This topic contains 9 replies, has 6 voices, and was last updated by 
Helen 11 years, 6 months ago.
Hi all, just got back from our trip to London and saw various friends and relatives. A bit of a struggle at times but with the support and encouragement of ?my old Lady? it was a great trip.
The objects were to visit my Fathers? new memorial (Wandsworth), go to Kew Gardens, see the stage play of Warhorse, go on the London Eye, visit the O2 Centre and restage our ?honeymoon? in 1962 . Around that we planned visits to my Sister and Sister In Law, North London area, Mo?s half Brother and Sister in Tilbury Area, a friend in Marshfield (nr Brighton) and Mo?s Half Brother in Southampton. A 500 mile round trip (and when some of you do nearly that to visit a hospital ? not far you might say!), completed over 9 days.
Things did not start that well, my fault I might add I started on 2 level Treatment ? Velcade + Dex ? in the run up to the trip, I had Cycle one before the trip. However, at the same time, they also switched me from oral Bio phosphate (LORON) taken daily to intravenous Parmidronate monthly. I was warned that I would get a lot of bone pain during the drug hand over phase ? something I completely underestimated OUCH! At my last treatment, before the trip I saw the Palliative Pain Care Team. They were great and switched me off Tramadol etc… and onto 40mg Zomorph with Paracetamol 4 times a day with Abstral Sublingual tablets (fentanyl) placed under the tongue – this is used for sudden bouts of severe pain up to two can be used in 30 minutes. Backing this entire lot up was Oramorph Oral Solution. All packed ready to go decided to check my pills etc? Discovered the hospital had only given me 10 Abstral tablets. Not a problem because they had thought ahead and added it to my list of medication and I could get it from any Pharmacy ? just need a script. Surgery closed for weekend. So I tried the new 111 system ? useless, ?A doctor will ?phone back within 12 hours?, was all I could get out of the person at the other end? Gave up and left without the Abstral and paid the price ? but I lived! The good news, when I got back I had waiting for me a survey of what I thought of the new 111 system, Yippee >:-( .
Our first visit was to my father?s memorial, he was buried in 1944 and I only discovered where a few years ago. He had no headstone and I determined it would be one of the things I would do. I also added onto the stone various Brothers and Sisters that also had no Memorial. The Daffs I had planted during my Living and the Dead tour last year had clearly come up, which really pleased me, I then rearranged them around the headstone with some Lilly of the Valley. The photo shows me at the memorial.
Next stop Kew Gardens. Spent all day there and wished I had longer says it all I think.
Honeymoon – This is a very, very long story so I will not even start it. Suffice to say we spent a happy 3 days at the Union Jack Club. I had hoped to have the top suite in the Hotel but I think we got gazumped, not sure. They are slowly refurbishing the hotel but our room on the 5th floor was like stepping back into the 60s. But service food and everything else was impeccable, real 6 stars, no, I mean 6. We had to visit a free Museum, I won?t even start on that story, so we went to the British Museum and we went into the Pompeii exhibition. Pompeii is on the list of places I wanted to go but haven?t got to; this was a very good exhibition.
Warhorse. This was outstanding; I deliberately did not see the film, DVD, read the book etc? etc?because I wanted to see it ?new? if that makes sense. Within 10 minutes I no longer saw the puppets. The actions of the horses were incredibly detailed, when the horse gets caught up in the barbed wire I was in tears. I would recommend that if you have an opportunity you go see it.
The London Eye was really interesting, to be honest it was on my Mo?s list of ?to dos? and I thought I would be bored but not a bit. Tip : register disabled when you book your ticket. The ticket cost £12:60 but your carer goes free. PLUS you get priority boarding and go right to the front of the queue. Photo attached.
