Month: December 2014

Onwards and Upwards No. 8

Hello my healing team,

I hope this update finds you well.

We currently find ourselves in sunny Pambula on the south east coast of NSW.  It is a gorgeous little place, but it has a slight sour taste in that it is the last stop of our holiday.  The caravan park here is quite large. It is a treat that it is set right up against the beach, but the best aspect is the packs of kangaroos bouncing through the place. There are also ducks walking around, unaware that the park residents are eyeing them off for Christmas dinner which is just a few days away ;).  Ahhhhh the serenity. 

Over the past week we left the Blue mountains and landed in Sydney, then shot south down the coats to Broulee then Pambula.  What an amazing place the Blue Mountains is.  Every mountainous outlook seems to have a jaw dropping vista, and there seems to be a thousand walks, with each of them uncovering another gem.  Whilst most of the tracks are established with steps or boardwalks, you still feel as though you are in the middle of nowhere as you see numerous lizards running across your path, fresh water crays abound in the pools of the streams and the forest grows largely uninhibited.

 Sydney was great fun. We caught up with my uncle and aunt, my brother Jerome, his partner Josie, and his fabulous outlaws. We were out of the caravan and into normal beds for the first time in a month.  Glorious!!  Jerome and Josie have just moved into their new pad in Paddington, so paint brushes were flying left and right as the renovations were being completed in earnest.  As you experience with all renovators, you arrive at their house at the agreed time to spend the first hour cleaning up painting equipment only get to the promise of “I’ll just finish this last skirting board”, then spend the next two days talking about the endless opportunities for renovating improvement.  Ahhhhh….I was that person not so long ago, and will be again soon I am sure.

Now I sit here by the beach typing out my last update before Christmas and I begin to contemplate our rush into the ‘Silly Season’.  I have recently read a couple of great emails and Facebook posts talking about how the most important aspect of Christmas is ‘being present’ as opposed to ‘giving presents’. With the year we have had, that totally resonates with me because more than ever, I treasure the opportunity to be present.

I also think about people who are not feeling so flash at this time and what we can do for those people.  I reflect on all the support that I have received over that past 10 months and how there were times when I needed propping up, or to receive reassurance and comfort, not only from friends and family, but occasionally from strangers (many of which whom are now part of my healing team). It made a huge difference to my recovery.  So I urge you to hunt down that person or people that is struggling and jump in give them a hand. Set a goal for yourself!  Stop for one minute today, perhaps now, and think of someone who may be unwell or struggling a little, then do something for them. That something may just be giving them a call to say hello.  Or it may be you going and doing something to help them, to lighten their load. Can I recommend, rather than asking them ‘what can I do for you’, make suggestions for things you will do for them. When you are a person in need, you actually feel bad making suggestions for ways people can help you.  You feel as though you are imposing. However, if someone offers you something specific that you can use, it is far easier to accept.  

Did you know that the hormones serotonin, dopamine and endorphins are released when you receive love and support. Oxytocin, also known as the ‘cuddle hormone’ is released as a result of physical touch.  These are the same hormones that are critical for healing. And with this, I wish you and yours a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.  Please stay safe!!

Take care 

Geoff

 

Onwards and Upwards No. 7

Hello me healing team, 

I hope this update finds you well!

Our last update two weeks ago had us sitting in the hills of Adelaide where the 30+ deg Celsius weather set in.  Just fab!  We have done a lot since then travelling north through the Clare Valley wine region, up to the Flinders Ranges, then across NSW through Broken Hill, Dubbo and to Blackheath in the Blue Mountains where we sit currently.  We have seen some truly amazing scenery, tried some awesome food and met some great people!! It seems to be Riley and Georgia who blaze the trail in meeting new people.  As soon as we get to any caravan park, Riley gets on his Richmond Tigers mountain bike, and Georgia on her Barbie BMX, and they do the reconnaissance on whether the games room is any good, whether the toilet facilities are clean (for Sarah), and whether there are any other kids in the park.  Invariably, within four minutes, recon is complete and they are on the jumping pillow with any kids they have managed to round up. Scarily they typically have the same success as the pied piper at attracting other kids.  The upside is that we are soon yakking with the other kids parents, and in this way, have now made many new friends, people who we hope to stay in touch with for a long time…….you know who you are!

