| "I'm sorry you have cancer" Nothing prepared me | | | | their shell fighting their battle privately confiding in |
| for the chilling reality of those words. | | | | only close family. |
| In November 2004, I was diagnosed with cancer | | | | For me it became quite the opposite - as a well |
| in the lower bowel - but it was pure luck that I | | | | known face on Adelaide TV I couldn't venture |
| found out about the cancer when I did. | | | | outside without people stopping to ask how I was |
| I remember vividly how the events unfolded - it | | | | going and when I'd be back on the small screen. |
| was a beautiful, warm Spring day and my wife | | | | They'd often say how well I was looking. Now I'd |
| Eve and I decided pick up a couple of chicken | | | | lost 17 kilos in two weeks and been through |
| gyros for lunch. | | | | gutbusting surgery - I didn't look all that flash. |
| They went down really well and I headed off to | | | | But to me it didn't matter - people who I didn't |
| Channel Seven (Adelaide Australia) to read the | | | | know but felt they new me actually cared - |
| news. | | | | every well wisher every "Good on ya mate" was |
| By the time I got home about 8 pm I felt a slight | | | | like a shot of the purist anti cancer drug. It |
| chest pain - like moderate indigestion - we'll it | | | | invigorated and empowered me - it still does. |
| gradually got worse to the extend that Eve had | | | | If we are to beat cancer - we all have a part to |
| to rush meto hospital in the early hours of the | | | | play - sufferers, carers, friends, families, total |
| morning. | | | | strangers - the human spirit is all powerful. |
| After very long and extremely agonising wait in | | | | If you know someone with cancer -and spot |
| casualty I finally was looked at - but by the time | | | | them in the supermarket don't hold back - wish |
| all the X-rays and examinations were over the | | | | them well tell them their looking great - and it can |
| pain had subsided and I was feeling pretty good. | | | | work wonders. |
| The X-rays revealed a severe gastric disturbance | | | | I owe my return to health not only to wonderful |
| and once the blockage had cleared I was OK. | | | | carers but my total involvement in the decision |
| But the doctor on duty said "Look while you're | | | | making process - choosing the specialists and |
| here I'd like to do a few more tests." It was | | | | after much deliberation my course of treatment. |
| those tests that revealed something nasty that | | | | I was lucky I had the perfect support network - |
| shouldn't be there. | | | | but as I've found from the many people who |
| A day later I went in for a full colonoscopy | | | | write to me in a similar situation - for a lot of |
| There can be few more sobering moments in | | | | people diagnosed with cancer there has been NO |
| your life than when you are told you have a | | | | support network to help them through the most |
| malignant tumour in your body. A level 3 cancer. | | | | trying of times. |
| Although my wife Eve was sitting there beside | | | | I talk a lot to cancer sufferers through cancer |
| me I had never felt more alone in my life - this | | | | support groups and when they hear how I went |
| was to be as much a battle of the mind as the | | | | about it they often say well that's OK for you - |
| body. | | | | you a professional journalist and you know how |
| After the earlier test I went in suspecting the | | | | to research and investigate stuff. |
| worst, I thought I was fully prepared for it - but | | | | Well up to a few years ago I'd agree I did have |
| nothing prepares you for that sort of news. | | | | and advantage but with the advent of the |
| Everything said after that was delivered through a | | | | internet - we can all be investigative reporters. |
| fog - I heard it all but understood little. | | | | Only this week I typed bowel cancer into Google |
| On that morning as I walked out of the doctor's | | | | in half a second it came up with more than three |
| rooms I had an empty, lost feeling - believing and | | | | million pages on the matter. |
| not believing I had cancer at the same time. | | | | Now I must stress it's not all good news - |
| It wasn't denial just a failure of an emotion | | | | statistics and life expectancy can give you a |
| charged brain to compute all the information. | | | | negative outlook - but once you know your |
| Then the biggest hurdle of all, how to tell the kids. | | | | enemy and can look him in the eye you're better |
| I have three children at the time they were 20 - | | | | equipped to defeat your demon. |
| 17 and 13. | | | | So you have to sift through all the information - |
