Home, UK 24 November, 2010 10.45am GMT
Donations for Movember gladly accepted at http://uk.movember.com/mospace/789888
I was reminded yesterday of an uncle in my extended family from NI who was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer a year ago. Although the treatment is going well, all it is doing is slowing down the advancement of the cancer. It is at a late stage and thus terminal. 🙁
I haven’t seen this uncle for a number of years and I must take some time out to visit him. I remember him being such a jolly chap with a great outlook in life. Despite the cancer, I am told he still has a great aspect on life and has not changed one bit… enjoying each day as it comes. I can’t help but feel sad, however I am inspired by him – even in the face of adversity, he has not changed one bit from his positive outlook on life.
I was also contacted yesterday by another uncle from extended family in SG. I have not seen him for a year… another very jolly man with lots of interesting stories to tell, a great passion for food that is infectious and one full of love for everyone around him. However the sad news is that he contacted me to inform me that he has very recently been diagnosed with stage 3 Nasopharyngeal cancer. 🙁 His treatment has not yet started but he is looking at a number of months of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. These things are not simple matters. To remove the bad, these treatments also remove some of the good. There are side effects. There could be pain… there is a general uneasiness in the body… yes, with the treatment.
On a brighter note, the treatment he is going to undergo has a 70% success rate… so my thoughts and prayers are with him and his family for a successful treatment. I hope he remembers that I am there for him in case he needs anything.
This brings me on to something I wanted to mention. Although the Movember thing is targeted toward awareness of Prostate Cancer, we must all remember that whatever area of the body the cancer appears in, it is a serious matter. Prostate Cancer itself spreads to other parts of the body.. but a cancer, wherever it originates is deadly. We can not give up on looking for (better) treatments. We can not give up hope on conquering cancer. We need to do whatever is necessary to tackle it.
It is a sad state of affairs that we must constantly donate to charitable organisations for one reason or another. I am not complaining about donating to charity – far from it. However I do think that our Governments can and should do more. That said, apart from efficiencies in taxation, one other way is for us to collectively pay more in taxation. However that seems to be a vote killer so no Government takes the stance of ‘little bit more in taxation for the betterment of society’… and around we go in a big circle. So, are the Government to blame in this case, or should we awaken ourselves to our collective responsibility and look at the bigger picture? At the end of the day, it is *us* that selects the Government.
Rant over.
Today’s pictorial update… I am quite pleased with the way my moustache has progressed and my chin ticker is going in the direction of the one sported by the American ‘Uncle Sam’:
The month of Movember is closing very soon… so please put your hands in your pockets and donate whatever you can to this cause. Thanks to those of you who are already supporting me in this. I hope more of you can support my ‘Mo’ growth by donating (even if it is just £1 / $1 / Eur 1) to the Prostate Cancer charity via my Mo Space at
