That Difficult Second Album……

There’s an old saying about bands having to record a follow up to a successful debut album “That Difficult Second Album”. We I’m afraid I’m suffering from that syndrome with what I was hoping would be the follow up book to #Shoulder2Shoulder. Diary of a Rugby Dad is still hovering around the 10,000 word mark, with a target of 150,000 to completion. Any hope I had of getting it published this coming summer are now well and truly dashed. I just can’t seem to find the energy or enthusiasm to get on with it at the moment. It’s a bit of a shame really as the final “Real Time” chapter of the book was completed last Saturday with the final league match for the Rams Centaurs AKA – The Mighty Cents. This is the team that’s embraced Max so well this season in his first year as an adult rugby player. They’re made up of a great bunch of lads who enjoy their rugby and play at a decent standard, ably backed up by SJ, Bernie and Rob. A fourth place finish in the Berks, Bucks and Oxford Division 1 was just rewards for a successful season. I get the feeling Max is looking forward to the 7s season starting once he’s got his exams out of the way.

Prior to being ill last year I’d followed the Rams 1^st Team, home and away, for about 5 seasons. The treatment I endured means that long away trips on a Saturday are still not a great idea. In September of last year I was a bit concerned where my “Rugby Fix” would be coming from when the 1’s were away from OBR. Well I needn’t have worried, watching the Mighty Cents playing with smiles on their faces has been a wonderful experience for the most part. We’ll gloss over the dicking at Amersham and Chiltern on one of the coldest days of the year! It appears the team quite like me watching their matches too, as I’m known affectionately (I hope) as “Profile Picture Paul” on the basis that I’m likely to have my camera with me whilst they’re playing. I think at one point earlier in the season around half the team were using my shots as their profile pics on Facebook.

Last Sunday was spent back up at OBR for the Roger Batchelor Mini’s Festival. Roughly 750 kids, aged from 6 to 12 arrived at the ground for the highlight of the Mini season. We were blessed by the best weather I’ve seen in my 13 years of attending the day. If anything is was perhaps a bit too hot. I’d imagine a number of players, parents and coaches played the “Ouchy, ouchy, ouchy” game in the shower that night. I was sensible and covered myself in Factor 50. As I knew I’d be seeing Scary or one of her minions this week there was no way I was going to get burnt and risk her wrath. 900 shots taken on the day, 100 uploaded to the Rams FB page and over 6,000 hits to date.

It was whilst at the festival that reality began to kick in. I was sitting on the balcony having a chat with Roger Batchelor when it was obvious that he couldn’t hear me clearly. My voice is just getting weaker and weaker, and over the last few weeks it has become increasingly painful, especially at night. During the day it was becoming painfully blatant that whoever I’m talking to can’t hear me, it’s upsetting and embarrassing. Over the last few weeks I’ve avoided using the phone at work, I’ve avoided interacting with people vocally, I’ve noticed I’m clutching my neck when I’m talking. This is all becoming a pile of pooh! Wednesday whilst working I had no choice but to make three external customer phone calls. None of them lasted much more than 30 minutes each, but by the time I’d finished I’m afraid I was an almost silent croak.

So it was with a degree of trepidation that I rocked up to RBH on Thursday for my scheduled follow up appointment. The ENT Dept. was rammed when I arrived, but despite my fears I was seen fairly quickly by Mr More Scary than Scary. After my initial reticence with his manner, I’ve now warmed to him. He did the usual “Up the nose and down the throat” procedure, which is still as unpleasant now as it was the first time it was done in December 2015. Blimey nearly 18 months ago, doesn’t time fly. He’s concerned that my voice is shagged out and that I’m having trouble swallowing again. The scope didn’t show up any new nasties but he’s set in motion a further PET Scan over in Oxford for a couple of weeks’ time, and then on 16^th May I’ll be undergoing yet another general anaesthetic so they can have a dig around at the tumour area to see what the heck is going on under the scar tissue. The operation is set for the day after Carol and I come back from a holiday in the Canaries, so again I’ll have to keep my neck out of the sun or suffer his wrath. We’re going back to the same resort we went to last September and to the same hotel. A bit of 5* luxury is just what’s needed at the moment.

Obviously this wasn’t really the news we were hoping for, but I’m not too concerned at the moment. There are a number of possible explanations for the current demise of my voice, the procedures prescribed will allow the guys to work out exactly what’s going on and to come up with the best course of treatment for whatever the problem is. That I’m seeing as a major positive, let’s find out what’s wrong and then fix it again.

So, the roundabout keeps turning.

As always, thanks for reading.

To be continued…………….

#Shoulder2Shoulder