Seriously, we are all Mortal

[Bruce CurtisMember]

Mortality-what makes you consider your own?

Ok let’s face it the majority of us Old Bulls are not spring chickens and haven’t been for a while, which much as we may not like it means our time is becoming shorter and more valuable to us and our families and mates.

So what makes you ponder your life decisions?

For me it has been several times over my short span so far, the stint in a head trauma unit at 19 undergoing a bit of rehab and cognitive ability rebuilding after the accident that ended my racing Career (as much as it was) put me there.

The next one was after one of our close knit road racing group left my place one Friday arvo for a quick loop up the range never came home, and 5 days later another of the group (his older brother & best mate) and his Mum found his body in long grass in a table drain not 20 k s from home, he was 22.

But still I was invincible, those things happened to other people, not me or mine, until both my Grandfathers, then my Nan & grandma passed (I was very close to all of them, they basically raised me from birth to 4 yr old, and spent heaps of time living with them as a kid), that hit me hard and I began to take life a bit more seriously as far as my loved ones wellbeing went anyway.

Lately it has been coming thick and fast as I get older, 5 yrs ago I was provisionally diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer (no cure for this one, sign your will and live the rest of your few days out) which was luckily found out to be a diseased Bilary tube, destroyed Gall bladder and inflamed pancreas, then my best mates’ 3 Uncles & then his father all died in their 60s from prostate cancer in quick sucession. Then to top it of here at work we have one of the Supervisors just keeping at bay the Reaper with some radical Chemo for prostate, and our workshop supervisor, a Bloke only just older than I had a portion of his cut away for the same, so a few weeks ago sitting in a shed talking with a couple of my fellow Old Bulls we hit upon this very subject, a subject very close to a couple and I dare say more than just those couple, which got us thinking “how many of us are affected or have even thought about these issues when we should be?”

Bruce Cee

[GregMember]

Thanks Bruce for bringing it up as we discussed. Yes its all to often now I am hearing the words cancer and prostate cancer. There are two old bulls battling prostate cancer at this stage and both to young IMO to be facing their own mortality. One of the bulls is going to be claimed by this terrible aggressive disease and now jokes he knows what is going to kill him I am very close to this person and have told him that I am angry that he didnt get checked enough because like a lot of us we men can be slow to get things checked or routine tests done.
The other Bull is a great guy (aren’t we all), a family man (like most of us), a quiet bloke that goes about being a champion everyday. We have spoken about the waiting between being diagnosed and getting into hospital, I feel inspired that he continues to go about his daily doings whilst keeping appearances up I dont think I could.

Prostate cancer is in my family, my dad has had it, my grand father had it and now I get regularly tested for it. Its not fun but its better then the options. If you start you PSA blood testing earlier enough they can watch it over the years and see any spike.

Please spare a thought for the two bulls and you dont have to be religious but maybe keep them in your prayers

Google prostate cancer and get the facts

TB

[dennis da menaceMember]

really surreal this should be brought up tonight…

i felt mortality a couple of months ago as i layed on the ground with a broken back. my life flashed before my eyes. honestly. but i was calm and remember seeing the positive side to it somehow, wheelchair and all…
i’d never been so happy to get pins and needles in my toes though :laugh:

then tonight i spoke to my dad on the phone. as we chatted away he tells me he has to have surgery on his prostate friday week, his PSA thingy has hit the roof since may. Doc reckons he will be OK…suck it and see he says :dry:

he has bigger balls than me.

my mortality means bugger all now. its dads that counts.

id give my life for his in an instant

[Jeffrey SmithMember]

Sorry to hear that Menace, I hope the surgery goes well.

[GregMember]

Menace if they have been maintaining a handle on the PSA thing then it should be ok. Same happened with my Dad it spiked, they tested found it was cancer and took it out. 6 weeks later all good. (2years ago)

With the two Bulls I mentioned and now your Dad it shits me :angry:

Thoughts with your all

TB

[glennMember]

Could we some how do a charity ride for the any of the above ailments and donate the processes to the relevant charities, after all as Bruce says,due to us not being spring chickens, its right in our ball park? :ohmy:

Thoughts anyone??

Boony

[GregMember]

Boony wrote:

Quote:

Could we some how do a charity ride for the any of the above ailments and donate the processes to the relevant charities, after all as Bruce says,due to us not being spring chickens, its right in our ball park? :ohmy:

Thoughts anyone??

Boony

Yes we can, there is already a half baked ride in the to do rides but this year ran out of time Which sounds like an excuse to not visit the Doc :blink:

Will think some more Boony

[mikeMember]

For me I’m always thinkin about it lately. Not too long ago i had this feelin in the side of my ribs like something was pressin on em and i started freakin a bit about it and got it checked out with an xray and all was clear. The Doc reckoned it was rib catlige and it has since gone. He gave my a referal for a blood test aswell but i still ain’t got it done yet but i think i will do it next week now after reading the other posts about prostate problems. Coincidently i bumped into a mates missus yesterday and she told me that he was having the day off to get the photo up the bum thingy check up. He is over 50 and his old man had prostate cancer.

My main concern is I don’t want too go early and leave the missus and kids without an old man. It bears not thinking about but we owe it to our loved ones to keep a check on our health. My oldman died at 47 thats just 3 years older than i am now so i’m thinkin about it more and more. I still like to party and all of that but have slowed it right down cause i wanna be there for my kids.

Also there is the fun factor aswell…i wanna ride with me kids when they are adults cause i plan on still gettin out in the bush for a fang most weekends when i’m older.

[GregMember]

Great post Dusty

[mikeMember]

Thanks TB no worries mate. I think most blokes start thing about it when they get into there 40s.

[DavidMember]

I have had a brush with prostate turned out not to be cancer but had to have a procedure to stop renal failure.
(hence the name rebore)
Not great but if i hadn’t had the problem checked out as early as i did i would have been in real trouble
I have PSA and uncomfortable checks regularly :dry: as well as tell any of my mates in this age bracket to get it done.
I would gladly support any ride / charity get together to help the cause

Rebore.

[Bruce CurtisMember]

Now i know not everyone likes statistics, but I’m a bit of a mathematcian, 1 in two men will have had cancer by the time they are 80ish, prostate cancer is the one that has a probability increase as you get older, it is simple maths. You live long enough you’ll probably get it.

I’m in for charity rides if they are within 6 hr drive of me, and maybe our new jersey design could incorporate something to the effect of mens health, maybe make it a Cancer council type event….

[katrina ratcliffMember]

It’s refreshing to read blokes actually talking and in many cases doing something about this. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE action this if its remotely in your family. Even as a minimum get a blood test.

My dad suffered this horrible cancer few years ago but got onto it straight away. He was one of the lucky ones. Many of his mates weren’t so lucky and they aren’t around to see their families grow old.

Any ride put on to raise money for Prostate Cancer …. I’ll be there… might even drag my dad along to support the ride…. he doesn’t like me riding trailbike but maybe if he comes along he can understand why I love it….. kill two birds with one stone.

Katgirl

[Jeffrey SmithMember]

I have lost 2 grandparents to cancer and on my ex wifes side of the family her mother had breast cancer, her ssiter had ovarian cancer and her father had stomach cancer. All 3 have beaten it with surgery but makes you realise how many people can be afeected when 3 out of 4 in the one family have cotracted it.
A charity ride is a great way to raise money for the research but you don’t have to wait for that to help make a difference. I donate every month to the cancer council, the money comes out of my account every month without me having to think about it, it’s only about $25 a month but it all helps.

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