Lovely Morning chit-chat July 2025

Hi Thea, pleased to meet you, I'm not really a new name/member, I took a break from the site for 2½ years when my wife was diagnosed with rectal cancer on Good Friday 2023 and she had chemotherapy and radiotherapy for 14 months. The tumour is gone but because of her treatment and operations she is still having a lot of issues since the bowel was disturbed. 

Apart from the café in the city hall I am very familiar with the places you have mentioned, they bring back memories, some good, some not so good especially during the Troubles. 

After I had my bone marrow cancer diagnosis in March 2015 I had another diagnosis 3 months later of severe spinal stenosis that put me in a wheelchair for 6 years. It was during that time when I decided to take a trip to the city hall in Belfast (my one and only time being in there) and I marvelled at how spic and span and shiny it was inside. I wasn't aware of a lift to any café. 

Good to have your acquaintance Thea. 

Tvman x 

Morning Lucy, it's nice to be posting again, though still trying to catch-up, that's fab you had such a wonderful time in Greece, you have me a little jealous my friend, lol, after missing out on our family trip to Greece, but we have another chance in October, though I'm sorry you had a bit of a downer on getting home, not surprising,  but well done in giving yourself the proverbial kick up the backside, and I'm sure thinking about your next possible getaway will help, as will having the family for the weekend, lovely, and no appointments for 10 days, you've got me jealous again, lol lol.

Eddie xx 

Morning everyone, firstly thanks for the info on Northern Ireland it's very helpful, so please keep it coming, we will be driving and don't mind travelling to anywhere in Ulster 

I hope you're all in a good place, and for anyone with appointments my best wishes as always, I had my MDT meeting last week, not the best news, but not the worst, and we soldier on until the next one in 7 weeks, just hospice today for me, but hope some of you guys have something nice planned, and hopefully a little sunshine as well.

Eddie xx 

Aw thanks Eddie !

I do try hard to make the most of the “ups” on this roller coaster as you never know when you will be on a “down” again and dealing with a change in treatment plan, new side  effects etc 

Hopefully you will have a trip somewhere soon but in the meantime family days ,and lunches out are precious times too 

I don’t have grandchildren yet but my Mum (91) has vascular dementia and told me yesterday that her granddaughter (my daughter) is pregnant, so of course I immediately put that on the family WhatsApp group which caused a raft of laughing emojis!!

Lots of love 

Lucy xx

Hi Eddie, that's an interesting post about memory and concentration. Unfortunately there are no Maggies in Northern Ireland. 

I have been thinking a lot recently about exercising my mind and I've always had a passion for astronomy so I've enrolled in a short, free, taster course in astronomy with the Open University. I'm familiar with the OU because I've previously gained a BA and ½ a BSc until I got fed up with my nose in books!

I don't know how it's going to go because when I sit down to read, I doze off frequently due partly to fatigue due to my cancer and my haemochromatosis. I'm going to give it my best though, I love a challenge.

Tvman x

 eddiel thank you for the advice about the memory and concentration course. The hospital where our maggies is situated is a good 45 minutes drive away from my home, but I think it would be worth it! I will attempt to make contact and find out more about it, thank you x 

Good morning 

All these discussions and golf open make me want to visit Northern Ireland too! 

I am just getting everything together for the safari trip next Tuesday. So far so good! 
Lucy it is great you had a fabulous time in Greece. Is it very hot? Where did you go? I have only been to Santorini and Athens. I rather like Athens but found Santorini too touristy  

Eddie When are you planning to visit Northern Ireland? Are you going with Sheila? 
Lee2 how did the radiotherapy go ? Hope it all went smoothly. 
Ellie : glad your son is here to help you with the laptop and scammers situation. Craig is the tech guy for me. I would not know what to do without him. 
Patrick It is perfectly OK to moan about anything here. We are all here to support each other. 
TVman there are seem to be many nice gardens to visit in NI. Do they have nice autumn leaves to view? I had a whole trip booked back in 2020 to visit Canada for autumn leaves. However Covid then Cancer put a stop to it. Thinking for places to visit this country for leaves. 
Annett how is your eye? Hope it is getting better. 
Angie& Lily , Chelle hope you are feeling better. Chemo fatigue is such hard work. But we just have to go with the flow. 
Sorry if I have missed anyone out. But hope all have a relaxing day 

Stella xx

 Stella2020 my treatment is hormone therapy, but that comes with a host of side effects, fatigue and brain fog being part of that. Having no estrogen is not easy, makes it harder when all your friends are bragging about the benefits of HRT which of course I cannot have.

I hope you have a great time away next week, I’m sure it will be amazing ! X 

Hi Eddie, I've just seen a weather forecast on BBC breakfast in which Carol mentioned Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge which is up on the north coast near the Giant's Causeway (absolute must to see) Two birds.....
Which ferry route will you be coming on? Birkenhead to Belfast, Cairnryan to Belfast (both with Stena or Cairnryan to Larne which is with P&O? 

I'd recommend a Belfast route because you can start there and work your way around the country. A couple of nights in Belfast to see what would be your choices. Definitely take a City Tour, you know the type of tour bus that's in every city. Also definitely see the Titanic Experience that is in the Titanic Quarter (the citytour bus will visit it as one of their stops). If you're going to do some shopping in Belfast and either you or one of your party has a Blue Badge and you want to park somewhere in the city centre, once you find a STREET parking bay (doesn't have to be in a disabled bay) display the Blue Badge and you can park as long as you want FOR FREE even if it's a street parking space that's got parking meters. You aren't restricted to 3 hours as you would be in England and that's the same all through Northern Ireland as far as I'm aware but please check first. 

Eddie, if you want to contact me privately with an agenda I can help you. That of course is the same for anyone else on the site, contact me privately for info.

Tvman x

Hi Chelle

Thank you .

I hate brain fog ‍️. I found it so disturbing and worse than pain. 
BTY how do you get to ‘highlight’ my name ?