Joker's Driving Lessons

Thanks for taking the time to visit my fundraising page. Just before the COVID lockdown I survived a complication operation to remove a large abdominal growth. I am consequently extremely grateful to the skills of the surgical team of Frimley Health Foundation. I also have a slowly developing blood cancer. These conditions would not have been discovered without the actions of my G.P. at Green Meadows Surgery, Ascot. who reacted to what was to me, a trivial complaint. I owe my life to these people. COVID has lead to rapid scientific advances in areas of research such as gene sequencing, gene editing and antibody treatment. Hopefully this may be applied to novel treatments for a range of metabolic disorders including cancers. This is why I’m fundraising right now for Cancer Research UK. _____________________________________________ My Wife and I were shocked when the Surgeon used the 'C' word; we thought that it was a death sentence. Apart from feeling very tired I had no unpleasant symptoms. A date for the operation was organised. In the intervening days We frantically prepared for my demise. _____________________________________________ I was extremely surprised to have awoken after the operation. There was an interlude of dark humour as the hospital staff attempted to measure my blood pressure. They thought their sphigmomamometers had broken down. I remember machines all lined up as staff attempted to find one which would take a reading. Eventually the conclusion was reached that the pressure was too low to be recorded - which obviously made everyone very nervous. I told the nurses not to worry - my blood pressure was always low and I felt fine. One nurse said "But you don't understand! If you die you will give us an awful lot of paperwork!" Within a fortnight I felt so much better and anxious to get back to work. I asked that I should return home. Everything was getting back to normal. Then there was the COVID lock down. A year later. Lock down had given me time to reflect on my future. I had been extremely lucky. I had an early diagnosis. A month later the cancer could have spread. Surgery would have been impossible. Hospitals had been overwhelmed by virus victims. I had dodged the bullet. Being alive is a very welcome outcome and I must not waste any moment remaining. The tiny sum of £1k I set for this 'Giving' page represents but a token of the value that specialists invested in my life. I could never repay my gratitude to all those devoted people. My death sentence was commuted. Perhaps within the remainder of my life-time a cure for leukaemia will be available. Please donate to my page today and help bring forward the day when cancers are treatable, ________________________________________________ A little about myself. I attended The University of Liverpool and gained a couple of Science degrees, one in Biochemistry. My occupations include teacher of Physics and driving instructor. I qualified as an ADI in 1973 and was presented with the Diploma in Driving Instruction by Lord Strathcarron about five years later. After being rear-ended when waiting at busy junctions during driving lessons on several occasions, I turned to vocational training - buses, trucks and trailer towing. Teaching in larger vehicles is a safer occupation. I enjoy teaching and like to put my skills to good use by raising money for Cancer Research.