Blog review and top 10 for 2021: RonnyAllan.NET
I should be happy with over a quarter of a million views in 2021 but I'm not! Like 2020, my figures are down on previous years as the pandemic seems to have changed viewing habits, not to mention my own bandwidth during this period. I created my private Facebook group not that long before the pandemic started, and I think that has been playing a part as huge chunks of my time has been taken up on that special project. I also changed the nature and the type of posts on my "Ronny Allan" Facebook page, which led to fewer…
2 Million!
Today, 27th October 2022, I can confirm the 2 million views milestone has been reached. I was totally astonished to have been able to accumulate a million views of my blog around the middle of June 2019 and in December 2020, a Christmas present of one and a half million! Fast forward to November 2021 and it's one and three-quarters million.That is THANKS to you guys for reading and sharing. When I first set up this blog in Apr 2014, it was just to help spread awareness (and collect a few pennies) whilst I was walking the 84 miles of Hadrian's Wall…
How to Talk to a Cancer Patient Without Being a Complete Twit
I enjoyed reading "8 rules on how to talk to a cancer patient" because I think much of it is written with 'tongue in cheek'. Great title! In UK we might even spell the word 'twit' slightly differently (UK people will get it!). Some of the rules are directed at doctors and I'm sure some doctors will laugh (if you're a doctor and you didn't laugh, sorry). I think one or two are a bit harsh and could potentially backfire and at least one I partly disagree with. Personally I try to balance my reactions to not come over as…
Neuroendocrine Cancer – a Doctor’s experience
UNFORTUNATELY, MILL HILL TIMES HAVE REMOVED THE DOCTOR'S STORY FROM THEIR WEBSITE BUT I'M TRYING TO OBTAIN THE SCRIPT ELSEWHERE. When I was undergoing my initial treatment and surgery I didn't really have the knowledge I have now. I was initially treated by experienced Neuroendocrine Tumour (NET) specialists in an established NET Centre and I guess I felt comfortable with what was happening. In hindsight, I wish I had studied the disease earlier as I would have understood at the time what was actually happening to my body and more fully understood the treatments I was to undergo. As we…
Not all Cancer is simple
So Victoria Derbyshire has breast cancer and has used her 'workplace' as a platform to let people know she is a determined survivor. Nothing wrong with that, it's great cancer awareness for some and inspiration for others (including me). However, reading through various newspaper follow-up articles, blogs and social media comments, I can see criticism by many for producing an over simplified message (see picture below). Although many of us will be wishing it was so, not all cancer is simple! Take Neuroendocrine Cancer for example. For some, this 'silent' cancer can take years to be finally diagnosed whilst the patient is misdiagnosed with…
Screw that diagnosis and get on with it!
Every now and then I see a positive story during my travels around the internet. When I saw this one from K**** in Pennsylvania, I had to share. If you're feeling a little bit down and need cheering up, dig out this blog and take a read :-) K**** wrote: "I began my Carcinoid journey about 7 years ago, newly married to a wonderful man and his daughter at the age of 43. I was also newly retired (from CPA and also Large Animal/Equine Surgical Veterinary Assistant) and was looking forward to a nice, peaceful, fun, loooong life. But, things…
The C Word
'The C Word' or 'The Big C' - the subject which must not be discussed. Or is this now an out of date phrase? I read a useful article a month ago where the author debated where we might be if, 50 years ago, we were as open about cancer as we are now (there, I said the word). Nowadays you cannot turn a page in a newspaper without seeing a story of sadness, inspiration or medical science progress. Certainly the latter has played a huge part in reducing cancer mortality rates and sending more people into remission. We now have much…
Turning a negative into a postive
Interesting piece in the news today and there's an amazing story behind it. The "Lung Cancer Breathalyser" is not a new technology but following the death of his wife from advanced colon cancer, inventor Billy Boyle has produced something good enough to have been accepted on a trial basis by the NHS. If successful, it has the potential to save thousands of lives. Lung Cancer is a big killer and the survival rate at Stage 4 is around 5%. Let's hope this invention works. When I was reading the article, I immediately recognised his wife as a blogger I was following and who…
Intelligent patients – just what the doctor didn’t order
I'm extremely pleased and honoured to have been selected as the first guest contributor to feature in the Carcinoid Cancer Foundation's blog site! I've been following these guys since I was diagnosed. They have been serving the Carcinoid/NET Community for over 44 Years and they are in my opinion the largest and most respected Carcinoid Cancer organisation on the planet. The Carcinoid Cancer Foundation began as the ‘Carcinoid Tumor and Serotonin Research Foundation’ in 1968 when the NIH fund for rare cancers was terminated. The name was changed to the Carcinoid Cancer Foundation in 1995. It is a non-profit…
Disobedient Objects
My wife and I were in London recently and we took the opportunity to visit the world-famous Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum in South Kensington. A particular display caught my eye entitled "Disobedient Objects" and I immediately thought it had a scientific sound to it. Imagining a set of everyday objects which somehow didn't behave as you would expect, it sounded great fun so I wandered in. How wrong I was, it was actually an exhibition examining the powerful role of objects in movements for social change. The term 'disobedient' was used as these objects were designed by grassroots social movements mostly for use in street protests. These ranged…
End of the year but not end of the mission
