More on the Ellen MacArthur Trip

Here are a couple of favourite photos you may have missed if you have not looked through the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust facebook album. I could not resist copying them to add to this post...

It was terrific to give hospitality to Rev. John J Murray and his wife Cynthia last night. They also lost their daughter to a brain tumour when she was 12. His booklet, 'Behind a frowning providence' is an excellent read for people in our situation.
Pads was pleased to come out to the Summer Conference first meeting last night where Jonathan Munday declared plainly that we are sinners and need to be saved sinners, as Rahab the harlot was. Boaz came away saying that his mum was Rahab! The biblical Boaz (the person, not the temple pillar) parents were 'Salmon and Rahab', which must have meant that Salmon was fine about marrying an 'ex-harlot'. There you have a case of the full restoration that any sinner can know through the amazing salvation offered through the Lord Jesus Christ. But even that restoration will pale in the light of the 'eternal weight of glory' soon to engulf us, and which the 'sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us' (Romans 8:18).
In spite of being at the conference last night, Pads still spent ages afterwards writing up his evaluation form from the sailing trip. Here are a couple of quotes:
Most enjoyable parts of the trip? "Getting there and making new friends (and meeting old ones) Driving the boat and beating my record and catching 3 crabs!"
What did you enjoy about the sailing? "I enjoyed just having the wind in my face, and overtaking the Scarlet after leaving an hour behind."
What did you particularly enjoy during the week? "Just getting your hands dirty and doing what was 'normal', and talking to people in the same situation as yourself"
Any comments for staff/volunteers? "It was great to have them there, solely for your pleasure or need, if anybody helped me enjoy my time there it was the helping hand offered in them"
And, finally:

"It was fab to be with people 'in the same boat as you'. I mean, you almost felt; "if these people are going to make it through, I will"

He was fairly blown away with how nice everyone was. We are so grateful to everyone who was involved. We had our hearts in our mouths a bit wondering if it could possibly as good a time as last year. Dan said Pads actually did more this year than last! He's still chuckling over the photos in the facebook album. There's one where two girls are trying to move an 'AfterEight' from their forehead to their mouth without touching it. Involves a lot of facial contortions! Look out CWCampers - you are next! I'm in charge of the 'Mini-Olympics', so, if you have a favourite 'crazy competition', I'd love to hear about it ;)

Sticky

Pads blood results from Friday were fine for another cylcle of chemo. At the clinic they were discussing his mobility and the consultant was telling him he should use a stick or he risked falling and breaking something... which would really put paid to his independence. He's been experimenting with a hiking pole but he finds it difficult to hold it in his left hand, and that's the side that needs to be stabilised. So he's learning how to launch himself around the house between gaps.
Today was Asher's birthday but he wasnt really able to get down to the grand pressie unwrapping, even though he was really excited about the mobile phone he'd helped to choose and buy for his brother. Asher is VERY happy with his new phone. He says it's the best gift he's ever had, with the exception of his Wales rugby shirt.
The picture is of Pads being introduced by Mr Higham to Dr Peter Masters of the Metropolitan Tabernacle, with Rev. Jack Seaton (Inverness) in attendance. This was at the end of our Summer Conference week, Dr Masters just having delivered a lively gospel message from Luke's account of their shipwreck in Acts 27. It is a happy thing to look back on a good week for the Church, with many visitors enjoying solid, challenging Christ-exalting sermons and fellowship. Many of the messages spoke directly into our situation, with the sovereign providence of God a running theme throughout. To quote Mr Seaton, 'when God is not exercising his power, he's exercising his purposes'. As well as both serviced today, Mr Seaton kindly agreed to take this afternoon's doctrine class too, from John 11 and Jesus' deliberate delay before travelling to raise Lazarus from the dead. Amongst other things, he pointed out that Paul, as an apostle, could have 'just healed' Epaphroditus, but he seems to have nursed him back to health through natural means.

Patchy

We were delighted that Pads wanted to visit the seaside yesterday with the youngsters from church. The tide was in at Southerndown's Dunraven Bay so no-one could go far down the beach or get up to much on the rocks anyway... It was warm and sunny - a rare occasion! When a few of us gave up on bathing in favour of a game in the lovely walled gardens, we ran into the young people from Met Tab who'd been worshipping with us on Sunday. They have a house-party in nearby Dinas Powis the same week as our conference. We approached this week with some trepidation about what we'd be able to attend. Now that the 'live video stream' is up and running we can view the whole thing from home. Pads was aiming to get to the evening meetings but had to pull out of Monday night because of a pain spike. Then he surprised us by coming along yesterday morning and staying to help with the CD duplication, as he had last year.
In other news, he's now having 2 fentynal patches (from Saturday) and regular paracetamol.
The photos of the Ellen MacArthur trip have been published on their facebook page. For example, this is one of him with two of the people that made him want to go back and do it again so badly: George and Starr. We're so grateful that he has such warm memories of the time with them. Sadly, there's no room for him to go again this year, but Dan reassured him that the things he liked best about the trip he'd get on the 'Over the Wall Camp' in August.
Finally, in case you hadn't noticed, Asher's been raising money for the Christian Lewis Trust through a sponsored haircut. Last night he was saying he'd like to top £500 on the justgiving page (currently £481), when Ally was playing an answerphone message from the head. They'd counted the money received as a result of a letter about the haircut and a collection at the Year 6 show and it amounts to over £800!

Taking it easy

I'm at home with Pads while the others are out at the morning service of the Summer Conference. He's watching a lovely BBC i-player programme about the wildlife of North Wales with Iolo Williams - we've got a lot to be proud of!
Yesterday it was just too late to post to the blog and, thankfully, there was not a huge amount to say about Pads apart from that he made it to the first meeting of the conference to be held in Cardiff, Pastor David Kay preaching the Gospel. The church, looking great after all the work of last week especially, was quite full downstairs.

Pads is quite well and continues in good spirits. The blood results from Saturday showed that he's neutropenic (0.69 - the cut-off is 1.00 neutrophils) so we're on the lookout for infections and a bit tardy about who sneezes in his company, although he does have a bit of a cold anyway. This morning we've changed his Hickman line dressing - that needs to happen every week-to-ten days. This line is extremely useful, averts the need for many of the blood-system access requirements of his treatment... but, breaking the skin, it also poses significant risk of infection. All clear there at the moment though :-)
We've been giving metaclopramide again to safeguard the nightly tube-feed after he lost a fair bit of it without warning late morning yesterday. Metaclopramide is an anti-emetic which helps to empty the stomach (i.e. downwards).