1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:08,160 Hello, I hope everyone's doing as best as they can do currently. It's nice to be talking 2 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:20,720 to you again and welcome to podcast number 15, episode 15, we really are motoring on. 3 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:26,720 Today I'm going to talk a little bit differently today. I'm going to try and shy a little bit 4 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:34,240 away from my issues because I want to talk about a couple of things. Yesterday we had 5 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:43,440 a bit of a family day and in the week I had my meeting with work to discuss the health 6 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:51,720 and safety implications of my diagnosis. So yeah, that's what I'm going to be discussing 7 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:58,240 today. Just very quickly floating it out there as well. I made a decision to start a second 8 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:05,040 podcast because doing what I did in the last one and put a little idea out there for what 9 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:11,200 I thought about England's chances in the World Cup. I am a sports fan so I'm starting 10 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:18,320 a sports podcast. I'm not going to discuss that really on here apart from letting you 11 00:01:18,320 --> 00:01:23,640 know that I'm going to give it a go because actually I'm really enjoying podcasting. 12 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:34,600 I thoroughly enjoy it. There we go. Right, OK. So yesterday, bit of a family day. Really 13 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:41,440 enjoyed it, I'll be honest with you. Had my Nan and Grandad come over. It was their wedding 14 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:48,200 anniversary yesterday. Within the last week or so they've both had their birthdays as 15 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:58,760 well. So yeah, we invited them over. I say they do come over quite a bit. We had my mum 16 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:08,200 and my younger brother come over. Obviously same as always, there was ourselves, my dad 17 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:18,520 and my brother. Yeah, it was really quite a good day. They all come over about midday-ish. 18 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:24,000 We put on a bit of buffet food for lunch which was really quite enjoyable, I'll be honest 19 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:32,600 I don't mind a bit of buffet. A ham roll or a bit of corned beef, that sort of stuff. 20 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:41,040 We thoroughly enjoyed it, I'll be honest with you. Dinner wise, later in the day, we 21 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:47,800 did some sausage and chips. We also did some pizza for those that wanted it. I had a pizza 22 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:55,160 with jalapenos on. I always used to be able to eat jalapenos easily. I tell you what, 23 00:02:55,160 --> 00:03:01,720 these ones blew my socks off. They really, really had some about them. I thoroughly enjoyed 24 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:09,880 it though. It was nice. Really did enjoy it. So it was lovely to see Nan and Grandad. They 25 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:14,760 brought Sheba, the dog with them. She's a lovely little dog, I say little, she's not 26 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:26,000 little, but lovely dog she is. I don't quite understand why, but when she comes here and 27 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:33,480 she wants to go to the toilet, she only seems to go to the toilet if I take her. Does that 28 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:43,080 just make me the pee and poop human? Not quite sure, but it's a bit of a tagline to have 29 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:48,240 I suppose, just being pee and poop human. But bless her, she's a lovely dog, really 30 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:56,760 nice, gets on brilliantly with the kids. She just lays about having a snooze. During the 31 00:03:56,760 --> 00:04:07,120 course of the day lots of laughs being had. We put some pictures up on the TV, showed 32 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:11,480 everyone the type of houses that we're looking at. I've mentioned previously about the potential 33 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:20,840 for us all to do a big cross country move so we can go down to the south coast. So yeah, 34 00:04:20,840 --> 00:04:27,000 we showed some houses that we're looking at and it was thoroughly enjoyable. It really 35 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:34,240 was quite nice. During the course of the day, towards the back end of the day, I don't 36 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:44,960 understand why I did it, but I mentioned to my dad about going to get the old video player. 37 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:52,520 Big mistake that was, big mistake. Big was naturally, he went and got it. Some of the 38 00:04:52,520 --> 00:05:02,960 old videos, lots of old videos, 30 plus years these tapes are. Holidays to North Wales and 39 00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:11,880 all sorts, really good. But obviously me 30 plus years ago, a little bit on the embarrassing 40 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:18,560 side I'm going to be totally honest. Yeah, I mean some of these videos I'm probably 41 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:25,960 about five years old and I was a tiny little thing, I really was. When I'm watching these 42 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:33,360 videos I'm walking across a swimming pool in North Wales, in the butlins in North Wales. 