Mar 9, 2009 | Randomness
FROM TOM KING:
(with reference to “Cycling for a cause“)
Well as you know yesterday was absolutely truly a windy cape town day.
I awoke feeling good and in high spirits. As we maid our way to the start line I began to feel the wind steadily slowing my walking pace.
It was a good hour or so wait in the gate before i took my first pedal.
Group gg was off…and not to a flying start as the first 500m or so was the windiest of the whole course. People were getting blown over and the street was filled with leaves and other city centre goodies.
Once on the freeway the wind seemed to back off and i wouldnt be tested until boyes drive. For me this was the hardest climb of the day as the wind hit you square in the chest and didnt let up. I stopped half way up at a water point for roughly 30seconds…when i climbed back onto the bike my inner thighs were so sore i couldn’t sit down…my one and only walk
followed…+- 100M. The wind from glen cairn to simons town created a wonderful sand storm along the side of the road given us a nice sand paper feel.
I had to stop at jubalee square at the medi clinic tent to get some thing for my upper inner thigh as it was extremely sore…nothing like a voltaren injection.
From simons town to cape point was extremely slow and i found myself hudling to the back of a group looking for any bit of shelter. As we rounded the point we cheered and the fun began. It was easy riding all the way through to kommetjie.
I was thinking to myself how well i was doing and that me riding the argus was nothing compared to what josh is having to go through. About 1 minute later out side masipumelela my left leg went into cramp…for the first time i thought i was going to have to pull out. It took about 15 min to get over the cramp and 500m down the road i stopped for coke and enos, as well as a massage. I stopped again at the bottom of chapmans for more coke and enos.
Chapmans and were not as bad as every one says. They did take alot of focus and energy but i was definitely expecting it to be worse.
Just after lundudno the wind hit me again and didn’t let up until camps bay.
From all the cramping the tendant on the out side of my left knee has taken some serious strain.
When i arrived at the finish i headed for the medical tent to see the doctor…as i turned onto my back, my left leg went into the worst cramp i have ever had, seen or heard of. I let out a little yelp and withing 5 seconds had 5 doctors around me…even they said the cramp was really serious. I then got 2 physio students and got my legs massaged for about 40minutes..wow it was good.
Overall it was a fun ride with alot of smiles as well as pains. It was all worth it as we went well over the R20 000 target and Josh was waiting at the finish for me 🙂
Many many thanx for your sponsorship and support.
Please see below for bank details:
Joshua King Trust Fund
ABSA Bank
Tyger Manor Branch 632005
Cheque Account 4072255295
Please put reference as cycle donation and email once deposit done. It makes it easier for us to keep track of deposits and who has donated.
Once again thank you for your generous support.
Love
Tom & Josh
Mar 6, 2009 | Randomness
I’ve just received an email from a very dear friend of mine who made me aware of a chap called Tom King who lives in Kommetjie. Tom is going to be raising funds for his younger brother’s bone marrow transplant by riding in the upcoming Cape Argus Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Tour.
Tom says:
“I will be riding in group GG number 20 000…. therefore my goal is to raise R20 000.
I am looking for people to sponsor me per km or give donations! There is no amount to small or too big… !
Please email the amount you wish to sponsor / donate to info@joshuaking.co.za and we will add it to the sponsor form then send you account info.
If you have any other fundraising idea’s please also let me know. We have at least R400 000 to still raise.
Your help is greatlly appreciated!”
Josh was diagnosed with Burkitt’s Lymphoma on 21 July 2008. Initially the doctors thought it was telescoping of the intestine, instead when they operated a cricket ball sized tumor was found.
Joshua’s treatment has already involved one round of chemotherapy wich consisted of four 6 day treatments, with a 10 to 14 day break between each treatment. Joshua’s first chemotherapy started on 7 August 2008 and ended in december 2008. Regular lumbar punctures are also administered to check cerebral fluid for the disease, and administer preventive chemotherapy. Joshua’s entire lymphatic system has the disease, and it is also in his bone marrow.
