June, 2026
I thought it would be fitting to write a blog today as it is 3 months since I had my last operation to remove the extra tissue from my arm, and the lymph nodes from my armpit – which was later to be found to contain cancer cells, which was later to be confirmed that thankfully that was the last of the cancer cells in my body. As I look back over the last 3 months, in fact over this whole journey from when I first spotted that mole of mine had risen back in Sept 2025, there have been a few constant factors in my life that have kept me going through some pretty dark times. I do still tend to forget that I was also going through redundancy at the time which is hard enough to deal with on its own at the best of times, so my friends and family and football have really kept me going and have kept my spirits up, so I want to take a moment to pay a tribute to them!
Friends
I’d say I’ve got quite a few friends. At last count, I think I had about 5 of them!!!! Seriously though, friends are invaluable during times of stress, worry and ill health so every single 1 of them are owed a lifetime of debt from me. Let’s start with Chris. I have known Chris since the start of the 90’s. We have been friends forever and we have got up to all sorts over the years. We are so close that he was my best man at our wedding and he did a great job. In fact he enjoyed it that much, he decided that Shelly (his partner) and him would surprise us by turning up on the second half of our Caribbean cruise. After the initial shock has passed, we all had the best time ever (I can confirm in case you are wondering that they did book their own cabin!!!).
Anyhow ever since the cancer worries started he has been great. We’re just like any other fellas. When we’re at the football – we’re both season ticket holders at Oxford Utd and we go home and away, we don’t tend to talk about the cancer. Instead we speak about far more important stuff like how we are going to batter Ipswich at home, and how Harris can’t hit a barn door most games. But I do know that 100% any time I have been to the hospital whether it be a routine visit or after an operation or after I told him that the cancer was found in my lymph nodes, I’ll be hearing from him ASAP to see how I am doing. Likewise since my last op, I knew I’d be getting a text every other day or so just to ask how my scars are doing. What may seem like a little thing, actually helps hugely.
Luckily I do have some great friends and it’s not just Chris that has been checking in on me regularly. Another old friend of mine, Darren, again is constantly getting in touch with me to ask how I am doing. Again, it’s only part of the wider conversation that we have as it is guaranteed to always pivot into an Oxford Utd conversation about how well we played the previous game (sometimes), how ok we played in the previous game (sometimes) and how crap we were in the previous game (most times!). But it doesn’t matter, that fact that he takes the time to check in and see how I am doing, and take my mind off stuff is worth a weight in gold. The same goes for Stu and Steve who again I have known for years and are constantly asking how I am doing. I could list a lot more people but I’ll end up feeling like Michael Aspel on This Is Your Life!
Family
Firstly I can’t write a blog about family and not start with Lisa. If you have read my previous blogs, firstly thank you, you will see that I have mentioned Lisa a lot. She has been with me since the start of this and has been with me to every appointment acting as my rock. As with my friends, in the dark days she has been there for me propping me up. Post operations she was there supporting and nursing me. When I got the news that the cancer had been found in my lymph nodes, she was there to mop up my tears. She was also there to celebrate with me on our 3rd anniversary when we got the great news that the cancer hadn’t spread any further. She knows how much it means to me what she has done for me and I will never ever be able to repay her for it. But I promise I’ll do my best.
My mum has also been awesome since this started. I tried to shield her away from a lot of it but I knew she had to know so she has been kept up to speed. She has also been great and constantly checking in to see how I am doing, and feeding me with more meal deals than I have ever seen in my whole life. Hearing that I was cancer free was also a great relief to her as I know it was causing her sleepless nights – this is something that has spurred me to write this blog as it is others that suffer in different ways when a friend or family member is ill, so a thanks is the least I can do for all of them. Likewise my brothers, my nieces and nephews, Lisa’s mum and her side of the family. Every one has been so great.
Football
I’ve spoken a bit about Oxford Utd already but I think it’s worth ignoring the results, yep I know we went back down to League One. But I think some people out there, hello Friends of Stratfield Brake (this group seem hellbent on stopping us having a new ground as we have to leave ours in 2 years time) seem to underestimate how important it is for people to have something they enjoy. For me, Oxford has been a huge help for me over the last few months. Being able to go to the matches and have a laugh with my mates was just what I needed a lot of times when I was dealing with some really bad stuff. Yes the results didn’t go our way, yes we wont be going to some great away grounds next season. As much as that hurts, I still get to watch Oxford play and enjoy it. If Friends of Stratfield Brake get their way, there possibly wont be a club in a few years and that could potentially mean a lot of other people in the same situation as me dont have Oxford to take their minds away from their illness. So I am keeping my fingers crossed that we can win the Judicial Review and get building our shiny new ground. So that myself and the many other fans suffering with illness can carry on supporting the team and forgetting about our other worries for 90 mins every Sat and Tuesday.
Whilst I’m at it, I also need to give a shout out to a few stewards following my operations in Nov and March. At every away game, Stewards always frisk you. After my operation in Nov, the first away ground I went to was Swansea. As the steward went to frisk me, I asked if he could be careful on my left forearm. He asked why, so I told him that cancer had been removed. He looked truly moved by this and showed such compassion. After my operation in March, the first away game I went to was in Southampton. Now they have taken a lot of shit over the last few weeks but I need to give credit where credit is due. Because of my arm and armpit, I went to the match wearing a sling. At least 2 or 3 stewards stopped me to ask what happened and offered nice comments to me when I told them. So thank you to those stewards at Swansea and Southampton!
Of course there is more football this summer with the World Cup fast approaching. Of course I’m a big England fan so I’m hoping for the best. But after the year I have had, I think I’ll just be happy watching the team do their best and I’ll be content wherever we finish.
The Future
Now for the future. In the last few weeks I have been prepping for my targeted therapy. I have had 4 blood tests and a heart scan and I got the all cleat to pick up my drugs (Dabrafenib and Trametinib) the week before last. Last Mon, I visited the hospital and picked the drugs up and had an appointment at the same time where I was given the go ahead to start taking the pills. For anyone reading this that is starting them, I can’t lie and say it’s easy. I have had side effects ranging from bad headaches, nausea, stomach cramps, lethargy and really heavy tiredness. Thankfully I’m not in a job right now because in the first week I think I probably slept for about 3 hours every day during the day. The treatment is for a year so we’ll see how it goes. As well as the drugs there will be regularly appointments at the hospital, heart scans, blood tests and MRI/CT scans around once every quarter I think. The great thing is that the drugs are totally precautionary rather than reactive so the hope going forwards is that with our without the drugs, all scans and checks will continue to come back negative.
Proud of my Scar 
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