"Drunk on the Blood"

Jac & I at an Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster gig @ The Barfly in Brighton, 25.07.07.



Still don't know exactly what to think about my new health status except that I am 'well happy' and 'well relieved' that I won't be dying a Hep C related death any time soon. Otherwise business as usual...me arm kills me, me ankles kill me, still swallowing mouthfuls of Lovely tablets everyday with plenty of cycling and kayaking and not really a whole lot else besides. Ooh, I did go see a live band on Wednesday and attended another hearing for the public inquiry in Westminster just hours before the gig and I have given a fair bit of blood too (Thursday in fact) in a study that my doctors are carrying out up at the RFH called "Determinants of thrombin generation in Haemophilia: Does this associate with phenotype?". Sounds good eh? I'm not entirely sure what it means either, although I was given some literature to read and did indeed read it, but I still don't really know what it is for except it has something to do with my Factor VIII levels. I know I should probably take more notice of and show more interest in all things blood, especially when it is about my blood, but to be truthful I don't really want to become a doctor or an expert on the red stuff...not even a semi-expert...not even a mild one. I think I will leave all blood related things to the wonderful doctors at the RFH. I didn't even get a tube of Smarties for all the blood that they scoffed!

So, another public inquiry came and went (on Wednesday afternoon) and was dare I say it rather boring. Maybe I missed something, I'm pretty sure I did as I was nodding off to the gentle voice of Professor Ian M Franklin of Transfusion Medicine, University of Glasgow and National Medical & Scientific Director of the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service. The social part of the hearings, where likewise infected people get together before or after and, well, basically socialize...this is the part that I enjoy and look forward to the most. Jac & I met up with Ros and Matt (fellow bleeders and infected...both are clear of Hep C but only Matt & I have HIV) a couple hours before the inquiry and sat in a smoke-free pub (pure bliss:) right under Big Ben in Westminster and spoke about all things HIV, Hep C, Haemophilia, Von Willies, blood, painful joints and how Lovely the fish & chips were that was sat in front of each of us. It was a very short hearing (1hr 30mins) and was held from 2pm. Are they running out of people to invite along? Were the panel busy with more 'important' things in the morning? Who knows? It was Jac's first time there and although it could and has been more interesting she still found it so. But she thinks they are wasting their time & money and the whole thing is pointless. We'll see.

Then came the gig in Brighton, on the same day as the inquiry. The band Jac & I went to see are called "The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster". They're a Brighton band so the crowd were pretty much up for a bit of matchbox mayhem...and matchbox mayhem was what they got too! What a complete bunch of fucking nutters! Look them up on YouTube and see what you think. You will not like them I guarantee it! I however think they are the dogs bollocks! Jac likes them too and knows what they're like but what happened on Wednesday night was pretty mental and an experience to behold. She said she'd never seen anything like it! The place was tiny (The Barfly) and the band and the crowd were only divided by a foot high step, some speakers and a little bit of shoulder height metal fencing to either side of the stage. If I wanted to tug Guy McKnight's (possessed lead singer & according to people that have met him a thoroughly nice chap) snazzy little neck tie I could have. Jac & I were right at the front by the fence and two very big speakers stacked on top of one another. The three support bands that were on before were soon forgotten about and the whole place seemed to move forward nine feet in anticipation of the bands arrival. Guys first dive into the crowd (there was a lot of diving) was to the brilliant track "Mister Mental". He clambered up the floor speakers on the stage and leaped onto the fence where I was standing and whilst bent over up against the low black ceiling of the venue, glitter covered eyes briefly scouring the crowd for someone to land on he dived right into the crowd still singing until he was pushed around on a see of sweaty hands for a few seconds before he disappeared in amongst the crowd! This happened during almost every track, just feet away from Jac & I. Exhilarating stuff indeed! I filmed a tiny bit of the dive I just described...it should be at the bottom of the post with a few more clips.

God knows what was going through Guys mind as he stood there between tracks seemingly unaware of where he was, saliva freely dribbling out of his open mouth, down his shirt and onto the floor. His eyes were wild like a rabid dog and his chin, body & limbs shivered as if half the world's alcoholic population were taking a giant chemical filled piss right onto his grave! His silk neck tie was either beginning to irritate him or he was trying to hang himself with it as he tried to pull the thing off. In the end he settled for the removal of his rather feminine looking shirt after singing for a few minutes with the thing tightly wrapped around his entire head like some sort of mummified psycho.

