Review of 2025

Well, my dear chums, what a year it has been!

Hospital visits in total for 2025: an impressive 58.

Weight put on since this time last year: plus 4 kilos, from 75 to 80. (Note to self: less beer and takeaway food, and more calories burned after the 2026 hip replacement operations.)

Cancer all clear after 7 years, 4 months and 27 days… yes, ACTUALLY CANCER FREE!

After two massive, life-saving surgeries, the first being on 18 September 2018, where a large tumour was removed even after it burst through the bowel wall, resulting in 24 metal stitches. And the second on 20 October 2019, where two surgeons spent 5 hours “gutting me like a fish”, leaving me with 64 stitches, and a second chance at life.

Yes, cancer free after 120 doses of chemo after 7 years and 4 months…

Yes, cancer free after 6 doses of radiotherapy, frankly miraculous, but I will take it. Now I just need to see if I remain cancer free in 2026… (praise the Lord that I do).

Money raised with big brother Chris for Cancer Research UK after both completing the Sir Chris Hoy Tour de 4 cycle challenge in Glasgow at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome: over £6,000. To be fair, Chris did the hard bit, riding 32 miles, and I did 50 minutes on the static bike when I should have done 30, but hey-ho, every little helps.

Gongs received for completing the Tour de 4 from Scottish First Minister John Swinney: 1.

Hip replacement operations cancelled on 19 December, at the last minute: 1. Yes, despite reassurances that having a flu jab by my GP would not in any way compromise my second-time-around left hip operation, it did, leaving a nasty big red rash.

The first attempt was cancelled in October 2024 when I should have had my initial operation. As I went into surgery fully oven-ready, complete with smock and plastic pants, the surgeon spotted an ingrowing big toenail, on guess what, my big toe. Because of my knackered lack of immune system, this means that any infection at all would head straight for the new hip. In most people’s case it would be OK. In my case, any infection could result in amputation, or even death. Now call me old-fashioned, but these are not good odds to me. So, I am back in for the third time lucky on 23 January 2026.

Romantic relationships in 2025: nil. Come to think of it, same as 2024 and 2023.

Sepsis attacks in total: 3.

Two minor ones in 2024, one massive attack in March 2025.

Ended up in Warwick Hospital for 7 days and 6 nights. Not only did I get sepsis, which quite simply kills you very swiftly indeed, but being me, my blood also got poisoned. Now, this was a special experience, as I was put in an isolation room which was huge. Every few hours, day and night, I was given large amounts of antibiotics. Even more engaging: my room was next door to the end-of-life ward. So, note to self: do not, under any circumstances, turn left…

The other highlight was being told off by a doctor and nurse. I got so bored that I took to practising karate kata, just to get some exercise for both my mental and physical health. Unbeknown to me, a doctor and a nurse were snooping through a window at me. They burst in and the doc said, “What on earth do you think you are doing?” Well, I said, the Japanese technical term is Tekki Sandan. “Well I don’t care,” he said, “your cannula is flapping about like an octopus, if the damn thing comes out there will be hell to pay!” (Aftermath impact: a friend of mine posted said kata on Faceache and it got over 4,000 hits, back of the net.)

Special birthdays enjoyed this year: 3.

I reached my 65th year on this mad but wonderful planet, as did a very dear family member, where the four of us had the best-ever curry and party to celebrate a certain coming of age. In addition, the good doctor and myself celebrated a private 20-course Japanese sushi and sake tasting event with MasterChef winner of 2021, Ken Lee, at a rather wonderful Japanese restaurant in Birmingham.

Lifetime achievement awards won: 1.

Much to my enormous shock, I received a lifetime achievement award at the UK Bus Centre of Excellence Awards held in Portsmouth. I literally had not got a clue. One minute I was sat down minding my own business, when my good friend Stelios appeared on stage and called my name out. Sadly, I could not get to stand up because of my very dodgy hips, and had to be helped out. By the time I had limped onto the stage, I had completely missed the speech explaining why I had achieved it. And to this day I have no idea (mind you, I am not alone there, as various friends have told me!). Although a close friend once wrote of me when I left the mighty Midland Red West Bus Company, and I quote, “Austin Birks has spent his entire time walking around talking to everybody and mostly laughing at his own jokes, but he is very good at making lots of new friends who he introduces to his old friends who then go off and make great things happen…” about right.

So, on reflection, a most amazing year, lived as ever to the full, and the most precious gift of all: simply not spending every three months playing Russian roulette with cancer, that is, not knowing if you can plan for a longer life than beyond the next scan. But the thing is that you can. If I can do it, anyone can.

Yes, I have been blessed with having the best NHS squad, with the brilliant Dr Peter Correa and the team who have been my guardian angels from day one to today, day number 2,698.

What are my New Year ambitions?

1. Stay cancer free.

2. Get both hips replaced.

3. Do the box splits and get mobility back, and to be able to train and teach karate like a 6th dan like I did before.

4. Try and use my experience with cancer in a good way and work with a charity called A,B,C, which tries to help those just diagnosed by connecting them with others who have been through all of it, good, bad and ugly, and there is plenty of that, let me tell you, as this blog from day one has chronicled.

   
   

As I conclude, I am reminded of a 1970s TV show called Star Trek, where the grumpy Scottish doctor, known as Bones, turns to Captain James T Kirk and issues the immortal line… “It’s life, Jim, but not as we know it.” And that is true: it is not the beginning of the end, but it is the start of a new beginning.

Never Give Up, Never Give In…

Austin