The Furry Tongued Cavalier
Yes, I know it’s a strange title for a post but bear with me.
For 7 years or so I have worked at Fleetlands, firstly when the organisation was DARA (Defence Aviation Repair Agency) and since April 2008 as Vector Aerospace International Ltd.
Over those seven years I have met and got to know a huge number of people. Anybody with a PC in the yard will know me to speak to on the phone and I like to think that I can count some of these people as friends.
One of these people is a guy by the name of Steve. Steve is a lecturer in the Training Centre. In his own words:
I teach anything from engineering to apprentices to staff and career courses for the rest of the work force. I’ve worked there for 8 years now and know most of the guys on site as most come through my hands for either Induction or other staff courses.
Steve is one of the good guys. He will do anything within his power to help nearly anyone. I like to think that I would do nearly anything within my power to help him too.
In January of 2009 Steve was diagnosed with cancer. This is a select section of the first post on his blog:
I’ve had a nasty cough for quite a while and was busy seeing the quack and working my way throughout the treatments available at the Pharmacy. Antibiotics were working but the cough came back as soon as I stopped.
On Jan 6th I went for a chest x-ray at the war Memorial. On my return home I was phoned fron the QA and asked if I could come in and see the lung specialist and have a CT Scan on tuesday 10th. This I did.
I was informed that although i needed further tests it looked very much like I have a tumour in my left lung. I also have various “spots” of Asbestosis to complement it throughout my breathing system.
A biopsy followed on Monday 16th with an endoscope based bit of equipment. ( I didnt feel a thing and could see all what was happening – fantastic!!). The results were given on Friday 20th and confirmed that i had Non Small Cell carcinoma. It is inoperable due to its position an proximity to other things, and my prognosis was palliative care using Chemotherapy.
Since then I have seen Steve a couple of times while he’s been conducting business within the yard and to be perfectly honest, seeing the state of his health decline in the last six months has scared the crap out of me so the lord alone knows how Steve is coping!
Why did it scare the crap out of me? Apart from the touch of Asbestosis that he mentions on hi blog, Steve puts the cancer down to smoking. Nothing more, just smoking…
So, when you have a few minutes spare go read Steve’s blog posts and send him some good mojo.
The Furry Tongued Cavalier is the name on his blog by the way as (apparently) it’s what chemo gives you…
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