747 Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Sorry to hear about your health issues Rich. Old age creeps up on us like Tin Worm does in our vans. :'( Best of luck for the future. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Richard so sorry to hear you are having to give up MH but main thing is you are not giving up on life so UPWARDS AND ONWARD :-) I hope your health issues aren't terminal and you are just going to start taking life a bit more easy. It gets ever closer to that day for us but while O.H is able we will keep at it as like you we are old hands at the camping game. Take care maggy.x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted August 31, 2016 Author Share Posted August 31, 2016 My thanks to one and all and I am humbled that so many kind folk care so much and whilst I am not looking for sympathy perhaps I should explain, and if anyone has any similar experiences of Temporal Arteritis or Giant Cell Arteritis etc. I would love to hear from them as this is the condition that has been with me for most of this year and looks like being a long haul. It responded well to very high dosages of Prednisolone inititially but in recent weeks this is no longer the case and after a few nasty turns I am about to start a new course on Cyclophosphamide which looks like being fun - not! The condition should not be terminal but having had two serious relapses and a couple of 'blues and twos' ambulance trips this year who can tell - so if I suddenly disappear you will know that something nasty has caught me out! That apart as long as my eyes work enough to see the screeen I will continue on the forum as it is always good to be able to help others where I can. I am unable to drive and that does not look like changing anytime soon and the effects of the condition allied to the side effects of the steroids are making life interesting. Nevertheless you gotta be alive to grumble and I am not grumbling as it is so good to be alive, unlike so many people that have sadly been lost for ever. I still have, many interests that I can follow, as long as my long suffereing taxi driver will indulge me and I have managed to upset my wonderful caring loving wife Dot by buying a small boat which has given me something else to worry about! So that's about where we are as of today and we will survive (hopefully) and look towards other forms of holiday with optimism tinged with reality. We were at a funeral recently and a friend wryly said - "at least we are stood here looking down on the green side of the grass taliking to each other rather than laying there alone looking up at the brown side like our poor departed mate." He was right - there is much to look forward to on the brighter side of life and we do not intend to let this defeat us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Hi Rich, sorry you are having these problems. I have had both Prednisolone and Cyclophosphamide in years gone by, in 1992 I was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia and had the above drugs during the treatment. I have had many bouts of chemotherapy and although I still have CLL am still here to tell the tale and keeping well. So don't despair just yet as there are a lot of new treatment being used for many different problems. My Consultant said to me that "I have had treatments that he has only read about" so after 24 years I am always looking to the future and always with the attitude that it won't get the better of me. Good luck in the future. Sylvia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 I just had to google "Temporal Arteritis" as i thought you'd made a 'typo' for Arthritis! Blimey me. Well i'm sorry to hear you've decided to call it a day and sell up as it's a decision most of us eventually face and not an easy one. I must admit i don't know how longer i can carry on touring as my problems are arthritic and gradually getting worse. I will see how i go on next year. Friends say "why not just go for a few days or shorter trips" but that's not what i want. I wouldn't be happy. Stay on the board Rich and carry on airing the views. Promote your wife to Captain, give her a fancy peaked hat and all will be forgiven.....but you will have to learn your place as Galley boy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaleg Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Hi Rich, Sorry to hear of your problem and I sympathise , I myself take 19 pills a day but keep going,I may bump into you one day on Evesham high street,we visit a few times a year usualy Evesham country world (I know it has changed it's name or Hilliars etc . Take care mate. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthur49 Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Randonneur - 2016-08-31 1:46 PM Hi Rich, sorry you are having these problems. I have had both Prednisolone and Cyclophosphamide in years gone by, in 1992 I was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia and had the above drugs during the treatment. I have had many bouts of chemotherapy and although I still have CLL am still here to tell the tale and keeping well. So don't despair just yet as there are a lot of new treatment being used for many different problems. My Consultant said to me that "I have had treatments that he has only read about" so after 24 years I am always looking to the future and always with the attitude that it won't get the better of me. Good luck in the future. Sylvia I have had CLL for just over 2 years .... well probably longer, but only diagnosed 2 years ago. No treatment offered at this stage but I keep pretty well. So try to look positive Rich. None of us knows whats round the corner but its not necessarily bad :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted August 31, 2016 Author Share Posted August 31, 2016 One of the reasons I am not complaining about my lot is that I am only too aware of all those other really nasty and life threatenening illnesses with which so many of you cope every day and I salute your fortitude and good humour in the face of such adversity. There are many facets to our decision to give up the nomadic life that we have enjoyed for so long,not least of which are the complications of other conditions for both of us, the inability to get affordable health insurance, the changing face of Europe, and of freedom unplanned Motorhoming, our reduced ability to cope with problems as they arise or to defend ourselves if needs be. We also are less able to cope with longer hauls anymore and most of the places we would want to visit are in countries well South of the Loire so on balance we have decided to quit whilst we are ahead and bow out with some great memories to cherish and no real disasters to ponder. All is not lost as far from giving up on life we will just refocus on a different life style and all I can say to those fitter than us is to get out there NOW and do the things you plan to do 'oneday' because tomorrow is promised to nobody and situations can change so quickly. We might be disappointed not to have wandered some countries but on the other hand trips to Norway and the Nordkapp and Morocco and the Shara Desert have some fabulous memories and photos that we will treasure for the rest of our lives. So no more excuses please - do it NOW! