Our Great Days Out Part 2

And so our great days out with the grandkids continue as we headed to Adventure Island on two occasions with the two sets of grandkids....

By the end of each day I was really dragging my feet and shuffling along like an old guy but the laughter, smiles, hugs and kisses of thanks are guaranteed to banish any blues I might have been feeling and I am looking forward to many more days like these....

Adventure Island - Holly and Charlie

We started the day, after breakfast at MacDonalds and a trip to hospital for granddad to give blood pre chemo treatment , with a trip along Southend Pier and at 1.34 miles from shore to end of pier it is the longest 'Pleasure Pier' in the world although I really do think they need to change the description,  Since the 'great fire' of 2005 (there have been many more previous to that) all of the 'Pleasure' parts of the pier were never replaced and while it is still an interesting visit when in Southend it hardly warrants the tile given to it having a cafe and the RNLI station and shop so somewhat of a disappointment to visitors who expect to find something else at the end of their long walk or train ride to the end of it! But, the kids enjoyed the trip anyway and Charlie got another Baseball cap to add to his growing collection but for the life of me I can't remember what Holly purchased......

and then it was off to the theme park known as

Adventure Island 

This isn't terribly big (thankfully for me) but they really have crammed a lot in to the available space and the kids had a great time and so did we watching them.  Grandma Ishbel was finally let loose behind the wheel of the dodgems ands she too had a great time - Holly said Grandma was fine but looking at the photos there is one in particular where I think a 'gesture comment' is being made! Charlie and Holly are 7 and have now just made the cut, size wise to get on the 'big' rides and they were both fearless dashing from one ride to the next and back and forth with Ishbel and I trying to keep up with them. it was knackering but worth it....

Holly: Breakfast at MacDonalds and a few games on
their machines to start the day 

Charlie waiting for his pancakes and maple syrup 

Charlie, just let hope it doesn't Bong!

Holly and a Ferris wheel flower display she liked 

Holly and Grandma with a funny hat 

Waiting on the roller coaster to start 

Stomach churning!

A Gentle Ferris Wheel 

Charlie: you can just see the double
thumbs up!

Charlie looked ill coming out of here
Holly, all smiles! 

OH, Granddad! The queues, The queues!

Ha, watch the hat 

That'll teach Charlie ...

 Finally stopped for a break and they ended up in the arcade on the game machines and we thought we were never going to get Charlie of the Pirates of the Caribbean shoot em up. Eventually though and thankfully for me and the girls, his cred ran out and his final score came up where it showed he came 45th on the table out of 1000.  He better not read the next post on Mollie and Shannon's visit though he might not like Shannons' score!

Mr Fat: Chemotherapy update

Attended Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals and met with the oncologist on Wednesday Dr Olivia Chan, she is such a sweet we thing and I felt so sorry for her!

I had noticed a couple,they were probably in their late 60's and they were quite small but really handsome, the lady was so frail and needed sticks to walk and they had their, I assumed, twin sons with them who looked to be in their 30's. They had gone in before me and when they came out they all looked totally devastated and the poor woman was struggling unsuccessfully to hold back the tears.

It really broke my heart to see this and put my pathetic whining into perspective and as I said,  poor wee Dr Chan who clearly can be the harbinger of both good and bad news has to feel bad when she has to give the latter.  How do they cope day in and day out discussing, treating and then ultimately sometimes saying you are probably going to die...  It makes you think

When I got in I did mention my observations and asked how she was coping and hoped that she was bearing up under it all too, as it must be a real strain for her at times, she is such a nice wee thing.

Anyway, we got round to discussing me and I told her about my fortnight since phase 2 commenced including one or two symptoms I haven't mentioned to you all which were far to disgusting to publish.

The upshot of this was;

a) She thinks I may have been bleeding internally got a telling off for not phoning
b) My oxygen levels may have dropped dramatically, got a telling off for.....
c) Phase 3 of chemo has been suspended and I have to only take the chemo pills up until Friday of this week and then stop

Dr C is going to arrange some scans and possibly another gastroscopy, have a look at all that, and then possibly go ahead in arranging with Broomfield for the surgery to hack out the offending mass

So, all in all, apart from me being a dickhead, again (before wee Mickey @Mr_Hicks_Fans says it) good news I think. As we really need to get this bugger out, the only downside to that is that I have to start the chemo again, but needs must I suppose.

Finally, can I just say, if you know a Doctor and especially an Oncologist and they are your friends, hell even if they are not, and you know they have to regularly give out bad news to patients and their family;

GIVE THEM A HUG, AND SAY THANKS FOR THEIR DEDICATION 

Our Great Days Out Part 1

Although I mentioned in my last Mr Fat post that I had been feeling pretty miserable after the chemo at the start of phase 2, I have had to fight through it on a couple of days, well I didn't need to I suppose,  but it was better that I did, just for massive amounts of  smiles, hugs and kisses I got from all 5 grand kids as we have taken them out for day treats at the start of their school holidays.

Even when at your lowest ebb there is nothing more satisfying or guaranteed to make you feel just that little bit better than a hug a smile or a kiss from one of your kids and your grandkids, even Ishbel has given me a hug even when I didn't want one to try and make me feel better xxxxx

So this is just a few of the photos we have taken on those days out:

Summer fete in Woking Surrey With Jennifer, Ishbel and the girls

Shnnon has a perfect eye in for soaking a teacher!

Mollie and Shannon in a Fire engine with Mark the fireman!

Two of My gorgeous babes!

Mollie isn't as good at throwing, so decides the direct approach will do!

Lacey Mae loves Bubbles 

And the day was completed with a perfect home made family meal by Steve who is turning
out to be not just the perfect dad and partner but cook too, I taught him everything he knows!

Old MacDonald's Farm 

Lacey Mae will not let this duck have the last quac

4 Little frogs 

3 little milk maids

Let me in Mollie 

Look granddad, I can bounce 

the kids on the slide 

They insisted on KFC to end the day 

Old MacDonalds Farm is a great place to take your kids or grandkids if you live in the region, it's located near to Brentwood in Essex.  A totally interactive farm where the kids get to feed most of the animals and pet quite a few of them.  You can't walk more than a few meters without a hand sterilising wash point too so after every feed or petting of one of the many gorgeous animals, no excuses for not washing and keeping away any little bugs that may be lurking.  There are a number of small rides and play experiences too, with reasonably priced cafe and nice clean toilet facilities.  Dad Steve seemed to be particularly enthralled by the exatic birds, according to Jennifer and we do mean the feathered variety, but we promised no pictures ........