Although I would Love to have been just three or for people to my right (in the mosh pit) I was quite happy I wasn't too as I didn't have any factor VIII in my blood at all because the study I was involved with the next morning at the RFH meant that I was not to have any F8 for 72hrs before! Next time I will fill myself to the brim with fake blood and just throw myself in;) Ok, maybe I won't...but I want to! Who knows, it might happen as I have already bought tickets to see them again in London on the 7th August at The Scala in King's Cross.

YouTube clips that I made on Wednesday in Brighton;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5ELJfSbm58

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5ELJfSbm58

Below are my bloods from July 4th. I have no idea what they mean or whether they are any good, so if you no maybe you could let me know?

Bloods taken on July 4th, six months after finishing my Hep C treatment;

Hb 16.2
Wbc 4.72
Neutrophils 2.58
Platelets 127
ALT 23
Bilirubin 13

And in case you are interested below are my CD4 count;

CD4 @ 258 on July 4th 07
CD4 @ 154 on 22nd Jan 07
CD4 @ 202 on 2nd Oct 06
CD4 @ 98 on 9th September 03

And here is my weight taken on July 4th also;

Weight 74.1kg


So there you have it. Very happy (if you know what I mean) and very relieved also. The pubs and clubs (strictly for seeing live bands in) are now smoke free and I am (although I have a lot of pain in my joints) as fit as I ever have been. I got my sponsored bike ride coming up in three weeks which I am well looking forward to and it even looks like the weather is going to get better down here in the South of England in the next few weeks too.
See you when I get back from the Shrewsbury Hep C gathering this weekend. I'm staying with me Lovely friend Ros and her Hubby Ade...thanks guys for putting up with me again;)


Jason

P.s. Happy Birthday (28th July) to my wonderful blogger friend Ample. Have a wonderful weekend my dear:)xx







(C) JPT 2007.........2257.76 miles.

"So Very Real" (or is it?)

I Love my Liver...I promise:)



"So Very Real"

So very real and ever so bright,
Or still very much a broken light.
So very real like right & wrong,
Or all too much like the saddest song,
So very real this news of mine,
Or just another day in time,
So very real they told me so,
One baddie down, one baddie to go!



It's good isn't it. Isn't it? But......I just can't seem to find the overwhelming feeling of achievement & success that I should feel. That's not normal is it? Obviously I am very happy that it is still gone and that I can stop worrying about one of my viruses & at least one way that I might have died, but still there is something missing. My Mum said have I celebrated yet? And all I could think of saying was what is there to celebrate? I don't feel any different. Was I that attached to my Hep C that it was part of me and now I have been told that it has gone that I am feeling slightly sad about the loss? My Hep C virus and all my Hep C treatment experiences have definitely left a marks & indentations that will never ever go! I may not have known about my Hep C since I got it 30 odd years ago but I do feel that it has along with my Haemophilia & HIV made me the person I am today. And now it seems that a huge part of myself has been taken away. Of course I wanted rid of it but hey, I can't help the way I feel can I? Just because I'm not jumping up and down like a Space Hopper on a pogo stick doesn't mean that I'm not a very happy bunnie.
I was in a great mood Thursday night kayaking around Ealing pool with my friends, laughing & joking and fucking around etc, but apart from telling Lee on the way there in the car I didn't mention it again. Everyone I have told is over the moon (which isn't many)...except me. Why is that? Has it not properly sunk in yet? Am i different from everyone else in such a way that makes me feel like this?
I know my liver is out of trouble so to speak, but all my OCD's are still there...ever so subtle and hardly noticeable to others. Although I did stick my clothes in locker #200 in the pool instead of finding one that added up to 9 like I always have done before. But that was the only lapse...none since...the others all are still there. Is it too early to realize just what I have achieved and how much it really matters. Especially for a co-infected (HIV) Haemophiliac taking all kinds of drugs to help him stay alive. It might have something to do with the fact that I felt fine health wise before treatment, felt fine health wise on treatment and felt fine health wise since finishing treatment. Or could it be that in some kind of mega perverse way that I have just gotten rid of one of the very few things that I have that was in fact helping me to stay alive? To give me a reason for living perhaps? Could that be something to do with the way I am feeling or is it because it is raining torrentially all over London and I want to go out to the Surrey Hills for a bike ride later? What is the matter with me?
I had so many ideas of what photo to use if my result was bad and what sort of post to write. I had a few photos saved, some over a year old that I was going to use. I really don't think that I have for one moment in the past even thought about what I would write or what sort of photo I would use for my blog if I got good news. I was hoping for a good result obviously, but I was expecting the worst. And when it didn't arrive, I was/am left completely lacking in creativity/emotions. I can only sit at the computer for so long before I begin to think I am wasting my time to come up with something. I started a poem and thought I'd go along with that. But even that was shit and even though I might still try again and change it and start all over, I still feel no creativity at all right now! If there is a poem at the top of this post at least it means that there was something lurking in my poxy head.

