News of NEO
 

Those who remember Nigerian Expat Outlaw (his posts can be found way back on the West Africa thread) may wish to know that he has recently been struck down with cancer and is currently undergoing chemotherapy.

Following on from the universally condemned treatment he received to save the Total contract at NAF Base, this is simply the icing on the cake. I am sure all those who know him wish him a speedy recovery and return to the acerbic wit we all miss.

Very saddened to hear that.Having been in a similar situation
a few years back,I can only sympathise and wish him all the
very best,as he is an absolutely top bloke.

Very sad to hear that and I sincerely hope he makes a swift recovery. I've known him for 22 years almost to the day as we both started our 332 course together. I hope he gets treated a little better than he has been of late!

I recall riding in a car with him from Lagos to Warri on his first couple of days in country....seeing him arrested...and the look on his face when I asked for a receipt for him from the Cops so I could show transfer of possession....that was a Kodak moment. He certainly embraced the local culture after that interesting beginning!

I sure wish him well in his fight with Cancer....and know he will give it his all as he has life so far. He is a real Helicopter Pilot!

SAS - I see you edited that post. I'm guessing to correct the typos caused by the dust in your eye! It's catching!

Laughing at some of his exploits has much of the same effect!

He always got frumpy when I reminded him in public of that day.....as the dust seemed to be getting to him when he thought I was just going to ride off on down to Warri with that receipt in my grubby mitt.....leaving him in the warm embraces of the customs police or which ever bunch were viewing him as a down payment on their retirement fund.

Over the years he became much more adroit in handling such situations on his own!

He has a good heart.....and once you understand his ways....he is good fun!

The old Bristow tended to attract characters....and some have lingered on despite all the changes in management.

Get Well Soon
 

Actually ASAP.
All the best.
Listen to your Wife, Family and Doctors!
All your friends are Praying for your speedy return to 100% health.

er sprachst warheit

NEO is aware that this thread has been started, so I'm sure he'll appreciate good wishes from all who know him but have no contact details.
I spoke to him a couple of days ago and he's in good spirits and determined to beat his illness. His wit is still as alive as he is and we are making plans for the annual reunion of the Grumpy Old Gits Club, where we sit on a park bench, wearing grubby raincoats, feeding the pigeons the remains of our sandwiches, drinking Carling Black Label and setting the world to rights. He's the same fighter he's always been, has a positive attitude and will make it through what has been a pretty bum year so far.

I fully expect to see him back out here in his real home before the year is out, maybe a bit slimmer and with less hair, but ready to take on all comers :ok:

I'm sure all messages of support will go down well as will more (far fetched) tales of his exploits - keep it clean please.

Good luck NEO, we're all supporting you and wishing you the best for a complete recovery :ok: :D

News of NEO
 

I have just caught up with this post and just want to add my best wishes for a speedy recovery. Knowing NEO he will think us a soppy lot for our sentimentality but it doesn't do any harm.
Hey chemo works as I know from my own relatives experience.
Good luck with the recovery

Not sure who NEO is but after a lifetime in BHL (me) and a couple of tours to Nigeria, I probably knew him.

However, I send all the best from West Wales and hope he progresses well

TC

Dear NEO

Superb chap always willing to help when others are down as I and my wife know, helped us in a very difficult hour, thanks NEO and cheering you on from the sidelines mate, PM if you wish, lost contact.

Stace

NEO contact
 

Gents,

NEO has been re-admitted to hospital in the last few days with a bit of a down-turn. however, I understand that he would love to hear from old friends. Anyone who would wish to contact him, please PM me for e-mail address, phone number.

Cyclic.

I also corresponded with him a few days ago as he knew about the thread and wanted to sort out re establishing his access.

Wishing him the very best,
Rob

NEO
 

Hey Neo hope to see you soon back at the bar and please, lets have some good music!! Stay positive, We are all sending our best wishes and a speedy recovery for you.

Jimmynutron

NEO with less hair....now that would make some old Bristow Managers happy....they wanted that for years when he had his Pony Tail!

I think for a while he was thinking he was in the Navy or something as he chose to wear his hair a bit long in the back.

Soggs....you are an old Git....but NEO is far younger and prettier than thou!

Leave room on the bench for me will you....there could be some interesting stories passed around during that get together!

NEO is now back at home again after his down-turn. He's still undergoing treatment and cyclic will be visiting him soon just to make sure he's still up for the Carling Black Label.

Hope things work out for the best,Mate.

To Paraphrase Arnie..........
 

To all posters, please (without being soppy) accept my sincere thanks for the messages of support. Believe me, as anyone who has been through this and lived will tell you, the ups and downs are not just a result of the pain and discomfort, they are chemically made by the stuff they inject into you and make you swallow. Your messages have (honestly) helped me to keep the faith and remain determined to beat this absolutely wicked disease.

I used to watch Jeremy Kyle on leave just to reassure myself that however bad things ever got there was always someone worse off (and with less teeth and hair) than me; having spent nearly a month in a cancer ward I will no longer need to put myself through that.

I trust those at my former and new base to keep my bar stools reserved as I fully intend to reoccupy them as soon as possible.

Once again, many, many thanks for the messages of support.

NEO

NEO,
That's the ticket, Sir!
Speedy recovery and convalescence and back in the saddle.:ok:

Get Well Soon
 

Hi Boss,
Get well soon.

If the likes of "Chuks" are holding your seat for you....you shall have a hefty Bar Bill to pay when you do get back young Lad!

Best Wishes NEO
 

At least Soggy won't be able to call you "Fat Bloke" any more!

Seriously - keep on fighting!

See you when you get back!

Trog

NEO One of our bestest Men
 

NEO my good man we at Humane Resource wish you the very speedy recovery and return to the bosoms of our family.

