StoneHenge

Not a blog entry I ever wanted to make and I've no doubt been long forgotten since I've not been on here for a long time. I apologise for that. I've been so busy and I miss boating and to be honest keeping away from it has helped me not yearn for it more so I have not ignored this place on purpose, more for my own reasons. Anyway, I am sorry to report my father died last week. I'm so deeply sad and upset. He suffered for long enough but even so the shock of losing him was so sudden. We didn't expect it when it happened. It was so quick in the end but he's not in pain anymore. No way for a man to die and he was only 60 as well. The funeral is Friday and we are trying to build up for that. We will miss him more than even we know right now. I just wanted to say anyway, I hope you will forgive my absence lately. Angela

Had this a few times with excited boaters eager to get to their next mooring. A crew of very excited young people were trying to be helpful with the locks at the hatton flight year before last, but they were a bit enthusiatic for some. However hiring out boats to people who may have language issues understanding safety rules is not the most clever thing to do really. I would have at least ensured they understood the rules and could read or at least speak well enough to be given instruction. It could have been a lot worse. No-one wants to deny anyone trying boating, so there needs to be better measures in place to protect people.

Hi all, Well, an update from me. Our old boat has been spotted around, so looks like she is being well used and loved. I miss her every day. Still not quite got my head around not having a boat, but have adjusted to land life in a 'have to do this so get on with it' kind of way because otherwise I would get depressed with not being on a boat. Definitely go back to it though. I can only imagine how hot it is aboard the boats at the moment. I would love it. I did drive down the canal the other day to just see who was about, really do miss having her, and miss the cruises and early morning sun rises, watching the ducks and swans and their babies, the coots, the pagans waltzing down the towpath to their meetings, the other boaters the sun sets the nights sat out in the bow with wine. Just don't feel like that in the house. All these fences and people overlooking you, feeling like you can't really talk or enjoy it with all these people so close to you. You never felt like that ont he water, even nose to tail, you still felt like you had the freedom and space because it was so open. I mean, not in a marina or maybe a closed in mooring, but when you are out and about at least you feel like there is nothing but you and fields or nature, I miss that more than anything, the views and peacefulness. I even miss the feeling of isolation, so I know it's in me not to be static for too long. We shall see what comes of life. News on my father. He is due to start radiotherapy next week. Had a special mould made to help him stay still during treatment. It won't cure the cancer but hopefully it will help shrink the tumour enough to be able to not choke all the time as he is now. It's so draining for him. He was 60 last week. He made it. I was so happy he made it. I am hoping he will surprise us for a lot longer too. Work is manic. There have been a lot of redundancies and they haven't finished yet. It's sad seeing people who have worked at our place for so long, some for over 40 years start leaving and it's kind of all for nothing. Bad time to be out of work, but there is no choice. They seem to insist this is the only way to save costs. Not sure who will be left at this rate! I can only hope it picks up soon to give everyone a boost. We need that. Anyway, just to keep everyone updated. I miss it every day but I am definitely going to be back one day!

Thanks. I can see all your points. I just see some items that need a bit of maintenance (find me a boat that doesn't), but it certainly wouldn't stop me moving into it, but then we have loved and cared for the boat and spent a fortune on her, and we have every scrap of paper work to prove it. We can connect the fridge no problem, watt meter we would need a solar panel, ours got stoned by hoodies o0n our warwickshire ring trip last year, but it was added rather than standard equipment.

Hi all, We were made an offer on Sploosh subject to survey. This was carried out about a week ago, and the surveyor reported the results to the buyers which seemed to be a full all over survey not just a hull one. They have responded saying they need a number of items completing before they will proceed with the sale, but to be honest I am at a loss as why these would stop a sale since they are maintenance items rather than intergral problems which would cause issues. Can I get an opinion on whether the issues below in your view should stop a sale of a boat. They are getting her for a very good price, and I am a little shocked that the things they want fixing seem to be the go or no go for the sale. 1) Sealing surfaces on the weed hatch truncking 2) ring of weld or short section of steel tube should be welded to the top of thw weed hatch to help correctly locate the quick release clamp screw 3) Height of rudder plate should be lifted to within 25mm of the underside of the uxter plate 4) two mdf panels on aft doors need to be replaced. 5) DC watt meter does not appear to work (solar panel is not attached to it now) 6) Chain on gas bottle needs removing 7) header tank for central heating system needs to be moved to be more accessible. 8) Fridge should be connected and tested. Well, fridge was disconnected because it was going to be static for a while, so obviously turned off. The watt meter does not have a solar panel so it's not reading anything. The header tank is accessible as it wwas designed that way, and four screws and you are in. These are all classed as maintenance level one work, i.e. maintenance. Nothing at all to report about. It had it's BSC less than six months ago which passed it with flying colours and fully qualified marine engineer who gives it the once over every time we have a service (he is also corgi registered and does electrics). So would this stop you from buying a boat? They said there was more, but they want this fixing before proceeding, and they want to move in in less than two weeks. Feeling a bit deflated ....

