Humour - Ronny Allan - Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer

17Nov 2023 by Ronny Allan 2 Comments

Laughter is the best medicine

Humour

Laughter is important. This is a remastered version of one of my early blog posts. It centred on a 'get-well' card I received recuperating in hospital after my first major surgery. The person who sent it knew I had a sense of humour, and it did make me smile. My surgeon's secretary came to visit me, and I invited her to check out my cards....... she fell about on the floor laughing! That caused me to laugh (carefully!). All the nurses looking after me had a good laugh too! How many times have you heard it said that laughter is the best medicine? I can certainly remember this phrase being said when I was a child. But it's much older than the 1960's, apparently humour was introduced as a viable medical option…

07Oct 2023 by Ronny Allan 3 Comments

Shrek and Princess Fiona

Humour, Inspiration, Survivorship

I was looking through some old photographs and came across this one I thought you guys might like. It's pre-diagnosis round 2008 (although I didn't know cancer was growing inside me). As you can see, despite being an ogre, Shrek is actually quite a handsome chap! Moreover, Princess Fiona is as you would expect, beautiful and radiant. There's a bit of a story behind this picture as Chris (Princess Fiona) was in fact not very well at the time.This picture was taken in Anaheim (LA) in Disneyland California in 2008. We were there with Chris's brother Gerry (mad ex paratrooper) and his lovely wife Babs. Poor Chris developed a mild pneumonia on day 1 when we were in San Francisco having been a bit 'peaky' on the plane. Despite a…

06Oct 2023 by Ronny Allan 1 Comment

Just got (a) shot in the buttocks

Humour, Inspiration, Patient Advocacy, Treatment

I love watching films and Tom Hanks is one of my favourite actors. He's played such a wide range of parts and I've found every single one of his films enjoyable. I think the first one I remember was 'Big' - a cracking family film for all ages. When I saw the large floor piano keyboard in Schwartz toy store in New York, I had to give it a go (video or photo to follow if I can find it!). On the opposite side of the scale, he's also been in some quite gory films such as 'Saving Private Ryan' - the first 20 minutes sure tested out my surround sound and subwoofer!However, one of my firm favourites is Forrest Gump. A multi-decade spectacular, amazing acting, amazing locations, amazing visual…

03Jan 2022 by Ronny Allan No Comments

Blog review and top 10 for 2021: RonnyAllan.NET

Awareness, Clinical Trials and Research, Diet and Nutrition, General, Humour, Inspiration, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Patient Advocacy, Survivorship, Treatment

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 outlets for my blog posts. Hopefully, 2022 will be a better year. However, just as I was totally astonished to have been able to accumulate a million views of my…

25Jul 2021 by Ronny Allan 2 Comments

Neuroendocrine Cancer: 48 hours before diagnosis

Humour, Inspiration

A week before my formal diagnosis, I had a liver biopsy (19th July 2010), and I repeat what I said in this post, for me it wasn't exactly a walk in the park. I had a mild anesthetic, I felt extremely uncomfortable throughout, and I was in pain. In fact, they did call in another nurse to help and her only job was to hold my hand in reassurance, (from what I remember). Most patients report no issues with their liver biopsy. I was sent home on 20th July with some painkillers, but that pain was gone within 24 hours. Reading my hospital notes, I think this is the actual picture of the tumour they took the biopsy from based on the biopsy location and me checking slice by slice…

01Dec 2020 by Ronny Allan 15 Comments

2 Million!

Awareness, General, Humour, Inspiration, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Patient Advocacy, Survivorship

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 with my wife Chris. I never thought for one minute I would reach a thousand hits let alone 2 million: whilst accumulating around 20,000 followers across all my social media…

20Oct 2018 by Ronny Allan 1 Comment

How to Talk to a Cancer Patient Without Being a Complete Twit

General, Humour, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Patient Advocacy

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 a 'pity party' and something which is genuinely offensive or upsetting to me as a cancer patient. I appreciate understanding and empathy, perhaps sympathy, but I certainly don't want pity.…

13Jun 2017 by Ronny Allan No Comments

Ronny Allan’s ‘PoNETry’ © – An Ode to Lanreotide

Humour

Ronny Allan's 'PoNETry' © series can be shared with poetry credit to:RonnyAllan.NETThanks for readingRonny I also have one on Invisible Illness - click here Click here and answer all questions to join my private Facebook group Thanks for reading.RonnyI’m also active on Facebook. Like my page for even more news. Help me build up my new site here – click here and ‘Like’Sign up for my newsletters - Click HereDisclaimerMy Diagnosis and Treatment HistoryFollow me on twitterCheck out my online presentationsCheck out my WEGO Health AwardsLike my new awareness page - click here or on the photo. (Like rather than follow please!)Check out my Glossary of Terms - click herePlease Share this post for Neuroendocrine Cancer awareness and to help another patient Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Email A cup of tea[caption…

19May 2015 by Ronny Allan 5 Comments

Please flush after use!

