Playing catch up...

So it is actually day 8 (another day...now 9) of this journey, and now Kussy has finally managed to get me sorted on the iPad, I need to go back in time and fill in the last week. It has become a bit of a blur really, but let's give it a go.


Tuedsay night, 8th May 2012 it was a 7.30am check in to St Andrews. My Doctor was now Hugh Harley, a specialist referred from my GP Peter Paschke. This was merely investigative procedure to eliminate possible causes of my feeling unwell.


I had complained of a tight chest and acid bombs like star bursts that hit randomly and often during the night. This saga was going on since February and I had been to see Angus Haines, a heart specialist and a friend. We went through all the processes of CT scan, Ultra Sound and a very thorough look over. All was good and the pains were intermittant and random.


It was late April around the 28th that I was eating in Manto Cafe and had a very painful event where my schnitzel felt like razor blades going down my throat. I rang Pete from the restaurant and saw him urgently the next day. Every thing started to happen from here. I was booked into the see Dr.Hugh Harley and after an interview, booked into "Hotel St Andrews" for the endoscope on the morning of the 8th.


This place felt like home, as I had half my Colan removed January 2011 thanks to a long bout of Diverticlitus, which by the way was not cancer and is fully healed - just for the record. So many rumors. Kinda missed the place, well the nurses anyway.


As reported earlier, the pictures told a story that needed no medical interpretation.


Knowing I was in trouble, and after a general anaesthetic I wasn't meant to drink for 24 hours. We had all the Toop team coming over for a celebration 27 anniversary cocktail birthday party and awards night. What the team didn't know was not only my news but more importantly it was to be a surprise Moet night, where we wanted to have a simple but classy celebration night of fun quaffing French champagne while eating lovely cocktail food.

So it was to be a terrifying night...not drinking and watching so much great champagne being consumed and not participating, not to mention hanging on to our little secret while every one became seriously relaxed.


The night was meant to end at 9pm, I quietly slipped away at midnight exhausted while Sylvia held the fort and finally kicked the stayers out just before 2am! Well done Sylv, she stepped up to the plate from get go, and I can say has just risen to the challenges in all the time since...but we will get to that.


Wednesday...the wait was on for the results of the Biopsy. The call was late Wednesday night from Doc Peter Paschke, but it was definate. The tumour was malignant, I was dealing with Cancer. It was funny...I already knew.


Our very first call was to the kids. Genevieve (Gen) and Tom were travelling in the USA and we left messages all over the place to get to her as a priority. Suzannah (Suz) was in Sydney and after several messages and some hours she was the first to get the news. It was a tough call but one that had to be made. Suz was brave but it sure had an impact.


Finally Thursday morning...it was around 7.30am Adelaide time and the Skype call came through. Sylvia and I were on route to Adelaide for the weekly Exec meeting, and we had to pull over in Echunga to hold the Skype call. This was tough. Gen knew something was up but thought it was Grandma...Sylvia's mum has lung cancer at 84 and was not in great shape when Gen had been home last (I am happy to say Grandma looked pretty good on Mothers Day).


The Exec meeting was had, as usual, but we had scheduled a special meeting for that night to discuss who was to do what while we were away, holidays of course.


Thursday 10th, our 1.30pm scheduled meeting from the news of the 8th was with the specialist who conducted the endoscopic procedure, Dr.Hugh Harley, to discuss the next steps and where to from here. Don't you just love those waiting areas, sitting amidst other sick people and wondering not only your own fate but also those in that room around you.


Toop&Toop is our baby too, and so just like with our family we needed to take some affirmative action to roll out the news along with the solutions, all at once to the various members of the team. We called a meeting with the Exec for late Thursday night and mapped out a plan moving forward. The Exec were amazing...we have some quality people at Toop&Toop!


You see the irony is that Sylvia and I had booked 12 months ago to do a 4 week holiday cruising the Mediteranian and Europe. So we were less than 2 weeks from leaving and our diaries were clear and management in place to cover both of us being away. This trip was to be with our eldest daughter Genevieve and her partner Tom, and we were also to meet up with friends Tony and Paula Braxton-Smith but now this trip was not an option. So there was plenty of work undoing the travel arrangements and advising all the parties, this was done in confidence once again thanks to those involved as our confidence was not broken.


We met with key stakeholders and ensured those who needed to have a heads up were up to speed and that there would be NO SURPRISES, a motto very important to us in the running of our own business.


Still the family and the team were unaware of the pending news as we worked through all the medical tests and firmed up on what we were facing.


Gen and Tom booked flights immediately and headed for home, Suz did the same. The family were moving fast to head home and plan this together.


Friday 11th I had training with the Property Management Team from 7.30am, and I was in good shape. We dealt with a few other work matters and I was booked in to meet and speak with The Doc, the surgeon recommended to me and so the real "game" began of beating this cancer.


By Friday night I was feeling pretty exhausted, it was a lot to take in. We had cancelled a big dinner that was to be at Kensington House, I had Tim Thredgold (Threds) take a charity auction for me and I rang in and asked Variety to cover for me with another event that I was meant to be at...so, sorry guys, it is tough on organizers when you do that to them.


Saturday, 12th, remarkably my auctions had all been sold prior, incredible how these things work. I spent the day working out how this was all going to look and it was time well spent.