Well folks, our lovely bright red sploosh boat has been sold. I am a mixture of sadness and happiness really. It was the marina open day this weekend, and we were worried it would be a wash out. The weather was very wet on Saturday morning and everyone looked a bit down. The marina had asked all the boat owners to come down and basically show off their boats to encourage some boat sales as well as putting on stalls, a little fun fair, food etc. I kept thinking the whole thing would be a bit of a disaster, so after a couple of hours there in the morning, we went home for a bit and had a spot of lunch, then I took the nipper to the country park for a while. The weather perked right up then, and I decided to pop back in on the way home to see what was going on. I walked over to where our boat was and saw that there was someone on it. I didn't want to just barge on and introduce myself, so I was glad i held back and waited around. I saw one of the sales woman on there so it was a good job i didn't go on really. A few minutes later she came off, disappeared into the shop then came back out again. Two seconds later I get a call from his knibbs telling someone had just put an offer in on the boat! I couldn't believe it. It was really odd. I told him I was already here, so as they came off, we closed the deal, and it meant I got to meet the potential new owners too. They were two women and they said they thought she was gorgeous, and it was lovely to meet them. I was kind of happy and sad all at once. Sad because that means no more boat, but happy as we really did need to sell her as we are not in a position to move back on board just yet. So, that done, I left to go home and tell his lordship the news which was cool. It's having its survey done Monday so we are taking her up there Friday before, kind of a last voyage kind of thing before we say goodbye to her. Be a litlte strange, and not sure where the girls will take her, although it looks like they may have a spot in the marina so we may well see a lot more of her for a while yet! I hope so, it would be ncie to see how she is getting on. So that was a weird weekend. Not quite got my head around it yet, but I guess dropping her off to be surveyed will kind of drill that in. I will miss her massively, but it won't be the end, we will get another boat when the kids are a bit older. I will miss it too much not to. Bon voyage Sploosh.

Well folks after 3 long months, my father is dinally home. I can't believe it! He's come through some life saving surgery, several bowel perforations, CDiff, chest infections, going into shock from his own body poisoning him, you name it, he's survived it. It's amazing! The cancer is there obviously, but things are looking more positive than they have in a long time. They really are looking better for him. He is totally reliant on the tube feed into his stomach. This actually (and if you are eating right now you might not want to read on just yet), delivers food just above the upper intestines. This is because no actual food passes through his stomach. The food he gets through the tube is every you need but is how your food would look if you had already digested it. This works well, when the tube does not get blocked! So first day home, mum settles dad in for the night, gets his meal ready (i.e. turns on the tube feed) and its blocked. She can't get it unblocked no matter what she tries, all the tips the doctors gave her fail. So they call the on call doctor who comes out and tries, he fails too. So he said they have to take dad back to hospital because by this time he's missed over 1500 calories of food and he can't miss more than that within 24 hours or back in hospital he will be. So mum takes him to hospital where she then pulls into the drop off zone, gets dad in a wheelchair as he's not strong enough to walk all the way on his own yet, and puts in him the foyer while she parks the car. In the meantime, the consultant who dad is under walks passed and bascially says 'she fed up of you already mate' kind of thing/. Dad is laughing but fed up with being back kind of thing. Anyway, long story short, they are able to unblock his feed rather than take the drastic step of replacing it which would mean surgery and they really don't want o do anything to him not needed when he needs to get stronger. So off home they go, tired and not at all with it! Anyway, up shot is he's OK, mum has loads of syringes for unblocking and all the appointments dad was going to have at the start of the year for treatment can now be reinstated. We never thought we would get to this point, we honestly thought it would be too late, but even the doctors are amazed at his progress and what he has come through, and even though he will never eat again, he is at least home, in his own environment away from the hospital bugs, away from the clinical atmosphere, with his dogs, with his family who can now be with him when they want. It's ace! Boat wise, I am missing it like mad. I thought I was over the worst of it, but I had a really bad moment a couple of days ago where I just so wanted to move back tot he boat, I was missing the water, the feel of the movement, the very atmosphere, seeing the regulars everything. It was quite an emotional moment for me it has to be said. I don't normaly let things like that get to me, but I really wanted to move back. We have had a few people look around the boat who said they loved it, but no firm offers yet. Shame, but tis early yet and I am confident she will sell. There is an open day at the marina at the end of the month, and they ask all the owners to come and basically sell the boat themselves that day to kind of show it off, get it looking really nice, etc, so that could lead to something. But man, I am missing it. I just look out at my back garden and it is just not the same. I drive passed the regular spots almost every week to see who is around. I think I need a boat trip, soon! Apart from that life ticks on, work is so busy there isn't much time for anything else. tomorrow will be my first day off this year. It's madness, but it's good madness. After all it keeps me busy, active and my mind of things like moving back to boats when I know it's not going to happen!