I don't suppose this post is quite what you had expected from me? I am disgraced to say that I am feeling quite emotionless about all this. I thought even of just writing the days events unfolding before me up to when I was handed my result and posting that...Going to meet Ross (Deja 'Q') from the forum on at the RFH last Thursday morning and having coffee & hot chocolate (thank you Ross) over some very interesting conversations, then saying goodbye and popping into the RFH in the afternoon to get a claims form for my travel expenses and then finding they had my results there when I thought I'd be getting them in the post and me smiling a little having discovered the good news as I said thank you before going home to get ready for my Thursday night kayak session.

Again, I got my results out of the blue and in a way that I wasn't expecting. Six months ago at the end of my 48wks they said I would receive a letter with my results and then right at the last minute they said I had to come up in person. Talk about confusing an already confused Mr Jason Paul Tolmie.

Maybe it is just too early for me to have taken it all in? Only the next several weeks/posts will shed any light on the importance as to what has just happened to yours truly.

Maybe at the back of my mind I still think I have it...after all, I don't feel too much different as far as I can tell compared to how I was feeling before treatment.

One thing is for sure...I still have HIV & Haemophilia to keep me going;)




Jason

P.s. I am glad that it has gone:)










(C) JPT 2007.........2214.59 miles.

My Kayaking for June 2007...

A very little waterfall somewhere in Surrey;)


Still no test results. Maybe tomorrow morning.

Here's what I did (kayak wise) last month...


Tuesday 5th June 2007 @ 19:05pm, Twick to Tedd Lock & back, 50mins, Orange Peel, warm and quite windy coming back and very choppy too!, sunny and bright, temp 11, wind 8 (it was definitely more than that!)...one tennis ball.

Thursday 7th June 2007 @ 21:00pm, Ealing Pool, Lee, Ian, 1hr 30mins, more rolls (first attempt)...'C to C'...loads in fact. I seem to have found the best roll for me:) Ian bought his little red/orange kayak for Lee to borrow.

Sunday 10th June 2007 @ 21:20pm, Twick to Tedd Lock & back with Naif, 1hr 50mins, dark and warm, lots of midges & bats and a massive dead Bream, I did four C to C rolls right out in the middle at the Radnor Gdns end of Eel Pie Island (my first ever rolls in an actual river too)...all of them were successful...the water wasn't too cold and I could even see the paddle...very murky & eerie though under the water! No monsters which was good;) Temp 19, wind 7...One tennis ball.

Tuesday 12th June 2007 @ 17:08pm, Twick to Tedd, 50mins, temp 23, wind 8...1 tennis ball.

Thursday 14th June 2007 @ 21:00pm, Ealing Pool, Lee, Ian, 1hr 30mins, loads of c to c rolls and mucking around etc, tried using floats to roll...Freddie the Frog then three small floats then two all successfully. Definitely sussed out my rolls now. I lost count the amount that I did one after the other. Plus Lee & I were capsizing without our paddles and waiting for the other to throw the paddle over and then rolling...good stuff:) Ian got his new kayak...Jackson 4 in green.

Friday 15th June 2007 @ 18:30pm, Stepping Stones by Box Hill along the River Mole to the car park near Bocketts Farm Leatherhead, Lee, Ian, 2hrs 30mins, I did two rolls which Lee filmed and there are photos too...see my i-photos for this date, warm & sunny, millions of flies and midges, ducks, Kingfishers, three footballs which I didn't keep and an orange inflatable cushion, scratched the bottom of our boats up good! Oh well! It was a nice paddle and quite tiring too.

Tuesday 19th June 2007 @ 18:00pm, Twickenham to Richmond Lock & back, 1hr 20mins paddling, warm, sunny, cloudy, stormy, wind & rain and even thunder, I got the tides completely wrong and paddled against it to start with thinking it had turned already after the high tide and instead got caught at Richmond Lock with a very strong current coming back to Twick...and then it thundered & rained too, which was quite nice really, but my arm was killing me and I didn't find any tennis balls to boot!

