well just prior to lockdown (Oct 2020)
I lost 2 stone by working out in a gym and was super fit power lifting etc
(and something that probably saved my life later)
then I thought I had torn a muscle in my lower back due to extreme pain and with covid and lockdown I suffered the pain for a year taking super strong pain killlers obtained from a friend
turned out to be a big mistake as it was a tumour growing in my spine 20 feb 2021 I could not sit down and finally went to hospital they were amazing and in 7 days I had 5 scans the bad news was they phoned my son and said to come and see me as soon as possible as I wasnt expected to last the week
well its now 2 years and 6 months of permanent chemo they cant cure it but treat it I will never be able to stop the chemo its quite savage and Im really shyte for 3 days a week and lucky I can still walk and drive
BUT !!!!!!!!!!!
I was finally able to do a 48 hour session with a good pal Im disabled now with 5 vertebra that the tumour has broken and pushed out of place
but being a stubborn old fart nothing was going to stop me going fishing
I changed all my gear to make it easy as possible My bed was superb a Solar CH08 thats nice and firm and high and could get on and off it ok
my shelter was brilliant went up so fast and easy the Solar compact spider just had to get my pal to zip in the groundsheet that was a doddle its a brilliant shelter nice and dark inside and so well thought out I love it I bought it for when I go on my local club lake (I also bought the Solar undercover brolly for river fishing)

I was so happy to spend the time on the bank was a few disappointments when I found some things I wanted to do but my body said nope
didnt catch anything but it didnt matter it was a huge milestone moment

In reply to Post #1
Well done for showing such determination.
It's coming to us all. I am slowly declining too, but Im still doing a bit when I can.

In reply to Post #1

Congrats Gerry and good luck to yer

a bit of float fishing is a great release and helps as well m8.

In reply to Post #1
A humbling post... it reminds us all to never take our health and this old hobby for granted. Well done.

All while telling the nurses that you are really a social media starlet..... Rumor has it, one nurse even purchased a Thermacell.

In reply to Post #1
Nice one, can't beat been on the bank, good therapy

Nice on Gerry, glad you got out next time you'll catch a few

In reply to Post #7
Blimey mate-did not realize. Must have been epic getting out.. good on yer

Nice one Gerry pleasing to hear that you had managed to go out and do something that you enjoy. It's the best kind of medicine available.

Good luck Gerry.

In reply to Post #1
I'd of been climbing the walls Gerry after nearly 4 years of no angling, nice to hear you've managed to get out even if the landing net stayed dry, best wishes with your health issues and more fishing sessions ahead.

In reply to Post #1
Well done Gerry.. that couldn't of been easy for you. Being out there is the hard part. Catching them is easy. Here's to many more..

Great to hear you got back out, now don't leave it 4 years untill you go again!

Well done on getting out Gerry,sounds like you have a really good mate too 👍. Hope you get out more and catch a few

In reply to Post #1
Hope you get out again soon

Well done on getting back out there OG

Well in Gerry!

Great effort, it requires a lot of motivation as we get older, as I'm sure we all still wanna do it proper, be on the money, get that rush when you switch the alarm on.

In reply to Post #5
LMAO
blimey that old pic of 2 lovely linear carp has has some views !!!

always been a good lookin bstd aint I it was a few stone ago though

Excellent, well done for getting out there.

In reply to Post #1
Well done Gerry on your determination to get through the chemo, and getting out there doing some angling.

Fingers crossed for your next session

gerry I take my hat off to you, its a reflection of your character to dig in and crack on....im glad you enjoyed your blank, its not about catching fish,it's all about the journey....

Well played and glad you enjoyed it, I work for Macmillan so know what a crap hand of cards you've been dealt.

Hearing your story is quite inspirational and I often think what I would do and believed I would probably just sulk (mentality) even if physically capable. Fishing gives me too much time to think, but your post is a reminder to all of us, that it's a pleasurable past time, not some kind of endurance and obsession. I may even start enjoying my own blanks a bit more.