43 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:42,920 I decided to slip over and smash my head on the side of the pool. Tears everywhere. Yeah, 44 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:54,320 I'll be honest with you, it was quite entertaining to watch. And my dad and my brother decided 45 00:05:54,320 --> 00:06:03,560 to think it was really entertaining to actually video some of the footage of me when I was 46 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:08,160 at our old house many many years ago. Again I'm talking 30 plus years ago, I was only 47 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:18,960 very little at the time. Me and some sunglasses in a vest top, my PJ bottoms just running 48 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:24,480 round the living room. It was a video from me mum's birthday, I couldn't tell you what 49 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:32,280 birthday it was. Jokes aside, probably about her 50th. I am kidding, I am kidding. Mum 50 00:06:32,280 --> 00:06:41,880 if you're listening I'm only joking. But yeah, I mean it was kind of cute and yeah 51 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:48,160 that's found its way onto Facebook. Me dad decided to film it, he's pinned it over to 52 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:56,320 me brother. Needless to say, in terms of banter Richard thought there's nothing better than 53 00:06:56,320 --> 00:07:01,720 getting that on Facebook so there it is, it's out there for the world to see. Yeah it was 54 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:11,760 quite amusing, I can't lie. Very very cute. Yeah me cute. That doesn't make sense. Two 55 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:19,080 words that really don't pin together very well but I suppose when you're that age, yeah 56 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:25,680 you know, cute is acceptable. But yeah no honestly it was such a good day, it was really 57 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:32,120 nice, it was great to see me name a grandad. It's nice to have me mum and me little bro 58 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:39,320 over. Fully enjoyed it, really did enjoy it. I do enjoy proper family days and that's why 59 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:45,120 I sort of wanted to talk about this a little bit today rather than constantly sort of talking 60 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:50,200 about the bad stuff that's going on because again I've got to be totally honest I'm really 61 00:07:50,200 --> 00:08:00,040 struggling at the minute in quite a big way but I want to focus on positives as well. 62 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:05,600 You know negatives are always going to be there, this condition it only seems to want 63 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:13,200 to go one way but me personally there's only one way I want to go and that's up. So yeah 64 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:19,000 I'll be honest with you I thoroughly enjoyed yesterday, great time and look forward to 65 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:28,580 us all doing it again. Now in terms of work, as I said previously I won't discuss too much 66 00:08:28,580 --> 00:08:36,380 about my work in terms of where I work and whatever else but I have to say I had my health 67 00:08:36,380 --> 00:08:45,200 and safety meeting after my diagnosis, that was in the week, absolutely brilliant. I can 68 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:51,760 only say my work are being fantastic with me, they really are. They're doing everything 69 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:59,920 they can possibly do to help and it was very much an official meeting, obviously I had 70 00:08:59,920 --> 00:09:08,460 my boss sat there, my direct line manager and somebody from the head office, the human 71 00:09:08,460 --> 00:09:15,880 resources department was on zoom call and basically they just let me talk, they let 72 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:23,080 me explain about the diagnosis, how it's come about, how I'm feeling, how I'm coping 73 00:09:23,080 --> 00:09:30,600 and everything else. And yeah I mean part of my job sometimes I have to go up on the 74 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:39,120 roof of the shopping centre, that I'm no longer allowed to do which I have to be honest, 75 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:43,800 bless Elisa has been telling me, my wife she's been telling me for a long time, stop 76 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:49,280 going up on the roof, stop trying to be brave, stop trying to be Mr I can do everything, 77 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:57,040 put your health first. So now I've also had it from work, I can't go up on the roof for 78 00:09:57,040 --> 00:10:04,720 my own safety because there's a ladder to climb up to get up there. So yeah that's 79 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:08,920 now got to stop, I will no longer be climbing up onto the roof, real shame because in the 80 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:15,360 summer it's beautiful up there but there you go, that's one of those things. But yeah 81 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:21,520 I'll be honest with you it was a very good meeting and I appreciate the fact they just 82 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:31,480 sort of left it to me to discuss. It's been made clear if I'm having a bit of a bad day, 83 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:37,400 just literally do whatever my body's telling me to do. If I'm struggling with being able 84 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:43,800 to move