Throughout our lives we are faced with opportunities. Some I chose not to choose and some I am so grateful I did choose. Like friendships, to go this way or that. Have you ever stopped to think; what would I have happened if I had chosen a different path. Where life would have taken us should we have chosen to befriend someone or not.
I remember once walking down a street and our eyes met we smiled at each other and carried on walking. Perhaps had I stopped I would not have the people in my life I do today. But is not about what we didn’t do is it. It’s about what we did do that chances our path. Or is it the not doing that takes us on a new path to the things we choose to do.
For me I am happy I never stopped that day, although it’s still something in my mind. Because without me choosing not to I did not sink. Or maybe that smile was just something we shared that made both of our lives better.
I adore smiling at people I think need some kindness. 3 days ago I smiled at a married lady with little hair. “You on chemotherapy” I said. She lit up and gave me a hug. It was like we understood and empathised with each other. It’s amazing how we can affect someone’s life just by understanding someone.
Only you can have that affect on someone. Only you can bring light into someone’s life. Never say you are not able to do anything, because even a smile can have a positive affect on others lives. You have the smile and ability to do that. Try it make someone’s day, choose to smile today. Let me know how that went in the comments.
Cancer stories (people helping people through experience)
It’s a group where people’s experiences are used to encourage others.
Everything you read are better based on my own experience and my own opinions. I express them here to encourage you. Pleapse share with others, if it meant something tou you it owill to someone
else. All images are from a Google search. Or my own, taken whilst creating memories every day.
You could change a life by sharing this post! Will you?
Thank you cancer.
Why not? I mean cancer has for sure helped me to see a world in a different way. I hope I can explain it well enough for you, that maybe you can see the world differently to just by reading this blog.
In my world only my loving wife and my mom and dad truly know what life’s like for me. I am fortunate to be a prayed for man, which humbles me greatly that people take the time to pray. As I wrote that I phoned one of my dads friends who is in a nursing home who prays for me to thank him. People are so nice aren’t they. So on with this post.
If you suffer with pain or know someone that does or side effects from treatment this is for them, I just hope you can share it with them if you think it will help.
You see when you have pain, a useless one like nerve damage. It’s not something that can be changed, it most certainly will not go away by complaining about it or worrying about it. However there are things we can do, things that make life less painful even though the pain still exsists. I get told many times how wonderfully I have done, and can only thank God for the strength I have been given to carry on and the friends he has put my way. There are many things and words that can help us in life you know, just by putting a positive word into Google, or on my blog you will find something that will take your mind away from the pain you feel. So let’s take a word any word, an ordinary one and let’s see if we can help ourselves with one word.
BEE
So firstly from my own mind, what does the word Bee mean to me, well until just recently it could be an insect that stings and then dies needlessly. Pointlessly you may think. That could be the end, could it not? Or we could look at what a bee has it’s sting for that it protects its colony from predictors, that it makes Honey that’s used in so many different ways. In fact we find that some bees have heeling properties in their Honesy such as Manuka from New Zealand. We can take a photo of it and look at how amazing it is how it collects pollen, and by doing so pollinates other plants and even helps them to produce fruit. In fact without the bee, there would be no fruit at all on some trees. We can see the beauty that there is in what the bee does and how it looks all the time whilst doing this one thing, the pain we have feels less. Because we have looked at something in a different way. We have given ourselves a new perspective at that moment therefore helping our mental health and feeling less of the bad things for a short while.
Of course the Bee symbolises so much more now, being a symbol of anti terrorism for Manchester and a sign that we stand together against it.
Our two Labradors are amazing, they change how I feel and for sure help me with my own pain levels to. When I concentrate on them rather than the pain, it’s like I have gone through a period where I forgot I was in pain. Speaking of positive things, and doing positive actions make a differance in life, not only for the person that suffers but for the person that supports a person that suffers.
How you perceive something changes your whole life.
Fonz
http://www.fonzandcancer.com
Follow me on Twitter
@fonzmark
Email – fonzicloud@icloud.com
Our support group on our FB
Cancer stories (people helping people through experience)
It’s a group where people’s experiences are used to encourage others. I
Everything you read are better based on my own experience and my own opinions. I express them here to encourage you. Please share with others, if it meant something tou you it will to someone
else. All images are from a Google search. Or my own, taken whilst creating memories every day.