Hope you all had a nice festive break? Chris and I had 3 separate dinners making sure we made the most of our extended family base. We decided to join in the Christmas jumper fashion statement which seems to be vogue this year - thus the picture! At least we got to wear them 3 times! Now that busy period is over, I've had the chance to reflect on the last 8 months of blogging and look forward to my plans for 2015. I created this blog site on 29 Apr 2014 mainly to document an 84 mile charity hike across Hadrian's Wall - a…
Awareness, Awareness, Awareness
When Tony Blair swept to power in 1997, he said: "Ask me my three main priorities for government and I tell you education, education, and education". His approach of repeated word emphasis has been copied and recycled by many others replacing the words with something to suit their own message. I'm now guilty of similar plagiarism! One of the key aims of my blog is to spread awareness of Neuroendocrine Cancer and I'm very pleased to be part of the 'worldwide team' doing my bit to help. I started blogging in Apr this year mainly to support a sponsored walk but it…
A Commitment to Fight Cancer
I was a spectator at the Bournemouth marathon on Sunday 5 Oct 2014. I was there to shout for my old army friend, Steve Davis, who was running 26.2 miles for PLANETS Charity. When Steve found out I was living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, he immediately volunteered his services to help raise funds. Steve is a runner but when you are '50 something', running a marathon is no easy feat - not easy on your feet either :-) I had seen excerpts of marathons on television but this was my first time as a spectator at a live event. One thing that…
Met an old friend today; his name is Gym
I think I first met Gym at school in the sixties - we normally met on a weekly basis. We were reacquainted when I joined the army and hooked up more frequently! It was there I met some of Gym's friends, known as PTIs (Physical Training Instructors). Their opening line was normally "Ten times round my large bronze chest...... GO! " and then we would proceed with the 'beasting'. I suspect I might now be prodded by the PTIs on my facebook page - there are one or two out there :-) I've always been a fairly fit guy but over time…
Am I at fighting weight?
I recently blogged about my boxing experience in post: http://wp.me/p4AplF-r7 In those days I was just a wee skinny 16 year old guy! I think I was in the Bantamweight category, somewhere between 8 and 9 stone (50 - 57 kg). Although I gained some weight after years of service in the military, I didn't really 'bulk out' in the wrong places until I left the military aged 45. Even then it wasn't what you would call overweight or obese. I joined a gym, determined to maintain some form of fitness. I sacked it due to pressures of work but then…
Finding Hotspots
Just back from a nice relaxing holiday in Tenerife. I don't know about you but when overseas I find myself looking for 'hotspots' everywhere I go....... I don't mean trendy entertainment venues, I'm talking about the modern phenomenon known as a WiFi signal! I also mean free and open connections. Even recent price reductions within Europe did not tempt me to use 'data' overseas and I didn't even want to take advantage of the £2 per day upgrade of my mobile phone account which would give me access to my minutes/MBs overseas on a temporary basis. I just look for free WiFi…
A Highland Coup
One of my favourite memories from childhood is the vision of the finest looking cattle in the UK - the Highland 'Coo' (for those who are thinking I've made a mistake in my title spelling, read on!). The memories are not confined to seeing them grazing in the fields but I also remember them as the iconic symbol of a famous Scottish toffee known as "Highland Toffee" made by McGowans in Stenhousemuir - also famous for its football team :-) Having researched this toffee for my blog, I just found out the firm went bust in 2011. However, the brand survived and…
Up and atom!!
I already explained Day 1 of this 3 day 'scanathon' in blog: http://wp.me/p4AplF-lY Bit techy but added some humour to dilute some of that down. Just a quick post to elaborate on the remainder of the experience which was completed yesterday. I've had this scan twice previously with the last one in the summer of 2011 and both were done in Bournemouth Hospital. Due to a merging of the Bournemouth and Poole Nuclear Medicine Departments, these are now done at Poole. Interesting journey from/to Ringwood especially in the rush hour! Also, the hospital parking was challenging to say…
Forget the posturing, it’s results that matter
You can tell there is a football competition on and they don't get bigger than the World Cup which I believe is one of the world's great sporting competitions second only to the Olympics? Like it or not, this is a time when football fans suddenly become experts, apparently knowing even more about the game than the managers, players, pundits and commentators - particularly in hindsight after the match! Is it just me or do you also wonder why these 'armchair pundits' aren't in the aforementioned jobs :-) Social media has increased the reach of the armchair pundits and…
I’ve just been nuked!
When I was in the military, I was given basic training in how to deal with the threat of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Warfare (known then as NBC). However, there was a focus on the chemical side as that was classed as the most defendable of the 3 and probably the most likely scenario (but that's only my opinion!). I think the training for nuclear attack consisted of the following advice: 'put your head between your legs and kiss your arse goodbye' :-) Some 13 years after departing that wonderful organisation, I'm now allowing radioactivity to be injected into…
Beyond the Wall
One of the first tasks on return from Hadrian's Wall was to catch up with my favourite TV show Game of Thrones (GOT). The latest story concerns Tyrion Lannister, the dwarf son of Lord Tywin Lannister. Tyrion is technically the heir to House Lannister, thus why his father Tywin is plotting to get rid of him using the murder of King Joffrey as the reason. There was even talk of him being banished for eternity to be the Lord of the Sworn Brothers of the 'Night's Watch' on the Wall to face the 'blue painted' barbarians not to mention the mysterious 'White Walkers'. Can't…