| Despite the pain etched on their faces they took | | | | you must believe for a start that if your looking |
| in bravely as we told them in a matter of fact | | | | at statistics and percentages you're one of those |
| way what was happening | | | | on the positive side. |
| We decided that they had to be told everything | | | | Your doctor/specialist will do his or her best but |
| as they had to live through my surgery and post | | | | you are just one of many patients. |
| operative recovery - which saw me make a slow | | | | You, personally have to become an absolute |
| and painful return to health over the following 12 | | | | expert on your form of cancer, not in a medical |
| months. | | | | sense but how it is affecting you. |
| I have nothing but praise for the doctors and | | | | Then and only then can you ask the right |
| nurses who looked after me throughout my | | | | questions. It's your life and your body, if your not |
| treatment and recovery. | | | | happy say so, if you want a second opinion get it. |
| Their care and concern was of immense help. | | | | One of my specialists said something that has |
| Luckily for me I had a wonderful support network | | | | stuck with me - he said you can have surgery for |
| - from my wife and family to close friends. | | | | cancer, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, |
| But what I craved most before undergoing | | | | homoeopathy, naturopathy, meditation - all of |
| surgery was information - I needed to know | | | | them, or just some of them. |
| more about this cancer - survival rate, methods | | | | But what matters most is your state of mind - it |
| of treatment. | | | | is the most powerful weapon in the battle against |
| Once again I was lucky my wife is a | | | | cancer. |
| homoeopathic practitioner and as such had studied | | | | He said you have the final say on the best course |
| medical sciences - she could explain what the | | | | of treatment for you and once you decide, |
| doctor had said. After my fog had lifted I though | | | | whatever it is, believe fully that you have taken |
| of the questions I should have asked in his | | | | the right course and it will help you back to full |
| surgery. | | | | health. |
| We have close friends in the medical profession | | | | The doctors do there best the carers and |
| and they were at the end of the phone when I | | | | support groups do a wonderful jobbut more has |
| had a specific query and believe me there were | | | | to be done. |
| plenty. | | | | Prevention, detection, treatment and care have |
| Acting on advice I consulted with two surgeons | | | | until now worked in many cases as separate |
| before choosing one. I did the same with my | | | | entities that's a layman's point of view - someone |
| radiotherapist and I spoke with three Oncologists | | | | who has gone through the Cancer mill. Every |
| before choosing the one who I thought was on | | | | effort must be made for a co-ordinated approach. |
| the same wavelength as me. | | | | I've said to my boys now aged 26 and 23 |
| I wanted an Oncologist who would accept I would | | | | remember what your dad went through - start |
| be using complementary medicine alongside | | | | having regular checks when you reach 40. |
| western practices. | | | | For a half a days discomfort (anyone who's had a |
| This of course isn't for everybody but it works | | | | colonoscopy knows what I'm taking about) you |
| for me. Everyone has the right to pursue the | | | | can avoid a life threatening cancer and in my case |
| treatment they think will work for them. | | | | 8 months of agony. |
| The six hour operation was successful but I was | | | | Nobody should have to suffer through cancer - |
| left with an ileostomy bag. | | | | but it's all too common in modern society. |
| Psychologically that in itself was a big hurdle - but | | | | I'd never wish cancer on anyone it can be cruel, |
| hey I was alive and if I had to wear a bag to help | | | | debilitating and all too often life ending. |
| me beat it then that was a small price to pay. | | | | My life has changed dramatically, my priorities |
| Six months later I was back in hospital for the | | | | have changed - my family, always important to |
| follow-up operation to get me off the bag. | | | | me is now even more so. |
| I underwent 5 weeks of radiotherapy and a | | | | The things I used to agonise and worry over I |
| course of chemo - and along the way | | | | now see as not so important - |
| homoeopathy and naturopathic nutrition played | | | | Life is good I love every moment. I'm a better |
| their role in my recovery. | | | | person for having gone through the cancer |
| Many people diagnosed with cancer withdraw into | | | | experience. |