Medical Update

Despite my best intentions, my blogging has become spasmodic again. If you are one of my loyally persistent readers, thank you for your patience.

I am currently suffering a broken toe, the 2nd toe on my right foot. I have no idea how I broke it, I have no memory of doing anything bad to it, either accidentally or on purpose. But it HURTS!
There is no correlation between the size of the toe and the level of pain it is generating. It hurts BAD!
And it seems that in the exhaustive annals of medical science, there is no treatment for a broken toe!

But enough of my whingeing.

My Dad is having a much tougher time than I am.
On Monday he starts 4-6 weeks of intensive radiation and chemotherapy treatment on the cancer in his bowel. Then follows a "recovery" period before further surgery to (hopefully) remove the tumour. The op is planned for early June. The whole saga has been very difficult already and is probably going to get worse before it gets better. Dad has always said "I've never been sick a day in my life". Sadly that has all changed drastically.
At the moment my big brother Alan is staying in Gympie to help look after him which has allowed Vicki to come home for a break, and to "settle" into her new home in Leopold. Jordy and I are taking a truck up to Mum's place at Tatong on the weekend to collect the last of Vicki's furniture.
She is going back up to Queensland on Saturday night and will tag team with Alan as he returns to WA Sunday night.
Then I am flying up on Tuesday arvo and will stay for a week as Dad commences the treatment.
None of us knows how Dad will react to the treatment but we're anticipating it will be pretty bad. 
Hopefully Vicki and I can support him and one another as it gets underway.
My little brother Bruce is going up for a week in April to help share the load which is falling primarily on Vicki. Dad is not rapt about being the centre of attention as he hates to be a "burden". Needless to say we don't see it as a burden, rather it is our responsibility and our desire to care for our Dad when he needs it most. Happily I have several weeks of holidays and time-off I can take as needed. I have holidays in June and Carolyn and I were going up to Queensland alread. Now we'll be able to be there in the post-op recovery period.

On behalf of Dad let me say thank you for the many get well wishes and prayers that have been expressed for him.

Pic taken a couple of days after the first operation, in Nambour Hospital