Thursday 21st June 2007 @ 21:00pm, Ealing swimming pool with Lee & Ian and loads of others, 1h 30mins, tonnes of rolls and rolls with just a single swimming float and lots of fucking around to boot including Lee & I capsizing next to each other and swapping paddles under water then rolling. And capsizing without a paddle or float and being thrown a paddle for rolling with. Then capsizing out in the middle of the pool with no paddle and swimming upside down still in your kayak back to the pools side and righting yourself using the ledge;), tried Ian's Jackson Fun out and found it quite hard to roll but his new Werner paddle is the dogs...at £260 it should be! I want one now;)

Monday 25th June 2007 @ 18:10pm, Twick to Tedd Lock and back, 55mins paddling, very choppy in Lock and very fast flowing water from all the rain earlier in the day and the days before, sunny and warmish, temp 16, wind 7, three tennis balls.

Wednesday 27th June 2007 @ 20:45 pm, Pool in the Park Woking, 1hr session of rolls (paddle & float) and braces, completely different set of people from Ealing and just as nice a bunch...if not nicer?

Thursday 28th June 2007 @ 22:20pm, A whole bunch of us found that Ealing pool was closed because of the 'PH' levels being to high? Someone piss in it? So I suggested we go for a bit of a paddle up the Thames at Twickenham and Lee, Ian, James & I went and did a 1hr 40min paddle to Teddington Lock weir & back. I was looking forward to rolling in the pool so I did three in the river instead. And yes it was cold and yes it was ten to midnight and yes I am mad;) It was a nice paddle although the weir was very fast and choppy! Lee & James waited by the Three Anglers pub while Ian & I went to the other side and back. Then we drifted nearly all the way back to Twickenham almost with the flow of the river and had a right old laugh what with james's nail in the nuts story (true!) We could've floated all the way to sea if we wanted:) Temp 15, wind 14. No tennis balls! Bollocks!!


Here are a few more links to Lee & I doing rolls etc...Ian is in the background too.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5ELJfSbm58


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5ELJfSbm58



Jason








(C) JPT 2007.........2097.69 miles.

"Waiting for paper"

County Hall, South Bank, London yesterday.


Silly isn't it! All the way through tx and all the way through the last six months right up until my six month post tx blood test on't July 4th and not a bat of an eyelid as to what the implications may be if the outcome isn't successful. But since my test just one week ago I have been feeling it! I'm no longer in control and I absolutely hate this feeling! I'm not a control freak by any standards but I do like to see where I am going...even if it is nowhere. If I am in a car I will never be comfortable unless I am the driver...It doesn't matter how good the driver is. That's the sort of thing I mean.
The shadows & dark patches have been getting in the way big time on my bike rides! Let me explain...I have this OCD (we all have them) where as I pedal around, when either foot reaches the very bottom of it's stroke (closest to the ground) and there is a shadow there say from a tree or lamp post etc or a dark patch of tarmac or a line or crack or oil stain then I physically have to back pedal and start again until my foot reaches the bottom where it is clear and light etc. I say to my self that I will die if I push past and ignore it. Believe me I have tried to push past it and continue pedaling through such feelings and all that happens is what can only be described as a rather large elastic band twisting up tighter & tighter inside the very center of my whole body making the thought of death & illness magnify where the only way to get rid of it is to back pedal the same amount of times in the opposite direction until it feels free in my mind again. Sound odd? I don't suppose you would necessarily notice if you were to watch me because I am very aware of it when I do and try and make it look as natural as possible. Having said that, I probably look like a right twat;)

Anyway, I used to do it loads years ago for a very long time but it seemed to go away in the last year or so. It is always there but very very infrequent and only in the last week has it come back...since my blood test to be precise. I know it will go away when I get the result (as long as it is good that is) otherwise I'll have to figure out another way of stopping it...it drives me mad sometimes! I just want to pedal normally...maybe everyone does it though? I've never really looked to see. Maybe us cyclists are all mad and none of us are normal...That'd be nice;)

Also, I had a very strange dream this morning where I was waiting for my results to come through the letter box and my Niece Daisy & my Mum were there too. It dropped through the letter box and I held it in my hands thinking how I would react in front of my family if it was bad news and secretly thought that I would not react at all and just say 'Oh well.' And then I opened it and tried to see just from the shape of the paragraphs and positioning of the lettering wether I could tell what kind of news it was. I noticed a drawing and collage type thing, almost child like in design and very colourful. It looked like a multi-coloured bumble-bee with petals for wings and had a great big smile on it's face...I looked over at Daisy and said that it was good and burst into tears. She came over to me and hugged me and her tears fell onto my face and I felt wonderful! I know that when she reads this she will be rather embarrassed by it but hey...that's dreams for ya;) It won't be anything like that in real life I just know it. I'll smile a bit and start to phone people up and tell them the news...if it's good. Otherwise I'll probably just be really moody for a few days and look like a weirdo on my bike for a bit;)

