The Optimise Health Blog

I had surgery for malignant melanoma on April 18th 2012. I don't normally remember dates but as this was the first general anaesthetic and the first time I had ever had significant surgery I remember the day and the events leading up to it very clearly. I spent the next 8 weeks off work willing my leg wound to close up and heal which it has now done and all the bizzare nerve jolts and tingling sensations have ended. This is a relief as a jolting leg can be quite embarrassing and disruptive when you're trying to work or talking to a client! My leg finally healed leaving an impressive war wound for which I have invented many stories in case I don't want to go into the "you survived cancer, i'm so proud of you have a medal" conversation. After the op everyone kept telling me how well I looked, to which I replied that I had only had a lump of dodgy flesh removed from my leg and groin, it was not an illness but disease prevention for the future and that I w...

Some plan for the worst, then anything that happens is a bonus. Some spend all their time planning and never get to the execution phase. Others never plan at all. We know from experience that in life accidents happen; some events can't be planned for. You may have noticed a few gaps in the days on the blog recently. A few unexpected events have happened recently which pulled the rug out and really challenged my resolve to stay on track with my diet and exercise goals. So how can we prepare for the unexpected? What happens to your ideal regime when it all falls down around you? My challenge was a family emergency on top of the anticipation of becoming a dad any day now. We had a call in the night and rushed to the bedside of a close relative who had been involved in a hit and run. He is a father of young children, about my age and one of my closest friends. At that point when we didn't know if he would wake up or if he was going to move or speak or recognise...