It’s funny how a memory can trigger so much of your past. How people act or even a film! We don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, but we do love each day together, now don’t think we have the perfect Hollywood relation. What we do have is something that many people never find in life.
My mum and dads look at each other is Valentine’s Day every day for them. Then I think of the sand storms , the snow, the rain, the potholes in the road we have faced and then remember my wife. I say in my mind ” thank you father ” you allowed this part of my life. Some people have stopped visiting, but they dont love us less. They just have a life to live to.
Ps, I have committed to doing this for 365 days every morning, what I ask of you is that you share these blogs I make on email, facebook twitter, you can affect people by pressing a button. Please do that. I asked ppl to share yesterday 18/05/2015 at 8pm they did and 100 people saw my blogs in 2 hours. It only takes a click or two.
Our support group on our FB
Cancer stories (people helping people through experience)
It’s a group where people’s experiences are used to encourage others.
Everything you read are better based on my own experience and my own opinions. I express them hereby to encourage you. Please share with others, if it meant something tou you it will to someone else. All images are from a Google search. Or my own, taken whilst creating memories every day.
I was reminded on a phone call tonight, something very poinient. Something that all to many people do in their lives that stops them from being successful. I am married to a winner, my marriage is to someone who likes to say Yes. Extraordinary people tend to do one thing that makes them just that. Do you know what that is? They help people. Now I am not talking about helping them to get up a hill when they don’t want to. (Energy is wasted pulling donkeys uphill) You see how can you hold another’s hand unless they reach out theirs. People that hold out their hands are either helping or being helped, and what you do will always remain your choice. How you see yourself is who you will be, and who you won’t be also.
The people in this world that help others in my mind, are the ones that are extraordinary. They are the people that make things happen, they are the ones on the phone helping others. When I started this blog, I hoped that one person would be encouraged to carry on. That one person would find the strength within them to get back up and move forwards once again. For sure cancer has helped me to mature, it’s helped me to see the world in a perspective that maybe I never asked for. Someone sat in front of me and told me I had cancer, and I chose how to respond to that. Cancer or indeed any battle in life, makes you who you are today. Even the word can’t makes you into something.
Some of my posts are very dark, even life itself seemingly impossible at times. Thoughts of giving up, throwing in the towel and times on my knees with tears rolling down my face. But yet all those times made me into the man I am today, the man that wants to hold out his hand and help others in their very own battles. My heart is to help those that want to help themselves. My heart is to stand with those that want to stand and maybe feel they can’t. It’s not a word I use often but I know others do say it. Which kinda brings me to the end of this very short post.
Those that are extraordinary, always move forwards. They find solutions, where others see problems. They say yes where others say can’t. Because of course you are right, if you say you can’t you can’t. Those that give reasons to do rather than excuses not to help people. Choose to say can’t, you are exactly right.
Cancer stories (people helping people through experience)
It’s a group where people’s experiences are used to encourage others.
Everything you read are better based on my own experience and my own opinions. I express them hereby to encourage you. Please share with others, if it meant soumething tou you it will to someone else. All images are from a Google search. Or my own, taken whilst creating memories every day.
My names Mark, Fonz to my friends. My story isn’t a A heart wrenching one or anything, it’s just my life. A life I never expected to live. I always had plans to be a dad some day, but with the right girl. The girl that made me quiver, the girl that loved me for me. I was not especially good looking normal I guess, mr average although not in all departments. I always thought I would be a high achiever. Live in an above average house, not that the house was big, just that it would be full of love. One song I can’t forget was ‘feel’ by Robbie Williams.
I always dreamt of feeling the feeling of love in the home that we live in. My first marriage was born out of hate, a bomb in Ireland my girlfriend bk than was stood 10 feet from the bomb when it blew. We married and love was born out of a tragic bomb that affects people’s lives today and will forever. Married life failed. Back then I wanted to end the hopes and dreams, I felt as though I should die . Leave you all behind as it were. I decided to travel instead to look for my Mrs right. To have some fun whilst doing it, I drank to forget. When I drank I was numb,numbed by the alcohol. I lived and did things I loved. Went to Sydney on New Year’s Eve, Brisbane at Christmas. Travelled New Zealand. Along the way I turned down life long dreams. Swimming with dolphins, seeing a glacier, many things that I wanted to do with a true love. I did go to an F1 grad prix in Melbourne though and came home soon after. Tears rolled as I flew back to GB.