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet1956 Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Perhaps when you sell your van you will have plenty of cash to explore the world with your beloved in the extreme comfort of a cruise or two. I have a friend who had your condition and she's managed it really well after treatment. Here's hoping you do the same. One door closes and another.... :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawki Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Hi tracker Very sorry to hear it's time for you to jack it in But all the very best with your new adventures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebeaches Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Sorry to hear about your health challenges and, sadly, it's understandable that you have decided to sell your much loved van. Not much consultation, but as a number of others have commented, it will come to all of us sooner or later, for one reason or another. Just on the subject of travelling and holidays without the van - we are big fans of the Holiday Property Bond (HPB). It has more than 1,300 properties in about 35 different location around the UK and Europe. For a modest investment you can have access to excellent and well managed self-catering accommodation. HPB was established in 1983, has never had any borrowings, and continues to go from strength to strength. We have no connection other than being satisfied Bondholders. We occasionally use our van to get to some of the overseas properties, but they are all accessible by public transport and or private transfers. Just to add, the local management are particularly caring and will always help out with medical or any other type of emergency. Hope you didn't mind me mentioning it, but thought there was a small possibility it might be of interest given your new circumstances. Feel free to PM me if you want to know any more. Best wishes, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 Sorry to hear of your problems Rich. Best wishes for the future. Which ever directions it takes you, enjoy the things you still can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tall_Mike Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 Sorry to hear about this, - I have found MMM a great resource being a new boy and some of your posts have been really useful adding to the body of knowledge. I had to give up Motorcycling after 40 plus years riding a year ago for health reasons, I know absolutely not of the same scale but it's about quitting while ahead, not going too far, getting into difficulties, and then getting really stuck in one way or another, also the risk of something bad happening starts to hang with more weight than it did before, better to stop while ahead than when not with a full blown crisis to manage possibly miles from home, I can fully understand where you are coming from. I hope you will continue to post and suspect that many of us are not that far away from medical problems. Continuing to share hard earned knowledge with us newbies - I now know the difference between an AES and a MES Fridge, how my heating panel works, and far too much about Comfortmatic Gearbox issues thanks to members of this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Salisbury Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 I too may be in the same predicament when I get home tomorrow as I have been told that there is a brown envelope from DVLA waiting to be opened which I am sure is the result of the Field Test I had on 17 August. Although I scored 112 out of 120 which appears very good it is determined by DVLA and if the result is against me then I too will have to stop driving. I shall have to sell MH, car and motorbike and sidecar. Then so be it. I have been motoring since October 1954 but am keeping fingers crossed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted September 1, 2016 Author Share Posted September 1, 2016 I'm so sorry to hear of your sight problems Len, and anyone else in the same boat. I have discovered this year that life does not end with the loss of a driving license but it sure does get a heck of a lot more complicated after all those years of freedom! I, and the neurologists, rheumotologists and opotometrists who all seem to be working together on my side at the Worcester Royal Hospital, which luckily I find to be one of the best I have ever experienced, seem to think we can crack this for me so I remain an optimist, tinged with reality, just in case! Nil carborundum illigitemii! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyg3nwl Posted September 2, 2016 Share Posted September 2, 2016 Hi, as with all the others, may I offer my sympathies as well. I wonder how much longer I will be able to continue, especially in view of obtaining medical insurance cover. currently insured via Caravan club, and their screening questions always ask "have you in the last 2 years ...." In view of the insurers always seeking the getout clause, and in view of my medical history since birth, 78 years ago, I am sure that somewhere along the line there must be something that they will find to introduce the get out clause " but you didnt declare that, so we wont cover you..." in spite of the fact the screening only ask for info in the last 2 years.. having had a quick visit to A and E just a couple of weeks ago, suffering severe back pain , and with previous history of kidney stones, they did all the checks scans etc but nothing found conclusively. Pain subsided after 12 hours,, so they suggested that stone must have passed naturally. This event will surely have to be declared in future, just in case.???. At what extra premium?? tonyg3nwl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Salisbury Posted September 2, 2016 Share Posted September 2, 2016 Hi Rich (Tracker) I eventually got back from Devon today in 4 hours 200 miles in the Peugeot and made a Beeline for the mail that was awaiting me from DVLA. I held my breath whilst I was opening the envelope. A good result thank goodness! I can continue to drive for a further 2 years until my current