Dear Mary,

Please accept our sincere thanks for signing our petition to the Legislative Assembly of Victoria.

Your voice counts towards legislative change. We are working hard on behalf of all Victorians to achieve the right to choose to die with dignity when faced with a terminal or incurable illness with profound suffering.

We have now included your details on the petition signatory list.

Again with thanks,

Dr Rodney Syme
President
Voluntary Euthanasia Society of Victoria Inc
3 / 9b Salisbury Avenue
Blackburn, Victoria 3130
t +61 3 9877 7677
f +61 3 9877 5077
vesv@vesv.org.au

Please sign the Petition on the VESV website to assist in promoting Legislative Change

I received an email today from a friend, regarding the Suicide Related Materials Law.   She had written to a number of politicians (as many of us did on January 6th) and was lucky enough to receive a comprehensive response from Senator Joe Ludwig, Labor, who voted to support the Bill.

I have included her correspondence and his reply, including his speech in Parliament.   For obvious reasons I have logged it in under the following menu on this website:  The Issues – The Law – Federal Bill.  It will be found as the last entry under the Federal Bill.   If nothing else,  it explains Labor’s support from their POV to a Law which has thrown out the baby with the water.   All this grief because some young people commit suicide.  Of 2300 deaths what is the breakdown of the ages of the suicides.  What of the rich and famous whose families can cover up a suicide by a wink wink nod nod to a “friend of the family doctor”.  How do we know that the youth are actually committing suicide, rather than over experimenting with drugs, alcohol, speed? 

2300 deaths from a community of some 20 million people in Australia.  Let’s get honest please.  The sole purpose of this Law was to prevent Philip Nitschke from operating Exit. An organisation specifically geared to assist and advise the hopeless, the terminally and the frail elderly to end their lives with choice and dignity.   The conservatives just couldn’t bear to leave well enough alone.  They won’t help by providing legal status to Living Wills in NSW and Victoria, they are making doctors nervous about providing sufficient morphine to actually sedate a person still breathing but no longer living in any sense of the word. 

Now the authorities are going to harass people surrounding Steve Guest’s death.   For Christ’s sake if nothing else, let it be!.   Someone showed compassion – please don’t bring that down to the level of a crime.  

A machine can make a heart beat,  but one needs more than that to make the “soul” beat!

They’ll continue to do so by driving cars into semi trailers, off the end of a pier, under a bus, into a tree, their options are limitless.  Whereas the frail elderly will continue to hang themselves, attempt to Overdose of normal medications which will provide a deep sleep but won’t kill them, take solvents, cut themselves!…. The young are fit and healthy!…they can jump off a bridge…the frail terminally ill, can barely lift a glass.   They suffer.

If the government is serious about really saving lives, give the young an incentive to want to live, I suggest a full employment program would be a very good place to start.   Prevent marriage breakups by making the spoils more evenly distributed between man and woman, make it cost money to leave the marriage.  Make children equally belonging to both the man and the woman.  Make the system fair for both parties and make the custodian parent respect the law regarding access with the same enthusiasm metered out to the “money provider.”   Currently it is a one way street and who can blame the average male from being depressed with the apparent discrimination directed at fathers.   Because the women can work, get benefits, get maintenance, have her boyfriend move into the father’s bed, while he fights for absolutely everything including his children, yes his children too!

A person has to have a reason for living!   When all that is precious is taken from them, suicide is an option.  

6000 children a day throughout the world die from bad drinking water, the TV Ads tell us.  I wondered if a number of them actually lived and died,  in Aboriginal settlements in Australia.   Their facilities look very grim to me.  If we worry about every life being so very precious, why don’t the Right to Life lobby groups look to saving the aboriginal children from squalid environments resulting in death.  That really would be a Right to Life project worth undertaking!.   

It is very hot, the grandchildren have gone home and all is well with my world except for one niggling thought. 

Catching on numerous emails after five days separation, I read copious amounts of talk about how doctors must never help a person to relieve suffering by hastening an impending death.  I’ve read where England’s communities are really facing voluntary euthanasia in a worthwhile debate, a respected America’s Medical Students Association support the concept of voluntary euthanasia. (that is until the RTL infiltrate them and show them the way to the kingdom of heaven)  I’ve read where France continues to ban the book, Final Exit, but it is available in most other forward thinking countries, including Catholic Spain and Italy.  I’ve read that a doctor risks losing his medical Licence in Switzland or is it Holland, or both,  should he support a mentally ill person to die. 

