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I have been diagnosed with Crohn's disease and Epilepsy in the last 12 months. I have needed to give up my favourite sport, have struggled with school and exams and had, basically, a bad year. The people in Epilepsy Action have given me and my family a lot of information and support. They raise money for research and fight discrimination against people suffering Epilepsy. More than anything they help to give me HOPE for my future. Please help me to help them carry on their great work. Please read the whole story, I'm updating it as I go along and I'll try to keep it amusing. You can follow my progress and even decide I'm worth a few bob more on the donating front................

Update

Gotta take this seriously. Haven't been on a bike since a long time ago, except for rides in the local park. Went for a training ride round Rutland Water was only 17miles but nearly died going up the first incline. Thought I was going to have a 'wobbly'! Got to learn to anticipate and use the gears - there's enough of them! Anyway, got round easily in the end, not a hard ride except for soooooo saddle sore. It brings a whole new meaning to the phrase getting your bum into gear!

Update

I've now got padded shorts! Honest, it takes you back to the good old days when I was in nappies! Makes a big difference to the whole saddle experience. They're like shorts but the padded bit is like a separate pair of knicks your wear inside. I'm only going into the sordid detail cos Mum put hers on for the first time and didn't get into the inners - they were all crushed up inside the shorts behind her! Talk about does my bum look big in these! She looked liked she'd got into incontinence pants a few years too early! I nearly wet myself laughing!

Update 26/6/12

Had a couple of wobblies a few days ago will have to go onto Epilem from Keppra not good news cos Doc says I will be more seizure prone during the transition and that'll take seven weeks - right in the middle of the big ride! Not calling it off, will see how it goes.

Update 4/7/12

FM's (that's Favourite Mum to you) birthday and no, I'm not telling you how old she is - we girl's keep our secrets - mum's the word. Went on to transition and bang! Second day I get an absence 'wobbly' still, it wasn't a full hit so can't complain. Couple of hours sleeping it off.

Update 12/7/12

We've moved to London and we're staying in our Caravan (boo, hiss I hear all you drivers say!) while Mum settles into a new job. Don't worry she'll be based at home once she done her initial 3 months so we're not leaving Liverpool, as if! Honest, it's not stopped raining since we got here. Training programme is drowning in the incessant rain! The other day we had two thunderstorms in one day! We were in a bike shop in Dorking for the second one and I swear you could have swum down the gutters there was that much water flowing down the main street! Still it means Mums knee gets a rest - she's strained it on her new bike. Dad say's it was the riding position and he's gone all technical; shortening the boing forks by 20mm, fitting a longer stem, flatter handlebars and moving the saddle back (d'y understand all that, I do but only cos I saw him do it) - only time will tell whether he's talking out of his ..... - mum says it's better but she might be saying that just to keep him happy. He wanted to mess around with mine but he can get lost mine's fine just as it is.

Update 16/7/12

No wobblies since 2 July - just tired a lot of the time. Going on holiday with my mate Bethan and her family for two weeks in France. Training going to pot (don't like cycling in rain!) it'll have to be a hard train for the ten days before the big ride. Holiday insurance was up for renewal tomorrow and they've renewed it but temporarily declined the epilepsy bit. Fortunately FD (that's Favourite Dad to you) got me a Euro Health Card so should be OK. Apparently it's cos I'm on two meds at the moment (transition remember) and that makes me a bad risk at the moment. Can't argue with that. Actually good old Direct Line did foot the hospital bill in April in America and I can't tell you how much that was, it's too embarrassing. American hospital excellent but they're a total rip off when it comes to paying!!

Signing off - next update 2 august or thereabouts

Update 25/7/12

Bonjour mes petites! Ils ont des cafes Internet en France! Was watching Bradley Wiggins victory speech from the podium in Paris and heard the bit about getting drunk. So I thought we cyclists should stick together. Not good, got caught and Bethan's mum snitched on me to the parents. Got a lecture about behaving irresponsibly which I suppose was fair comment given the wobblies, will have to go back to teetotal ftb. I think FD must have overdone it at my age cos he was quite mild - mind you not absolutely sure alcohol had been invented back then. To be honest I think he was more concerned at my choice of poison, he said malibu and coke sounded disgusting. He may be right, I really don't remember.

Update 5/8/12

Back in England for ten days then back to France. South of France too hot hope the Dordogne is cooler. Talking about cooler got a package from people in Mum's old office, contained two insulated water bottles autographed by everyone, brilliant! Dad was even more impressed - he'd been about to go online to order some! Good timing or what? Have put first photo on - me and Heather on our bikes holding them up - had to, dad's ordered the bottle cages but they're still in the post! No wobblies since 2 July - good news but Crohn's a bit iffy - due back in hossy Wednesday for eight-weekly meds, so hoping this will fix me up for France2.