Umm, this exact date isa tough one but it would have been around end of February, last weekend of February I think as we took our boat out for a cruise. As we only navigated from the marina (bridge 17 Ashby) to the winding hole at bridge 22 (near Stoke Golding), it would have been at one of these points. Lots of boats use bridge 22 as a nice stop off as it is really pretty and near a place to park, and also 19, as there is loads of pilings to moor to. It was defnitely blue and the name displayed as in the photograph. Sorry dear, i only just saw this thread, wish I had known sooner. I never forget a boat name you see, so I know the regulars on the canal.

Just to confirm, I did see this boat on the Ashby, but it was a while ago, a few weeks, but by now it could have got quite far, the Coventry goes quite a distance doesn't it. I never forget a name. hope you find it..

Wow, can't believe it has come to this. I was talkng to hubs about the boat going up for sale. We have put so much into making her our home, and now we are going to have to say good bye. Mick said he has come to terms with it so the emotional attachement is not there as it is with me. I feel very numb at the moment, the thought of having to give her up to someone. I feel a deep attachement at the moment, so it willbe something I have to come to terms with and start detaching myself a little. We finished restaning the wood surround ont he cratch cover at the weekend, and most of the touch up aintwork (the splat around the sploosh name) is also now done, so it is just a tiny bit aorund the gas locker now. The interior is sound, and we have a book an inch thick with everything that has ever happened to her. I really hope someone loves her as much as we did. We went out in her for an afternoon last weekend it was gorgeous, I so miss those trips we made to our next stop off, water hole, pump out, they all meant a trip out and peace and enjoying the water. Still, life waits for no-one and moving back to dry land has helped the kids and Mick to settle down and be less hassled and doing less. The kids get to walk to school now and Mick gets 2,000 less things to do in between picking me o rthe kids up, and we have halved the petrol costs, so some things have impoved. Not having the water view is sad though. One of the boat oners said to us, 'gutted mate, wo will be our neighbours this summer now?', as we used to bump into the same folks regularly and it was lovely spending those gorgeous summer evenings in the bow with a bottle of wine. I really will miss those nightss. But I will get through that. I can always go back to it once the kids are older et. Dad is OK ish. He is still fighting to get home. Off all his tubes and stuff now, on a normal ward, but having trouble tolerating a full stomach tube feed at the moment, which is really bad as this is the one thing that will get him home. The cancer is in his blood and quite agressive but he's not in pain yet. He is in total denial about the cancer. He has an infected lymph node according to what he says nothing else, and once it is better he will be fine. Well, quite frankly if he says it, that's what it is as I don't think handling your own demise is the top of anyone's list, and I can't imagine his thoghts right now espeically since he has all day to contemplate the world. I just wish he didn't have to go through it. I don't even want to think about life without my father in the world. It's too much to take in, so it is easier not to. I just hope he gets home so at least he can be with his family when he needs it, all day, until such times comes. Other than that, work is completely mad, there are no hours left over, and people are going left right and centre with all this economic down turn. I had organised a red nose day fancy dress day at work to cheer us all up, but not we have an annoucement of more redundancies no-one feels like celebrating anymore. Not the most cheerful of blog entries I'm afraid ,sorry about that.

Ba happy........