I moved to Manchester. Where I met some amazing people, but one I met in the most unlikely of places on the most unlikely night. A night out with a friend, a different pub and there she was. Blonde hair, the most amazing smile and sourounded by men. I whispered in her ear ( I will be back when your boy friend is gone) I then flicked her hair into her face. That was the start of our lives together, the girl I had gone around the world looking for was there. You know, the one that makes your heart melt. The one that’s for you.
We worked hard, moving into a really little semi detached house after 4 years renting a big terrace. Then losing her mum to cancer so suddenly it shook us both. 4 years later we moved to Preston where we now live. Little did we know what was ahead. 1/4/2011 we moved in June 2011 I was told I would die with out treatment diagnosed with cancer. July I started treatment. They told me I would become infertile so I had to store some boys. Swimmers or sperm to the medical among you. I did, and hoped one day I would be able to use them after the fight to beat cancer. 6 months of treatment, chemo every 2 weeks. We had Christmas together 2011, friends disowned us. Family did not understand. Our fight carried on, until I started to get better, work again, the extension I started when diagnosed was finished. I started to do bits in the garden, help a friend, my energy came back a little and we bought our dog faith.
Faith was my shadow, a wonderful dog. She still comes with me where ever I go, and loves her dad like no other. For me she would do anything.
Ah but then I have to say, she licked me on my neck, again and again and barked at me often. She was telling me it’s back, my cancer had come again. A Bone marrow transplant, a tiny room. All the time believing my deposit would be used one day. 18 months ago I had that transplant weak though I still am and not able to work full days, we hoped that IVF would be given to us. My wife was 39 but got to 40 when we had our appointment, we were told we would be able to go ahead to now eventually have a child. A gift from God, although stored by me and saved in the nitrogen bank.
Then that day, the letter came. No it said, your wife’s to old and you should have tried earlier. You are not able to have children. But not giving up we made an appeal, supported by phycologist doctors and reports. Yet still the answer is no. Is it?
That’s when we decided to let our beloved faith have pups.
So here we are, that’s where our journey has led us.
Meet our puppies that will get a new home. But also our blonde girl Lilly Hope. Our new blessing.
Ps, I have committed to doing this for 365 days every morning, what I ask of you is that you share these i make on email, facebook twitter, you can affect people by pressing a button. Please do that. I asked ppl to share yesterday 18/05/2015 at 8pm they did and 100 people saw my blogs in 2 hours. It only takes a click or two.
Our support group on our FB
Cancer stories (people helping people through experience)
It’s a group where people’s experiences are used to encourage others. I
Everything you read are better based on my own experience and my own opinions. I express them here to encourage you. Please share with others, if it meant something tou you it will to someone
else. All images are from a Google search. Or my own, taken whilst creating memories every day.
I guess this should be a merry Christmas post, or happy something or other if your religion is that of those that consider Christianity and Christmas non exsistant or offensive. Good news it’s not, it’s about pain. It’s about the people that never asked for pain, they never did a stunt and broke a leg, or tried to commit suicide. Although some have, but that’s another blog. This is about people that are not able to escape from their demon PAIN!
Pain really screws up your day, makes things that seem simple to others impossible once it takes hold. You do your best to be as normal as possible. Yet no matter what you do outwardly it never disappears. Only those that know pain know what I mean. You wake up with it and go to bed with it. It never dissapears. It’s not like a pin prick, or a broken limb, it chips away at you never ever resting. Until you have had enough and it does not matter that it’s the time of year, or the love you are supposed to feel. It’s just about doing the best you can. You smile so others feel good. I mean, no one is ever interested in what’s going on with you really are they “Snap out of it” “smile ” they say.
