I’ve always had a baby face. Even with the beard, I’m usually assumed to be far younger than I am. So imagine my surprise when I gazed lovingly at my wife, only to find her staring not into my eyes, but at an indeterminate area above my eyebrows: the clinching evidence that I really am … Continue reading The surprising joy of getting wrinkles
The unadulterated joy of three
There's something special about the number three. The rule of thirds. The Holy Trinity. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Earlier this year I turned three. Three years ago, my new birth day (Day Zero, the day of my transplant) had a lot riding on it, to say the least. My first birthday was a huge … Continue reading The unadulterated joy of three
Life lessons on and off the pitch
I’ve been glued to the Six Nations rugby tournament. Mariacristina, on the other hand, is baffled at why I want to spend a large portion of my weekend watching two or three dozen grown men kicking and throwing a ball around. I sympathise with her view, even if I lost the bet that in marrying an Italian … Continue reading Life lessons on and off the pitch
♫ And you were there, my good man ♫
"Anyone who signs up to the stem cell register must have at least a minimal level of goodness," I was telling our guests on Saturday, not long before they went on their way. And it's true. You're offering to help a stranger – if you're found one day to be a match – with no benefit … Continue reading ♫ And you were there, my good man ♫
Terrible twos: remembrance of things past
I probably shouldn't have been celebrating with Prosecco, but last week I turned two. Before then, though, since my fabulous first second (second first?) birthday on 26th March last year, I had discovered that my first first birthday was pretty fantastic, too. Mariacristina and I were staying at my father's with my sister Harriet, her husband Duncan and … Continue reading Terrible twos: remembrance of things past
Lead role: watch why I was persuading politicians…
As you may remember (or, if you're really unlucky, you'll have witnessed), I'm always keen to tell my story, if it might help others going through similar challenges – and that's why I went to the House of Commons on 15th July to try to persuade MPs to support Anthony Nolan's major Destination: Cure. I … Continue reading Lead role: watch why I was persuading politicians…
Lead role: watch why I was persuading politicians…
As you may remember (or, if you're really unlucky, you'll have witnessed), I'm always keen to tell my story, if it might help others going through similar challenges – and that's why I went to the House of Commons on 15th July to try to persuade MPs to support Anthony Nolan's major Destination: Cure. I … Continue reading Lead role: watch why I was persuading politicians…
Passing it on with Destination: Cure
JULY 2016 UPDATE: NHS England has, devastatingly, announced it will no longer routinely fund second stem cell transplants – the opposite of what I explained Anthony Nolan and I were trying to do in my post below, this time last year. Please sign and share Anthony Nolan's petition against this. You can read more on their … Continue reading Passing it on with Destination: Cure
Expectation management
Last time I posted, I was approaching my first second birthday – one year post-transplant – and somehow we've got to more than 100 days since that, given that it's over a year now even since the momentous Day +100 that confirmed I was on the right track. For the record, the birthday celebration was … Continue reading Expectation management
Day +362: You’re only one twice
Everything's relative, and it's fascinating to compare the 101 days that have flown by since I last posted here to the critical first 100 days after my bone marrow transplant – which took place just under a year ago. Life's been turned inside out and upside down, but somehow we've bundled through it all and come out blinking at … Continue reading Day +362: You’re only one twice