DHC Hope: 2013

29 November 2013

Thanksgiving

Wednesday November 27 was my appointment with Dr Lisa Horvath. As usual I walked there but by a more circuitous route, passing the renovated Glebe Town Hall through the University of Sydney over to the National Australia Bank to deposit some donations for The BezCan Project. Then back through the University and into the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital complex. This time I passed the art deco Gloucester House which was the cancer centre and crossed over Missenden Road to the new Chris O’Brien Lifehouse – wow! State of the art, great café, plenty of room – no expense was spared on this 11 level building. Dr Chris O’Brien was a highly regarded cancer specialist who died from a cancerous brain tumour. He has been well and truly honoured.

Barbara and I met with registrar Florian who was excellent. I talked about my bowel discomfort and he examined me. Then we met with Dr Lisa. The blood test shows my cancer remains dormant although the tumour marker indicator has increased from around 1.6 to 2.5 over the passed three visits. Both said it remains within normal limits, as it is under 3. Both agreed that I should see Dr Sean Griffin, the gastroenterologist I saw in early 2011. In February I will see him. There is a polyp/lesion in my lower bowel that probably will be removed. Hopefully this results in more normality. I also see Lisa again in February and will have a CT scan.

Granddad and granddaughter

Thursday November 28 we celebrated Thanksgiving, the American custom that we have enjoyed since the late 1970s. Nowadays our gathering is family based. We have much to give thanks for with my health, our two new granddaughters (including very happy sets of parents) and Uganda. For years Barbara has suggested a hobby would be good for me. Well, Uganda is so much better than a hobby – a new purpose, in a new country, with new friends that uses all the skills and knowledge that I have gained during my life.

Thanksgiving dinner

Barbara and I with some of our in-laws

It is good to give thanks.

31 October 2013

Recharging the Batteries

This is a bare and personal blog entry. So skip it if you do not want know about more personal matters.

Last Thursday 24 October I arrived home from Uganda at 10.00 pm, glad to be home, quickly passing through customs and greeted by Barbara. Friday morning I caught up on snail and emails. Friday night we went to ESFNG small group at Judith's. I have not experienced pain but I have experienced discomfort. It has been one of the more difficult weeks of recent years. I think it is due to a combination of tiredness, the bowel cancer, malaria tablets and deciding to try Metamucil. I took the Metamucil tablets with me to Uganda but decided as I was feeling OK I would not begin using them there. I am very glad I did not. I took three Saturday morning and I was off to the toilet frequently that and the next day and every other day since. Everything was interlinked in the personal waste disposal functions.

So, it was hard on the weekend spending time with friends and family.

Sunday morning I took Barbara to the airport for her week with Colleen and her family in New Zealand. Meanwhile I saw quite lot of my family, although sometimes I felt quite uncomfortable.

Monday and Wednesday I facilitated the Company Directors Course financial modules in the city and, thankfully, I performed well and was OK. I am very glad the Tuesday course was cancelled as I do not think I could have coped. This morning I had a client meeting at Company Directors.

During this last week I was sometimes sleeping well and sometimes not, catching up during the day – a combination of Ugandan tiredness, jet lag and bodily miss-functions. My way of recharging my batteries is lying naked in the sun. I could not do this in Uganda and was looking forward to being home. Friday I had a chance but the next opportunity was today. My brother says all the vitamin D fights the cancer. I do not know if this is the case but I do know I feel I am in heaven when I am in the sun. If I lived in pagan times I would have been a sun worshipper. I know my pleasure goes against all the sun advice but it feels like it heals my mind and body. Additionally, I enjoyed being in a peaceful, beautiful backyard. Yards are not so ordered and beautiful in Uganda.

I am glad that I can look forward to recharging the batteries over coming days, subject to the weather. I have a quiet November planned with some client work and Ugandan matters to handle. My next appointment with Dr Lisa is Wednesday 27 November and I will be talking about this week with her.

Dreams to Reality Tonight

Tonight I am going out to hear a young friend perform in a jazz band. While it would be good to be lazing in front of the TV like I have done when I can during the last week, I am glad to be able to see him following his life dream – a young talented jazz musician wanting to make his mark.