And don't forget every blank is one step closer to the next run...

In reply to Post #1
Brilliant Gerry, great to see you back out there

Well done Gerry, glad you made the effort, it must still have been a challenge, in fact a big one.
Pleased you enjoyed it, maybe next time your have a bend in the rod.

Good for you fella. Remember it's called fishing not catching as my dad used to say.

Here's to your next trip

In reply to Post #1
You mean you have been sat on all them Thermocell pads for 4 years untouched and have not shared the wealth

Good to see you back in the game !!

In reply to Post #26
Thanks folks for the positive comments on my journey
I SHOULD of put one of the BIG reasons I shared my story
DONT be a nob like me and ignore a pain and leave it till its too late we have a free NHS just get it checked out PLEASE !

In reply to Post #23
@ Doing_a_brew
I hope we bump into each other this winter Rob

the other small problem I have the Steroids have given me cataracts I am having the first eye operation on Thursday and then 6 weeks later the 2nd eye then I will be happy driving the 300 mile round trip to the Mighty Trent and a bit more local the Thames

I've not been on here for years but the fool and his twig has made me come back to listen to what others may think.
1st name I reckonise from before still posting is OG and good to see you still mixing it up Gerry
Plus good health advice but I don't like them doctors and it will probably shorten my life?
That's maybe the downfalls of being a "geezer"?

I must admit Gerry the real reason I'm posting this is cos of Mark Caspers pic post of them lovely Lins that I've never seen before.
Proper old school pic with the army camo jacket and the fat roll up legal fag?

In reply to Post #29
yes Golden virginia before I knew better and stopped smoking

yes those 2 linears were a double hookup and a proper struggle getting them both in my landing net my pal who took the pics used up all the film and went to work
I caught 3 more that
day from first light till mid day and lost one and a rod that got towed in while playing the last one but got it back when someone told me a cork handle was sticking up in the bay round the corner

In reply to Post #18
It got clicked on by more than 55k carp anglers, from all over Europe Gerry.

Yeah, must be your good looks eh

In reply to Post #29

In reply to Post #1
Absolutely brilliant to hear Gerry, so pleased for you, top friend
I hope the fishing gods are kind to you

In reply to Post #31
RE It got clicked on by more than 55k carp anglers, from all over Europe Gerry.
BLIMEY
This picture is very special to me its a pre boilie time and caught on par boiled spud
in the back ground the Mitchell 300 reels modded with roller bail arms by my friend the Legend Len Arbury sadly no longer with us
I never knew the weight as at that time my Avon dial scales only went to 32lb and they just bottomed straight out
but I didnt give a flying it was over 30 and in that time it was a massive fish

In reply to Post #1
Brilliant Gerry, the power of being positive (and bloody stubborn) cancer took my Dad in November 2021 after he fought it like a stubborn old bugger never complaining however. One of my sisters has beaten breast cancer twice and is having Chemo again in her third effort to fight it off, never complaining and getting on with it.

Do everything you can, while you can and enjoy life. Speak to everyone all
The time and use their support when you need to, your true friends will never leave your side no matter what.

Fight it mate, and to F**k with it 👍

I lost my uncle the same day as Sinead O Connor passed away, his funeral is in a few days time. He was 61, fit as a fiddle, building contractor on large projects in the city. Diagnosed one year ago. It's a filthy horrible disease.

Keep fighting it Gerry xx

so sorry to hear of your losses
Cancer is a terrible disease when I retired (too late) I had 3 years travelling the world month long holidays in the Philippines Thailand and all of Europe then boom Im now about 40% of the man I was
and just a step away from being confined to a wheelchair
it really does bring it home to you how life can change so fast or end I have lost so many of my friends and relations to it Tomorrow is not promised
people who died yesterday had plans for this morning. And those
who died this morning had plans for tonight. Don't take life for granted. In the blink of an eye, everything can change
my motto is make memories not dreams !
I now dont have a bucket list I have an oh Feck it list