Josh had a bone marrow biopsy done on 15 December 2008 and on the 17th we were advised that Josh still has the disease. Therefore the second round of chemo started on 29 December 2008. This round will be much more aggressive, and will be followed by a bone marrow transplant. This round will consist of one week of treatment, and one week off, for a period of three months. There will be a bone marrow biopsy done every month (under general anaesthetic), and regular lumbar punctures. Josh (and everyone else) was initially sadened by the news of the relapse, however we have all had to adjust quickly as there is only one way to approach this – with faith and a positive attitude.
He has been off school since July last year and will probably be off till mid 2009. Because the cancer is so aggressive, it is very amenable to chemotherapy so the prognosis is good. Chemo is administered through a J-Line which was inserted into Joshua’s chest, runs up under the skin, around the colar bone, into the jugular and down to a ventrical close to his heart. This ensures the highly poisonous chemo chemicals are distributed as quickly as possible to all parts of the body.
This J-Line will stay in his chest for two years which means no contact or ball sports during this period. Josh is an avid soccer, cricket, hockey, baseball, scrambling and surfing fan so will have to give these up for a while. He can and still does play golf between chemo sessions, when he feels up to it and recently shot his first “under 100” as well as started scrambling again, with protective gear of course.
Testing for bone marrow donors will begin once Joshua is admitted for treatment on 29 December. We will post information on the CarePages site for all who are interested in being tested as donors.
We have recently registered an email address as well as a website for Josh. The website should be up by end of this week but the email is up and running.
info@joshuaking.co.za
Mar 2, 2009 | Randomness
I’ve just received an email from a very dear friend of mine who made me aware of a chap called Tom King who lives in Kommetjie. Tom is going to be raising funds for his younger brother’s bone marrow transplant by riding in the upcoming Cape Argus Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Tour.
Tom says:
“I will be riding in group GG number 20 000…. therefore my goal is to raise R20 000.
I am looking for people to sponsor me per km or give donations! There is no amount to small or too big… !
Please email the amount you wish to sponsor / donate to info@joshuaking.co.za and we will add it to the sponsor form then send you account info.
If you have any other fundraising idea’s please also let me know. We have at least R400 000 to still raise.
Your help is greatlly appreciated!”
Josh was diagnosed with Burkitt’s Lymphoma on 21 July 2008. Initially the doctors thought it was telescoping of the intestine, instead when they operated a cricket ball sized tumor was found.
Joshua’s treatment has already involved one round of chemotherapy wich consisted of four 6 day treatments, with a 10 to 14 day break between each treatment. Joshua’s first chemotherapy started on 7 August 2008 and ended in december 2008. Regular lumbar punctures are also administered to check cerebral fluid for the disease, and administer preventive chemotherapy. Joshua’s entire lymphatic system has the disease, and it is also in his bone marrow.
Josh had a bone marrow biopsy done on 15 December 2008 and on the 17th we were advised that Josh still has the disease. Therefore the second round of chemo started on 29 December 2008. This round will be much more aggressive, and will be followed by a bone marrow transplant. This round will consist of one week of treatment, and one week off, for a period of three months. There will be a bone marrow biopsy done every month (under general anaesthetic), and regular lumbar punctures. Josh (and everyone else) was initially sadened by the news of the relapse, however we have all had to adjust quickly as there is only one way to approach this – with faith and a positive attitude.
He has been off school since July last year and will probably be off till mid 2009. Because the cancer is so aggressive, it is very amenable to chemotherapy so the prognosis is good. Chemo is administered through a J-Line which was inserted into Joshua’s chest, runs up under the skin, around the colar bone, into the jugular and down to a ventrical close to his heart. This ensures the highly poisonous chemo chemicals are distributed as quickly as possible to all parts of the body.
This J-Line will stay in his chest for two years which means no contact or ball sports during this period. Josh is an avid soccer, cricket, hockey, baseball, scrambling and surfing fan so will have to give these up for a while. He can and still does play golf between chemo sessions, when he feels up to it and recently shot his first “under 100” as well as started scrambling again, with protective gear of course.
Testing for bone marrow donors will begin once Joshua is admitted for treatment on 29 December. We will post information on the CarePages site for all who are interested in being tested as donors.
We have recently registered an email address as well as a website for Josh. The website should be up by end of this week but the email is up and running.
info@joshuaking.co.za