Firstly an update on my father. Having come throgh numerous complicatons including phuemonia, a stomach infection, CDiff, two bowel perforations and having had a trachea tube fitted, he managed to all but come off his oxygen and tolerate complete tube feeding. this meant he was able to come off the intensive list and get moved back to his old spot on the normal ward he was on before all this went so horribly wrong. He has a more independant tube fitted in his throat so he can use one of those gadgets to talk with. He was doing fine until last night. the feeding tube into his stomach and his only means of nourishment became infected and he started to get poorly, so they had to take him down to theatre to take that one out and put a new one in. Unfortunately his oxygen levels plummeted whilst he was under so they had to abandon the op all together. They are going to try again today to see if they can put him under without him going downhill as he needs this tube fed as he cannot be fed any other way unless they go back to the arterial feed which means he would have to go back to ITU which he doesn't want to do. This set back is annoying for him because he wanted to get to the point where mum could bring him home and at least be int he comfort of familiar surroundings, not around strangers, and sickness and hospital bugs! So fingers and toes he comes through this one OK. I am slowly adjusting to this house malarky, although I am missing the boat, and have my fix every weekend as we need to mod a few things before we even think about parting with her. Hubs built the single bed which was a double at one point back into a double as it was the nippers room, but that is all done now and we havea new mattress to replace the one we nicked off the other single bed as they zip together so it makes a double mattress. There are a few litlte toch up bits pf paintwork to go to ensure it is top notch but we need some better weather for that and then it is just the mega clean. Some of it has been done, but there is more to do. I am amazed since we have filled just about every cupboard there is in the house with stuff that it actually all fit into a boat at some point. the water mark on the hull now is about 2 inches higher than before so it shows you how the weight has literally been lifted since we moved off it and took all the bits with us. Sleeping has got slightly easier since I think my brain realised I am not rocking in the night anymore in the water sense anyhoo, so I am not as fidgety as before although not completely used to all this light and stuff quite yet, but at least we are on a reasonbly quiet road which is a god send given I am not into noise particularly. Still, she looks really good,and I will be desperately sorry to lose her since you simply cannot get back all he love effort, sweat and toil you put into making a boat good, and when you think in the last 3 years we have probably spent over 10,000 on her you can appreciate how you just never get that back in real value. I hope when we come to sell her she goes to a good home, with someone who will love her as much as we did. Still, onwards and upwards eh!!

Sorry to hear of the rocky start. Put it this way, now you have got all the main bad luck things out fo the way, you should be inf or some good luck. I sincerely hope it comes your way. And moving in in winer will certainly make the summer all the more special for you when you no longer have to worry about that heating issue!! Good luck.

Well, first an update on dad. After a few days in hospital on a peg feed he perked p. When I saw him he was sitting up, talking with a hoarse voice and a little bit more cheerful than he had been. However a couple of days later he suddenly went down hill and his heart, kidneys and lungs started shutting down. His body went into shock and they had to ventilate him, and he also got pneumonia to add to his ills. They found his bowel was completely blocked so all the food was just sitting there and his kidneys were processing nothing so he was effectively poisoning himself. So we had a frantic phone call to say they were taking him into theatre to try and remove the blockage and they were either going to be able to repair it, or take part of his bowel away and put him onto a colostomy bag. However because he was so ill, they waned us he might not survive the op. That has got to be the longest four hours of my life sitting there in the ITU waiting room looking at every darn person walking past willing the bed to get wheeled back. It was, and he survived it. He was very poorly but they managed to clear the blockage and save his bowel which also had a hole in it. So now they had to feed him IV with glucose because he needed to rest his kidneys and bowel. He was kept under sedation so his lungs could be ventilated to give them chance to recover and so that is how he stayed for 6 days. They tried to take him off sedation but he couldn';t breathe on his own. Then he started making some effort, but then it got worse, and so bad in facgt that yesterday they had to give him a tube into his throat (trachiectomy SP?). So now he is off sedation but breathing through his throat which is amazing given the extent of the cancer, and he can't talk. I've not seen him yet, will go up a the weekend. In between all tha and getting less than a few hours every night due to a sick son who keep us up till all hours, we had this little thing called moving home too. So Saturday we raided ikea like a snail on speed. It was good we had the in laws with us to lugg all the trolleys and flat packed delights around the 25 million floors they make you trapse through before you get to escape and leave with a lot less money than you came with. However havng said that, we got 2 very nice chea and cheerful sofas (with changeable and washable covers darling) and 3 beds, plus tv cabinet thingy for less than 700 so not bad all in. Then we had to build them but they were really easy so good to take apart agian if we needed to move house. Then we ordered the washing machine, cooker which has just been fitted now, and we have a hoover of all things which I haven't needed in 3 years and a kettle, an electric thing We could have a whistle one actually iven that we have a gas cooker (no choice there!). So now its moving boxes of things and seeing what happens. It is odd, but we have yet to spend the night yet. Mainly because our bed which had boxes 1-3 to get plus mattress and slats is missing the mid beam it didn't tell you that you needed so we need to get that. Aim is for the weekend. How on earth do people do this in one day!!!! I can' cope with the week we are taking. I am going to need some serious boat therapy to get over the shock I think!! I'll keep you posted on my sanity and hope depsite being a land dweller gain soon, I can still frequent this lovely place.

