In the last 7 days I have had the packing removed from my ear, fought off a SMART attack, walked 23.73 miles ascending 1,436 feet, and run another 2.15 miles ascending 171 feet before doing 6 pull ups and 3 press ups and 3 sit ups. I have also captured two additional smiles and cooked two delicious meals and made 7 cancer fighting balanced daily lifestyle lunches and breakfasts each.
I had the packing from my ear surgery removed by a wonderful nurse in the Lauriston, Edinburgh. I was warned that it could be uncomfortable but then the nurse had no idea that I had nothing left in my right inner ear. As my ENT consultant called it, “I had no ear furniture”. So it came out with no pain at all and even better than that, the nurse agreed that I could get back on my bike again as long as my helmet would fit on my head without sitting on the wound. It doesn’t, so I am back on the bike which is of course marvellous.
However, another day I also suffered another SMART attack triggered by just 30 minutes spent concentrating at my computer. I knew it was coming when my sight started to close in, so I took myself out for a short walk to try and clear it from my head. By the time I came back after just 0.71 of a mile walked, I couldn’t see at all well. I could see the difference between sea and land so was not going to walk into the Firth of Forth, but lamp posts were jumping out at me and I couldn’t tell if a person was fat or thin, male or female, black or white. I felt incredibly vulnerable as I searched with my feet for the edge of the pavement to cross the quiet road to get back to the flat, hoping beyond hope, that I would be able to hear in my one good ear if a car was coming. All I knew was that my walk had failed to clear it, and I had to get back before my motor function coordination went, rendering me unable to walk. So I prayed a quick prayer and listening hard, stepped out in faith. As I walked back into the flat Allie, who had been in a zoom meeting, rushed to the door to check I was okay, only to discover that my speech was going too and that I had lost motor function in my left arm. I had to get to bed to try to catch a thirty minute nap to nip any further degeneration in my neurological function in the bud. Thirty minutes later, despite sleeping soundly, we discovered that It didn’t work, Allie got me up and sat me down in the kitchen to get an emergency large dose of Aspirin (as prescribed by the neurologist for such events) into me to try to stop it further. That worked. I was exhausted for the remainder of the day, and the following day with a horrible hangover that lingered, but I am now back to normal until the next one. I keep fighting and doing my best to spread a little light with the smiles I capture and sponsorship I raise. Just looking through my smileometer on the website can’t fail to make me smile on even the darkest of days.
The European Theologian Albert Schweitzer once said that:
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success.”
I am utterly convinced that he is correct, especially when fighting disease.
Please help me to spread a little light into the lives of those that struggle by sending me a photo of your smile that I can publish, with the other 231 smiles so far collected, on the smileometer on my website, and via the Challenge social media channels of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Emailing it to me would be best on archie@beatthebeastchallenge.co.uk or message it to me on Messenger or Instagram.
Furthermore I continue to look for sponsorship. Many have suggested that I would find life more comfortable if I was to take a chill pill and just focus on enjoying life. Yet I keep fighting and keep writing despite my neurological challenges, purely and simply to save lives, mine, and those who are starving to death as I write: men, women and children trapped in their millions in the triple whammy of COVID, warfare and climate change related natural disaster around the world in the Yemen, Syria, South Sudan, Myanmar and Nepal.
Please challenge me to keep fighting with your sponsorship for just £1 per month along with the other 66 sponsors so far gained. I guarantee, that with the generosity of:
The Royal Bank of Scotland.
Webb and Wallace Accountants in Doune.
MHCreations in Glasgow.
Key Facilities Management in Doune.
That every single penny raised goes to save and rebuild lives through the Disasters Emergency Committee. Not a single penny is lost to costs.
Every penny raised encourages me to keep fighting to prevent my brain tumour from returning as predicted, and to retrain and strengthen my brain, using the mediums of Golf, Music, Navigating over the Hills, Drama, Dance, Juggling, Litter Picking and Writing, with becoming neurologically and cognitively strong enough to one day be able to sustain myself in some form of future employment being my goal while saving lives through the DEC on the way.
Please sponsor me to make me happy. After all, happiness is the key to success
Thank you, Keep safe, keep being brilliant. Keeeeeeeeeeeep smiling!
Yours aye with love and gratitude,
Archie xx