The last comment begs the question who defines “mentally ill”.  I believe some religious zealots have a mental illness in their compulsion to rule other’s lives.  I believe that to feel depressed in the last stages of a terminal or chronic illness is quite normal.  Does that make me “mentally ill”?.  While I am not myself currently, terminally or chronically ill, I can certainly understand how a person arrives at the decision that suicide can be a viable alternative to the condition they find themselves in.  Does my capacity for understanding make me “mad” because I don’t share the enthusiasm that life must be saved and savored regardless of the content within that life. I believe a person who suffers severe pain to offer it up to a faceless God is stupid, but deadly when they expect others to feel the same way.

I am angry, depressed, mad, dulled, infuriated, unhappy and sad that all the energy taken supporting life regardless, does not take into account the express wishes of the person concerned in that decision making process. 

We, as advocates,  have to spend time begging for what should take its natural course if only the good Politicians would show one single compelling virtue – compassion. 

Compassion covers all agendas, be it Christian or Atheist.  We are taught compassion from a very early age, but become selective as we grow “older and wiser”.  Should we then retain the simplistic innocence and attitudes of the child?.  Adults, in our public forums on the VE debate,  in their wisdom have little to offer, that reflects compassion.

Frightening intellectually challenged people with talk of mass murder (my experience on Flinders Street Station), Physically handicapped people (my experience on Parliament Steps)   the police who harass helpful but loving relatives, the law makers who refuse to acknowledge the need to clarify there is a time when death is a gift to “existing”,  spent the same enthusiasm preventing our Governments going to wars and killing off lives actually worth living, then I would be persuaded that their love of life is genuine.

I have been given the opportunity to view some VCR tapes from the previous ten years of media coverage regarding VE.

Whilst all the programs were interesting two people stood out as being role models for promoting the cause for voluntary euthanasia. 

Firstly, I watched Marshall Perron, ex Chief Minister of the Northern Territory,  addressing the Press Club Luncheon,  speaking just before the NT legislation was overturned.   He was brilliant in his decisive analysis of what needs to be done.   He reminded the press club that no Politician will suffer at life’s end because there’ll always be a contact for them to achieve a good death, as with the doctors themselves.  

Unfortunately, he was also blunt of the possibilities of success in trying to promote change to State Legislation within 12 months of an election.  Exactly what we are facing in Victoria in 2006.   Notice the increase in advertising on TV promoting how wonderful the Victorian Government has been looking after everything from Education (easy to read Reports for Parents), to Speed Limits around Schools, to saving Water!.   I am waiting for the Health plug!

The second person that grabbed my attention was Dr Rodney Syme, soon to be ex,  President of the Victorian VE Society.  He really has stuck his neck on the chopping block over many years to promote the concept that a good death is everyone’s right.  He took gambles, taking the fight right up to the authorities.   Premier Kennett lost a golden opportunity waiting for the AMA to initiate support for VE.   The AMA will never entertain losing their best customers for the sake of ensuring patients die a good death, only some doctors at the front of the coal mine face had the guts to admit they couldn’t walk away.  

Dr Syme is asking that a Care for the Dying Procedures, be put into place,

I want to say a very sincere thank you to all those people who went public sharing their stories and their pain to demonstrate first hand the face of Voluntary Euthanasia.  Most will not longer be with us but their families will be.  Mrs Mary Mortimer who helped her husband die, because he wanted his children to remember him as a fit healthy person, not a dying invalid.  Mollie Collins, an MS sufferer, who would ensure death occurred before she was overwhelmed by the insidious disease.  Mr Dent’s son, and the young man suffering with Leukemia who took on the bright young thing in a forum, who thought it was just mind over matter!.  He’d come prepared for the TV program, with his incontinent nappy held high for all to see.  The reality of genuine illness is not pretty.

Mr Richard Carlton appears to support VE, while Ian Gawler does not.   Ian Gawler, whose book was given to me by three people placed too much emphasis on spirituality to be of assistance to me.   I was not in a meditative mood.  Interestingly, two women I met during chemo treatments shared my views, having attended his Retreat program, and got nothing out of it.  Getting back to that support base mentality, rely on a religious faith or yourself.  Another Choice to be made.

