The cancer journey has no shortage of grey days but other colours are available. Some you have to mix yourself. Read more in my blog below: johndabell.com/2026/01/27/w...

More photobiomodulation for late effects of radiotherapy. Standing in the glow where science meets hope! I'm not chasing miracles, just giving my body every possible reason to keep going.

Head & neck cancer doesn’t tap you on the shoulder. It hits you square in the face. Again. And again. It doesn't fight fair either & will hit you when you're down. I’ve taken more hits than most will ever see. Top tip: You don’t need to win every round to survive the fight.

This is not a ruin. It’s a frame. And I refuse to believe collapse gets the final word.

We have the power to leave a mark, to elevate others, to multiply good in the world. We can leave a pretty decent legacy if we try. Read more in my blog below: johndabell.com/2026/01/25/b...

There was a time I couldn’t imagine this ordinary moment. Now I’m standing inside it.

Recovery is a long lane. You don’t control the pins, only the release.

Recovery edition. Tested under extreme conditions. Now with reinforced optimism bricks.

Back to one of my favourite distractions: an escape room! We tackled Apocalypse Shelter 23 at Houdini’s - brilliant fun. Escaped with 3 minutes left on the clock!

More litter picked up and bagged ready for collection. It makes an immediate visible impact, makes the community feel better and helps me get back to being match-fit. Fix what’s in front of you, the rest follows.

Learning French from a young age. This was me at six, dressed for French theme day and loving every minute of it. Outfit: nailed it! Très sérieux about it! I may not have known the verb endings, but I understood the assignment

Another hospital appointment, my 10th this month. I’m not here to count losses, I’m here to compound gains.

I'm not at full strength yet and still 3 stones lighter post Critical Care but I did feel strong enough to clear the local supermarket and pub car park pro bono - why? They don't ever clean it and no one wants to see it. 3 bags full and a suitcase!

You can choose to be in the manufacturing business of morale, keeping the assembly line of optimism moving or you can just moan and be grit in the machine.

Two hospital appointments today. Photobiomodulation first, then immunotherapy session number 71. No drama. No fanfare. No big speech. No finish line ribbon. Not heroic. Not glamorous. Grateful for the science. Grateful for the care. Grateful for another day to keep going!

Thank you to everyone who has helped me stay afloat while I focus on my health battles. Your support, kindness, and generosity mean more than I can properly put into words. If you’re able to share or support, it genuinely helps ease the practical pressures so I can keep my energy where it belongs.

Tomorrow is yours until proven otherwise.

As I was born in Sherwood, I belong to the moss, the roots, the stubborn oaks. That makes me an outlaw of optimism, trained in the art of quiet rebellion and hard-won hope.

My consultant is happy with the recovery of my lung and has discharged me! Although I'm still a frequent flyer for head & neck cancer, this is a big win and a big pow!

I have my lung review today. It is still recovering from collapsing and I have a fair way to go yet. But here's the plan.....

Frost on the ground. Hope in the chest.

I spoke to another doctor today who reminded me how critically ill I really was 2 months ago - right on the cliff edge. I keep being told this, but my brain still can’t take in how close I came to not being here. It’s utterly terrifying.

Head & neck cancer means you don’t fly business class, you fly… 1. warrior class - every mile earned the hard way. 2. survivor class - no upgrades, just raw spirit. 3. resilience class - turbulence included. 4. courage class - seatbelt permanently fastened.

If life keeps knocking, I’ll keep answering.

Still here. Still drawing myself back into the world.

Officially colder than my consultant’s waiting room!

Life as a head & neck cancer patient is a complex & busy one. My next hospital appointments include: 1. Oncology consultation 2. Immunotherapy treatment 3. Photobiomodulation session 4. Maxillofacial clinic to check osteoradionecrosis 5. X-rays 6. Thoracic clinic to review my lungs....

Don’t compare recoveries. No two bodies run the same race. Comparison steals the win that’s already happening. Your only rival is yesterday’s version of you.

You don't have to be at your strongest to make a difference. 7 bags of litter collected in and around my local nature reserve this morning.

If there's one thing a hospital does, it scares you healthy! I'm on my 2nd of three visits this week and can't wait to get out!

A walk in the dark and not a soul about!

Being nil by mouth is identity amputation. Read more about by experience of not eating and drinking below: johndabell.com/2026/01/05/n...

Culturally and psychologically, “not eating or drinking” is associated with: * dying * hospice * final stages * withdrawal from the world Being nil by mouth is certainly challenging my mind, body and soul. To be honest, it is existentially terrifying and after 2 months, I'm struggling every day.

A brisk reminder that optimism needs a coat!

Some days we have to be more 007. But being Bond isn’t all about gadgets and martinis. It's about composure under pressure. Purpose without panic. Forward motion, even when the odds aren’t playing fair. For anyone with a health challenge 007 rules apply.

My 2nd visit of the day to hospital. Unfortunately, my next treatment of immunotherapy has been postponed as I'm getting some unpleasant inflammatory side-effects that need to settle. Not sure what Sir Reginald Trunkington and Lord Montague Tuskbury think of it all! Welcome 2026 🐘

Today doesn’t need heroics. It needs honesty.

My New Year’s resolution remains unchanged: survive! The calendar changes. The mission doesn’t. A realistic year is one that tests you.

To remain, when one might have vanished, is triumph enough.

Letting photobiomodulation do its quiet work.

I'm at the hospital for my 3rd photobiomodulation session using the shower head laser. It may help with my swallowing issues by helping damaged or stiff tissue calm down, heal, & move more freely over time. It’s not instant. It’s cumulative. Think physio for cells,using wavelengths of red light.

Early morning. Not where I was but far enough to be here. That's today's win.

Wearing my Sunday best on a Saturday. Not 100%. Still present.

I borrow no trouble from tomorrow and no regret from yesterday.

Life is the greatest gift you’ll ever have.

My right lung is still not fully inflated, & I've still got months of recovery, but I managed my longest walk since leaving Critical Care: 5.78 miles. The last time I did that was 2 months ago. My RIG feed is also still settling down, but pushing myself was worth it!

Christmas dinner for me this year looks like this. In fact, it's also my breakfast & evening meal, every day. Delivered via a pump into my stomach through a Radiologically Inserted Gastrostomy (RIG) tube, these bottles of feed keep me alive.

I'm pitching the 5 Ws: 1. Will 2. Withstand 3. Won't quit 4. Win 5. We - no win is ever solo

Today I’m in hospital exploring photobiomodulation - a potential therapy for my throat fibrosis and swallowing issues. Think Star Trek dermal regenerators, but real! It is a targeted light (lasers and LEDs) designed to support tissue repair, calm inflammation, and reduce pain.