The Clare Valley was relaxing and beautiful.  It has the benefit of historic little towns, wineries and great food set in a very country Australian setting.  It was stinking hot most of the time so until we acclimatised, we experienced a lot of it from the air conditioned comfort of the car. However, we were brave enough to get out and taste some of the boutique wines (with Riesling the specialty) that the region had to offer.  Sevenhills Winery is the oldest in the region as it was established in the 1800s by the Lutheran Church.  I was amazed that they have Alter Wine on the cellar door. It was the cheapest wine they stocked!  It took me back to my childhood days when we went to church.  If they sold alter bread we would have considered staying for lunch.

The Flinders Ranges was nothing short of spectacular. It is situated in outback South Australia and features a rugged mountain range with amazing geological escarpments. The flora and fauna were something special.  There were plenty of lizards, kangaroos, families of emus, wild goats and eagles to name a few.  The biggest challenge was keeping the kids under the illusion that all of those kangaroos on the side of the road were ‘just sleeping’, especially when there were emus, kangaroos and goats all sleeping together. We stayed at a camp set up on a dusty old sheep station where we met some great new friends which was refreshing for us and the kids.  We did plenty of awesome walks and scenic drives visiting deserted historic mining camps, stockman settlements and taking in the views of the mountains! All just awesome.  It was recommended that we go to the town Parachilna for specialty cuisine. I thought to call one single pub sitting by itself in the middle of the outback a ‘town’ was a bit of a stretch, but who am I to judge.  At the pub they had a ‘Feral Plate’ made up of emu, kangaroo, croc, drop bear and few other iconic Aussie animals.  Luckily I no longer eat red meat.  

From the Flinders Ranges we dashed through Broken Hill where we were intending to stay a few days. Unfortunately one of the pubs that we visited had an Abba cover band so we quickly left the pub and Broken Hill.  Dubbo was nice, however, I really don’t think there is much there other than the zoo. It has me baffled as to why they set up an open range zoo in the middle of nowhere.  I guess it gives the truck drivers and grey nomads something to do on their days off.  Helps break up the drive.

Now we find ourselves in Blackheath in the Blue Mountains.  We left Dubbo at 10am and it was 37deg cel to arrive four hours later in Blackheath to 20 deg cel, thunder lightning and pouring rain.  Actually, it didn’t start raining until half way through our ‘quick walk to use up the kids energy’.  It quickly turned from a forest walk into a ‘rainforest walk’ (bbbwwwwaaahhhh excuse the dad joke).  The views, walks and scenery are every bit as good as you see on TV.  Just great!!

I have included a handful of picture representing our trip thus far. A few from each place.  Next we head to Sydney to visit family and friends, then our adventure continues south along the SE coast of NSW.  Stay tuned.

So now for my reflection of the week.

Since being diagnosed I have read widely and one consensus for staying well relates to keeping your mind well.  Pivotal to that is maintaining a positive disposition, a positive outlook for the future.  Over the past six months of me sending updates, many of you have commented to me on how positively I represent myself.  I think back to when I was first diagnosed when things didn’t seem so positive. I stated then that I was going to beat this disease and I firmly believe that now.  I think I have the right things in place to kick cancer, or at least live with it to a very old age.  However, sometimes I do sit back and my science brain pulls out the statistics.  The stats that say I don’t have long to live (well not long enough for my liking). I think ‘am I just bluffing myself by using an aura of positivity in unrealistic defiance of the statistics’? Some doctors would say I am.  

I think NO!!  I’m not bluffing.  I am positive about living a long time!  I’ve made a decision and that decision is to live long enough to see my kids have kids, to see my kids get old, to see retirement age and beyond, to enjoy my post work years.  To get to a passing age that most think is normal. Whilst I do think that I am going to have a hilly road ahead of me dealing with cancer, i won’t be taken unreasonably early.  Why do I think this??  Firstly, I am positive because it is in my genes. I was raised in a positive environment.  Secondly, I am positive because my intuition tells me I am doing the right things.  Whilst I am in a space with many unknowns, I feel that I am doing it right. Lastly, I have the right support.  My healing team support me by being positive and by enabling me to do what I need.  For that, I thank you.

Take care 

Geoff