It was in 1996 that my darling Ann, ever watchful for bargains, noticed a full private medical promoted by Barclay Card. Although we were both fairly healthy, neither of us smoked and I took regular exercise, whilst Ann was slightly restricted because of her hip replacements.
So we duly attended a private clinic for our medicals. Ironically I saw a doctor from my own practice who spent more than the usual allotted time with me. I was diagnosed with a smooth but enlarged prostate gland. Ann checked out OK.
There followed a period when my PSA (a test of the Prostate Specific Antigen) was regularly checked, however it was not until 2001 that Prostate Cancer had developed and treatment started. I well remember attending a rather large packed waiting room at the General Hospital in Newcastle and realised that all of the people there had cancer of some sort.
My 37 doses of radio therapy ended on my birthday 8th May 2002, and I wore Union Jack underpants to celebrate the occasion. Whilst attending for so many treatments, I got to know the brilliant staff and fellow sufferers. Thankfully my treatment was successful and I still see my consultant at regular intervals and have done for nineteen years.
I was 67 years old when my treatment ended and was ever so grateful for the expert treatment I received and I wanted to do something in return.
To raise awareness of Prostate Cancer and to raise funds for Cancer Research UK, I trained for a walk along the Hadrian's Wall Path to celebrate my successful treatment and my 70th birthday. I planned the walk well and did it in Six Stages as recommended by a booklet I purchased. I had gaps in between stages and even selected fine weather for each stage.
I did the walk east to west and was supported all the way by my darling Ann. She dropped me off at the start point for each day, followed my progress, with frequent meet ups for refreshments and at the end of each walk drove me home to recuperate. What a star!
I took still photos of the walk and a video of the whole walk which I edited and captioned. I collected sponsorship for my walk and raised £1144 for Cancer Research UK. There followed many years when I had regular checks at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, with Ann in always in attendance.
Fast forward several years and in July 2018 my darling Ann was diagnosed with Oesophageal Cancer. Ann was treated with radiotherapy and there followed some periods in hospital and eventually she was allowed home. I found it so difficult to accept the fact that my darling wife was dying. However, after a long period of suffering my love died on my birthday on 8 May 2019, with me, Alison and Ross by her side.
It is now two years since my love passed away. Recently throughout May, I felt the need to raise funds for a friend of my son’s, Lou Gardner, a very talented artist, illustrator and communicator. I decided to dedicate my morning walks to the memory of Lou and raised over £1,000 for the charity MIND, in the process.
I really enjoyed my morning walks and had the idea of repeating my Hadrian's Wall Path Walk of 84 miles. I'm now 86 years old and I could no longer tackle the difficult terrain of the real route. So I came up with the idea of walking the 84 miles gradually, step by step, on my morning walk at Tyne Riverside Country Park. As I walk one mile a day this means in 84 days I will have completed the equivalent of the Hadrian’s Wall Path.
I have registered my walk with Cancer Research and obtained their fund raising pack and T shirt and am currently collecting sponsorship. To date I have completed sixteen walks and converting my steps into miles I have reached my first stage at Heddon-on-the-Wall. More blogs will follow.
My son Ross has ably assisted me with publicising both my Walk for Lou and my current walk which I dedicate to my darling wife Ann and Ross’s sister in law, Ima, who died in Spain in 2020.
Many thanks to all who sponsor me.
You can find a link to my sponsorship page here.
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