About my blog

CLL is the acronym for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia. CLL is the most common cancer of the blood. However, unlike many other leukaemias, CLL is incurable. Innovative research is desperately needed to provide treatments which are more effective than the derivatives of chemical warfare agents currently in use. Research however costs money.

In 2009 I walked from John o'Groats in the north east of Scotland to Land's End in the south west of England. Hence the acronym JOGLE. The purpose of my walk was to make more people aware of this insidious disease and to encourage them to sponsor me by donating to the research groups I was supporting. It was a most enjoyable experience and I met some wonderful people. Together we raised over 2000 pounds for the cause. Thank you everyone!

In, 2010, the blog was being continued for those who may have be interested in following my walking holiday in Wales. This was not a charity walk.

Sadly this year, 2013, Alan Frost, a senior member of the Wednesday Loafers, our cancer support group, passed away. Many medics will tell you that CLL can be cured by a bone marrow transplant. Alan had battled with the cure for many years. More research is needed, but significant progress has been made since I started this blog.


CLL is still killing my friends. The organizations listed at the side of this blog would welcome any contributions you would like to make towards their research.

Please feel free to pass on the details of this site to anyone you think may be interested. The link is www.cancerwalker.com
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Thursday, July 16, 2009

Day 10 Thursday 16th July, Dingwall to Inverness

Left the campsite in bright sunshine after the previous nights storm and had breakfast at Tescos which included black pudding!

I am following the main cycle route on Jogle, some parts of whichare on paths, some on the side of the road. Quite a few cyclists passed me heading North, but none stopped to chat. However when I was crossing the Kessick Bridge, met a cyclist coming the other way, not heading for John of Groats, but heading home after a 6 week cycling tour of Germany and Poland! Whats more somewhat to his suprise I recognised that he had a Rohloff speed hub!

I stopped every hour or so to powder my feet. Blisters still sore.

I am now in a camp site in Inverness. Went to look for a pub for a meal, couldn't find one but came across a Whitherspoons.

4 comments:

  1. Richard, as a fellow CLL survivor, I admire what you are doing and pleased to see you are doing well enough to even attempt this feat. I will be following your walk with interest. Certainly hope the bugs will leave you alone!

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  2. You are doing such a great thing for us CLLers.Thanks Richard.More people need to be aware so many of us suffer from CLL.Hope your blisters feel better soon.Chonette said you were doing well but were suffering from bug bites.Pat K. said "All Terrain Herbal Armour" for mosquitos works great!
    Take Care!

    Thoughts & Prayers,
    Deb Light
    www.cllcfriends.com

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  3. Richard - Cheering you on as a fellow CLL patient! Any chance of finding All Terrain Herbal Armor Insect Repellent in the UK? It's all natural, but really works for me when others don't. Reading about your bites is making me itch for you.

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  4. Hi John, Deb and Pat. Thanks for the interest in my walk. I am lucky to have all the good markers for CLL but I know a lot of you are not nearly so fortunate.
    I am in Edinburgh at the moment so I can catch up on answering comments. My cell phone won't allow me access to my blog on the walk. I start walking back at the campsite again tomorrow morning.

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