Update 11/8/12

Ooh la la! Ses parents sont une source d'embarass pour elle! Yes we are in France but not without trials and tribulations. Because FM was working up to the last minute (and beyond) FD agreed to do all the packing and got mega stressed out as the deadline for departure (3.30pm) approached. We finally left at 6.00pm but as usual ended up going back to the house for things they'd forgot (twice) so real time departure ended up as 6.30!! Then mum put Travel Lodge Ashford into the Satnav without looking at the booking form which said Premier Inn, no problem she said, I can see it there. It's virtually next door. So we unloaded the car walked into Reception and were told we were at the wrong one; there's two in Ashford! Got to bed 12.30 up at 4.00am for Eurotunnel! Dad pointed out we might have been earlier if I'd been more help but I said if I'd got as stressed as him it might have triggered a wobbly - who said epilepsy didn't have its uses! I was totally relaxed in all the mayhem - Heather and me even got a sleep on the way down!

Update 12/8/12

Long drive through France to Limoges. (FM worked FD drove Heather and me slept) Mum decided to phone the B&B we'd booked when we were an hour away and the guy had sold our rooms. M went ape and started giving him down the banks in froggish. They decided to go to his place anyway to make him sort out an alternative for us. It all worked out very well because when we got there he had a fancy tent set up down his garden for the parents and we got to sleep in a cow! I kid you not! Have a look at the piccies! It was brill and as FD pointed out we even got in to it via its rear end!

Update 13/8/12

First day Souillac to Rocamadour. Dad says when he booked this holiday he was at great pains to confirm that the rides were not to strenuous and was assured they were virtually flat. OMG they lied! We did climb after interminable climb - Heather's asthmatic and I'm an unstabilised epileptic. We both thought we were going to die! No sympathy from parents - 'We're here now and we've paid' - so JFDI basically! To be honest I had to think positive - No, you can't have your money back let's plough on and get it done but me and Heather are both knackered! FD says a good night's sleep will fix it! Oh yes FD's bought a miniature video cam with him - it's mounted on his handlebars. They bought it two years ago for skiing (you can mount it on your helmet) and there's a brilliantly embarrassing story about it - I'll include it in tomorrow's update (FM'll kill me!).

Update 15/8/12

At Hotel Troubadour in Hospitalet which is on the top of the cliff above Rocamadour. Nice place and we stayed two nights although how we didn't get thrown out after the first night I don't know!! Heather is fussy eater of the century so having seen the gastronomic delights on offer and turned her nose up at them Mum decided we'd take a taxi down to Rocamadour and find a restaurant with more basic food. She told the very friendly taxi driver why we were eating down in town and next morning the owner of the hotel wants to know why we don't like his establishment!! The taxi-driver had spoken to him and talk about lost in the translation! Mum and dad had to spend quite a few minutes explaining to a very concerned proprietor that there was nothing wrong with his hotel - it's just Heather! I think Mum's worked out how to upload photos so take a look - Rocamadour at night c'est magnifique! The saga with the video cam continues but saving that tale!

Update 17/8/12

Now in Lacave staying in very nice hotel with a one star Michelin restaurant. Got here via Loubressac which was a very nice place too except it was perched on top of a 2km hard climb. Rolled in absolutely boiling but by the time we'd got changed into our swimming gear it was pouring with rain - we didn't care we went into the outdoor pool anyway getting some very strange looks from other guests and staff! Next days ride into Lacave back to boiling heat. FD said he'd checked the route and there were no big climbs but didn't tell us there were plenty of short sharp ones!

The parents worked out how to get the videocam on the handlebars working but we can't upload it because you can only put webcam clips on, so you're all invited round to ours to view it.  FM was most upset because papa had set it to wide angle and it was another dose of 'does my bum look big in this?' It did! but to be fair so did mine and Heather's and she's as thin as a beanpole. Thinking of swapping it off Dad's bike onto mine to stop him sniggering!

The video cam was originally bought for filming skiing and has minimal controls which actually make it hard to tell when it's operating. Mum had it mounted on her skiing helmet one day soon after we bought it and she went to the toilet at one of the restaurants on the mountain. On her way out somebody said, 'Do you know your camera's on?'!! Well, that night we ran the film and, sure enough she'd filmed her visit to the loo! It wasn't too bad because, mounted on top of her helmet, we only got a view of the door but the sound was graphic enough! Needless to say the SD card was wiped (amongst other things!!).

Update 24/8/12

Sorry, it's taken a few days to recover from the last day's cycling! Lacave to Souillac by a roundabout route. The itinerary said we only had one big climb but you have to read between the lines ie 'only one big' means, 'only one big and loads of small'!! The usual blue sky, which meant it was boiling hot and when we checked later we found temperatures for the day went to 41degC (that's 106degF for anyone as old as Dad) We got back to the hotel absolutely soaked in sw.... (FM says that word's unladylike, but we were anyway!).

FD says that in a few days you forget the pain and only remember the achievement and actually he's right. I'm quite proud of myself now but I'm happy to put the bike away, for a few days anyway!!

So that's it! I've done it! Must admit there were times when I'd have given you all your money back for a cold drink and an air-conditioned car but now it's done it's all going to EA!! I'll be getting all my thank yous out when I get home with an update on my target. I know there's still some money coming in off-line so I'm still hopeful of making the £3000. Thank you everybody!! 

PS  Mum hasn't read the update 17/8/12 - let's keep it as our little secret, shall we?

 

 

 

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