Hail, more on Blairgowrie and Jeremy gets sick.

Today was one long, hard, slog - with not so much as a disturbing frog photograph, lunch break or even one e-mail threat to cancel my pending leave to break the pace.
First was the traffic chaos caused by this morning's unexpected hail fall on the East Rand.
That done -then a quick update on the bizarre signal jamming in Blairgowrie. The situation is still not resolved and work is currently underway to switch off all the stupid boxes so that their batteries can die and hopefully put an end to their silent screams (loooong story - see previous posts on mayhem in Blairgowrie for the whole lowdown).
And then the most awful story ever!!!! I received a notification from Highveld Stereo that Rude Awakening presenter Jeremy Mansfield has chronic lymphocytic leukemia. I felt sick when I read the e-mail, but felt better when I saw it wasn't life-threatening.
So then started the research. Man oh man - I cannot believe how much junk is thrown out there on medical conditions. On one particular website I found a research paper on CLL and scanned it hopefully. It left me utterly speechless. My theory: some woman by the name of Juliet Cohen took a research piece written in some foreign language like Japanese, ran it through a computer programme that translated it directly into English, slapped her name on top and slammed it out on the net. If that is not what she did, she has incredibly poor English for someone purporting to have great medical knowledge.
For example, what is one supposed to make of this? I copy and paste here for your perusal: "The chronic lymphocytic leukemia (and called CLL) is slowly usually obtains a worse blood and the marrow disease. CLL is the secondary common type leukemia in the adult. It frequently will occur in or in the middle age later the period. It very little occurs regarding the child."
And further on: "It is short very much is seen in a person younger ratio 40. The disease is together the Jew which drops in Russia or Eastern Europe, with is uncommon in Asia. The chronic lymphocytic leukemia cannot cause the sign or the symptom."
Say what? Jawellnofine. I rest my case.
She later surmises: "The chronic lymphocytic leukemia is possible and to cause the bone ache, the joint pain, the lymph node to swell the liver and the spleen, with expansion in neck, underarm, stomach or mouse footpath."
I shudder to think of "expansion in mouse footpath".
So I spoke to Jeremy and he is cool and pretty upbeat. As he says, this is not a life-threatening disease, he just has to get through the chemo and keep a watch on things. I think he's in for a tough time when the news hits the public domain, poor guy.
Jeremy and Jacqui - sending you guys strength and warm wishes.