But advances ARE being made in the treatment of Cancer some types can actually be cured if caught early enough sadly mine is not one mine can be treated and slowed but not cured

SO AGAIN
I URGE you if you get any unexplained pains FFS go to the docs get full count blood test and get it checked out dont get scared or think it will go away

As Gerry says live for today because tomorrow might not come! I'm half way through five years surveillance after having a tumour removed from my neck. Unfortunately my eldest daughter was diagnosed with bowl cancer and had major surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy and looks to be coming through it. I will be looking to retire early as I have targets and dreams that I still aspire to and this disease will not stop me! Take care of you and yours, enjoy life do what you want to do as you're a long time dead!

I had these made by Dan at dobbins bobbins as it sums up my attitude to cancer #fookcancer


https://fb.watch/msCMHBFBsi/

Michael

In reply to Post #1
Well done on getting back on the bank! Hope you catch next time.

My dad is currently waiting to start treatment and I'm hoping that we can get back on the bank next year after not doing much fishing together over the last few years due to me joining a different syndicate and COVID.

In reply to Post #1
Well done, my wife has stage 4 cancer and I know how savage it is. Her determination and strong mind to beat it has made a huge difference.

In reply to Post #1
Well done for coming through a terrible situation and hope you have many more times on the bank

In reply to Post #1
Congrats Geez, just a blessing to be on the bank isn't it.

I had a cataract opp on thursday as 2.5 years of chemo and steroids its given me cataracts I was impressed at how quick and pain free it was
rest of thurs was a bit like a bit of dirt in my eye but no biggy it will be a bit blurry for a week some people only a day
s glad its done got to wait 6 weeks before they will do the other one though

In reply to Post #1
Awesome mate . Glad you managed to get out and enjoy it again

In reply to Post #43
That's great news Gerry, I hope the results are...er...clear as day.... when it clears up

I've tried to reacclimatise my body to my bedchair last week after 2 years away, my hip and knee are protesting and my back aint too happy
I don't think the Helium 3.8 on my levelite is enough anymore so I've ordered a 7.5cm.

The Mrs is coming to keep a eye on me, it's only 3 days but I haven't been out overnight since 2019. She took the liberty of ordering herself a new Vango Shangri La 15cm Sim, I tried it out, my god it's comfy, puts our years of camping on airbeds to shame, not to mention my levelite

In reply to Post #45
yes my eye is bloody amazing now colours are so different clearer brighter like every thing is in HD but only in that eye cant wait for the 6 weeks to pass so they will do the other one

glad you got out its a great feeling even though like me its a bit more pain but so worth it isnt it
I changed more or less everything to make things as easy as possible my bed for one that gives good support for my spine and has good height adjustment so got the Solar CH08 so glad I did
then the shelter it needed really good height to enable the bed to be on its highest setting I ended up buying 2 one for the River the Solar undercover brolly system thats really good goes up and down really easy faster than my previous Tempest thats a fact
and the one I used on the 48 hour the Solar Compact Spider thats a cracking bit of kit for me ts the perfect size but for some I can see it wont be deep enough
I made one mistake and forgot to swop over my Helium and so slept on the Solar without it but it was perfect
hope you get out some more and the new mat helps mate

In reply to Post #46
That's brilliant re the eye returning to normal, I hope the second goes as well for you

I haven't gotten out yet, tested the bed in the house, will be going out in a couple of weeks though!
I went to a tackle shop, 1st time in 4 years (problem with a seat box but that's another story, sticky drawers). I had a look at so called high back chairs while I was there, Fox RX and another spurious make and my head was still a good 4" clear of the top so the hunt for a full height chair goes on. One thing I wasn't ready for was the height of the chairs as standard, why so high nowadays, I used to like sitting as low as possible. Having said that, maybe I need a higher chair to be able to get up still not sold on arms though. I like to reach sideways for my tackle box, brew etc which is normally on a bucket or the floor, can't see thet being as easy with high sitting chairs or with arms.

I want too much