So what else have I been doing? I went to the latest hearing into the Public Inquiry into contaminated blood products yesterday and met up with my good friend Ros the day before as she was down for the early start at Westminster and sat with her and her wonderful Mum & Dad through the whole of the hearing. I was thinking that even if this inquiry doesn't achieve what it set out to do then at least some very good friendships will have been formed because of it:)
An added bonus at yesterdays hearing was the switching of venues right at the last minute to just across the road to the Houses of Parliament. I don't think I have been in there before...maybe with the school when I was a kid but I was probably being naughty and throwing things at the policemen rather than realizing where I actually was. The TV cameras were there again and so were the policemen...I refrained from throwing anything at them this time as they were all holding rather shiny looking Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine guns! As with all the other hearings it was cramped and far too hot but also as with previous hearings the people giving evidence were varied & keen to help as much as they possibly can. Amongst the people in attendance to give evidence yesterday were Lord David Owen and Kelly Duda (whom was sitting next to me) producer of the film "Factor 8; The Arkansas Prison Blood Scandal". I still don't know what to make of the inquiry really as I still feel quite detached from the whole thing from all the years I have basically turned a blind eye to all things like it. I do however find it very interesting and do feel the need to be there for some reason. I'll most certainly be at the next one on the 25th July. I might even take along my friend Jac as she has wanted to come along for a while now. Maybe my Mum too if she feels like it?



Jason


P.s. The photo I took on my little walk over to the Houses of Parliament from Waterloo Station yesterday morning and noticed six full size Stormtroopers standing guard over County Hall and facing directly out over the River Thames where they are holding an exhibition to celebrate 30 years of Star Wars. I went there back in May with my Star Wars friend Anna and didn't even see the Stormtroopers! They must have been on special military maneuvers someplace else in the galaxy;)

P.p.s. Also Chris, I'm so pleased for you dude! You & Heather. I'll be joining you soon...very soon:)







(C) JPT 2007.........2036.79 miles.

My Cycling for June 2007...

Richmond Park June 26th 2007...

So here I am...half way through the year and halfway through my mileage target of 3600 mile too. A nice big ride to start June off with Rough Ride 2007. My new bike 'Elvis' is bloody great and has performed very well. My joints still hurt but what can you do eh? Just get on with it and try not to fall off sounds like a good idea:)


Sunday 3rd June 2007 @ 10:05am, Kington Rough Ride 2007 on Elvis (see Blog), Lee, 6hrs pedaling...ish (7hrs 39mins total), 51.90 miles, av 7.8, max 35.6mph, overcast and warm for most of the ride, rain for an hour at 3pm, light wind and bright most of the day...I don't know what the temp was on the day nor the wind speed. It was a fantastic experience though:) Total 1630.32 miles.........(1246 miles since cateye)

Wednesday 6th June 2007 @ 13:30pm, RPx2, 30.10 miles on Elvis, 2hrs 8mins pedaling, warm & sunny with light wind, av14, max 26mph, temp 18, wind 9. Total 1660.42 miles.........(1276.1 miles since cateye)

Friday 8th June 2007 @ 18:50pm, RPx2, 24.63 miles, Lee, Ian, 1hr 50mins pedaling, very warm and no wind, light then dusk/dark, my right ankle felt sooo weak and very painful!, I got puncture too which Lee very kindly fixed while I texted a freind of mine, av13.3, max 33.9mph, temp 21, wind 4. Total 1685.05 miles.........(1300.07 miles since Cateye)

Saturday 9th June 2007 @ 18:00pm, RP, 21.80 miles, 2hrs 3mins pedaling, very warm & sunny, light wind, av10.5, max 31.2mph, temp 24, wind 5. Total 1706.85 miles...(1322.5 miles since Cateye)

Monday 11th June 2007 @ 21:00pmish, BP figure of eight, 43 mins pedaling, 10.79 miles, very warm, dusk/dark, no wind, millions of flies & midges along river!, av15, max 21.2 mph, temp 9, wind 3. Total 1717.64 miles...(1333.3 miles since Cateye)

