18 Jun 2014
By Ronny Allan
0 Comments

Forget the posturing, it’s results that matter

General
    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…
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16 Jun 2014
By Ronny Allan
2 Comments

I’ve just been nuked!

General
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…
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09 Jun 2014
By Ronny Allan
2 Comments

Beyond the Wall

General
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…
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31 May 2014
By Ronny Allan
4 Comments
Hadrian’s Wall Day 6 – Mission Complete!

Hadrian’s Wall Day 6 – Mission Complete!

Awareness, Inspiration, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Travel with Ronny, ,
The final leg of the our Hadrian's Wall walk took us from beautiful Carlisle to the remote coast of North Cumbria at Bowness-on-Solway.  We are staying there tonight before beginning our journey home tomorrow (via Newcastle). Amazingly our digs have a wicked view of the Scottish coastline and the setting sun - see picture above which was taken from our room.  It was pretty surreal to have finished 6 days of torturous walking but also to be able to look at such a wonderful view of the country in which I was born. Some people say final leg of the…
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30 May 2014
By Ronny Allan
2 Comments
Hadrian’s Wall Day 5 – Pass the morphine!

Hadrian’s Wall Day 5 – Pass the morphine!

Patient Advocacy
When I was in hospital for major surgery, I remember being briefed by my excellent nursing staff about all the tubes and pipes intruding and protruding into/from my body. One of the most important ones in the early days was known as PCA - Patient Controlled Analgesia. Basically, I could click a button whenever I felt the post-surgical pain was too much. As this administered morphine, safeguards were built in - for example, the machine limited me to 2 clicks within 5 minutes and then it wouldn't accept a request for another 5 minutes. That handheld push button device was…
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29 May 2014
By Ronny Allan
2 Comments
Hadrian’s Wall Day 4 – Welcome to Cumbria!

Hadrian’s Wall Day 4 – Welcome to Cumbria!

Patient Advocacy
That was a long day and a hard walk!  Started at Steel Rigg and ended at Lanercost and we were accompanied by our friend and ex-Army colleague, Jim Waterson.  Jim and I served together in Germany 1977-79 and then again in Blandford Dorset 1983-84.  Usual banter all day brought back more memories and news about some old mutual friends.  Thanks to Jim for a great day. Thanks also to Jennifer for picking us up to take us to the start point on the wall and vice versa at the end.The route was a mixture of hilly crags and rolling fields…
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28 May 2014
By Ronny Allan
5 Comments
Hadrian’s Wall Day 3 – Spectacular but wet!

Hadrian’s Wall Day 3 – Spectacular but wet!

Patient Advocacy
Chris and I adopted the famous military 'buddy buddy' system this morning by checking each other's feet and applying blister pads.  We then set off on a hilly section with some spectacular scenery.  But first we collected our friend Dave Taylor who was walking this tough section with us.The forecast rain didn't arrive until around an hour into the walk and then another hour after that it was time for waterproof trousers.   Pretty rough underfoot with plenty mud and damp grass.   Stonework was in some places dangerously slippy.  I fell once, fortunately I managed to miss landing on…
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27 May 2014
By Ronny Allan
4 Comments
Hadrian’s Wall Day 2 – The wall appears

Hadrian’s Wall Day 2 – The wall appears

Patient Advocacy
This was the first real piece of the wall we say and it's the second day We must have been doing a blistering pace today!  Four of them – I claim 3 and Chris has one.  Nothing spectacular but a discomfort we could do without. Blister kit has been deployed and resupply to see us through the week will RV with us on Day 4 at Steel Rigg (cheers Jim W). In hindsight I should have deployed the blister kit last night as I had a feeling my tender feet would be even more tender by end of play today.…
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26 May 2014
By Ronny Allan
0 Comments
Hadrian’s Wall Day 1 – Sunny Newcastle

Hadrian’s Wall Day 1 – Sunny Newcastle

Inspiration
The first day under our belts but it wasn't easy.  We always knew it would be an odd walk with the first two thirds in urban environments. The first third of the route took us from Segedumun Fort, the official start/end of the wall walk in the east. There is evidence of Newcastle's previous and declining shipping industry all the way along the Tyne.  The second third took us through modern Newcastle including impressive views of the Sage and Baltic Arts Centres on the opposite bank and the iconic Tyne Bridge which we walked under.  Quite a lot of riverside…
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22 May 2014
By Ronny Allan
1 Comment

My blog goes International!

Awareness, Patient Advocacy
One of the most interesting statistics in my blog app is the total number of views recorded each day.  It even breaks the total down into which posts were most viewed and which countries the viewers were from (but please note it does not identify the name or any other details of viewers). I'm always very pleased to have readers from overseas locations - I hope they enjoy reading my blog and find it useful. To date, these include readers from USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Barbados, Belize, France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Portugal, Austria, UAE, Bahrain, Philippines, Nigeria, Kenya, Croatia,…
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19 May 2014
By Ronny Allan
1 Comment

If it’s not raining, it’s not training

Patient Advocacy
Only a week left until Chris and I set off on our 84 mile trek across Hadrian's Wall in the North of England.   We've been training for this since January 2014 and probably covered sufficient distance to have walked the wall 5 times over!   Didn't stop us going for a fast short walk this morning and despite the heat there was no sweat.   I think we're ready :-) For the last few days we've been thinking it might be tougher if this heat continues.  Only a month ago, we were saying it might be tougher with all the rain we were having!  We…
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18 May 2014
By Ronny Allan
1 Comment