Well I just want to say, sometimes words that I never normally want to say. F…K Y.U have a little understanding by putting yourself where they are. But you can’t can you? because you don’t understand. Please don’t glance over what a pain suffer feels, what we feel is as important as a child. Only we don’t get to take our pain away for the evening, to have a meal without it. We just have it, and nothing we do will enable us to escape. We are trapped by a consuming fire, chemo can cause permanent damage. I have that, it grinds you down and you feel useless, and extremely worthless. Yea some people say ” great life you don’t have to work ” I laugh. Because I do work in lots of ways. Just do no matter what is my advice. But above all else, be honest. If the person speaks about themselves in response. Well you know, and I know they are trying to understand. It’s not their fault really. Give those that don’t understand a prayer this Christmas. Of course pray for al, those in pain this Christmas, they really do matter.
Cancer stories (people helping people through experience)
It’s a group where people’s experiences are used to encourage others.
Everything you read are better based on my own experience and my own opinions. I express them here to encourage you. Please share with others, if it meant something tou you it will to someone else. All images are from a Google search. Or my own, taken whilst creating memories every day.
So it’s true, that there is good in everything if we look for it. My wife reads to me most nights now as my friend has given me a book to read called “illusions” Although I write believe it or not I am not a great reader, I don’t even read my Blog posts back a lot of the time. I also find that in my dreams sometimes I am spoken to, not by my wife but by someone far bigger than me. Sometimes my dreams are complicated, and others so very very clear. But this came from the book she reads to me.
So picture this, a river not the fastest river you ever saw, but all the same one that never runs dry. A river teaming with life, imagine then that there are some creatures in the river holding on for dear life, they do it everyday. Everyday they have to hold on so they are not swept away by the current. They don’t know why they hold on, but they chat to each other one day and discuss why they are holding on so tightly. One says to the other, we will be hurt if we let go and will be battered and bruised by the rocks. The other one says “yes but I am bored holding on, I want to let go and trust where the rivers current will take me”
The ones holding on, do not trust that they will not get hurt. For if they let go they will indeed get hit by the stones and rocks. They have no faith in what they don’t see, they only trust in what they can see. Yet the one who wants to let Ho and trust the stream believes by faith that where the stream is going and must know something he/she does not. Or surly the river would not keep flowing.
The time came that they let go, and sure enough the stream sent it smashing into the rocks below, hurt battered and bruised by the Flow of the water. It was not the water that hurt, it was what was in the river. The stream continued to flow and carried him up to the surface where there was sunlight and a new way of living. He had never seen the sunlight before, but because he had let go and had faith in what he could not see. He/She was able to see how beautiful they were, the colour of how he was made and learned that he had wings and was able to fly. He was given a gift because he used faith in what was unseen to become the beautiful person he became.
Life has been like this for us all I suspect at certain times, but not knowing what will be is the same for us all. Having faith in what will be is the same for us all to, only we can let go of what is so we can know what could be. Only we can allow what our true destiny is, to be discovered by having a few hits but still moving forwards. I just wonder if you will hold on tight to what you know, or if you will allow yourself to trust what is going to be by letting go.
Cancer stories (people helping people through experience)
It’s a group where people’s experiences are used to encourage others.
Everything you read are based on my own experience and my own opinions. I express them here to encourage you. Please share with others, if it meant something to you it will to someone else. All images are from a Google search. Or my own, taken whilst creating memories every day.
Is your today, like my today. 13 months after transplant and I am still feel pain from my treatment yet no one asks how I am. Just the empty question. “How are you”? Gets asked yet they don’t really want to know really you start to tell them and they glaze over. I have learnt this in my journey. To be selective in who you choose to be a friend. I used to be the first to the bar and the last to buy a drink. Now I value my time with people, love, help, comfort, enjoy, but above all respectand consider who I am with. I don’t expect anything from them, but it’s nice to be loved in what ever way they see fit.
We are not well in this house at the moment, but one thing is for sure. My wife will always want to be close to me and so will my wife. Cancer has ripped so many people off and I am determined that after fighting for 7 years that cancer will not dominate any more of my life except in a good way.
I want yo encourage people facing chemo, operations, what ever it is in cancer that there is and has been more than that. There is a boy I love called Mitch, I have watched his brave journey and prayed for him. In my mind it’s not about judging what someone was. But hopping who they could be. Mitch won. He had cancer in his head, had brain surgery yet he lives and encourages those in life that need it instead of saying. “What about me” what about you really. Should you not be doing?