around and whatever else, I can sit in the office, there's bits and pieces that 85 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:49,640 need doing in there, it's not a problem at all. So yeah sit in the office, do what needs 86 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:58,920 to be done there and yeah just basically listen to my body. In terms of occupational health, 87 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:05,480 my work have asked if it would be okay for occupational health through the company to 88 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:11,440 get in touch and see if there's any other support that I can be given. Naturally the 89 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:22,440 answer's yes, again I don't mind what happens as long as it's very much there to help me 90 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:30,720 and help everyone else. So yeah I mean I gratefully accept a conversation with occupational health 91 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:36,760 and see if there's any more support that can be given to make things go as comfortably 92 00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:48,120 as possible while I'm at work. Yeah I mean it's very much been that case. As I've said 93 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:52,720 it just now, my work have been brilliant, they really have and I'm very very lucky 94 00:11:52,720 --> 00:12:00,640 in that respect. But yeah no as far as that goes, that really is where we are with it. 95 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:06,960 So my work are doing everything they can to try and support me and keep me being able 96 00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:13,920 to do my job. Because let's be honest with you, at times it's not necessarily easy to 97 00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:21,560 do so. So having that support is very much appreciated. But yeah I mean that's pretty 98 00:12:21,560 --> 00:12:32,760 much all I can really say about that. In terms of my general health, what I have noticed 99 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:40,560 over the last few days, cognitively, it's been really quite difficult. I must admit, 100 00:12:40,560 --> 00:12:47,960 it's not been easy, it really hasn't been easy at all. I've been forgetting real basic 101 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:54,040 stuff. I mean I put a pair of keys in my pocket the other day and I had two mobile phones 102 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:58,680 in the same pocket. I forgot where I put the keys, I couldn't even feel them. I couldn't 103 00:12:58,680 --> 00:13:05,280 feel the keys were there. I was scraping around everywhere to try and find them and eventually 104 00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:09,080 it was a case of trying to pull my phone out to sort of ring to see if they were at home 105 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:14,240 and actually the keys come up with my phone and these are not just a single key, they're 106 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:24,680 a big bunch. But yeah, I mean again, absolutely fine. I got that sorted, not an issue. This 107 00:13:24,680 --> 00:13:33,480 morning I can only explain it as brain fog because actually I'm forgetting real basic 108 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:39,600 stuff. I mean I'll sort of go out, put something down and literally within a couple of seconds 109 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:49,200 I've forgot where I've put it. Which is quite strange but hopefully that passes relatively 110 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:54,960 soon because it's making things a little bit difficult, I've got to be honest. Again, 111 00:13:54,960 --> 00:14:01,000 I mean even sort of sat here now, obviously I've write down these days everything that 112 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:07,480 I'm going to talk about on the podcast and even though I've got things sat in front of 113 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:15,480 me to say, actually I'm sort of looking at it, I'm seeing what I need to say and because 114 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:20,080 a couple of seconds have passed, actually I've forgotten again so I'm having to look 115 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:27,640 and sort of refresh my mind as to what it is I need to say. But again, I'm hoping that 116 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:34,160 it's going to pass itself on in the next little while, a few hours, a couple of days maybe, 117 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:42,640 fingers crossed. If not I think I'll just be a walking notice board. But yeah, I mean 118 00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:48,560 that's where we are. Today I wanted to be a bit different, I wanted to talk about the 119 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:57,080 positivity of yesterday because I did thoroughly enjoy it, the family thoroughly enjoyed it. 120 00:14:57,080 --> 00:15:05,400 And yeah, as I say I'm going to sit here very soon and record my podcast for my sports, 121 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:11,560 that's going to be on a new channel and let's see how that goes. But yeah, again I'm going 122 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:17,840 to say it, I really do appreciate all of you listening, I really do, more than you realise, 123 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:23,520 I'll be quite honest, a lot more than you realise. I hope you all have as good a week 124 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:29,120 as you can possibly have and I very much look forward to speaking to you again in a week's 125 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:57,120 time. You have a good one, I'll speak to you soon. Bye bye.