In Australia there is so much opportunity to make your dreams reality compared with growing up in Uganda. I hope to release my BezCan Project Report early next week and you will see how we are giving some children a better start in life.

Brendon (at right) performing his solo in one of the many
fantastic pieces performed by the Generations Big Band

DHC with Brendon's family

25 September 2013

All Quiet on the Cancer Front

A very upbeat Dr Lisa Horvath told Barbara and I that the CT scan report and blood analysis shows that my liver cancer remains dormant. I had been apprehensive about this being the case as I have felt a bit low a few times in the last two months. However, as some of you have mentioned to me, I have been busy: launching The BezCan Project; working in Singapore at the beginning of September; in Sri Lanka in the middle of September; in the Blue Mountains this weekend; then off to Uganda on the Monday night.

Part of my apprehension is that sometimes I have been sitting on the toilet more times per day than I would like. Dr Lisa has suggested taking Metamucil with the aim of being regular with less frequent visits. I hope this will work, however, even if it doesn’t I am travelling OK as is.

My next appointment with Dr Horvath is Wednesday afternoon 27 November, the day before Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is the Word!

The BezCan Project

As you know, I have visited Uganda twice this year and am departing for a three week visit in October. Our long time friends Pam and Allan have been living in Kamuli, Uganda since late 2011.

On my second visit in June I made a commitment to support the Bezallel and Canaan Primary Schools for five years to 2017. In August I launched The BezCan Project. The response to this launch indicates we will be able to provide support for the five years at least at the minimum level I was hoping for. Thank you!

The BezCan Project has its own website. So, the Ugandan stories from my June visit have been moved from this DHC Hope blog to The BezCan Project website < http://bezcan.com>.

Sri Lanka Hope

This September I spent a week in Sri Lanka: 3 days of touring and 3 days facilitating a financial management seminar. During the seminar we examined the financial performance of a local hotel group. Looking back over ten years, the civil war years were marked by static sales and a mixture of profits and losses with the last three years showing rapid growth in sales and profits. Clearly peace brings its financial rewards. While touring, my guide, Indra, talked about all the roadblocks that had to be negotiated during the civil war. Now you can travel freely. Friends of ours toured two years ago. Then you could not visit the north, where the Tamil fighters were based. The Sri Lankan Air in flight magazine had a long article about visiting the northern city of Jaffna and the surrounding areas. So I could see much to hope for in Sri Lanka but I confess that I find Chinese cultural order much easier to live in than Indian chaos. Leaving through Colombo airport was like being part of one herd of cattle amongst an number negotiating security, check-in, emigration and boarding.

Here are some photos of what I saw:

Polonnaruwa an 800 hundred year old ancient city
Minnariya National Park where we watched the largest herd of elephants I have seen in the wild
Sigiriya Lion’s Rock Fortress observed from below and the village which shows you the typical town sights
Dambulla Rock Cave Temple full of Buddhist statues dating back 500, 1200 and 1600 years
Kandy an old inland city where I saw a cultural show and visited the Temple of The Tooth Relic (said to be on of Buddha’s teeth)
Some of the things I saw in Colombo

The Ruins of the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa

David at entry of part of the ruins

Local ruins inhabitants

Dogs like these are roaming everywhere in Sri Lanka

David at a large stupa in the ruined city

Historic lying, standing and sitting (hidden) Buddha

Minnariya National Park

The whole herd

Happy elephants among the herd

Sigiriya Lion Rock Fortress and Town

A view of Sigiriya Lion Rock Fortress

Sigiriya village elephant walk

Colourful shop

Village signs, shops and transport

Dambulla Rock Cave Temple

David at the Golden Temple, Dambulla

Inside a rock cave temple

See the colourful ceiling above the sitting Buddhas

Indra, my tour guide outside the Rock Cave Temple

Monks descending the stairs from the Rock Cave Temple

Cultural Show and Temple of the Tooth in Kandy

Female dancers accompanied by male drummers

Colourful costumes, vibrant drumming and exotic dancing

Temple of the Tooth

People waiting to walk past the Tooth viewing spot

Buddha's Tooth is inside the golden container

Bottom level of the structure holding the Tooth

Roof gilded in gold above the structure holding the Tooth

Some Sights in Colombo

Tuk tuks are common means of local transport for hire

Temple on island in lake

24 July 2013

Dormant State Continues

This afternoon Barbara and I met with Dr Lisa Horvath. My blood test (taken in the morning) shows that my liver continues to function normally. Lisa asked how I have been feeling and was pleased that I feel normal and energetic. The evidence is the cancer remains dormant.

