Come rain or shine

At last out on the road, with no cycling done this week I was itching to get out this morning.
It wasn't an early start, after cooking the girls there eggs and bacon breakfast which is now expected every Sunday morning.
I got all the winter gear on stepped outside to find the slightly sunny sky was actually a drizzly rain so head down and off I went 30 miles later I'm back home feeling pretty good, well until i looked at the bike which was brown from all the road grime.
While cleaning the bike the drunk (Shauny this also will be explained later By Ruby) turned up to tell me of the wedding antics And to point out the bits I missed while cleaning the bike.


I'm beginning to think Shauny is a little camera shy! We still haven't got the photos for our Justgiving site which I have to say for just over one week old is already at £264, Thanks all for you donations.


Pete.  

WOW!!!

Pete text me earlier today. 'Look at the Justgiving page' were his instructions. We are at £264 already and we have only been 'live' for a week or so. A BIG THANK YOU to everyones donations, we are doing great thanks to you guys!!
Unfortunately I have part 2 of a friends wedding celebrations this weekend, not that I am not looking forward to it, it just means that I won't be out riding this weekend.
On a more very positive note Ruby has a new cousin on the scene! Congratulations to Jamie and Fran on the birth of Oliver James on Tuesday, I cannot wait to meet him.
Have a great weekend everyone,

Shaun x.

Weather or not?

Well if it begins to pour with rain in the next few days you can blame me! After a very busy weekend of socialising (stag party) and entertaining friends (more alcohol) I managed to give my steed a damn good clean today. So, you can be assured that as soon as it leaves the shed tomorrow the heavens will open. We were supposed to organise a 'photo shoot' of us on the bikes at the weekend, but my plans were scuppered. Hopefully we can arrange it this week.Played squash and had a quick session in the gym before work today, my god did that hurt after the weekends shenanigans!!!

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy is a way of clearing the thick, sticky mucus from the lungs. Parents are taught how to do this for their child by the physiotherapist in the CF clinic. Adults with CF can learn how to administer their own physiotherapy.

Why is chest physiotherapy important?

Chest physiotherapy is important because helps to prevent the thick, sticky lung secretions from blocking the air tubes. This helps to reduce infection and prevent lung damage.

What different physiotherapy techniques are there?

There are a wide variety of airway clearance techniques and a Specialist CF Physiotherapist will assess a person with CF and advise on the most appropriate technique to use, and also on the length and frequency of treatment sessions. The technique used may change as you get older or as your disease changes. The amount of mucus you clear will also vary as your disease progresses.

Some techniques are done without any equipment and focus on specific breathing exercises:

• Active Cycle of breathing Techniques (ACBT)
• Autogenic Drainage

Other techniques use a device to aid clearance of mucus, by using positive pressure to hold open the airways, and some also create vibrations within the airways:

• Positive Expiratory Pressure (PEP)
• Oscillating Positive Expiratory Pressure - e.g Flutter®, Acapella®

Some techniques use large pieces of equipment which can be very expensive and therefore may only be available for use in hospital:

• High frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) - an electric air compressor connects to an inflatable jacket (vest) to vibrate your chest.

How much physiotherapy is needed?

The length of treatment sessions varies according to need. Daily physiotherapy is usually required and if you have a chest infection you may need to increase the amount of airway clearance you do. If there are few or no secretions, treatment sessions may only need to last 10-15 minutes. If there are many secretions, it could take as long as 45-60 minutes.

The number of treatment sessions should be varied. Most people do two a day when all is well, increasing to four a day when necessary. If no secretions are present, some people with CF only need physiotherapy once a day.

Your physiotherapist can advise you on how much physiotherapy is appropriate.

When should physiotherapy start?

Physiotherapy should start from the time of diagnosis.

Who should do physiotherapy?

At first, the adults that care for the child should do it. In time, relatives or friends should learn so that no one person becomes indispensable.

Breathing exercises can be introduced in the form of a game from the age of two or three. From around the age of nine, most children can start doing part of their physiotherapy for themselves.

Most teenagers become completely independent and only require help if they have increased secretions.

Keys and things

Had to pick ‘Fred’  (I will explain later) up tonight from after school club. We had a discussion about my cycle ride with her Dad and who else could come with us. I suggested that Ruby’s little pet doggy ‘Jack’ would love France, but quite rightly Ruby (Fred) explained that Jack does not speak French. The neighbourhood has a very well travelled Gnome that could fit the bill………watch this space.

Had a nice ride back from work today, sunny, no wind, no rain and a clean bike to boot!

Fund Raising.

Hi everyone, 

The moneys are adding up £170 to date, thank you so much to everyone who has donated so far.

The ride has been added to Facebook as an event today. It’s not just about the fundraising though, just as important is to raise awareness.

What is Cystic Fibrosis?

 Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is one of the UK’s most common life-threatening inherited diseases.

Cystic Fibrosis affects over 8,500 people in the UK.

Over two million people in the UK carry the faulty gene that causes Cystic Fibrosis - around 1 in 25 of the population.

If two carriers have a child, the baby has a 1 in 4 chance of having Cystic Fibrosis.

Cystic Fibrosis affects the internal organs, especially the lungs and digestive system, by clogging them with thick sticky mucus. This makes it hard to breathe and digest food.

Each week, five babies are born with Cystic Fibrosis.

Each week, two young lives are lost to Cystic Fibrosis.

Around half of the CF population can expect to live over 38 years, although improvements in treatments mean a baby born today could expect to live even longer.

Thanks Pete. 

£145 and counting!!!!

Morning everyone,

After a long spell of cold,wet weather it has been a refreshing change on my daily commute to see the sun breaking throught the clouds, makes you feel so much better on the bike!

Currently the total is £145, thank you so much to all those who have taken the time to donate. Hoping to get a long ride out over the weekend, somewhere in the 60 mile mark, hopefully the weather will be kind to us. Need to get a new puncture kit again, another flat yesterday. Seems to be a common thing at the moment with all the grit and rubbish on the roads!!

Shaun.

Hi everyone,

I am trying to think of the moment at which Pete and I thought it would be a good idea to cycle to Paris from London. It wasn’t whilst I sat and watch Pete repair yet another puncture on one of our rides out, neither was it whilst we sat in a freezing cold bus shelter outside the ‘Bird in Hand’ at Wrenningham or was it when I lay on the tarmac after being bumped off my bike on a roundabout? 

The occasion eludes me at present, maybe during the ramblings of this blog we may uncover it. One thing can be sure, the reason for doing it is crystal clear. Ruby Moorhouse has Cystic Fibrosis and like her so many children have the condition too. If we can raise a little hope, a better quality of life, a cure maybe, for all sufferers of CF; anything is worth doing to help.

We have started a fundraising page on  http://www.justgiving.com/Shaun-Nicholas and preliminary routes, train transfers etc have been earmarked. As things progress we will keep you informed and up to date.

We have been riding together for a number of months now and the mileages are getting longer and longer, so come July we shall be fit and rearing to go.

I am looking forward to our challenge and cannot wait to get cycling in France. Hopefully this blog will give you an informed view of our experience and you can share it with us as we travel to Paris.

Shaun x.