Well, after my report of good news, now I get the bad. Dad is getting worse. Last news was it was hopeful, not he has lost too much weight and hasn't eaten since Christmas. He got taken in yesterday because they feared another day with no food and water would mean they would have found him dead. So in he went. The idea was that if he got to bad and was not able to eat well, he could go and have a stent fitted which meant he could eat better, but what should have taken an hour in the op theatre took over 5 and failed. The cancer is further up in his throat than they first thought, and the stent won't go in and if they tried higher up he would just gag and spit it out, so they can't give him one. this means he has to be peg fed which is his only option with fluids as well. They need to get him stronger to try chemo. This is his only option now and they are not evne sure they want to put him throguh it. I am going to see him tomorrow. My sister and mum are with him every day. I don't live as near and with work and kids etc it is not as easy. No excuse I know, but it is a long story to explain the in's and out's of our relationship. time I don't have right now. Let's just say, the way my mum put it was that I should see him now, it is important. I don't even want to comtemplate the meaning of this. I said to my sister 'how does he look' she said 'like crypt keeper bad'. She said that wasn't the worst though, it was the fact that he is so down and snapping and moody and it is difficult for them to deal with when the one person they love and trying to help is firing back at them. What can you do? Not sure if I am ready to see that. I've been there before with my grandfather and was too young then to really appreciate just how bad that was, but now, now this is a lot closer to home. I am in limbo, I feel bad for not being there every day, and yet, part of me doesn't want to see someone disappear in front of me either. Anyway, we can only hope now, it is all we have left. I am hoping now he is in hospital he will perk up, but time will tell. It's been a strange start to 2009.

Hello all, Well, first things first. My father's test results came back and so far only one lymph node has been affected. this is good news, and hopefully the chemo and radiotherapy will kill it off and be done. We can be more hopeful as they caught it so early without it spreading. The other news is we are moving back to dry land. I know, it is a hell of shock to me too, all of us actually, but we have a mission to get our son into the school we want. We ar enot snobs neither are we being a pain here, but big sis already goes there and the problem is titch goes to the preschool attached to the main school, and yet with all these associations they still think we should not get a place just because our postal address happens to be out of the catchment area, despite us telling them we are boaty people. The place has got popular you see. They have been developing housing round there the last few years and this has meant more and more catchment houses plus the ofsted report was outstanding which means people are flocking there to get places so catchment places are at a premium. So, it means we need an address in the catchment. Now, I don't do borrowing addresses, and the I need to ive poor hubby a rest from all these backwards and forwards, so we are renting. We are not daft enough to buy. Nothing to do with economy and everything to do with getting crap neighbours again. I am so not wanting to see crap neighbours so we have gone out of our way to get a house that is detached and int he catchment. We are going to keep hold of the boat for as long as we feel necessary. I am sad really because I am going to need a massive adjustment period from seeing the same view every day and not being able to move our home, from not having the water there, the feel, the look, the wildlife, the ducks waking me at 3am pecking the sides. The darkness, the quiet and sheer environment. Back to a road, street lights and all the things I didn't miss not once from moving to a boat. I am going to miss the community and a hell of a lot more I could ever put into words, so the only thing I can do or we can do is wean ourselves off gradually and see where we go. Worst case, we can't do the house thing, we move back to the boat, take our chances and hope for the best. Best case, we settle in better than we thought and then consider selling our pride and joy. She passed her BSC with flying colours. The chap even said it was one of nicest boats he had seen for a live aboard (whatever that means). either way, no amount of money would ever pay back to love and attention that has gone into the work we have put into her. She has been our home for almost 3 years and I will miss every second. I will be spending every weekend coming down to see her and getting my fix. We may decide not to sell, but if we do, it will be a sad day to see her go, but hopefully to someone who will love and appreciate her as much as we have. So that's the news, a bit of a shock. And now we have to furnish a house again after getting shot of all the stuff. Actually its not as bad as it seems. We did ask rellies to keep some for us so we are not completely out, just the beds, sofa, fridge, cooker, washing machine, you know, the little things!!! Still, it should be an adventure, maybe a good one, maybe a strange one, maybe a sad one, but we might enjoy it. the one thing is for sure we have learned a lot about life. I know for a fact we won't take for granted the stuff we did before like lights at the flick of a switch, heating on demand, water in constant supply, having the TV on all night. We just don't do stuff like that now because we have to generate our own power, get our own water, and deal with our own waste. Having some of those comforts back will be nice, but we certainly won't take it for granted. I'll miss the sound of the water pump coming on though. Still, I will still get my fix until we decide to sell and if we do, there are always hire boats, and friends and friends with boats who might let me get my fix.