My next CT scan is Tuesday 24 September and appointment with Dr Horvath is Wednesday afternoon 25 September.

07 July 2013

Christmas in July

Since 1999 we have celebrated Christmas in July with another family with whom we we are close. We started because they moved away from Sydney at the beginning of 1999.

Today, our granddaughters joined us for the first time.

The photos show our roasted lamb and vegetables awaiting collection and the mini Christmas puddings, indulging in the chocolate fountain, all of us holding our presents and the first photo of we grandparents holding our granddaughters – very special.

27 May 2013

Continuing Good News

Today Barbara and I met with Dr Lisa Horvath, my oncologist. Today’s blood test and last week’s CT scan show that the liver cancer remains dormant and my liver is functioning normally. Lisa pointed out on the scan where the cancer is, which is in the top area of the liver. The liver has built in redundancy capability. My cancer had affected about half of the liver, which was too much, but being less than a quarter now, I am OK. She thinks that my situationl is a mixture of the cancer’s response to treatment and my body’s capability. Everyone’s journey is different.

This blog entry, I want to thank those of you who have been praying for me, particularly Ian who believes in my being healed, Geoff who prays morning and evening and Ron who prays everyday. We cannot scientifically measure these things but I can assure you that to receive such love and concern that has been given now for over two years is a wonderful blessing.

Congratulations to our son who rang us yesterday to announce his engagement. They are thinking of the first half of next year for their wedding.

Today I am including a photo (which was previously released by special email) from my family birthday celebration on 8 May when I turned 63. My first granddaughter joins the family for this photo.

Sunday June 2 I fly for three weeks in Kamuli, Uganda with our friends Pam and Allan. I will be working with them on some ideas and matters mainly concerning the primary school across the road from where they live.

24 April 2013

"It's a Keeper"

‘It’s a keeper’ cries Roger as I read the message just received from Barbara:

To Grandpa David.... Our first grandchild is Born 13/04/2013, weighing 3.7kg and 51 cm long with dark hair. Everyone is thrilled.

My brother and I are in the lounge bar with most of our fellow passengers on the True North, afternoon of 15 April. Fishing is one of the activities that most passengers love. A ‘keeper’ is a fish that is large enough to be legally kept. So, my granddaughter is worthy to be kept – for sure! Our fellow travellers were warm in their congratulations and best wishes.

I returned home from Broome on Monday 22 April and met my granddaughter on Tuesday afternoon. She slept peacefully in her bassinet during Barbara’s and my visit. I am looking forward to holding her and getting a decent photo of her and me.

What I missed

I knew I would be away when my grandchild was born but several other major events occurred around Club 55 while I was away:

Muggles died (put to sleep) on first weekend I was away as he had a serious urinary tract blockage. He was with us over 11 years; almost four times longer than any previous pet I had. Muggles was buried beneath his favourite bit of garden near the back gate. Buttons is feeling lonesome.
Our builder, Andy began his work repairing our parapet wall at the front of Club 55. In May last year, strong winds blew the parapet wall over in the middle terrace causing major damage. We suffered some minor damage. Scaffolding now covers the front of the house. Andy will also paint the house with waterproof paint.
On the last weekend I was away, one of our sons and his wife moved into their own home.

So much change has occurred in a few weeks.

The Kimberley

My brother and I are added to the list of people who have fallen in love with the Kimberley in the north of Western Australia. Every person I meet who has been to the Kimberley raves about it. Cruising the coast in True North is a wonderful way to view the incredible coastline, sail in and out of rivers, push into waterfalls, view marvellous Aboriginal rock art, clamber over rocks and rills, and helicopter into secret picnic areas situated on large pools complete with waterfalls.

So, this is a special edition of DHC Hope blog with some extra photos to celebrate some special events.