To all Friends in Dad's "Old Cars" email address book
Dad is known to many of you as Jonmac. He tells me he has quite a lot of
outstanding mail from you that he hasn't yet answered and this is a source of
considerable concern to him. After quite a lot of discussion, he's agreed for
me to tell you why.
Dad was diagnosed with cancer in 2000 and despite some intensive radiotherapy,
it seems to have been spreading ever since. He's now on a massive radiotherapy
course (the fourth they've given him) and he's receiving the maximum level of
radiation allowed for what he has. Surgery isn't really an option FOR HIM and
we'll know the outcome of this current session by October end. He suffered in
silence during the last three radiation regimes (2 in 2001 and 1 earlier this
year) but this current one has knocked him sideways. He still insists on going
to work each day and continuing his normal daily life as much as he can,
though I know he'd appreciate encouragement any of you may want to give him.
He reads his email daily but is finding it very difficult to write as much as
he used to so he may not reply for a while or at all. Sitting, standing,
walking or just lying down for any period of time is difficult because of the
pain he's in from the treatment and from the condition itself. He did go to
the Triumph Sports Six national meeting at Stafford in the UK about two weeks
ago which he greatly enjoyed but arrived home looking very ill.
I think you ought to know Dad kept this illness from all his family and
friends for a very long time and right up to about 9 months ago. He had very
specific reasons for doing that but we now know why and it was the worst thing
for him he could have done.He would never tell you about this himself because
that's the way he is - and as some of you know, he has not been well with
another complaint for a long time. I think it's time you all knew for his sake
that he's now far from well and it's why I've sent this email from his
computer with his knowledge and I'm clicking all the recipients in the Bcc
box. Please be aware that we are all placing a very heavy dependency on this
last radiation session doing as it is intended. Without going into detail, Dad
says he "doesnt want to spend the rest of his life with most the lower part of
his body gone and depending on two bags." He's 59 next month and my brother
and I don't want to lose him yet. He has by no means surrendered, he is still
fighting - but his dignity looks as though it may well go to the winds if this
treatment does not work and surgery is the only course. He really does need a
lot of encouragement and it's clear he's finding it difficult to fight this on
his own.
Judging by some of the messages I've seen in Dad's various email folders, it's
obvious that many classic car enthusiasts of all makes and throughout the
world, greatly value his friendship and his knowledge on a subject that is
very close to his heart. He values their friendship too - but he does find it
very difficult to publicise his own problems and especially of such a
sensitive nature. If you have wondered why he has failed to reply to a message
you may have sent him, hopefully this post will explain?
Jonmac's younger son
EDWARD
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