Dr Jack Kevorkian spoke well in defending his stance promoting VE and it is quite sad to see such a humanitarian living out his final years confined to a jail in America (where else is vengeance so very sweet as to keep an elderly man confined until death.  Good Christian Charity still at work. ).   He spoke of the heart break of disease such as Alzheimer’s, where patients were reduced to mixing and eating faeces with their food because they didn’t know the difference.   As far as JK was concerned the only important person was his patient.

My agenda is to promote Legislative Change and I am very aware of the Resolution that went through the Australian Labor Party’s Victorian State Conference in December 2005.  (spelt out for my international visitors). 

The wording of the resolution adopted by the Victorian State Conference of the Australian Labor Party, December 3, 2005  is as follows:

” To make appropriate provision for people’s wishes about the management of their future medical conditions to be respected, Labor will:

a) Give statutory recognition to enable competent Victorians to refuse
treatment, or request treatment, for a future condition by way of an
advance healthcare directive;

b) Limit statutory recognition of advance healthcare directives to apply
only to patients in the terminal phase of a terminal illness or who are in
a persistent vegetative state and who are incapable of making
decisions about medical treatment when the question of administering the treatment arises.

c) Create a register recording medical enduring power of attorney and
advance healthcare directives completed by Victorians;

d) Provide for regular reviews of advance healthcare directives and
validation every twelve months. This process must include advice to
individuals on advancements in medical technology.

e) Require all healthcare institutions to record any existing medical
enduring power of attorney and advance healthcare directives on admission of patients;

f) Require all healthcare institutions to advise patients, in
consultation with their GP, of their rights under the Medical Treatment Act
1988 and of the option of completing an advance healthcare directive,
informing patients that there is no compulsion to complete an advance healthcare directive: and

g) Labor will consult with key stakeholders and the community concerning
amendments to the Medical Treatment Act 1988 .”

By the way a “Resolution”,  is something that created to lull us into thinking something is actually happening.   In reality it has no legal status whatsoever and can be comfortably filed away under a pile of papers,  until “hopefully” everyone forgets about it and then it can be binned altogether.    Cynical?    who me?     It makes people feel like they’re “doing something”, when, in fact, they’re not!.   Committees hand it over to the State Conference, fully confident their recommendations follow many hours of research,   and then it rests with the Minister for Health.   Unless, of course, someone puts a Private Members Bill, which is easily got rid of, by allowing insufficient time for Parliamentary Business to be attended to.   Then starting the process all over again another time, with loss of valuable time, expertise and patience.    It’s called “games that people play”, only this one is at the expense of the most vulnerable of all society, that is the chronically, hopelessly and terminally ill.

As I was watching the numerous tapes I tried to take notes of facts, figures and observations, understandably perhaps I was not always able to record particularly which person said what in which program.   But I managed to note some interesting stuff for myself which I’ll share now: 

10 Million Australians support VE, which include the following

69% Catholics

73% Presbyterian

76% Methodist

81% Anglican

Based on the averages of percentages it is said that about 75% of Politicians actually agree privately,  with VE, but because they may be sitting in Seats that have a 3% swing, they dare not alienate the silent conservatives.   It is seen better to do nothing than provoke the anger of the unknown.  Politicians are said to squirm uncomfortably when collared by either sector of the passionate pro and anti VE, and will avoid at all costs being labeled one way or the other.  Then again, some come out of the woodwork after they’re elected with a vengeance. 

Senator Barnaby Joyce lost no time at all in coaching Pro Lifers in the art of negotiating a stated position and making sure you got the commitment you wanted before you left the Member’s office.  He really is a very devious operator yet comes across as such a “nice person”.   He has, I feel,  already developed his “polish” using charm to disarm the opponent.   It didn’t work at the Exit Conference in November though, where I found myself defending him because of his faith.  He was seen by some as really stupid for quoting bible passages to such a forum.   Surprisingly, even a strong religious woman I sat next to during the lunch break had nothing good to say about his attempts to explain his position as a parliamentarian, not a churchman.   State & Churches are separated for very good reason.   No man can serve two masters (benefiting all people equally.) 

What the Politicians are terrified of,  is being seen to treat VE as a financial bonus to the Health budget.   In 1993, Federally, it was about 33 Billion Dollars.   Graham Richardson, the then Minister for Health said that common sense tells us that there should be National Guidelines set up to deal with the issue.  Successive Governments have done nothing.

