My Story
Thank you for visiting my Cancer Research UK Cycle 300 page. Its nearly thirty years since I found myself in hospital being treated for cancer. I went for a wee and there was blood. A visit to my doctor quickly led to a hospital appointment.The hospital appointment involved a general anaesthetic but I fully expected to be home in the evening .You can imagine my surprise when I woke and heard the ward sister saying," Mr Heard we will be keeping you in"! A tumour had been found in my bladder which was to be removed the next day. The words" Don't Panic!" come to mind. I was forty years old. I'm a farmer. There were animals at home that needed to be fed and no arrangements had been made for anyone else to do the work. I had a lovely wife and two young children, one four and one two and they went home to cope as best they could whilst I spent the next week in hospital. I would have gone home as well but all I had to wear was a skimpy hospital gown! Cancer can happen to anyone at anytime. .After many trips back to the hospital for three monthly, six monthly and twelve monthly check- ups, each time with a general anaesthetic, I was given the all clear. Last year, I cycled from home to Southampton, 180 miles in two days. It was an adventure but also a thank you ride that I am still here and well enough to cycle that far after all these years. The plan was to give a pound for each mile covered and so I gave £200 to Cancer Research. This year, it will be much more difficult to get motivated to ride 300 miles before the end of September. I hope you feel you can support me and raise money for Cancer Research UK I enjoy riding my bike on our quite Devon lanes, sometimes going miles without seeing a car. Yes there are hills but what would life be like if we did not have to make an effort at times. I find it gets the circulation going, keeps my brain active and for a while helps me forget the constant roaring and ringing that I get in my ears. I have suffered with deafness for a long time now but it is only in the last 18 months that I have found out that there is a link between the cancer I had and my deafness. The chemo used can do irreversible damage to the hairs in your inner ear which send sound to you brain. At present I have 80% hearing loss.My aids are some help but in some situations make it worse ! Imagine using your phone on the side of a busy road with construction work behind you and talking to someone you do not know and can not understand and that is how it is for me in everyday conversation. It can take you through all sorts of emotions such as anxiety, isolation and depression. Life goes on and I would love to think any money raised would help to find cancer treatments that that do not have nasty side affects. Thanks for reading this and for supporting Cancer Research UK.
