I'm participating in this ride for the 2nd year - this year there and back!

I've had cancer twice, once in the throat and once in the eye.The treatment for throat cancer was debilitating in itself and at one point left me with barely enough strength to call for an ambulance. My weight went from 13 1/2 stone down to 8 stone.

It involved initially 3 months of chemo, then teeth removal due to later radio therapy shrinking the gums, a feed tube implanted into the stomach (although whichever way you're fed, you're still violently sick every day), and then later a further 2 1/2 months of chemo and radio therapy. A mask had to be made to clamp my head so the radio therapy doesn't miss it's target - 'hitting' the spine could have resulted in paralysis. I was off work for over 7 months.

For the eye cancer I was referred to a specialist at Liverpool hospital. I underwent a drug trial which involved having injections into the eye itself. Unfortunately this didn't work, the eye couldn't be saved and had to be removed to stop the spread of the disease.

I also had regular check-ups with a specialist in Southampton since this cancer can spread to the liver.

It's my wish that one day no-one will have to endure such a harsh and debilitating battle, that children won't have to look at their parents wasting away fighting this disease. Funding helps drug trials and treatments to be developed - I'm hoping that completing this cycle challenge will also add to that contribution.

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Many thanks,

Steve

emery181@btinternet.com