Dr Jeff Richardson, a Medical Economist thought that doing nothing is not an option.

It was revealed that for all the millions spent within the Health Budget only 25% of the money spent was evaluated for cost effectiveness.   Money was spent like a sausage machine, in one end and out the other, the mix unknown.   The then Minister for Health was definitely on the back foot with that scenario.   I wondered if things have changed greatly since.  

You can’t easily overdose on morphine without medical advice as it makes one vomit.

5% of the terminally ill wants voluntary euthanasia

According to Helga Kuhse 60% of doctors support VE

The experts in their fields predict that Governments will be forced to act on some sort of legislation because the budget blowout from keeping people alive artificially.   A time line of some 15-20 years was projected.   Someone expressed the opinion that it was a pity the NT Legislation was overturned because being a smaller population, lessons could be learnt from their experience.  Providing the States with a good foundation policy on which to base their own needs.   

Statistically, seven people a day, die a “hard death”, that is palliative care does not relieve the pain and suffering.

Dr Robert Hunt, a Palliative Care Specialist was pleased to have the VE Debate because it causes the Governments to immediately better fund palliative care so as to ward off the claim that palliative care does not meet the full needs of the patient.

A PET Scan machine (Federal Budget) in the nineties, cost $20 million dollars, almost the entire cost of the NSW State Budget, yet the point was made that while the machine took pretty pictures, it didn’t actually cure anyone.  Wasn’t someone looking after their mates by buying these terribly expensive machines?      

Dr Brendan Nelson, then spokesman for the AMA admitted that he’d helped two people die.  He spoiled it though, by making it sound like an apology, a momentary weakness which he later regretted.   It rather took the shine off his “humanity”.

Professor Helga Kuhse, as always didn’t let anything slip under her guard when defending her beliefs in Euthanasia, particularly when Germany was again targeted as a reason why laws should not be put in place to promote VE.   (It really has become quite boring using that old smoke screen.  Strangely, “the slippery slope” smokescreen failed to make headway).

A  400 gram baby born costs half a million dollars until it leaves hospital.   It’s survival is not assured, and the majority do die, but cost factors are not important if it means the baby goes on to lead a normal healthy life.  (I think I know one of them personally).  It was suggested that Doctors should be given a cut off margin for ascertaining survival.   Currently many decisions are made within the individual hospital, without guidelines at all.

Dressings for a wound can costs in excess of hundreds of dollars in a day.  (I personally had a nurse come to the house to dress a gaping wound which took weeks to heal saving the cost of a hospital room.  The only time I’ve seen my sister rock on her feet,  white faced as she peered into the (5 cm? ) crater in my abdomen!  I thought she was going to faint on top of me!)

Money may be saved by limiting expensive drugs to only those who meet a select criteria.  A renal drug,  Eprex 4000 was quoting as costing $8000 per year, each patient.  It’s use was limited to cancer patients not renal failures!   (Stiff luck eh?)   The point was made that until the drug companies accepted their responsibilities and reduce their prices, limits would remain.  Yeah Right!

In surveys carried out it has been established that between 28% to 33% of doctors have helped patients to die.  (recent Sun Herald article would bear this out).

Dr Robin Bernhoft, an Anti VE doctor imported from America to advise Politicians on overturning the NT Legislation said he believed less than 1% of patients could not be successfully palliated.   In direct conflict to our own Robert Richter QC, Civil Liberties, who told us that 5% of patients suffered very badly at the end.    Semantics with numbers, I trust Dr Bernhoft would not want to be among the 1% or 5% if he was part of the statistics.   Mr Richter also pointed out that Governments should initiate action to protect Doctors of “GoodWill”, who acted only with the purest of intentions in hastening the death of their patients.  

Dr Darren Russell, A Victorian Doctor,  who joined with Dr Syme in signing “the Letter” all those years ago, worked with HIV-Aids patients in particular and had no qualms about admitting his participation in achieving a good death for those under his care.  (A particularly horrendous way to die, I believe, left alone unaided).