Mothers Day, Sunday. Wow! This was a big day.


Sylv and I thought a lot about the Family, as in my Mum and Ken, and Sylv's family, and we decided that we wanted to tell them all at once and in person which I am very pleased we were able to do. Mothers Day was on Sunday and this was rather unfortunate yet very fortunate all at the same time. Lew and Jane were wonderful. Lew organized everything with my family and had us all together for brunch at their place at Hyde Park. We broke the news to my family first, then headed to Sylvia's sister's place at Underdale in the afternoon to tell all of the Paczek clan. This was the start of another chapter in the journey, and one of the toughest.


By late afternoon it was off home to the Farm to set about letting all of our other family, the Toop Team, know in the best way we could. We really felt that both families should hear direct from Sylvia and I. We feel so close to them all and felt it was so important.


Sylvia and I knew we couldn't call every one in the team as there was not enough time. So we started playing tag on the phones and got stuck into it. I had already decided we needed to send something clear and honest to our Toop family and so with some difficulty I managed to get an email out to all of the team late Sunday night.


The word was now out, and the time was running to get to as many friends and loved ones as we could before the Adelaide rumor mill kicked in. We were exhausted, and for those we didn't get to, we are so sorry, it was not through the lack of trying.


Monday Gen arrived home from the States with Tom, and Tom's parents Don and Jane, Sylvia and I all called in to a restaurant on the way home to Kensington House to hug and catch up....so good to start bringing the family together.


Gen was due home to start work back at Toop&Toop after 2 years working in London, so although we missed our family cruise we are simply reunited back home a few months early.


Big Tuesday. So far one of my personal biggest achievements was to front up and look in the eyes of all my amazing work colleagues, it was hard. I could see the concern in their eyes, and I knew that I was not good once the concern became clear, and sympathy was really tough. Anyway, we had an awesome get together and talked through a whole lot of things, and WOW, that is one great team. Love you guys.


Straight from the sales meeting I was booked in for a whole day at Burnside Hosital for all manner of tests and scans. Funny really, Kensington House is located diagonally opposite the Burnside Hospital, so they are essentially our neighbours. Must say, Kensington House would be awesome medical rooms!!


Anyway, Tuesday I was out of the suit, into the gown and endoscope, then CAT scans, blood tests and that as about it for the day, very full on.


Gen and Sylvia were with me all day, cancer is a GREAT way to get the kids around you, loved the time together. Mum turned up at the Hospital, can't stop Mum, and Gen had a chance to catch up with her grandmother, this was really nice.


Family comes together....after years of being all over the place, Suz arrived home Wednesday morning. Gen had to go to the airport as Sylvia and I were back across the road at the Burnside Hospital again, this time for a RESPIRATORY TEST. Never heard of such a thing...wow it was damn hard work. Anyway, hopefully passed the test as this was needed to see if I would make it through a big opperation if that was where this was to lead. I recon I passed, I blew plenty of hot air, after all, that is what I do so well.


Straight from there to Tennyson. Suz was back, we all had hugs and then in the car and off to Tennyson. If you know Tennyson, you know where I mean. I thought it was about beachside, but nup! Tennyson is Jones and Partners new clinic on South Road, and where one of only 2 PET Scans can be done. OK so you want to know what a PET Scan is, well it is a big damn machine that can find Cancer cells hopefully, pretty important piece of stuff when you are going through what I am. Whoever didn't want a new Royal Adelaide Hospital clearly hasn't been very sick lately, it was all new and very impressive. There is money in sickness, a hell of a lot better that in real estate at the moment!


We waited and picked up the reports to deliver to my Doc, and I had something to eat. It was late and I had been fasting all day, and this was the second day in succession where I had had to fast. All good if you want to loose weight but actually, I need to put some on if this operation is to happen.


Many thanks to my surgeon; he rang me with some awesome news (take any wins) to say that it appears there is no spread! Now that means surgery is almost a certainty, if there is any such thing as certainty with these situations.


Anyway, I'll take that, thank you....some of the best news I have had for over a week.


Thursday...Day 10. Woke up early, Sylv and I talking a lot in bed, (yeah yeah yeah) and we went down to our Gym and got into a work out. I have to stay as fit as possible at the moment so am pleased about that, I find my exercise is great for me and makes this all seem like it is happening to someone else. Funny, all this stuff does feel so removed, but I am a realist, and soon it will be very real!


So...I reckon we are basically up to date now.


A few acknowledgements, and I don't want to single out any one in particular, but the support and well wishes that I have received has been nothing short of incredible. I feel humbled and honored to have so many wonderful friends, family and work mates. I have had so many calls of support from my work competitors and it just goes to show, this is a wonderful and beautiful world we live in, so live every day as if it were your last. Life is so good.


WHY A BLOG? This blog was a suggestion from Susy Daw, a great friend of ours and so here I am...typing 2 fingers these days, on my iPad. it is for genuine friends and family who want to share a bit of our journey. I hope it helps those who may go through this type of event in the future.


So....here is the deal, please excuse spelling and grammatical errors, I flunked English at school but you will get the idea!


So this post catches up the blur of the past 9 days and now I will try and post as we go. Love to hear any stuff you want to hear about and please excuse me if I do get behind a bit, it really is a roller coaster.


Until tomorrow, enjoy your day and don't sweat the small stuff.