Toast From Bendigo to Etihad - Rabbit58's Journey

Hi guys,
Had a big meeting with the family over Christmas and I have decided to not go ahead with the surgery offered to me. Having my stomach lining removed as well as the four cancerous tumours and any organs that the cancer has attached itself to means 10-14 hours on the operating table. 2-3 weeks in hospital and then back again weekly, then monthly to check out whether the surgery was successful and perhaps more surgery.
I want my family and friends to remember me as I am, not attached to tubes lying on a hospital bed in intensive care. My Oncologist has told me that if I keep going with my chemotherapy I can expect to live another 3-5 months, maybe more, maybe less.
Thank you for all of your encouragement and support, it has really been appreciated.
But before I shuffle off this mortal coil I am going to try and publish as many books as I can and my first book is ready to go. If you have any cash left over from Christmas and you want a great book for boys to read go to http://bit.ly/TheMysteriousBottle buy a book and I will do everything possible that I can to be at our first game on Sunday March 24th at 1:10 pm to sign a copy for you.
Cheers,
Neill
Tough decision to make Neill. I hope you and the family are well and had a great Christmas together.

If you are at the game March 24th I will come over to say hello to you and your family :thumbsu:
 

Rabbit58

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Tough decision to make Neill. I hope you and the family are well and had a great Christmas together.

If you are at the game March 24th I will come over to say hello to you and your family :thumbsu:


Thanks George,
We had a good Christmas, made more enjoyable by my wife's Christmas Pudding which uses fruit soaked in a bottle of Southern Comfort for a month. First time my son has been allowed to eat some pudding and drive (full license)
I am pretty stubborn so I will be at the game and would love for you to come by and say hello. Everyone is welcome.
For anyone who has bought a copy of my book I will sign it for you, with my signature about to become a very rare thing.
Cheers,
Neill
 
Thanks George,
We had a good Christmas, made more enjoyable by my wife's Christmas Pudding which uses fruit soaked in a bottle of Southern Comfort for a month. First time my son has been allowed to eat some pudding and drive (full license)
I am pretty stubborn so I will be at the game and would love for you to come by and say hello. Everyone is welcome.
For anyone who has bought a copy of my book I will sign it for you, with my signature about to become a very rare thing.
Cheers,
Neill


Let us know where you'll be sitting before the game and I'll come and say hello. Put my order in this morning, look forward to getting my son to read a book over the holidays, he's been playing Fortnight for weeks on end.
 

st_trav_ofWA

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got my email today to say my copy of your book is in transit.. cant wait to get it... ive got 5 nephews who will all be giving the book a read at some point (2 gotta learn how to read first ;) )
 

st_trav_ofWA

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12th round of chemo today but coming home to read this made my day
If I could ask a favour, can you get one of your nephews to give me a rating 1-5 stars and a short comment about what they liked about the book (I’m hoping they like it)
Cheers, Neill
hasnt arrived yet but i will certainly get that for you ... the eldest is 14 and now has his first girlfriend so i may have to bribe him to actually sit down and read it :)
 

st_trav_ofWA

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so the book arrived on Friday in the post ... congrats Neill on getting your book published great work ... i gave it a read an enjoyed it!! well done ... i gave it to the eldest nephew "mr 14" who grunted as i gave it to him after about an hour of bugging him to give it a read he gave in and read it it took him only about 15mins to read it, i asked him what he thought about it and he in typical teenager fashion gave the "its alright" response diggin deeper he finally opened up a bit more (i think just to get me to piss off) and said it was ok but a bit to tame for his age group but he would read the others cause he reckons the portal gun sounds interesting... its currently with the next nephew "mr 10" hes a differant kid to "mr 14" without the teenage hormones so i think from my reading this is more suited to his age group .. ill let you know how he go's with it ...
once he is done with it ill have it sent to my two other nephews in New Zealand for a read ... i think "Mr 11" will need some pushing to read it but "mr 8" will love it as i think he will relate to the characters
 

Rabbit58

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All are welcome
so the book arrived on Friday in the post ... congrats Neill on getting your book published great work ... i gave it a read an enjoyed it!! well done ... i gave it to the eldest nephew "mr 14" who grunted as i gave it to him after about an hour of bugging him to give it a read he gave in and read it it took him only about 15mins to read it, i asked him what he thought about it and he in typical teenager fashion gave the "its alright" response diggin deeper he finally opened up a bit more (i think just to get me to piss off) and said it was ok but a bit to tame for his age group but he would read the others cause he reckons the portal gun sounds interesting... its currently with the next nephew "mr 10" hes a differant kid to "mr 14" without the teenage hormones so i think from my reading this is more suited to his age group .. ill let you know how he go's with it ...
once he is done with it ill have it sent to my two other nephews in New Zealand for a read ... i think "Mr 11" will need some pushing to read it but "mr 8" will love it as i think he will relate to the characters