Friday 15th June 2007 @ 13:30pm, RP, 18.58 miles, 1hr 24mins pedaling, coolish & windy, rain & sun, av 13.2, max 28.6 mph. Total 1736.22 miles...(1351.9 miles since Cateye)

Saturday 16th June 2007 @ 19:00pm, to Mums & back for take-away & TV with Mum & Daisy, 6.35 miles total, 23 mins pedaling, av 16.4, max 27 mph, light & sunny/dark and cool, light breeze, temp 13, wind 6. Total 1742.57 miles...(1358.3 miles since Cateye)

Sunday 17th June 2007 @ 13:00pm, Holmbury/Leith/Pitch Hills, 26.66 miles (total 32.56...see below), 3hrs pedaling...out for 4hrs, av 9.1, max 31.6 mph, warm & sunny with a bit of cloud and a light wind, see blog for details, temp 17, wind 7. Total (including short ride to Strawberry Hill when I got back home) 1775.13 miles...(1390.8 miles since Cateye)

Wednesday 20th June 2007 @ 13:00pm, RPx2, 25.03 miles, 1hr 50mins pedaling, warm & sunny with quite strong winds, av 13.6, max 31.9 mph, temp 20, wind 13. Total 1800.16 miles...(1415.9 miles since Cateye)

Friday 22nd June 2007 @ 17:45pm, Ian, RP & Wimbledon Common then Putney along the Thames to Richmond past Hammersmith Bridge & Kew Gdns, 35.01 miles, 2hrs 40mins pedaling, warm and sunny with big clouds, medium wind, av 13.1, max 28.7 mph, temp 18, wind 10. Total 1835.17 miles...(1450.9 miles since Cateye)

Sunday 24th June 2007 @ 14:30pm, RPx2 on road then to Lee & Nics new place in Hampton then to BPx1 then along river to Kingston Bridge, over bridge and all the wat via tow-path to Richmond Bridge then back along river to Teddington via Twickenham, 45.3 miles, windy and rainy and quite cool, bit of a long ride today which I hadn't planned but just kept on going thinking it would help me (mentally) if I knew I could do such mileage without really thinking about it. I had me ipod with me and was quite happy for most of it. My right arm was killing me as usual and my legs ached after about 20/25 miles but I kept on going and reckon I could have done another 10 if I had pushed meself...I kind of just switch off and keep going on auto-pilot so to speak. But could I do it two days in a row? I don't rightly know...but I will find out in August that's for sure;) Don't worry peeps...I'll do it;), 3hrs 9mins pedaling, av 14.2, max 32.9 mph, temp 16, wind 11. Total 1880.20 miles...(1495.9 miles since Cateye)

Tuesday 26th June 2007 @ 19:00pm, RPx1, 19.09 miles, 1hr 29 mins pedaling, sunny and coolish, light breeze, av 12.8, max 31.4 mph, temp 15, wind 6. Total 1899.29 miles...(1515.0 miles since Cateye)

Thursday 28th June 2007 @ 13:40pm, RPx2, 25.33 miles, 1hr 59 mins pedaling, sunny & breezy wih some clouds, warm, av 12.7, max 27.9 mph, temp 17, wind 14. Total 1924.62 miles...(1540.3 miles since Cateye)

Friday 29th June 2007 @ 19:00pm, Teddington to Kingston on my own (Lee & Ian were busy), then back to Richmond and once around the park then home, 20.07 miles, 1hr 34 mins pedaling, sunny with medium breeze, av 12.8, max 23.9 mph, temp 18, wind 15. Total 1944.69 miles...(1560.4 miles since Cateye)



Jason







(C) JPT 2007.........2018.36 miles.

"Drawn on the Fourth of July"

There there Jason...



That's it then...all done! It's been six months now since I finished my 48wks Hep C treatment. The blood has been taken and will now be looked at under a giant microscope very soon and no doubt tasted by the Royal Frees finest professional virus tasters and then spat out (obviously) into a giant silver metal bucket in the corner of the room upstairs where they do these kinds of tests. I'd Love to see this bucket. I bet they don't even have to empty it as the hospitals moggy probably gobbles up all the blood as it sets into a Lovely bucket shaped black pudding jelly...MMmmmm!!

As you can tell from the title of this post it was on July 4th that I gave my blood to them at the Royal Free Hospital in London. It was a pretty quick visit and I was quite happy to get out and back on the train with my thoughts.

