Upcoming Royal Albert Hall Experience

It doesn't feel like long ago at all, that last year I was getting ready to spend a day at the Royal Albert Hall, watching some live music and even getting an opportunity to create my own! It was such an absolutely incredible experience that I leapt at the chance to return this year and watch one of my favourite singers of all time, Paolo Nutini!

On Wednesday, the Teenage Cancer Trust have organised to take the patients from the South West of England, Bristol to Cornwall, to the Royal Albert Hall in London. If last year was anything to go by, it will be unforgettable and is, in my opinion, the best event that the Teenage Cancer Trust fund and support. 

After the concert, we shall stay overnight in a nearby hotel and then head back home the next day! Last year, I was still minus a fair bit of my hair and very weak so I don't think I could fully appreciate the packed schedule as I was so exhausted. However, this year, I'm fighting fit and really can't wait for the evening performance - it should be fantastic!

A final side note before I finish tonight - as I mentioned in my blog a couple of weeks ago, I have been given the all clear to go Scuba Diving off Lundy Island in June and so on Saturday I had my first diving experience (admittedly only in a local swimming pool) since being diagnosed. Considering I had been told that all diving would be pretty much impossible, potentially for the rest of my life, it felt incredible to get back into the "swim" of things...sorry...

Really Short Update

Apologies for the lateness of the blog tonight, I've been swamped with work as it's crunch time at school leading up to exams. However, just a quick update on my physical condition, steroids last week was as lovely as ever but I've recovered completely now, taste buds and all! I've been feeling fairly tired over the last couple of weeks but I'm happy and enjoying school.

Last weeks B team football match was a huge success in the sense that I managed to complete the game, even if the score (a defeat of 4-0) didn't exactly reflect our efforts! The best part of the whole experience was the amazing feeling I got from being part of a team again and it has made me even more determined to say "yes" to every single opportunity. Every obstacle that I can overcome, however big or small, just adds to my belief that cancer can't and won't dictate my life, even if that belief stems from something as simple as participating in a B team football match!

"They Think It's All Over"... Think Again

This last week has been full of highs for me! My high dosage of chemotherapy has definitely been tiring me out, but luckily I've had some other highs too that have been given me a real boost of confidence.

At the start of last week I received an email, inquiring whether I would still be participating in a Scuba Diving weekend in June that I signed up to last year. At the time of signing up, my doctors were very hesitant to make any permanent plans for the future. So I called up my team of doctors and was astonished to be told that if my condition did not deteriorate, I would be allowed to dive! The trip is to Lundy Island where I will get a chance to dive with seals. I haven't managed to Scuba Dive since treatment began and I was told that being diagnosed with Leukaemia would cause me to be prohibited from diving, so this is unbelievably good news for me!

Not only did the opportunity to Scuba Dive become available, but as I was feeling buoyed by my new sense of freedom, I also asked my doctors about the possibility of interRailing with my friends over the summer holiday. I had been told that travelling abroad would be nigh on impossible earlier on in my treatment as I needed regular blood check ups. However, once more my doctors discussed the possibility and again gave me the all clear so that I can travel, for three weeks, across Europe.

My final piece of major news is that earlier on in the month I had to receive extensive blood testing to determine how effective the treatment is. The results of these tests came back today and were very positive which is a huge weight of my mind. As an older teenager, as well as being male, my body metabolises the chemotherapy very quickly which is why in previous tests it would appear that the chemotherapy within my body is less than anticipated.

To round off a very good week, I have put myself forward to play in my school's B team football match this Wednesday and am very much looking forward to reclaiming my classic "poacher" role, up front... Bearing in mind that I haven't ever played football for a team before, I shall be hoping to emulate some of the greats of football including, of course, Geoff Hurst!

More Blood Tests

Just an update on how my treatment is going. Last Thursday I had a second blood test to determine how quickly the chemotherapy is being metabolised in my body and I should be getting those results sometime this week, at worst, next week as they had to be sent off to a specialist hospital in London. I'm feeling a bit ill lately due to another increase in medication but hopefully my results will have a bit of a dip soon and my dosage of chemotherapy can finally be reduced!

Sorry for the briefness of this post, not feeling too well right now.