One “Sunday” Program ran “How Much is a Life Worth” November 1993 where Mr Bruce Allison, suffering Muscular Dystrophy, came into North Shore Emergency Hospital, and was deeply offended by the invitation to consider his options by Professor Malcolm Fisher, Head of Emergency.   He was obviously not a candidate for VE, but I wished so much he understood what the good doctor was offering, not compelling, not suggesting, but rather letting him know he had choices.   I silently thanked Dr Fisher as I listened to him spell out his reasoning behind the original discussion.   He made perfect sense.   Limited resources mean choices have to be considered.  I would have given my life a dozen times 7 years ago, and today,  to protect the resources for the 10 years olds.   Choices between a 21 year old car injury victim who may well recover fully or a person suffering the degeneration of muscular dystrophy.   In a perfect world every single person should have their needs accommodated.   We do not live in a perfect world.  Mr Allison was given Choice

It it takes economic rationalism to solve the “complex” problem of allowing people to die who want it for themselves then bring in the accountants.

The Right to Life brigade are gearing up to prevent abortions through the use of RU 486.  Senator Barnaby Joyce has “concerns”, and Senators Steve Fielding and Ron Boswell are urging a letter writing campaign throughout Churches.  

I am so very glad to read that the Uniting Church will not be participating in the new Lobby Group, Australians Against RU486.

Interestingly,  all three Senators are men (the beings who actual impregnate the female with or without them,  actually necessarily wanting a baby out of the exchange of bodily fluids).  No fear of poverty in their families though!

Australians Against RU486 is holding a national day of action on January 29 before an expected vote of the drug’s availability.   I am sure no prizes will be handed out for guessing what way the vote will go.   Given the power and the access to politicians the conservative religious have over the ordinary woman in the street, it’ll be a push over to ram home what ever Laws,  they deem suitable for society.  

I am waiting for the Spanish Inquisition to be reintroduced into modern Australia under another name (banning telephone conversations based on christian ethics is a very good start).  The Government call at Christmas time to remind us of our roots as a Christian society was indicative of our loss of freedom of expression.  Even being passively non christian, worries them.   What! no nativity scenes,  within shops bursting with consumerism.   Perhaps the reality is honesty,  beginning to reflect society’s view.  To the majority, it would appear that family,  gift giving and good food is the highlight of the new “holiday time”.

Back to abortion – as a person on the receiving end of being brought into the world against my mother’s wishes because there was no alternative 63 years ago, I trust all the “sanctimonious do gooders” will nurture the depressed mothers for the next fifteen years after the birth of an unwanted child.  Multiply that by perhaps another one to six children born because the parents felt like have sexual intercourse and didn’t start out the act fully prepared for the consequences.

My siblings will bear me out that numerous times as we were being beaten with a razor strap the words rung out.  “I wish you had never been born”, “After all the pain and suffering, I went through having you” and “Get out of my sight”. 

Unwanted children suffer more, physically and emotionally.

Children being born into a home where they are actually wanted is the fundamental right for the child.   The child being born into a home where the parents will love, feed and clothe them is the fundamental need for the child.   The child being born into a home where incest is rife because the parents don’t love their children enough to put their sexual needs above the fundamentals of being permitted to live the life of an innocent child…………….(My father was a fantastic churchman!  God love ‘im!.  Many good churchmen know how to screw a child’s life up.  Ah yes he was showing that he loved me ).  An unwanted child I would suggest is much more likely to be abused than a cherished,  longed for baby.

A thousand times I could imagine not being born at all was preferable to the enforced pain and suffering brought about by being born unwanted and unloved.  Having being born, the child still has to survive life.  Remember that! when the RTL set up Counseling Centres sneakily,  in the name of Pregnancy Advice Centres.  And in place of the orphanages of old, the modern unwanted child can be fostered out into,  sometimes unknown doggey homes, prey to the sexual and other exploitation of being an additional social security income stream.  I understand many foster parents are wonderful people, but I wouldn’t want to be a fostered child, and I doubt many of us would.  Russian Roulette for the child!

And then there is the misery of the child put up for adoption, knowing itself to be rejected.   Sometimes, not once, but twice in a short life.     Perhaps adopted out to a family who thought a young child cute only until he was ten, having a mind of his own, became immediately dispensable because the blood ties just weren’t there.   Ask around, ask the children born to parents who didn’t want them and find out how many really grew into well adjusted adults!..   It was OK for the Christian Brothers to beat **** out of them, because they weren’t really family!!!    I am married to one to them.   I trust the RTL’ers will do their homework for the next fifteen years of the child’s life, before you block out abortion in the same way voluntary euthanasia has been dealt with.