“I may not be rich, but I do have priceless grandchildren”

Patient Advocacy
Most of us will have experienced the ubiquitous quotations that somehow manage to go viral around Facebook and emails? Mother, Father, Son, Daughter, Grandson, Granddaughter etc.   I instinctively want to share those and like the post but something nearly always prevents me from doing so.  I suspect there is something in me that says "don't follow the crowd" or perhaps I'm just a shy private person at heart?  (I can hear some of you laughing .....).  However, today, I'm publishing the fact that grandchildren are indeed wonderful!  So what has brought on this sudden emotional outburst? I have 4…
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16 May 2014
By Ronny Allan
1 Comment
Is there life on other Planets?

Is there life on other Planets?

Patient Advocacy
When I was a young lad, I was fascinated by Astronomy.  Not only could I tell you the name of each Planet in order of distance from the sun, but also the actual distance!  In those days, space travel was really taking off culminating in the first manned moon landing in 1969.  I remember staying up all night with my dad so I could watch it on TV (in black and white of course).  The talk then was of where next, Mars? After all this time, we still haven't landed people on that Planet - just shows you the complexity…
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13 May 2014
By Ronny Allan
3 Comments

North of the wall is a dangerous place – you must never go there!

Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, , ,
  There was a 60 minute silence last night as another episode of Game of Thrones was aired.  Not a Facebook post or tweet in sight.  This has to be 'up there' in a list of the best TV series ever?  Don't know about you but I'm sometimes confused about who is who and how they are related and/or connected!  (see useful chart at the bottom of this post) Chris and I love the introduction bit.  She likes the music, I like the geography.  There are some obvious correlations there, e.g. 'The Wall' is meant to relate to Hadrian's Wall with…
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10 May 2014
By Ronny Allan
2 Comments

Through the Keyhole?

Patient Advocacy
  Through the Keyhole is a Panel Game Show on telly originally hosted by Lloyd Grossman (who?) and then Sir David Frost.  It was resurrected last year hosted by Keith Lemon.     Sorry to disappoint you but this blog is about a different type of keyhole.  Today I'm on 'K' words (I drew a blank on J). Keyhole Surgery After I had major surgery in Nov 2010, I left the hospital knowing that I'd be returning later for another but I needed to be fit enough first.  This took some time but in Apr 2011, I returned for further surgery, this…
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09 May 2014
By Ronny Allan
1 Comment

Queen Mother of the Isle of Wight

Patient Advocacy
  Decided to do a one off today after reading a story published on 7 May on the PLANETS Charity Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/PLANETS-Charity/122088044556397?fref=ts The is a story about a lady who was faced with one of the most deadly cancers - Pancreatic Cancer, where the 5 year survival rate has not risen for the last 40 years (another story for another time).  Young and fit people can struggle with this cancer and its treatment so it must be ultra tough at 83.  Her attitude and strength of character in facing up to this terrible disease is very inspiring to me and an…
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08 May 2014
By Ronny Allan
3 Comments
What have the Romans ever done for us?

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…
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02 May 2014
By Ronny Allan
3 Comments

Bournemouth Marathon

Patient Advocacy
  Hope you enjoyed the 'A' blog yesterday.  Some of you might also note I changed the previous blog titles to make them more catchy. Here's a few 'B's Bournemouth Marathon I once ran a marathon aged 28 in Verden West Germany 1984.  I was there defending the free world from Communism (ahem....). It was a tough gig even at that age and the training was even tougher.  I'm therefore delighted to announce that my old mate Steve Davis (pictured above), former Orienteering buddy and 'Quaff Club' member, has nominated my PLANETS Charity page as his chosen cause when he runs this…
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01 May 2014
By Ronny Allan
0 Comments
Army to the Rescue

Army to the Rescue

Patient Advocacy
  I promised you an A-Z so here are some 'A' headlines: Agenda.  The walk is 84 miles long - Chris and I will be walking from East to West over 6 days as follows: 25 May - Staying with friends near Newcastle 26 May - Wallsend to Heddon-on-the-Wall (with Nick Naylor) 27 May - Heddon-on-the-Wall to Chollerford  28 May - Chollerford to Once Brewed (with Dave Taylor) 29 May - Once Brewed to Lanercost (nr Brampton) (with Jim Waterson) 30 May - Lanercost to Carlisle 31 May - Carlisle to Bowness on-Solway 1 Jun - Lazy breakfast in our lodgings and then head south…
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30 Apr 2014
By Ronny Allan
4 Comments
My Blog – What’s it all about?

My Blog – What’s it all about?

Patient Advocacy
Welcome to my blog!  My plan yesterday was to blog for 26 days using the alphabet A to Z as a guide for the content.  That would have taken me to 25th May, the day before my walk of Hadrian's Wall commences.   However, Chris and I were playing a game we used to play with our children on long car journeys "I can see something beginning with....."  On analysis, it appears I might struggle with certain letters! Guess what....K, J, Q, U, X, Y and Z are not necessarily the problem!   I'm still intending to do this but…
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