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Spectra Group wish to support Jim Boyle, a close friend of ours, who has recently been diagnosed with this illness. We would like to give back, in some small way, a little something to support those people affected by Myeloma to help improve treatment, standards of care through research, and raise awareness.   In late January, Jim went to his GP with a suspected broken rib after a paintballing accident. Knowing there is very little that can be done for rib injuries and a 6 week recovery, he soldiered on, daring not to sneeze, laugh or cough!  After a few weeks, and with no improvement, he had X-Rays and further tests, which eventually led to blood tests and scans at the Royal United Hospital (RUH) in Bath.    The blood tests revealed that the Calcium levels in his blood were far too high and he was admitted for an infusion.  On the 8 March, after further tests, Jim was diagnosed with Myeloma (bone cancer).  As you can imagine, after years of leading an active and healthy lifestyle (non-smoker and non-drinker), this came as a bit of a shock to Jim, Allison and their two sons – James and Harry.   Whilst in the RUH, Jim was given 5 sessions of Radiotherapy to attack the Myeloma on his spine and sternum and is now on a cycle of chemotherapy tablets which he is able to take at home.  For those that know Jim and his family, you won’t be surprised that they are all extremely positive and trying to crack on with life as normal.  He is grateful for all the messages of support and visitors and remains committed to getting well and back to normal as soon as possible.   About Myeloma. Myeloma is an increasingly common cancer of plasma cells. Plasma cells are found in the bone marrow and are responsible for protecting the body against infection.  In myeloma, a single defective plasma cell (a myeloma cell) multiples rapidly, displacing the healthy bone marrow.   There are approximately 4,000 new cases of myeloma every year in the UK   It is the second most common form of bone marrow cancer and represents 1% of all cancers   97% of people in a recent survey did not know what it was   Improvement in treatments has meant that survival rates in myeloma are increasing  at the fastest rate among all cancer types in the UK.   The Route The route was opened in 1994 running from Whitehaven on the west coast of Cumbria to the North East coast at Sunderland, and has an average of between 12,000 and 15,000 cyclists completing the route every year (and literally hundreds of thousands of other doing shorter sections).   The C2C starts in the former coal mining and industrial lands of West Cumbria, travels through the stunning scenery of the northern Lake District and heads into Keswick before passing through Penrith and the Eden Valley with its lush valleys and sandstone villages. It then starts the climb up to Hartside and onto the unspoilt Northern Pennines – the roof of England. There then follows an undulating ride as the C2C meanders through old lead mining villages, such as Nenthead and Rookhope, and down into the Durham Dales before entering the old steel town of Consett. From here it’s an easy ride through one of Britain’s old industrial heartlands to the North Sea and Sunderland.   The route is best ridden from West to East to take advantage of the prevailing winds (supposedly!) from the West as well as having the gradients in your favour, i.e. short uphills and long downhills! Tradition dictates that you start the ride by dipping your back wheel in the Irish Sea and only ends when your front wheel gets a dip in the North Sea at the finish.   At 147 miles long, the C2C is part of the much larger National Cycle Network of nearly 10,000 miles. It is Britain’s most popular long distance cycle route and is based on minor roads, disused railway lines, off-road tracks and specially constructed cycle paths. The route (especially the purpose built cycle paths) is designed for everyone, from families to club riders and doesn’t favour either ‘roadies’ or ‘off-roaders’. Along the route where there are off-road sections, but you always have the option of taking the surfaced alternative. Although still a challenge with some seriously hard climbs – the highest point being over 2000 feet – the C2C is still completed every year by thousands of recreational cyclists as well as the more committed bikers.

Spectra Group (UK) Ltd

Spectra Group (UK) Ltd

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