Like dying can be better than living in some circumstances, so too,  can abortion be better than birthing.

Don’t force woman to have children against their instincts.   The mother will suffer and so too will the child.   If there is an easy way to prevent an unwanted pregnancy, please allow women to have easy access to it.   Abstinence, as an alternative,  is ridiculous for the average person.   Mother nature ensures survival of the species by making men and women want to have intercourse.   It is a natural thing to do, unless you’ve made a vow of chastity and then sexual frustrations can be taken out on the unwary child unable to fight back.

The RTL ensured the Suicide Related Materials Law came into being on January 6.   They were so proud of their victory.   Women forced against their will may well increase the suicide statistics.  Long after the RTL’ers  have gone back to their prayers a fifteen year old girl will be struggling to settle a screaming child alone, and so the chain reaction sets in with the young mother killing her baby or taking to alcohol and drugs to escape it.  De facto relationships don’t have a really good track record for stability and safety for children. 

Life at any price is truly the motto of the RTL but they don’t get involved the the “living” aspect of the “life” they save!

Your Choice to Life should be voluntary.  It it such an important choice that not to have it, perhaps leading to the death of a full term living baby is the very real alternative.   It is a much more selfish society in which we live these days and no one will “care”,  once the reality of ongoing responsibility starts to bite.  

Better for all concerned,  that the child is wanted.

Yesterday I attended a ninety year old lady’s funeral, quite a religious affair.   Because I had worked many years with the lady’s daughter I went along as a mark of respect to both Mother and Daughter and her family.

The Mother was one of those people we read about in old English novels, a supremely gentle, small, delicate woman who never got agitated in public, a quite beautiful looking person even in old age because of her silver hair, and delicate bone structure, and of course her demeanor.   It was one of the few funeral services I have attended where,  what I heard of the deceased was exactly as I knew her to be.  Delightful and without “sin”………..(unlike myself!)

What struck me as the numerous voices in the Anglican Church raised their praises to Heaven was the absolute certainty of the peace and serenity with their faith.  I felt again that tinge of envy in their security blanket of love and faith for an unknown God.   But, as in the past, the hundreds of words said in prayer did not “comfort” me.   I felt blank and unmoved by their words.   I cannot believe.  It reaffirms my belief system that to have faith is a “gift” because it can be so handy in hours of need and distress.    For all that others have, I too am so grateful to feel free of the shackles that having a “faith” and being committed to the doctrines of that faith, brings.   On balance I am more relaxed in not holding a faith of any God, except the existence of Mother Nature’s sense of Spirituality.

I carry this lack of faith into the argument,  why Christian values should not be permitted to encroach on Non Christian values.   I cannot believe that when I am dead I am going to a Hell or a Heaven or even Purgatory (is the latter still fashionable these days?).   I simply do not believe that I have to spend all of my earth life apologising for the fact that Christ may,  or may not have died on the cross for me.   If he did, I didn’t have anything personally to do with that!, so I refuse to apologise, thank, beg, or even be grateful for it!…..Because I am very clearly focused on the scientific approach to my being on earth in any dimensions I believe on a scientific outcome for my death, that is I am returned to the earth as nothing.   It suits me fine, this belief.   Therefore, I can’t justify “hanging on to life” after it ceases to have purpose for me.

It really is a case of “What works for you, doesn’t necessarily work for me” and yet there is no way I feel disadvantaged by this lack of religious faith.   A bit like a lame man can use a stick to support himself, or he can choose to walk unaided and develop a strength he never knew he had.  Muscles don’t work, if you don’t exercise them,

One paragraph on a hymn meant something to me.

“Time, like an ever rolling stream,

Bears all of us away;

We fly forgotten, as a dream

Dies at the opening day.”

I relate to the clear understanding that we are here and then we are gone.   We are forgotten as a dream is on a new day.   Only our loved ones remember us and that too, passes into history with their demise.  

I smiled yesterday when the husband reminded his favorite mother in law, recently deceased,  not to send a postcard, telling them “Wish You Were Here”

On reflection, page torn out and destroyed, Wednesday 18th. 9.30 am.   Fingers were put into gear, before brain!.  Although entirely true, this was not the forum for sharing such an experience.  Please forgive me my short sightedness. 

“The bluntest pencil records better than the sharpest mind”

———————–

An article lifted from the Life & Times Sunday Age: Jan 15th;

An inspirational story of hope, goal setting, and support:  It is really good when it works for you.