Debra (Haemophilia Clinical Nurse Specialist) took my blood...about seven or eight vials full in total (I asked for the whole works as I'd like to know what my CD4 count is etc...plus I don't want the cat upstairs to go hungry;) I have known Debra since she first started at the Haemophilia Centre as a trainee in 1991. I've been going to the RFH since 1976! I see em come and I see em go...they all know me up there and some have known me since I was a lickle boy of five. As you can imagine...they absolutely adore me up there;)

I had meself a little circular plaster to cover up the hole that the needle made in my vein...not so much to stop the bleeding as more of something to photograph when I got home for this post. I never go for plasters normally as a minute or so with a bit of cotton wool or in my case a square of (fresh) bogroll pressed on will do the trick.

On the train home I fell asleep listening to my ipod and had this very strange dream where this Swan was swimming away from me and all I wanted to do was to put my arms around the beautiful birds feathered body and fly away if & when she took off into the sunset. I must have been so tired to have dreamed that on public transport! As much as I tried I never did catch the swan and will probably never know if I managed to get hold of her. One day mebbe?

Then that night when I got home I went for a paddle up the Thames all on me tod to wake me up a little and even had my own firework display at 10pm...bloody hell was it loud & long! I couldn't actually see it as I was so low down on the water...just the amazing sound. Was it for the Fourth of July?...or were they all for me? I like to think they were put on speshially for me. I've beat this virus...big time...and somebody already knows so;)

Like I said...all done and dusted & out of my hands now...actually it was my left arm;) No more than a fortnight for the result I was promised by Debra. And it will be in a letter that I will get posted through my letter box...can't wait:) I hope it says either 'Yes' it has gone...or 'No' it hasn't. Simple and in Lovely B&W. We'll see...we'll see.



Jason


P.s. I just reached the 2000 mile mark tonight with my overall mileage since Jan 1st this year. Another 1600 by the end of December to go to reach my target and I'll be laughing...or crying from all the pain in my right elbow!!








(C) JPT 2007.........2000 miles.

"River Tasting Lessons!"

Dry again and breathing just fine yesterday evening:)


MMmmm! Interesting day!

Yesterday Ian & I were supposed to go out for a leisurely paddle down the River Wandle through the south London suburbs that would have eventually spat us out into the River Thames at Wandsworth, but the group Ian & I were to be 'Tagging' along with pulled out at the last minute because of something about the water levels being too high because of all the recent rain blah blah blah! Surely the more water the bleeding better? More fun anyway. Lee was unable to come along as he is very busy with Nic getting their new house ready to move in to. So instead Ian and I went to Hurley Weir which is situated on a very Lovely part of the Thames near Marlow. I had never been there before and was keen to see what it was like. It is supposed to be the best weir for kayaking in the whole of the UK and as we found out when we arrived at 11am Sunday morning there are indeed queues of kayakers in the water right next to the rather large waves that the weir gates produce as they let the river water gush through! Well out of bounds for a novice such as me but fascinating stuff to watch.
We made our way along the river to the weir passing a few kayakers done with the weir and making their way back to their cars in the car park. Although it was bright & warmish the rain was beginning to fall and it was quite windy too.
We found the weir and I realized we were above it and needed to get to the bottom section to check out the faster flowing water where all the action was. Most of the weir is made up from a gentle slope of gushing water falling down a relatively gentle slope of about 10 or 15ft into the lower part of the weir. The main gates that were letting in the majority of the water were about 40ft up near the other side of the weir and on this upper level of the river the entrance into the gates are totally out of bounds! So we looked at the slope of gentle white water that needed to be navigated if we were to experience some of the faster moving water and waited a while for another kayaker to come along and see what he did. When he came along he just slid straight down it and within seconds he was at the lower lever of the weir and paddling off through the very choppy water towards the main gates to join the queue of others and join in the fun. Ian followed next and then I. Perfectly executed and quite exciting too:) Then at the bottom as we were talking about it a combination of choppy water and strong currents caught me and over I went in an instant! I had no goggles, no ear plugs and no nose clip! I had accidentally left all my upper bodily hole plugs at home!! But as soon as I went over all my rolling practice came good and I was up the right way again within a second. I was quite impressed as I was blind and water shot up my nose and made the back of my eyeballs go all fizzy and my ears filled up with water too!
Then we made our way across the lower level of the river and under the weir's main gates and towards the far bank where there were a bunch of fellow kayakers sitting on the bank watching the stunts being performed in the giant waves forming at the bottom of the main gate. All of a sudden we found ourselves in much faster flowing water...much faster than Teddington Lock weir and low & behold...over I went again!! Completely unexpected and with hardly any breath! I tried another roll and my paddle was in the wrong position and the paddle blade cut through the water side on and had no effect whatsoever on my righting myself. So with a slight adjustment with the paddle haft I tried again and failed as the water was so fast. I was almost there but the force of the water just pushed me back over! If I was facing the complete opposite way I would have done it...but thats no excuse I know...I was out of breath and although Ian was there waiting for me to grab hold of his boat I couldn't afford to 'Feel' if he was in the exact right position for me and I knew I had just enough air to pull my splash deck off and make my way to the surface and wait for rescue out of my boat. I couldn't feel the river bed with my feet as it was far too deep and the sound of millions of bubbles rushing by my ears made me feel all too aware of my situation and I was quite happy to bail out. As I came out of the water I was gasping and even swallowed some. Ian was right there and I wished then at that moment that I had felt for his boat and therefore stayed in mine!
Fortunately it all happened right near the bank...far too high to climb up alone and with a boat absolutely full to the brim with river water I was rendered useless until two or three fellow kayakers came running along the bank to yank me and my boat out of the water. Thanks guys! It wasn't as bad as it may sound though as my buoyancy aid kept me afloat wonderfully. I had only bought it the day before. I do need a helmet too. Absolutely everyone else had helmets on and to be honest (& quite rightly too) I felt a little silly! I did order one on Saturday I might add.