Hi St Trav, thank you for the feedback, it is greatly appreciated
Mr 14 has probably hit the nail on the head about being tame but there will be other books in the series that he will enjoy. Unfortunately for him, The Portal Gun uses bits and pieces from other books so if he hasn’t read the other stories he might miss bits. In the Battle Shadows story I got to use Saint’s players so that might appeal.
I would be interested in what your other nephews thought if it’s not too much trouble.
My publishers have asked for more stories so I have written blurbs for the next 4 books and am editing them so they are ready to go. And I have my book launch on Saturday and am looking forward to seeing some of my old students.
My goal is to still be here for the first Saint’s game and sign any books for anyone that wanted an autograph (If I’m still here for the Portal Gun I will send your nephew a signed copy)
Cheers,
Neill
 

st_trav_ofWA

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Hi St Trav, thank you for the feedback, it is greatly appreciated
Mr 14 has probably hit the nail on the head about being tame but there will be other books in the series that he will enjoy. Unfortunately for him, The Portal Gun uses bits and pieces from other books so if he hasn’t read the other stories he might miss bits. In the Battle Shadows story I got to use Saint’s players so that might appeal.
I would be interested in what your other nephews thought if it’s not too much trouble.
My publishers have asked for more stories so I have written blurbs for the next 4 books and am editing them so they are ready to go. And I have my book launch on Saturday and am looking forward to seeing some of my old students.
My goal is to still be here for the first Saint’s game and sign any books for anyone that wanted an autograph (If I’m still here for the Portal Gun I will send your nephew a signed copy)
Cheers,
Neill
most welcome Neill ... Mr14 is somewhat of an overachiever so dont take it as a critisim that it was tame for him as he has been reading Steven King novels for the last year and a bit..
 

st_trav_ofWA

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Still think I was up against tough opposition with Mr 14’s girlfriend. Like kicking into an 8 goal headwind
tell me bout it ... taking him away from texting her for 15 mins to read the book was like asking him to give up his kidneys :)
 

Rabbit58

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Just thought I would share with you...my book launch attracted about 100 people. Some kids I taught, some parents of kids I taught, friends, ex teachers...saw my grandchildren for the first time in 3 years
A wonderful, wonderful day
Still determined to be at the first Saint’s game to sign any copies of my book that need signing
Cheers
 

st_trav_ofWA

Norm Smith Medallist
Aug 17, 2015
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Just thought I would share with you...my book launch attracted about 100 people. Some kids I taught, some parents of kids I taught, friends, ex teachers...saw my grandchildren for the first time in 3 years
A wonderful, wonderful day
Still determined to be at the first Saint’s game to sign any copies of my book that need signing
Cheers
great to hear ...
Mr 10 gave it a read on the weekend and he loved it ... the cutest thing was his little brother Mr 4 was pestering him so much cause he wanted the book (ahhh brothers :) ) they ended up sitting in the same beanbag with Mr10 reading it to Mr 4 ...
i certainly think Mr 10 and under are your target demographic from my point of view ... my other nephew in NZ birthday is in Feb so we are sending him a gift pack for the ill be sure to tuck your book in with that so you will get an international reader :)
 

Rabbit58

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These were my tickets that the St Kilda football club had graciously given me to go to the football on Sunday. I was so looking forward to the game. Instead I have been put into hospital by my Oncologist and Pain Specialist and shortly will be put on a ketamine drip for the next 5 days which means I will be going home on Monday.
My apologies to anyone who wanted me to autograph The Mysterious Bottle book.
I will regroup and aim for Round 4 against Hawthorn
Cheers guys, Neill
 

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These were my tickets that the St Kilda football club had graciously given me to go to the football on Sunday. I was so looking forward to the game. Instead I have been put into hospital by my Oncologist and Pain Specialist and shortly will be put on a ketamine drip for the next 5 days which means I will be going home on Monday.
My apologies to anyone who wanted me to autograph The Mysterious Bottle book.
I will regroup and aim for Round 4 against Hawthorn
Cheers guys, Neill

Sorry to hear Rabbs. Hope you're as comfortable as possible
 
Sep 17, 2010
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These were my tickets that the St Kilda football club had graciously given me to go to the football on Sunday. I was so looking forward to the game. Instead I have been put into hospital by my Oncologist and Pain Specialist and shortly will be put on a ketamine drip for the next 5 days which means I will be going home on Monday.
My apologies to anyone who wanted me to autograph The Mysterious Bottle book.
I will regroup and aim for Round 4 against Hawthorn
Cheers guys, Neill
That's no good mate.

Sending you positive energy and look forward to hearing that you're ready to go for the Hawks match!
 

Rabbit58

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Just to add a bit to my story
When I got to hospital my palliative care doctor, my Oncologist and my pain specialist all decided that they would all change my pain medication...at the same time...without communicating with each other.Im crawling up the walls with the nurses telling me that because the doctors had ‘written into my folder’ and they couldn’t change it.. at home I could take 40 mgs of morphine per day up to 4 times a day and now I can only take one 1 20 mg tablet every two hours and only when I asked for it.
Fortunately saner heads had prevailed by the next morning
Thank goodness for Foxtel Go and my iPad so I can watch the Mighty Saints tomorrow
 
Your fight has been remarkable Rabbit58

Despite the circumstances, I think this thread has been one of the best things I think we've ever done on this board.

Keeping going mate...you are a true Saint :thumbsu:
 
I have only just found this thread Neill, you are an inspiration mate!

Totally agree with George this is one of the best things this board has facilitated.

Will order your book. My thoughts are with you. How you approach your journey is inspiring and makes others better.

Hope the Saints get you a win today
 
Mate , you are a true legend. To have been through all you have and are still going through but you were so happy and relaxed on the podcast that you wouldn’t know you have any problems. I hope we get to do many more podcasts in the future . It’s was just like we have been mates for years and just chatting about the Saints . Amazing that we spoke for an hour and twenty minutes and I could have gone on for much longer except my back was throbbing. That was the only reason I thought to look at the clock as we were having so much fun . I hope it brightened up your day as much as it did my own .


Don’t Panic !!
 
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