Ray Brown, 58 is an engineer and his partner, Anne Lacey, 44, is an HR consultant.   They have been together for 12 years.   Their world was turned upside down in 2004 when Ray was diagnosed with throat cancer.   They celebrated his successful treatment by doing the Great Victorian Bike Ride.

Anne says: Ray was at his most vulnerable because cancer strips you of your self confidence.  He was the strongest person I’ve ever been with.   His inner strength came through and I drew from that.   I didn’t want him to feel as if I wasn’t coping so I turned to family and friends.  But there were times when we lay in each other’s arms crying.  I think he knew how it was affecting me.

Everything about cancer means it’s beyond your control.  I used to think I could put everything right but the cancer takes that away from you.  Ray approached his treatment with such dignity, he was positive and very strong.  He kept going so there was no way I was going to give up – no way.

We planned the Great Victorian Bike Ride together.   I had never ridden more than a couple of kilometres in my life!,  We decided this was the goal, that when Ray finished the treatment, we would do the bike ride together.

I value Ray differently now.  You appreciate each other more.   You look forward to planning things together and just having a nice drive in the country.  And to be able to do it together.

Ray says: “When I was diagnosed with throat cancer, it was devastating.  Once the treatment (radiotherapy and chemotherapy) started, Anne wanted to be by my side and take away everything that didn’t concern the issue.   She said “Don’t worry about the house, the bills; we’re just going to be positively thinking about you.”  There was this sense of sheer devoted love that I had never experienced before.

A couple of times I lay in bed, I just couldn’t do anything.  Anne would sit at the side of the bed. She’d try to remain focused and not let it get to her but I knew it did.   I was treated every day for two months.  It’s affected the rest of my life.  I don’t allow trivial rubbish to cloud over what is beautiful in life.  I get up in the morning and I savor the day

In years past I had done the bike ride and I was planning to do the next one.  So when I was diagnosed.  I kept the bike road as a focal point – it’s a personal endurance.

Now we make sure we give each other a hug every day a kiss goodbye and a kiss when we get home.

Story written by Mara Smarelli

—————————-

I’ve posted an email under Additional – Related Readings which may interest the more intellectuals among you!  Could it explain what is going wrong in the world?

“Reading Ms Woolf’s article it is blatantly obvious she has never suffered. Take a person who has chronic disc degeneration, spondylitis, osteo arthritis, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, a skin disorder and an auto immune disorder called Acute Febrile Neutrophilic Dermatosis (Sweet Syndrome for short). This last is caused by an underlying illness or malignancy and after having every test known to my Doctor, nothing has shown up to be the cause. This I will have to live with and when the spots flare I live on prednisone. My weight is down to 43kg from 57kgs & no amount of food will make it go up. I am continuously exhausted and in pain from the other conditions, which I take an enormous amount of pain killers for. Depression slips in very easily when you realise there is no help available as they do not know what they are dealing with. Anti depressants and myself do not agree with one another so I cannot take them. When I have wasted away even further I can see I will much prefer to take myself peacefully away from the deterioration than gradually fade away in pain anyway. How would you feel with this sentence on YOUR head Ms Woolf?. Will you still believe as you do when you’ve exhausted all avenues of help? Please if you have an answer the medical profession hasn’t heard of I would love to hear it. Walk a mile in a sufferers shoes then see if you still feel the same.”

Mary’s Response to this email:   I rest my case Ms Woolf!   Are you OK Jack? oops sorry, I mean Kath!

PS I thought of the Right to “Life” Associations, as I was made aware of an acquaintance diagnosis of multiple sclerosis this morning and wondered what the future holds for a great many people who may “live” until they are legally able to be buried.

A “surfer” very kindly sent me an article written by Ms Kath Woolf, spokesperson for the Right to Life Associations which I have downloaded into Related Readings under Additional drop down menu.  Together with my response to Ms Woolf’s comments.   I just don’t love their sanctimonious belief they have all the answers!.   I wish they would mind their own business and leave me to mind mine.   In the same way a gambler, gambles, a drinker, drinks, a glutton, eats, a speedster, speeds, a bully, bullies,  just let me live my life the way I choose for me, myself and I.   No one else’s business, but mine.   I am ultimately responsible for myself,  not Ms Woolf.