3 Million Views!!

Dear all,

Dad has asked me to write a quick note to share that between the various blog sites he has clocked up 3 million views, which is pretty impressive!

Thank you all for your emails of support after our Christmas post and I will update you further when I can.

Catherine

A Christmas Update

Boxing Day 2011, I am visiting dad again and he has asked me to update you on his progress. For the past few months he has been taking the chemo pills every few weeks and has made some progress although he is mostly housebound. He has noticed some weakening recently, but the doctors have said they feel this may be because he's had "too much chemo." Time will tell whether he will get better or worse, but at least we've had Christmas together as a family.

Dad has a wheelchair if he does go out and is able to walk small distances with a walking stick, but he's fortunate to have my brother here to look after him as well as my sister and his girlfriend. He is grateful for all the kind comments people have made over the past few months.

Making History - Radio 4

We've had a request from a gentleman at the BBC to use some of Harry's letters in a radio 4 programme following up a listener’s search for information about her grandfather’s war service in Italy in 1918.

It will be aired on BBC radio 4 on Tuesday 23rd August at 3pm.

Hope you can tune in

Catherine

DIY chemo

Dad has asked me to remove posts relating to his illness - after his prior insistence that every step be documented, he has now decided it is too personal for him so I have taken down all the posts except for the first two.

As things stand, he is at home and is taken what he called DIY chemo (vomit in the comfort of your own home). We have everything crossed that this will help, but for now, there won't be any more updates unless I have something important to pass on.

Thank you again for your kindness and support

Catherine

Every day is a battle

Dad was released from hospital on Friday, on the condition that he has 24 hour care organised at home.

We have carers that come in every morning and every evening to get him out and put him to bed and a nurse to check up every day. He's incredibly stubborn and so is determined to come downstairs every day to the living room, but the toilet is upstairs so it means a rather scary ascent of the stairs. He's still dizzy and wobbly and incredibly weak.

Dad is of the opinion that his first dose of chemo hasn't made any difference, but I disagree - he seems a bit more stable and sometimes his speech is a lot better (it comes and goes), but I imagine sitting around all day drinking coffee from a sippy cup can't exactly feel like 'much better'.

He's back in hospital on Wednesday to see if he's any better and then he'll have chemo again a week after for another dose (I think).

He says I have to add "thank you for all the support and messages from all my readers - it has been a great comfort in a difficult time, as you can imagine"