licence expires they will send me some forms 3 months before expiration. So we can still go shopping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazdog6007 Posted September 2, 2016 Share Posted September 2, 2016 tough break tracker,one which will come to us all ,only time decides when.don't forget to say there's a fine pair of mirror protectors attached. I was hoping we would meet one day on site.best wishes,roy & carol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted September 2, 2016 Share Posted September 2, 2016 Tracker - 2016-09-01 5:28 PM.........................I, and the neurologists, rheumotologists and opotometrists who all seem to be working together on my side at the Worcester Royal Hospital, which luckily I find to be one of the best I have ever experienced, seem to think we can crack this for me.............................. Which I truly hope will prove the case. I was much saddened to read your first post above, but am glad you will continue to contribute to this forum - and hope you will continue doing so long into the future. I hope the treatment succeeds in restoring your health in rather less than the two years suggested as average, and that your sight suffers no long-term deterioration. Motorhoming does become a bit of an all-pervading pastime - though I hear there are others :-) - but I'm sure you'll find an equally appealing alternative if driving remains out of bounds. In the meantime, all the best with the treatment. BTW, your profile says you registered in 2012, but I was expecting so find a much earlier date. Surely you were posting more than 4 years ago? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted September 2, 2016 Share Posted September 2, 2016 Brian Kirby - 2016-09-02 7:04 PM Tracker - 2016-09-01 5:28 PM.........................I, and the neurologists, rheumotologists and opotometrists who all seem to be working together on my side at the Worcester Royal Hospital, which luckily I find to be one of the best I have ever experienced, seem to think we can crack this for me.............................. Which I truly hope will prove the case. I was much saddened to read your first post above, but am glad you will continue to contribute to this forum - and hope you will continue doing so long into the future. I hope the treatment succeeds in restoring your health in rather less than the two years suggested as average, and that your sight suffers no long-term deterioration. Motorhoming does become a bit of an all-pervading pastime - though I hear there are others :-) - but I'm sure you'll find an equally appealing alternative if driving remains out of bounds. In the meantime, all the best with the treatment. BTW, your profile says you registered in 2012, but I was expecting so find a much earlier date. Surely you were posting more than 4 years ago? Yes he was Brian. B eliev e he got suspended , when we used to have some of those VERY controversial, poster. i know we still have one or two, but every one is entitled to their opinion. As long as Rich can contribute to discussions on here , let's hope he will. After all he has valuable info from past, . I guess there are lot's of us who have seen better days !! and getting to our sell by date. Me for one PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted September 2, 2016 Share Posted September 2, 2016 Brian Kirby - 2016-09-02 7:04 PM Motorhoming does become a bit of an all-pervading pastime - though I hear there are others :-) Brian, I have heard this as well but yet to find any evidence it is true. Tracker, Hopefully you will provide evidence of other pastimes very soon. J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antony1969 Posted September 2, 2016 Share Posted September 2, 2016 Rich just seen this post ... As everyone else has said sorry to hear of your situation ... Maybe it explains your choice in horrendous shirts ... Keep smiling fella , you have in all the time Ive graced this site been one of the few who don't take themselves too seriously and can have a laugh ... Please keep posting and all the best Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted September 2, 2016 Author Share Posted September 2, 2016 Brian Kirby - 2016-09-02 7:04 PM Motorhoming does become a bit of an all-pervading pastime - though I hear there are others :-) - but I'm sure you'll find an equally appealing alternative if driving remains out of bounds. In the meantime, all the best with the treatment. BTW, your profile says you registered in 2012, but I was expecting so find a much earlier date. Surely you were posting more than 4 years ago? Thanks Brian, I originally joined the forum in I believe 2005 but got myself banned as part of the process of getting someone else banned around 2008. I immediately rejoined as Tracker but I got fed up with all the bitching and aggression and deleted myself in 2012, however I soon realised the error of my ways and rejoined! I'm not going away unless I die - and I guess I will one day - but not just yet I hope! There are other hobbies out there but they too are expensive in the main but I have just bought a boat in need of a 'few odd jobs' which is keeping me occupied when I get the chance and I will be tempted to fill the void left by a departing van with something like a classic Porsche, Jag, Aston or similar - but shhhhhh - don't tell Dot!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted September 2, 2016 Author Share Posted September 2, 2016 tazdog6007 - 2016-09-02 6:56 PM tough break tracker,one which will come to us all ,only time decides when.don't forget to say there's a fine pair of mirror protectors attached. I was hoping we would meet one day on site.best wishes,roy & carol. Thanks Roy and Carol - Professor Sodde and his law applies here - as it does with a few other mods that I have made this year - but the mirrors do look good and it's only money! Site? Wassat? Wishing you safe and happy travels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted September 2, 2016 Author Share Posted September 2, 2016 Len Salisbury - 2016-09-02 4:22 PM Hi Rich (Tracker) I eventually got back from Devon today in 4 hours 200 miles in the Peugeot and made a Beeline for the mail that was awaiting me from DVLA. I held my breath whilst I was opening the envelope. A good result thank goodness! I can continue to drive for a further 2 years until my current licence expires they will send me some forms 3 months before expiration. So we can still go shopping. Great result Len - I am delighted for you - NOW make the most of it and cram in EVERYTHING you have ever wanted to do!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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