t make it right.”

Oh well, fashion Faux Pas committed. I will say though, that I have been wearing it for years - even to my Niece’s Wedding. If I hadn’t worn something like that to her wedding, and bunged a suit on, she would have said; what the hell is Pip wearing?

Annnnnnyway, I didn’t really finish off the story from yesterday. The blood still didn’t appear from my PICC line even after a blast with the stronger stuff, so they abandoned the idea and used the conventional method to get the test done ready for cycle number 7 on Thursday. I was told to come back the next day (today) to see if the PICC Line was okay after a soak overnight with the same chemical – Sadly not!

The PICC Nurse said that the Line could have become misplaced, but it needed to be sorted out, so they can continue with my treatment. She got on the phone to the relocated Chemo Ward in Bracknell. Next thing I am heading over there on my bike to see the PICC Line (err Technician?) to see if she can sort it out. An X-Ray revealed that it had become twisted back on itself, and was fubar’d.

She said that the body can form fibrous material around the end of the tube, which gets pushed aside when the saline flush is pushed in, but as the syringe is pulled back to drag some blood out, it gets sucked back and blocks the end of the line. If a Nurse pulls back harder on the syringe plunger, it causes a vacuum in the line, and it collapses back on itself :shock: - Oh terrific.

They fed and watered me while they got ready for another PICC Line Insertion, and I signed the consent form. Once they get underway it takes about 45 minutes to insert a new one. They offered to show me the knackered line after they pulled it out, but I declined. So now I have a new one in my left arm. I reckon it’s better that side anyway.

What a palava!....good that it's sorted though.

A big consolation for all that grief is that the Chemo Ward telephoned me, and asked if would be prepared to have my treatment at Newbury WBCH on Fridays instead of Bracknell..... Hoo-fu#king-rah

Yey!...good news.

I think I need a little lie down after all that.

For sure, well earned!

 

[wadsy]

Dynamo 98 by Philip Mock, on Flickr

Pip

Same boots as you're wearing for riding?

I had a pair, served me well, had to have them re-soled after many miles.

 

[al-onestare]

Re: Re:

No need to ask why I remember this

Sorry, but I need to ask???

mkone called me out

 

[Pipmeister]

Same boots as you're wearing for riding?

I had a pair, served me well, had to have them re-soled after many miles.

Yes, we used to buy them from Army Surplus Stores, because they were hard wearing, comfortable and cheap. They were called German Paratrooper Boots, and I seem to recall the going rate was £15 for a pair that had been re-soled.


Okay, after the events of Tuesday & Wednesday and hopefully before we get going on the next cycle today, I had a day off yesterday . I just wanted to take it easy and go for a ride out, so popped up to Wantage in Oxfordshire. There are two fantastic roads that do a loop from Newbury – the B4494 and the A338. They go up and over the Berkshire Downs and cross over the Ridgeway.

So I self-isolated on my motorbike, and took in the views. I didn’t stop in Wantage, but did pull over for a bite to eat and a look at scenery. I saw a good few Road cyclists, mainly couples in their senior years – even a Tandem. The weather was perfect – sunny but not too warm and a light breeze.

Looking East across to West and East Ilsley:

2017 ZX6R B4494 230420 by Philip Mock, on Flickr


Leaving West Berkshire:

2017 ZX6R B4494 230420_2 by Philip Mock, on Flickr


Into Oxfordshire:

2017 ZX6R B4494 230420_6 by Philip Mock, on Flickr

Pip

 

[wadsy]

Re:

 

[Paul R]

nice ride pip

 

[Pipmeister]

Re:

Onwards and upwards:

Chemotherapy cycle number 7 went without a hitch on Friday at my local Community Hospital. There are only 4 places there, but they treated 6 patients in total as two of them were short sessions, so two more came along later. The two Nurses there on the day came down from the RBH King Edward Ward (now relocated to Bracknell) and were doing everything including answering the phone and making the tea. Astonishingly all my Chemo Chemicals and Anti-Side effect medication were all present and correct, brought down by the chap doing the transport – I fully expected something to go awry there :roll: .

For some reason I felt really rough for this one; the nurses could tell something was wrong, and asked it was feeling alright. They decided to slow the infusions down a bit to help. I did manage to walk home, but I should have called for a lift. I was considerably better by Saturday, despite little sleep due to the Steroids, and by Sunday I managed to cut the lawn, although I did pace it out over the entire day!

This morning I was delighted to wake at 5:30am (instead of the normal 3-ish) so I felt refreshed and ready to get going. I had a Video Call with my Macmillan Nurse to discuss the results of my C.T. Scan and the follow up telephone Consultation with my Oncologist, and she wants to do another one in a fortnight.

I checked the forecast and decided to go for a ride on the Kawasaki, but rather surprisingly I got caught in some light rain and then some hail on the M4. That stuff hurts when it hits your knees at 70mph.

It is forecast to be wet for a few days now, so I can do some fettling on the bike in my neighbour’s massive garage where I keep it. I have ordered a Tail Tidy, and a couple of smaller Number Plates. I’ll see if I’ve got enough bottle to fit the less legal version out of the two of them .

Pip

 

[Paul R]

Good to hear things went relativly smoothly.

I hear the rear end thing on newer bikes is something manufactures have to do to meet regulations my uncle told me. He recently got a honda touring bike and quicly changed the back with a tail tidy kit.

 

[Pipmeister]

Re:

Blimey, another fortnight that seems to have come round too fast. Cycle number 8 is all set to go ahead tomorrow as my Blood Count was okay from yesterday’s test. I realise that there are others on this site who are having or have had treatment, and they will probably agree that it is hard to remain positive when you know what is coming.

I did the fettling on the Kawasaki that I mentioned, but wimped out with the Tail Tidy, by fitting the nearly legal number plate, as opposed to the very illegal plate .

Tail Tidy 030520 by Philip Mock, on Flickr


I also ordered and fitted some Tank Pads, which was an absolute ‘mare of a job – far more difficult that applying bike frame Decals :facepalm: .

ZX6R Tank Pad 050520_3 by Philip Mock, on Flickr


Anyway, I made the most of today’s glorious weather and Self-Isolated on my motorbike up on The Ridgeway. There were very few people around, but I did see a couple of riders on Harley motorbikes who proceeded to ride along the Ridgeway :evil: . I reckon that the road signs would indicate that this is not permitted – I thought it was for walkers, horses and bicycles only.

This is looking North.


Ridgeway 070520 by Philip Mock, on Flickr


Pip

 

[mk one]

Beautiful day for it mate. You do know that nearly legal is the same as very illegal

And though they have closed a lot of the ridgeway to motorised vehicals some parts are still open, maybe an open section? if its still marked on maps it needs to have a TRO posted at start for it to be illegal to ride.