My Dad circa 1937

[Mad Aussie]

Thanks for that Marko.

We all to deal with these sorts of things at some time in our lives I guess. I'm sure many here have been through this type of experience before and many more will in the future.

[Marko]

Although everyone is different in things, I think that writing and taking pictures during difficult times has merits on many levels. Sorry again MA.

[Mad Aussie]

I just thought I'd add that the following day, the social day, my dad was presented with a brand new Martinez Lap Steel guitar for his efforts and contributions to the club etc. He said to me ... "Steve ... nothing like this has ever happened to me before" ... it was a cool thing.

[Marko]

Wow what a beautiful moment that must have been MA. Thanks for adding that detail.
I'd love to see a portrait of him playing that guitar.
(if you do do this, I have a suggestion; black and white by a window, lit with window light and a reflector is how I already have the image in my head)

[Mad Aussie]

Apparently he got time to play the guitar yesterday. Time is a bit full with hospital/doctor appointments for obvious reasons. I would like to get a nice shot or few of him with the guitar actually but they don't live here in Brisbane so it won't be that easy with my schedule at present.

If you are interested ... this is a couple small avi's of Dad playing in that festival/function a couple of years ago ...
http://www.ardlink.com/midis/murray_feb05_3.avi (5.8 mb)
http://www.ardlink.com/midis/murray_feb05_1.avi (7.2 mb)

[Mad Aussie]

I thought I'd add some good news.
Today we got the results back from Dad's prostate cancer tests and it appears that the cancer has not spread elsewhere thankfully. So, some radiation is up next I believe.

[JAS_Photo]

Good to hear.

[Mad Aussie]

Thanks Raiven

[Mad Aussie]

Barefoot asked in another thread about Dad and how he's going. Thanks for the interest Barefoot.

Going back a month or two I realised that nothing had happened in terms of Dad starting any treatments and got suspicious. I got onto my mother about hassling the hospital where Dad was to be treated but she couldn't get any answers.

I spoke to a friend of ours who is a radiologist in the Royal Brisbane Hospital (RBH) and she rang the nambour Hospital and found that dad had slipped between the cracks somewhere. Within days (now several weeks late) he had an appointment.

The appointment went fine except there was no urologist to see him but he was sent home to await another appointment.

Nothing.

Finally after ringing up the hospital again and making complaints, my mother discovered that Dad had yet again been forgotten! He was now several months behind on starting treatment for what they have diagnosed as a serious and aggressive prostrate cancer.

My advice was to go to their urologist and demand that all treatment is done in Brisbane where our friend can at least keep tabs on him. This appears to be happening now and he has started hormone treatment (hormone treatment is known to shrink prostrate cancer) for a year before finishing off with radiation. A severe dose of chemo is slated in there somewhere also but I forget where that fits in right now.

So the battle continues and whether the slackness of the Nambour hospital has cost Dad chances of survival or not we don't know.

[Barefoot]

I hope everything turns out for the best, MA.

My Pops dealt with a bout of prostate cancer several years ago. I think its one of the most treatable with high success rates. The radiation caused some other problems that he still has to deal with and things were a little dicey there for a while. He worked for almost forty years at a nuke facility in the days when they were a bit lax in preventing exposures and the prostate cancer may have been as a result of extended exposure to non-lethal doses of radiation. The DOE has been very good about trying to make amends to all the old guys in similar situations that worked there in the late fifties and early sixties by providing them with the best of care. They’re providing him with full time nurses that stay there at the house with him aroud the clock and take care of his every need. Really takes the load off my Mom.

Again, here's wishing you guys the best.