Merry Christmas 2017

Good Evening All ,
Its been almost three months since my last blog and a very hectic three months it has been.
On the medical front, my dental surgeon removed my plate . There was no need for local anesthetic  as there is very little feeling in my lower jaw . The plate was in very good condition ( probably because I spend around 15 minutes each day cleaning it as best I can ) and following a good clean was reinserted for another year.
I met Mr Parmar, my surgeon at QE Birmingham, in October. He was content with the state of my jaw and my general health, but arranged for a CT scan earlier this month, the results of which I'm currently awaiting.
The last three months have seen a lot of work whilst we have been trying to bring a couple of projects to fruition. Initially, and most importantly, we now have Charity Commission approval for Head and Neck Cancer UK, which will allow us to operate officially raising awareness of a disease which kills more people in the UK than road accidents; and lobby for equality and decent outcomes for patients. We have a volunteer preparing a website, a Facebook page and a Twitter account so will hopefully be in a good position to launch in the next few months.The final audience figures for our radio broadcasts in September were published in October, we were astounded to read that we had reached 4.4 MILLION listeners. Finance will be a perennial problem but we are working on that. I am Chairing the Trustees at present until such time as the project evolves into a more professional organisation.
My second project could be more described as a labour of love. I was asked in April if I could use my organisational skills to create a Former Players Association for Lincoln City Football Club.After a few stops and starts it was formalised last Saturday. Over 100 former players are in contact and 20 of them met to officially establish the organisation . The oldest player was 94. Most of them did a lap of honour around the ground and were roundly applauded by 7500+ spectators.
Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year. You never know I may be coming somewhere near you sometime soon.
Best wishes
Chris

Six years on. Time to help others

Good Evening All,
Apologies for the delay. I didn't realize that almost a year has passed since my last post. I've been busy living my life. A procession of Football, Cricket, golf,skiing, meetings etc., A really enjoyable year( and amazing insofar as Lincoln City are concerned).
I have no medical issues to report. My new Dental Surgeon is intending to remove my denture for inspection and cleaning next time I visit.Mr Parmar has arranged to meet me on an annual basis unless I have any issues with my operation but as almost six years have passed since the operation, it is very unlikely that there will be problems now.
I have been heavily involved in creating a new charity , Head and Neck Cancer UK, which is currently awaiting Charity Commission approval. The purpose is to advocate on behalf of patients and carers ;and attempt to provide information and signpost support for people affected by the disease. I was in London radio broadcasting studios earlier this week doing live broadcasts with Mr Parmar as part of the Head and Neck Cancer awareness week. It is suggested that between 250000 and 500000 listeners tuned in to the dozen or so broadcasts.
In addition, I have begun to give lectures on patient experiences to medical professionals, which seem to have been very well received.I hope to be able to report substantial progress in the next month or so, but the whole aim is to ensure that anyone else finding themselves in the same position as I was, can find information and support. After all, over 3000 people are killed every year by Head and Neck Cancer in the UK. Another 11000+ are diagnosed and are given various treatments, some more successful than others.
I hope to post again on a more regular basis but I will sign off as usual. Every day is a good Day.
Best wishes to all,
Chris