UK school becomes madhouse to raise money for breast cancer

Hats off to the "Sixth Form" (US equivalent - 11th and 12th grades) pupils at the Sir Henry Floyd School in Aylesbury, near London, England, for pledging to make prize idiots of themselves all next week to raise money for breast cancer charities.

Activities planned include wrestling matches with all combatants wearing fat suits ...
the boys performing their own version of "The Full Monty" strip routine ... a "gunge the teacher" session (which teacher can afford the time off afterwards to get all the goo out of his/her hair?)... various sponsored anatomical bits being shaved and/or waxed ... and lots more.

But why breast cancer?

"We had a vote in every year's assembly and breast cancer won outright," said organiser Oli Lacey. "People clearly wished for that charitable cause to be supported."

And when I asked my son Tom Webb (who just so happens to be a 6th form pupil at the school) if I could look forward to hearing about his wrestling exploits in a fat suit, he replied "nah, mum, I'll be busy doing the sound and lights for all the events."

Sometimes it pays to be a behind-the-scenes techie...

Not surprisingly these events are not open to the public, but if you want to lend your support have a look at their Facebook page.

To whoever owns the copyright of that fat suit pic - thank you for supporting us by letting us use it.

Another load of balls

With Darren Couchman's book on testicular cancer still fresh in our minds here is a gag that caught my attention...

Two women were playing golf one sunny Sunday morning. The first woman teed off and watched horrified as the ball flew at four men who were playing the next hole. Her ball hit one of the men extremely hard and he instantly stuffed his hands into his crotch, fell to the ground and began rolling around in agony. The woman raced across to the man and apologized profusely.

"Please let me help - I'm a physiotherapist and I know I could relieve the pain for you," she said with deep concern.

"No, no, thanks, I'll be alright...I'll be OK in a minute," he gasped, still lying in fetal position with his hands clasped together at his crotch.

The woman then took it upon herself to ease his pain by massaging his groin. After a couple of minutes she asked, "does that feel better?"

The man looked up at her and replied, "Yes, that feels really good, thank you. But my thumb still hurts like hell."

Picture borrowed from 2NewsTV of Boise, Idaho. Many thanks for its loan.

Jade Goody: no jokes this time

So sad to learn of Jade Goody's death today, the UK's Mothering Sunday of all days. Whatever you may think of her behaviour in the past, she has created significant awareness of cervical cancer, particularly in younger women for whom it is a serious threat.

I think it's only fair to say that Jade's illness and its resultant publicity will save many lives in the future, and she is to be admired for that.

As this is, after all, a humorous blog, let's say goodbye to Jade with a picture of her when she was laughing and in good shape. She was a good publicist and a very brave cancer warrior.

(Pic borrowed from the internet, thank you to whoever owns the copyright.)

What a load of balls!

I have just finished reading a very funny, very poignant and very helpful book about testicular cancer by Darren Couchman - it's called "One Lump or Two? A humorous story of one man's fight against testicular cancer."

Even though I'm not a contender for this brand of cancer (although my son swears I must have grown balls when single-handedly I kick all his drunken friends out of the house at 3 o'clock in the morning) I found the book highly entertaining and very moving in places. Well worth a read for all men and their partners. Click on the title or Darren's name for more information.

And while we're still in a testicular mood, one of my funniest moments recently was when I checked out YourNutz.com ... had me rolling around on the office floor, it did. However I laughed even more when a friend in Wisconsin told me that it's not a joke - in the US plastic or chrome balls have replaced furry dice as THE thing to dangle from your rear-view mirror. I wonder if their next product will be tinsel-adorned scrotums (scrota?) to hang on your Christmas tree?

Yours in a spherical frame of mind .... Sz

Face-to-face at last

I hope you will be fearfully impressed to learn that I have been nominated and approved as patient representative for the Urology MDT (Multi-Disciplinary Team)at our local hospital.

While chatting to our new Lead Cancer Nurse - a delightfully pious and kindly soul - about this a few days ago I happened to mention that not only my consultant surgeon (who gives me regular cystoscopies, a.k.a. "pokes and peeks" into my bladder) but also the nurse practitioner who administers my intravesical (i.e. up my wee-wee hole) BCG maintenance instillations for the bladder cancer were to be my co-workers in this group.

Was I, she wondered, "comfortable" with that crossover of relationships?

"Absolutely!" I warbled. "For once it will be a nice change for those two to talk to my face."

Poor nursie. She couldn't help but burst out laughing as did everyone else within earshot. Humour within the medical bureaucracy? Perish the thought....

Important health warning

This post on Jeanne Sather's wonderful blog, The Assertive Cancer Patient, had me rolling around.

I'll never be able to chew gum with a straight face again.

How's everyone this chilly March?