Awareness, Diet and Nutrition, Humour, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Patient Advocacy, Survivorship

In the past couple of years, I've read so many stories about the quite natural act of using a toilet (.....some more repeatable than others). I think if there was a 'Bachelor of Science degree in Toiletry', I might pass with First Class Honours. I jest clearly but it's strange that such a routine activity for most can actually become quite scientific in the world of Neuroendocrine Cancer and other ailments which might be described in some scenarios as invisible illnesses. I also found myself smiling at the fact that flushing is connected with the toilet and a type of red warm feeling in the upper torso - the two main symptoms of the Carcinoid Syndrome associated with the most common type of Neuroendocrine Cancer. "Please flush after use" - erm...yes sure but actually -…

26Feb 2015 by Ronny Allan No Comments

Do you suffer from NET Brain?

Awareness, Humour

The acronym 'NET' (NeuroEndocrine Tumour) can be advantageous to NET advocates and organisations because it occasionally attracts readership from outside the Cancer community when links are accidentally found by 'surfers'.NET just also happens to be a common truncation of the word 'Internet' or 'Network'. The vast majority will realise the irrelevance (to them) and move on but 1 or 2 might just hang around and take a look. Bingo - we have spread a little bit of awareness!However, these unintended awareness opportunities are not confined to 'NET'. According to my blog statistics, other than my name, the most common search phrase which leads to my blog is "No Fear" - the title of one of two blogs I wrote on so-called 'scanxiety'. However, I suspect many surfers, base jumpers, bungee jumpers, climbers, extreme sport types and those looking for…

17Feb 2015 by Ronny Allan 14 Comments

Colonoscopy Comedy

Humour, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer

Last year I wrote a series of articles on the 'coping' side of cancer, one of which was about still being able to have a laugh. This was my way of saying no matter how tough life is, you need to stay positive and maintain your sense of humour. When I think back to some of the treatments I've had, I sometimes have a little laugh even although I wasn't laughing at the time! My favourite 'treatment laugh' is the 'suppository story' which occurred in hospital shortly after my first major surgery - it wasn't funny at the time, but I smile when I think back to it. On a similar subject, I had a colonoscopy around 21 months prior to my actual Neuroendocrine Cancer diagnosis. Like the guy in…

12Dec 2014 by Ronny Allan 9 Comments

Chocolate – the NET effect

Diet and Nutrition, Humour, The NET Effect Series

Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter Share on pinterest Pinterest Share on whatsapp WhatsApp Share on email Email I've always had a 'sweet tooth' and the softer the sweet the better - toffee, marshmallows, chocolate, jelly babies, jelly beans, fruit pastilles, fudge, liquorice allsorts, 'tablet' and macaroon bars (both from Scotland), are all on my list of favourites. In terms of desserts, I love those too - ice cream, cheese cake, meringue, cake, sponge with custard, the list is endless. And of course a hot drink isn't complete without a biscuit (or three....). Don't get me wrong, I'm not stuffing my face with sweet stuff 24/7, however I do need my sugar 'fix' now and then. I'm not a large person, I'm small 'framed' and although I was starting…

08May 2014 by Ronny Allan 3 Comments

What have the Romans ever done for us?

Humour, Inspiration

"What have the Romans ever done for us?" Reviewed and updated 5th October 2021 .......... apart from better sanitation, and medicine, and education, and irrigation, and public health, and roads, and a freshwater system, and baths, and public order ....... 😊 (apologies to those not familiar with Monty Python stuff!) Well, they also left us the outstanding Hadrian's Wall which is the first topic of today's blog. In January 2014, the oldest piece of paper in my 'in tray' was a newspaper article about the World Heritage Site of Hadrian's Wall - it was dated 28 Sep 2003 entitled 50 great things to do in Britain (it was second only to seeing Stonehenge at dawn). As a history buff, I warmed to the idea of doing it but proceeded to…

Category: Humour