Andrew Wheeler, AutoMotoPhoto and MotoGP. Part4 Catching Up.

5037 "likes" as of March 10, 2012

It's been a few weeks since we passed this little milestone of 5000 "Likers". As I'm catching up with everything MotoGP related before the season kicks off in a few weeks and especially how it relates to what I do as a photographer, I wanted to also add a huge THANK YOU to all who like and interact on my Facebook page at Andrew Wheeler - AutoMotoPhoto .  It's always a pleasure to be able to interact with like minded people, and even more of a pleasure to meet people out "on the road" when at a race track. 

I hope to meet more people who are part of this movement and who help make the friendships that exist with @automotophoto on Twitter, Andrew Wheeler - AutoMotoPhoto and now on Instagram a tangible reality starting with RD1 at Qatar and then onto Jerez and Estoril,  and on through the rest of 2012.

Emily and VR46 OFC t-shirt. You go girl!

As I'm having a "personal update" I'd also like to share some good-ish news with regards to my wife Emily  who is dealing with Stage4 colon cancer.  After a rather unexpected brief sojourn into hospital for a little side effect that got a little out of hand, in part due to the fact that the chemotherapy drugs were actually doing their work and attacking/inflaming the tumor in her colon and creating the issue, following the tests they undertook during her short stay it transpired that in the words of her oncologist, that it looks like "we're hopefully turning a corner".  Now if you know anything about Doctors who work in this world you'll know they're not the purveyors of false hope.  The goal being to have the tumor reduces significantly to have it removed sometime later this year and apparently we're on track.  This is by no means easy on Emily and at times I feel terribly helpless because she has been in an awful lot of pain especially during the "side effect" weekend.  But, as of today it does appear that things are normalising again.  With that I'd like to extend a huge THANK YOU to all who have sent us emails, messages through FB or simply posted words of encouragement and support.  It means so much to us. Thank you.

Andrew Wheeler, AutoMotoPhoto and MotoGP. Part1 Catching Up.

My beautiful friend - Emily

I wouldn't normally share this sort of stuff on here, however, it's important to me, and without Emily I wouldn't be doing this in the first place so I feel a short post, and update might be in order.  It's been a few hectic and busy weeks...albeit at home.  As some of you may or may not know my wife Emily was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer during the week between Christmas and New Years. 

We have shared the experiences on my personal Facebook page and also on her Facebook page.  Right now she is well, the symptoms that have plagued her for the past 8-10 months or so appear to be subsiding (it was thought to have been IBS and simply didn't appear to be what it turned out to be until it had come to a head - nothing like living a healthy lifestyle doing everything right then this cropping up huh?) thus the comfort level is going up with each salvo of chemotherapy.  She will be having her third salvo the week after next...and right now it's open ended because of where the tumor and it's "friends" have placed themselves, but the outlook is good, and surgery is the goal.  The downside of all of this is simply financial.  But regardless, we're fortunate to live where we live here on the West Coast of California close to two of the best cancer research and surgery locations in the world.

I just wanted to add a little note to my blog to that effect.  I love her dearly, and as I said without her encouragement, love and selflessness I wouldn't be doing what I do now.  I felt it was right to share here as it's as she is my life.  Many of whom in the industry know Emily because she has been with me through the AMA days, the World Superbike days and now the MotoGP days and we have received and continue to receive words of encouragement, love and gifts from all over the world. 

I would like to take this moment to publicly thank everyone for the support.  It means so much to us.  The world of motorcycling, and racing has the coolest, most caring people I have ever met.