We had a great few days in London and Managed to visit St Pauls, did not make Westminster Abbey they close a 3:30 on a Thursday, the Monument, Crossed the Millennium, London, Waterloo, Jubilee and Tower bridges on our travels. We also visited the Shard, The Globe Theatre and Golden Hind, Houses of Parliament (nearly missed this due to the clouds of hot air covering it) and Big Ben of course. We enjoyed a boat ride down up and down the Thames. Finally we visited the O2. My plan was to walk across the top of the O2, something kept secret from Mo, but she absolutely refused, which quite shocked me; she is a girl for a challenge, she married me, and has a head for heights. But she simple did not want me to do it so was adamant she would not do it. If you think about it a sudden pain half way up, with no pain killers by now could have been bad. Instead we satisfied ourselves with going on the Cable Car that runs from the O2 area across the Thames and back, expensive but a good trip.
The rest of the journey was visiting relatives and friends; however, my Son and his Partner put a sting in the tail by booking us into the Grand Harbour Hotel in Southampton for our last stop. Mo loves boats and we had a great time. We walked around the old part of Southampton which is very interesting. They have set it out with plaques so you can see how it would have been.
A great trip but we were pleased to be back to our own bed and the resupply of pills I had ordered before we went away:-D !
Kindest regards ? Vasbyte
David
Dear David
Your posting jogged my memory one we have stayed in the Union Jack Club,did not realise it still existed ,mine was no honey moon, ( dirty weekend) springs to mind,still waiting on honeymoon,Slims not a great one for surprises his excuse is I always find out about them!!! Two a few years ago we spent time looking for Slims fathers grave,because he fought and died in the free Czech army,found his grave in St Omer .
You missed out on the garden of England so beautiful at this time of the year,maybe next time.
Thank you for the memories and looking forward to seeing photo,s.love Eve
Hi David
Am pleased you had a great time, and am sure the "My Old Lady" was pleased you done it looks like you had good weather 😎
Dads grave you look like you are lifting it up to have a look inside? great stone. just one Q ?? are you related to the Marriott Hotel chain ??.
Great Photo's David and well done I bet it was hard work at time, but am sure well worth it 🙂
Tom Onwards and Upwards
Hi Tom, unfortunately, not as far as I can see 🙁 . I can trace my Marriott family back to 1666 and I come from a long line of peasants, well stocking knitters to be precise from the Ashover Derbyshire area, I am afraid. I did have one uncle who lived in California and one Aunty died in a shot out in a speakeasy bar in Chicago 😎 . However, the name does make them jump a bit when I book into a Marriott hotel 😀
Kindest regards ? vasbyte
David
Well done David,
That sounds like a series of marathons to me at this stage and I bet you are glad to have had Mo beside you to medicate and guide you with stiff words and the occasional stiff arm.8-)
Any more trips on the horizon… or is rest up and recover for a while the order of the day.:-D
Dai.
Hi David
Well that's a shame I could have used your contacts for a discount Ha ha, great hotel group is the Marriott 😀
I bet you make them jump when you go into them lol.
Stay well and hope the weather soon picks up for us all
Tom Onwards and Upwards
Yes you are so right Dai, what would we do without our partners 🙂 And, you hit the button with stiff words and the occasional stiff arm once or twice I found it hard going. We had organised the trip into sections to allow for this and everybody we were visiting was warned I might have to break off the trip but with genital encouragement, like a kick up the A@@s>:-( every now again we made it and I am so very happy.
I have a short break then we are off for a weekend, Friday, in Pars, Cornwall to celebrate with my Daughter and her husband, her 47th birthday. I think I have a wedding to go to in July then a longish break before we are off the France for a week, in August, with my Son and his partner.
Just gotter keep taking the pills, although I have not got any better looking 😎 .
Kindest regards ? vasbyte
David
p.s. somewhere in all this I have some medication to take for something or other:-D 😀
Dear David
Looks like you have done an amazing amount. Weather seems to have been good for you too. Hope all your other trips go as smoothly
Love Helen
Ps I think you look ok H
Sounds a greaT trip David
its a wonder you had the energy to complete it time for a rest now how is the velcade going well i hope:-)
Love Jo x
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