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9 down – 17.2 to go!

~ justaneye73 ~ 3 Comments

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I thought I’d better quickly write a blog as I’ve just gone live on my Virginmoneygiving page and I mentioned my blog on it. I thought if people think ‘oh I’ll give the blog a look’ and then see that I’m a lazy cow who hardly writes that often, they may equate that also to my running and decide not to sponsor me, as they can’t imagine me getting my fat lazy arse over the line. But no that’s not me. I can write and run and will be proving it as the months progress. Photo above is proof that I do get sweaty and run and I am now up to 9 miles! Feeling like those buns of steel are coming along nicely and I’ve lost nearly half a stone! The only unfortunate thing is that I must have actually put a fair bit of weight on over the summer as nothing actually feels loose yet, more that my jeans are no longer acting a s a tourniquet. But hey ho it’s all going in the right direction.

So my eye check up was yesterday and I’m feeling pretty relaxed as I’ve decided not to have the hideous injections.  I was calm and open minded as I went into my appointment,  as I had managed to quieten the voice in my head that was screaming “there’s no way you’re letting anyone poke a needle in your eye!” Luckily for me a couple of  weeks ago I felt my sight had improved. I was walking with a friend in Bushy park, which has lots of red deer, many which are rutting at the moment and although I couldn’t quite tell if the large stag looking in our direction was charging us or standing still, at least I could see it! (It was standing still.)

Anyway, at my eye check up my feelings were proved right as my eye test did show improvement, the fluid had again disappeared of its own accord. Now there is still a little bit left and I was offered the avastin injections for this, but with my eye and my position of my tumour, the ischaemia is spreading to remove all sight. The injections don’t help this, they help the oedema. My consultant thought maybe the injections could work for two years until the ischaemia took over, but it is like asking how long is a piece of string? She explained the side effects are pretty low, the main one being a risk of infection and some people see floaters. I have no problems with my eye at present and I can’t be bothered to go through the aggro of having injections monthly for such a short term benefit. I was secretly pleased she didn’t say “Oh Ruth we are looking at perfect vision for the next ten years!” Then I would have had to give them a try or admit I’m a chicken.

Anyway what proved somewhat amusing to my husband (not me) was she was very interested in what I have been doing differently recently? What could have caused this spontaneous improvement? I answered “nothing has changed.” whilst thinking, just lucky I guess. Helpful hubby on the other hand decided to put it all down to my running. “Yes” She agreed, “It may have had an effect.” This is where Mr J roared with laughter at his own humour “Oh Rufus, you were looking forward to taking off your trainers in April! Now you won’t be able to unless you want injections in your eye!” Ha bloody ha! I wanted to poke him in the eye with an injection. But now I have another motivation for running the marathon on those cold January training days, firstly raising money for Ocumeluk, secondly obtaining the body of a supermodel, thirdly keeping mentally sane and finally keeping the dreaded eye injection away! Sounds all good to me. They may not all be in the correct order, don’t judge me, I mean who would  prefer a body of a supermodel over mental stability?  But umm, I’ll just leave it in that order for now.

If you would like to sponsor me you can follow this link

http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/ruthjohnston73

Not actually sure that link works but if you google virginmoneygiving and search Ruth Johnston -running for eye cancer, it should pop up.

Thank you all. I’m off for a lovely curry and bubbles tonight, guilt free, as now I am such an amazing athlete I can eat what I please. Cheers!!

Ruth xxx

 

Ocumeluk

~ justaneye73 ~ Leave a comment

 

Photo on 02-08-2017 at 14.47

As many of you know who have been reading my blog, I once ran the marathon. Yes I like to talk, (brag) about it. Hence the shock with a cancer diagnosis. Surely not? I am a fit youngish thing who has ran 26.1 miles. I can’t have cancer. But of course I did and I learnt quite suddenly and traumatically that cancer doesn’t discriminate against age, sex, fitness levels or marathon runners.

Ocumeluk stepped in quickly with all the knowledge and resources that I needed, I was wrapped in their warm safety net and made many friends along the way.  I am over 2 years post diagnosis, I am doing well other than having been overcome by a mild sense of madness as I am trying to win a place in Ocumeluk’s marathon team. Something I said I would never do again, it was something I had ticked off my bucket list. But I feel the urge to give something back. At present Ocumeluk are looking for funding so that more people can access MRI scans with contrast, as at present it seems not everyone is equally entitled to them, I am.  I am one of the lucky ones, but many have to fight to be scanned and this is wrong. These sensitive MRI scans pick up liver mets earlier than any other method. They are the gold standard as mentioned in the NICE guidelines but funding prevents many people accessing them. This inequality in healthcare and postcode lottery is really enough for me to want to put my trainers on and run.

Also I’m hoping to lose a bit of weight along the way, yes every cloud and all that and it helps keep my sanity, as my check ups and scans approach,  exercise, physical pain and exhaustion are my only coping mechanisms.

By entering the competition to win the marathon place I need as many likes/votes on their page as possible. I am struggling with this slightly.  Firstly, because I have to compete with someone else who wants the place. Someone else who has valid reasons for fighting for the place and I don’t like the idea of it seeming like one of us is more valid/important than the other. But I also know that all the sharing on social media is great for the charity.   I am sure both of us who are competing for the place have respect for each other in wanting to do it and the end result is that one of us will raise a whole lot of dosh for Ocumeluk.  Being up last night thinking about it made me realise that the likes/votes are not for who’s story seems more worthy, as everyone who has been touched by cancer is worthy, it’s my friends, my family, my friends’ family, the neighbours, the man in the corner shop and anyone else that I can accost in the street showing their support for me. Just as many people are showing their support for her and that in itself is a great feeling. That we have support and people wishing us well.

My other concern is that  I don’t have that many friends to ask to vote. Well not 500 anyway, I have  my 5 bestie’s and then about 20 other really good friends and then 100 plus FB friends but I don’t have 500! Where can I get 500 friends from in a hurry?   On the last count, yes I am obsessively checking numbers hourly…., oh okay, every ten minutes or so,  my ‘competitor’ had way over 100 more votes than me.  Where do they come from? I have squeezed everyone I know. I was on my last day of my holiday yesterday, lying on the beach when the first message came through that the votes can be posted so to get sharing. Sharing to who? In between running on an inflatable sea torture obstacle course with the kids and slapping suncream on various body parts of various family members I was busily messaging my friends shouting “Share! share!” I’ve got till Friday and I feel like I’m running a losing campaign. I was even contemplating asking everyone on my flight home last night whether they all had Facebook and if so could they vote for me. Desperate times.

So my last chance at drumming up business is through my blog. A friend messaged me a short while ago to kindly say that every time she opens her phone my ‘ugly mug’ comes up (her words), as her lovely family are frantically sharing my post. Lovely family, but thinking of moving friend off my besties’ list. But anyway, she suggested I write a blog. Write a blog? Have you seen the piles of washing? The unpacking? The food to buy? I’m exhausted after a late flight and not feeling that amused. But then I thought, I only have until Friday to drum up business. So what does it matter if the suitcases hang around ponging for a few extra days or the kids scrabble around empty cupboards for food? I can write a blog and beg you all for help whilst eating dry cereal with the kids.

So please, if you have Facebook, would you type ‘ocumeluk’ into your search bar and then scroll down to my video and like it? Then could you get a few friends to do the same, the neighbours, the man in the corner shop and anyone that you can accost in the street? And then even if I don’t quite hit 500 likes I will at least manage to keep a little but of respect and not lose so dismally like a complete loser.

Thank you lovely people. Share! Share! Share!

Ruth xx