We will pound many yams and prepare starch and banga soup to return you to the fine figure that suits you so well.

We will see you back soon O

FC

Nil Desperandum
 

No retirement yet then! First class news.

All the best

PM me with gm address
 

Good man in Africa,

Send me a PM with your address. Somehow I have lost it. Hope you are on the mend and back in the saddle soon.

CU,

Larry

I'm Still Standing
 

I'm a quarter of the way through the chemo now and my bowel is almost completely blocked by the primary tumour so no solids until after the next cycle at least. I've also lost the feeling in both feet, apparently a reaction to one of the chemicals, so the beloved Beemer is parked. Still, having scanned the Cancer Research and Macmillan websites I consider myself lucky to have so few side effects.

The plus of all this is that I may not have to rely on the usual "pocket full of personality" upon my return as I'll be so lithe and desirable (although much more wrinkled) that the distings will just fall at my feet with no need for transport money. That is keeping my morale up at the moment anyway.

Hope you are all keeping well, and a word of advice for the over 45s; for goodness sake get scanned once a year, even if you have to pay for it. I could have been sorted a lot sooner and with much less pain etc if I had heeded that advice.

Take care and fly safe.

NEO

Following on from your advice - how was it discovered and were there any symptoms prior to that which you ignored, which in hindsight you would not have?

Keep up the recovery! :ok:

Wishing you all the best. Keep fighting the good fight!

If you turn 50....absent any family history of Colon Cancer and no indications of problems....absolutely visit the Roto-Rooter Man and get "seen" to. It is painless...and the peace of mind knowing you are in good health is worth it. If you have family history...or any suggestion of a problem talk to your Quack asap.

First check was good for me....with some signs of Diverticula.....five years later and some good reason to get the second one done....over the protests of my government supplied Doctor....and confirmation of non-cancer problems confirmed. Now it is every other year to determine the extent of the problem and to ensure no other issues.

Colon Cancer caught early is one of the most curable cancers out there.

Hang in there NEO....perhaps in time the Distings will smooth out some of the wrinkles out for you!:ok:

could someone pm me NEO's real name - I might know him? cheers

Totally agree with SASless. In England every two years once you reach 60 and until you are 74 you will receive in the post a bowel cancer screening kit - in Scotland it's from 50 to 74 and in 2015 that will be the same for Wales. My last test in December was clear but in May I began passing blood.

Saw my GP the next day, had a colonoscopy and biopsies taken within 4 weeks. Colonoscopy is very slightly uncomfortable but not painful and you are sedated. Like SASless and around 50% of folk over 50 the colonoscopy showed I have diverticular disease. The majority will never know they have got it. However my bleeding is caused by ulcerative colitis - incurable but controllable.

My point in all this is if you have any symptoms at any age get yourself checked out soonest. Just because the symptoms put the fear of God into you, don't leave it and hope it goes away. Altered bowel habits, pain, bleeding, passing mucus covered stools etc - get it checked out. Chances are that like me it isn't colon cancer but if it is and you catch it early it's curable.

All the best to NEO - I don't know your real name but I expect our paths have crossed over the years.

NEO doesn't have bowel cancer, he has non-Hodgkins Lymphoma which is causing some problems with his bowels as the tumours are shrinking after chemo-therapy. He has completed another session of chemotherapy but is being kept in hospital under observation as he is suffering some complications at present. I spoke to him a couple of hours ago and he remains resolutely positive in his outlook and is determined to be back at work before the year's end.

Cancers have some strange ways of manifesting themselves and NEO originally returned to UK suffering a really painful back problems which was initially mis-diagnosed as a due to a crushed nerve root. It took some weeks before the tumours were discovered and treatment for his real ailment could begin.

He really appreciates everyone's good wishes and hopes to be back in circulation, slimmer, balder but the same old NEO as always :ok:

NEO's had some additional complications and has had to be kept in hospital for the last couple of weeks. He's having surgery today to help and I know he really appreciates everyone's good wishes, so please join with me in wishing him the best in beating the beast and getting well enough to get back out to Africa and sink a few Heinekens with his friends again :ok:

Is it possible I might have shared a pint or two with NEO in Goodies Bar, Mar 2005 to Sep 2006? I'm not a fling winger, just a ground guy who was helping start up a new airline at the time.

Best wishes NEO and hope it goes well.

NEO's operation was successful and he is recovering well :ok:

Hang in there and keep fighting.................

Bright Light Is There !
 

Thought I'd post a short update on my situation. I was discharged from hospital again after a near six week stay yesterday evening.

The operation to free up my bowel was a great success and the surgeon who carried out the procedure had only one regret; that he could not remove the primary tumour as it has blood vessels which feed the bowel running through it. If he had cut it out he would have "killed" my small bowel. So I have some more chemotherapy to undergo.

The pain, both internal and external, from the operation is very acute but I have been assured that will pass as it heals up. I am controlling it to some extent with morphine sulphate tablets which unfortunately means I drop off to sleep at the drop of a hat, sometimes without even realising it !

But am now eating a soft diet which will slowly develop into a normal one, something which was simply impossible a couple of weeks ago. Having lost 65 pounds I need to build myself up in order to withstand the remaining chemotherapy cycles.

The good news is that the surgeon tells me that the primary tumour has shrunk from a full size rugby ball to a walnut. With 5 cycles remaining the light at the end of the tunnel is mathematically as bright as it can be under the circumstances.

Once again, best wishes and thanks to all who have contacted me or left messages, and please please please think about getting a scan as I advised earlier.

NEO

Dropping off to sleep without knowing it.....just another evening in the Bar for you it sounds like!:E

Good to hear you are on the mend!:ok:

Hi Neo

Good news dear Chap, keep up the good fight.
;)

Stace