So there I was on the bank soaked in river water, the rain by now had stopped and the sun even threatened to come out before the clouds pulled their thin white cloaks over him again. I found a graze on my left elbow and a nick on my left knuckle. I don't even remember getting them! My adrenalin was so high that I could have lost a leg and it wouldn't have registered until I stood up;) My left wrist hurts too this morning and a couple of knuckles on my right foot! It's amazing just what you don't feel when you are faced with a situation such as that! My bike ride later that day probably didn't help matters either!
Ian was still in the water and after I emptied my boat I positioned it on the bank overhanging so I could 'Seal Launch' the 3ft drop back into the river and continue my paddle. Very exciting stuff are seal launches:) As you enter the water the whole of your boat is submerged until you burst out through the water again...splash deck preventing your boat from filling up with the Thames.

An hour and a half more paddling around the nearby islands and watching more of the 'Big boy's' (one of then just 13yrs old) doing some quite amazing things in such dangerous conditions we made our way back to the car. No more rolls and no more capsizes...but the experience will be invaluable for me in future trips to similar weirs. I need to take some courses that's for sure...get a few stars and much more experience. Good stuff. I enjoyed it and although I was gutted that I had to bail out (first time ever) I was however very grateful for the experience.
Actually, thinking back, my capsizes may have been due to me putting in a padded seat cover which I have never used in my little orange boat before and I remember feeling a bit top-heavy and quite high out of the water...this might have contributed to why I went over so easily or it might just have been because I need more experience. I took the thing out just afterwards and I didn't go over again. I'll leave it out to start with next time & see what happens.

I had my camera all the while in the boat and didn't take a single photo! Although I want to remember the days events in my head I don't really want to be reminded by crappy photos! So I didn't get it out. One thing that does stick out from the day was that just after I put in and as I waited for Ian to seal launch in I watched a very beautiful swan gracefully swim up to the side of a boat that was moored on the rivers bank and looked into the cabin to see if the skipper that was sitting there had any food...just at that moment a woman walked by along the tow-path with a giant German Shepherd dog and the powerful, long necked bird hissed at it right between me and the boat. The dog wasn't phased at all. The swan continued to hiss and had an evil eye to go with it! The dog totally ignore the swan as he dodged the puddles on the path so as not to get his big fat furry paws mucky and disappeared. The swan was fine again sniffing for food by the boat. The boat was named 'WILD SWAN". I thought that was cool:)

I took Ian Back home to Richmond and got caught in a little traffic that must have been heading for the new Wembley Stadium to see the Concert for Diana and then I went home and had some factor VIII as my left thumb had also been walloped during yesterday mornings water based activities. Then after an hours nap to let the F8 work I went out for an hours bike ride (15.07 miles) around the tow-path by Hampton Court Palace and watched the sun go down as I pedaled an entire lap of Bushy Park. Then I watched the rest of the Diana concert on telly and saw Ricky Gervaise do his silly dance from "The Office" yet again. You could see he doesn't want to do it anymore but the 90,000 strong audience wanted it. He'll still be doing it whan he's 90 i'm sure;)

Now I wait to see if I get ill from swallowing some of the water...so far so good;)



Jason








(C) JPT 2007.........1959.76 miles