Chapter 14 All quiet on the Denton Front

Hello old friend,
I should now be driving to my bank in Reading in order to pay in the pitiful pile of cheques I have,
but I got the urge and the urge cannot be ignored so here I am blogging instead.... oh how young hip and trendy have I become with 'me bloggin' an 'me tweetin' .


In all, the gap between Chapter 13 and 14, could best be described as variable,
this admittedly sounds more like a weather forecast than a life, but it pretty much sums it up.

On the plus side, I have continued my fasting diet which is fantastic and has reduced my weight to 92 kg from
 98 kg in two weeks. It is a good feeling to be in control of at least this part of my body!
I also managed my first judo session last Wednesday and whilst I was clearly a lot weaker in my arms and legs (yes it has arrived there now) my judo was as good as before (namely crap! .....only joshing Mrs Viv I'm really good at Judo.... did I tell you about the time...blah....blah). Here is me looking splendid as I win the London Open almost exactly a year ago....

With reduced strength and weight I was forced to move more efficiently, using my opponents movement to set up my attacks. This will be familiar to those of you who practice, I was forced to do better judo!
Only in judo could a loss of strength result in a potentially better performance,
lucky I am not a weight lifter eh?

You at the back I hope your taking notes there will be questions at the end
 SO CONCENTRATE!

My friend, (and I hope by now) yours, Doctor Armstrong saw me on Monday.
This was despite the best efforts of the system which had booked my appointment for 2014.... I walked in at midday and apologised for being early, unaware that I was actually 1 year and half an hour early!

He seems to disdain the structures around him and bureaucracy in the way that I love to, walking out into reception and inviting me in like an old friend, despite me not having an appointment.
His upbeat assessment of my progress to date filled me with optimism, he after all is the one with 'trained eyes'.
He suggested that my steroid treatment might end as soon as 6 months from now rather than the possible 18 months that he had warned me may be the case.
I am definitely feeling better on the days when I take my steroid doses which is a sign that they are working, although the strange tiredness has now reached my arms and in particular my right shoulder (my hand is struggling with the effort of typing this). I feel like it wanders around my body like a naughty child picking it's targets... first left eye then right, sometimes mouth.... occasionally breathing...... seems to be quite strong in his arms mmmmm.... take that shitbag not so strong now eh?

Well you know what?
I'm not the shitbag in this,  dear mg (no proper noun capitals for you) YOU ARE!

You may gain the odd  victory but I will beat you.

I gave a judo demonstration at a lovely local school fete last Sunday and the mg did it's level best to make it's dark mischief......
After the disease has caused the bottom to fall out of your world, the drug treatment allows for the possibility
of the world falling out of your bottom......
Not a symptom I had suffered until (you guessed) Sunday!
Horror of horrors, it was a baking hot, sun seared and dusty afternoon, I was on the cusp of my speech impediment and with no microphone available, I was forced to shout at a crowd of confused adults as my fantastic little warriors gave their best.......
I had already discussed the awful possibilities of this situation with my son George earlier in the day....
Imagine the scene.... as I give a brief introduction to the history of Judo.... "In 1878 an, educationist Dr Kano...... blah.....devised a system of self defence and...... blahh blahhh.... meaning that today judo is enjoyed by children all over the world", ripple of applause......tttttthhhhbbbbbbbshhhhrrrrrrpppp sppplaaaat ttthrbbb (at this point my spotless judo trousers begin to grow what appears to be a small brown map of Gibralta.....

No wait! it's growing.... it's not Gibralta it's Africa!.... what is that horrid smell? 

I fall forward face first into the mat finally silenced as the audience scatters, children are clutched to their mother's chests as they run.... don't look Timmy the poor judo man is having an 'accident'.

It didn't happen of course but it was a close run thing and fortunately it appears to have been a one off
(until the next time sniggers mg in the background).

Scan tomorrow as the CT Scanner broke down on Tuesday,

To Infinity and (down a bit up a lot) Beyond!