I like to see the boats coming through, the sound is amazing! However, the only complaint I had was one hire boat who was going much too fast, and the ice was not thickk enough to warrant the speed. More so because the poor ducks were having to dart out of the way, but that is probably more inexperience than anything. Otherwise I don't see the big problem. The ducks appreciate someone giving them a water hole anyway!

I've only had flu once, and I was unable to function for 3 weeks. I think I went to the loo about once a day if lucky and that was by crawling or being carried as I couldn't walk. I didn't eat, and I barely drank, I soaked my sheets every night with sweat from the fever and I didn't move for over a week from bed. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, it was horrible and I never want it again. I hope I never get in on board, as hubby would not be impressed!!

We have a 3 foot tree up the corner, and tinsel around every curtain, mask, shelf and it looks very much like santa's grotto, but the kids love it!! We have a tinsel ball thing hanging from the ceiling too. Nothing outside though, our solar lights from last year have broken.

3 years ago my father was diagnosed with cancer of the gullet. It started with him having trouble eating and swalloing, so because he had years of stomach ulcer battles, we thought it was something to do with that. They can rupture, it hurts, it causes issues. So being the helpful nagging women that we are, my mum, sister and I all nagged dad to go get it checked out. We expected them to tell him off for eating too much spicy food or to cut back on snacks etc. What they told us he had a tumour blocking 3/4 of his throat. I was expecting my son at the time, and being a total body of hormones wept like a baby. However, they gave us the options. He could have chemo, have a year, slip away. OR, have an operation with which the injuries sustained would be not dissimilar to those you would get if you had a 60mph car crash. Due to where the tumour was it was in the most difficult place behind the heart and in front of the spine in the gullet. He almost didn't want the op. But he did. The operation took 9 hours. My son was about 3 months old at this time, and I was stressed with worry. I am not particularly close to my parents, long story, won't bore you with it, but I was worried sick for my dad. When he came out of the op alive, I wept like a baby again. I couldn't however go and see him. I'd got a chest infection and that was a no no. So it was well over a week later and when he was home I saw him. He had chemo before the op to shrink the tumour and so he could eat etc, and eventually over time he got better. Because of the length of food pipe they had to take away he lost his reflux valve in his throat and his stomach had to move up into his chest cavity and be made smaller, so he could only eat little and often coudln't lie flat as there was now nothign stopping food coming straight back up into his throat. But you learn to live with things don't you. He did and was back at work, getting stronger. It was only about 6 months ago he had his last set of checks which gave him the all clear and the doc didn;t want to see him for a year. He was officially free for 3 years. I know the golden rules is five, but we were hoping. So when he got a really nasty sore throat and lost a good portion of his voice, he went to get it checked out. they said his had vocal chord paresis, which meant one of his chords was completely paraylsed. This made him hoarse and he had trouble swallowing. so they did some tests and we were expecting it to be just the throat thing, have some surgery to perhaps release the chord or even just let it recover on its own. So when I was sitting at work on Friday and my mum called, I knew it wasn't good. She said those words to me. 'They are 99.9% sure his cancer is back'. I just could not believe it. Like I said, I have had plenty of issues with my parents over the years. I would never claim to be daughter of the year and would never claim we are really close, but I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy, ever. this time though, no op will work. Its a lymph node, so only chemo and radiotheraoy can be used and last resort a stent to help open his throat so he can eat better. For now, it's lots of little and often meals, as unhealthy as it gets as he is losing weight and he needs to not lose anymore to help fight this thing. We can only but hope this chemo and radiotherapy put him back into remission. So if you have a little time sometime, can you just send a little healing vibe my dad's way please. This is not the Christmas we wanted, and the New Year will bring battles for him. Not much else to say really, even this hasn't quite sunk in yet. Thanks for reading.