John Dabell

a person is looking through binoculars in a black and white photo with the words `` looking for a parking space '' . ALT: a person is looking through binoculars in a black and white photo with the words `` looking for a parking space '' .

Three hospital appointments today.
Hardest part? The car park.
45 minutes driving round the hospital.
No spaces.
Eventually parked two miles away and walked in.

Manufacturing Morale: Why I Built a Dopamine Menu During Cancer I recently went to the theatre to see Othello. The acting was quite superb and was it was brilliant to watch. Live theatre always gives me a buzz and a ‘high’. It’s why I always i…

When you are going through a tough time, a dopamine menu can dig you out of a hole and keep you on firm ground.
johndabell.com/2026/03/09/m...

Thank you for continuing to support my GoFundMe page. Your kindness means a great deal. If you’re able to, please consider sharing it with others who might like to help. Getter back on my feet after Critical Care is taking time.
gofund.me/0f4e43015

Life Coach: You’re Hired! If you are looking for a Life Coach, then look no further. You’ve found one. It’s you. Tempted to pay someone else and get their insider life hacks? Don’t bother. That’s jus…

The only life coach you really need is you.
johndabell.com/2026/03/07/l...

They certainly do!

Just seen the new Peaky Blinders film and it definitely delivers. Even better knowing some of it was filmed on one of our favourite walks. Small world, big screen. 🎬

Survival Becomes Daily Problem-Solving There’s a romantic version of survival. It involves dramatic music, bold speeches, and a final triumphant moment where everything turns around in a single, cinematic sweep. Real survival is nothing…

Survival becomes daily problem-solving when you accept three truths:
1. You cannot control everything
2. You can control something
3. Something is enough for today
johndabell.com/2026/03/05/s...

CT scan today. Let’s see what shape I’m in! A scan isn’t just a picture, it's
1. A progress report
2. A plot twist
3. Sometimes a cliffhanger
Whatever it shows, I'm going with the flow & reducing panic bandwidth. It can't be worse than last time when I ended up in Critical Care.

Professor Plum in the library with a candlestick and unquenchable optimism.

"England, with all thy faults, I love thee still" William Cowper from the poem The Task (Book II: The Time-Piece)

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

A charming theatrical outing in Midsomer County — statistically the most dangerous place in England. Proof that nowhere is more perilous than an English village with impeccable manners and afternoon tea. Great to see a full house too.

Local lad meets local legend.

Hard Days Are Construction Days Recovering from multi-organ failure is hard work. Recovery is exhausting, frustrating, and full of uncertainty. It’s also full of the kind of courage that rarely makes headlines. People often…

A setback does not erase healing. A difficult day does not cancel progress already earned. The body heals in layers, not straight lines.
johndabell.com/2026/02/26/h...

Hard Days Are Construction Days Recovering from multi-organ failure is hard work. Recovery is exhausting, frustrating, and full of uncertainty. It’s also full of the kind of courage that rarely makes headlines. People often…

A setback does not erase healing. A difficult day does not cancel progress already earned. The body heals in layers, not straight lines.
johndabell.com/2026/02/26/h...

Recovering from multi-organ failure is hard work. Recovery is active survival, not passive waiting. When multiple organs fail, the body doesn’t simply "bounce back." Energy production, digestion, balance, strength, sleep, temperature regulation - everything has to recalibrate.

Hope Doesn’t Arrive Built – You Assemble It We often talk about hope as if it’s something that turns up on its own like sunshine breaking through clouds or a sudden feeling that everything will be alright. We wait for it. We look for signs o…

Hope doesn’t arrive built. You assemble it. And most days, you assemble it with very small pieces.
johndabell.com/2026/02/24/h...

Hope: Snap-Fit Technology allows the user to instantly connect small moments of effort, courage, and belief into a stable structure strong enough to support forward movement even under pressure.

Name: Jonty Dabell
Codename: Catalyst
Status: Civilian asset (Unofficial)
Affiliation: British Intelligence - Denied if captured
Specialism: Psychological stabilisation, coded communication, morale engineering

Send him down!

The stage is set.
The crime has been committed.
The verdict is ours!
This afternoon we took part in Murder Trail, an immersive theatrical experience in which the audience steps beyond spectatorship and into responsibility acting as the jury tasked with delivering justice!

Thank you, I just block them 🙂

Thank you Natalie 😊

The Real Hunger Games: Life on a RIG Feeding Tube People hear the phrase feeding tube and imagine nutrition, support, recovery — something clinical and straightforward. A medical solution. A helping hand. What they don’t imagine is hunger. Yet bei…

Using a radiologically inserted gastrostomy tube is not for the faint-hearted. This is the real Hunger Games: learning to adapt without surrendering hope.
johndabell.com/2026/02/20/t...

The Alchemy of Words I own a book of magic. You probably have one too. You’ve certainly used one before. It sits quietly on the shelf. No glowing cover. No ancient lock. No warning label. Just pages – thous…

We are all word wizards, casting spells every time we speak and our self-talk may be the most potent magic of all. Read more in my blog:
johndabell.com/2026/02/19/t...

Your words create internal chemistry - measure them, mix carefully.

The Shelter You Don’t Realise You’re Building There is a strange misconception about resilience that it is loud, heroic, or dramatic. We imagine resilience as speeches, breakthroughs, or moments of visible triumph. In reality, resilience is us…

johndabell.com/2026/02/18/t...

Jobs for today:
Accept reality.
Face what is in front of you.
Solve the next problem.
Limit panic’s bandwidth.
Starve it of oxygen.

Immunotherapy 'spa' treatment - round 72. Grateful beyond words. Please continue to support and share:
gofund.me/47e397dcb

In real life:
1. recovery is nonlinear
2. progress reverses
3. plans fail
Survivors aren’t those whose plans work they’re those who keep redesigning the plan.