For me life is about what we do do, what we don’t do is something that will never be a part of your history just what you could have been.
Cancer stories (people helping people through experience)
It’s a group where people’s experiences are used to encourage others.
Everything you read are based on my own experience and my own opinions. I express them here to encourage you. Please share with others, if it meant something to you it will to someone else. All images are from a Google search. Or my own, taken whilst creating memories.
So here I was today, emptying the conservatory with my wife, finding new homes for some things and throwing other things. We had a chat to a guy who was doing a job for us and just generally having a tidy up. I was moving forwards by standing and doing. I have not written for 3 days, due to the excessive pain through doing a bit on skater day in the rain. Yesterday my friend Rob blogged for me reliving me of my post duty. What a special gift it is to have friends, even ones you have never met, these include people from all over the world. From England to Australia. One of my friends reminded me that I can. By saying the words. Mark, you can, you really can. That was my friend in Australia Amanda, she made me read my own blog.
On reading it again, and being appalled at the spelling, I realised that what I had written actually encouraged me to. It made me think that maybe it’s actually an amazing gift that I had been given. Not only to have so many friends all over the world, but the ability to express myself. Maybe that’s a gift in itself. I realised that we all have our own way of expression and I have after 47 years found the one way of expression that mattered. A way that gave something to me aswell as everyone else that reads what I write.
As I read ” you can, really you can” it spoke to me. It lifted me and motivated me, it made me realise that maybe I need to read what I write myself. Sound strange right. Well often I never re read what I have written. I just lost it 99 times out of a 100. Only you get to read it not me, but I have realised that I need to hear what I write as much as the next person. Thank you for yesterday’s blog Rob you made a grown man cry.
Yea of course life’s tougher with pain in it, but true friends show their true colours when things are tough. Maybe you are like me realising right now that what you do is of value to yourself aswell as other people. I am starting to feel reenergised because of the people around me that encourage me to carry on. What ever you do is of importance to somebody. Keep doing that, it’s when we don’t do that our lives become devalued. You have the ability to help someone everyday. What could be more special than that?
Cancer stories (people helping people through experience)
It’s a group where people’s experiences are used to encourage others.
Everything you read are based on my own experience and my own opinions. I express them here to encourage you. Please share with others, if it meant something to you it will to someone else. All images are from a Google search. Or my own.
You may never ever have the effect on the world, if you don’t actually say to someone what you think you have to say. What you have to say, could change the whole direction of someone’s life for the better. Yet you don’t say what you have to say, and there may be no effect, or maybe the effect of you not saying something neglected to encourage someone that needed to hear what you have to say. See that’s what I have struggled with in recent days, that my blog is not effective, encouraging, or maybe even futile. Yes I thought those thoughts.
Why did I even think such absolute rubbish, why did I rob someone of a post that should have been written but never was. We will never know what those posts were, what they would have said or how the may have affected people. But one thing I do know is, I personally have to be of the right mind to write. You know that I speak with truth and integrity and from my very own experience. I was talking to my dad, (who possibly is my worst critic) and he encouraged me to continue. That it was worth while doing what I am doing. Writing here to you. I am not able to tell you how many times I wanted to give up, how many times I heard small voices saying things like ” no one wants to hear what you write ” ” no one even understands your words ” such lies. Such de motive lies. Such useless unviable and needless ethics. Just not what is really happening.
I write, so one person a day may feel encouragement, and I believe that happens everyday. I believe a power greater than I puts my posts in front of someone that needs it everyday. So again I say. ” I will carry on ” I WILL! Deter me, do your best to de energise me. Then I will rise up stronger again, because what I believe I should do I will do. Only now have I realised it should have been pool night tonight. But no one text. Maybe it’s I that should make it happen. Maybe it’s you that should say what you have to say.
After all, there is only you on this planet that is able to say what you have to say. How powerful is that. Only you…..
Cancer stories (people helping people through experience)
It’s a group where people’s experiences are used to encourage others.
Everything you read are based on my own experience and my own opinions. I express them here to encourage you. Please share with others, if it meant something to you it will to someone else. All images are from a Google search. Or my own.
