Shocking Experience !

[FTE217]

This is a brief storey about my brothers best mate since school days.....
I'm sure many of us are fortunate enough to have genuine good friends.
You know the ones you grew up with in the local area, went to school together,played sport together and played up together in that I mean doing some wrong light hearted things which you did growing up in the '70's-'80's...
I went to school with this guys older brother and the youngest seemed to follow us everywhere also.
This guy called David was a top bloke and a great sportsman also.
Come Open Age 1st grade soccer he played in my team for many years.
He also was my brother's partner in Landscaping that both did very well, unfortunately my brother decided after many years it was time to get out of the outdoors so David took over the business and life went on.
In between that they were each other's best men at their weddings though as women became part of their lives they drifted apart the last 10yrs......(doesn't that happen to many of us lol)

Around 4wks ago his parents called mine with some very startling news, that he had been diagnosed with Colon cancer which had spread to the liver then to the spine ! In other words dead man walking at 44yrs of age !
He had been going to the local GP for 12mths complaining feeling lethargic and weak. Many visits went by with this GP which one visit ended with "you should see a psyhciatrist (spell check)" WTF !!!!!!!!
Unfortunately his easy laconic attitude just fobbed it off and went on with life. Little did he know how short it would be.
Finally he went to another GP who asked for tests etc and obviously the worst was revealed.
He lived in Long Jetty so my brother from Sydney headed up there every second day to see him in hospital, got pumped with all sorts of things as David said to me on the phone and was taking up to 60pills a day !
Luckily he was strong enough to spend his last 10days at home, each day got worse as the disease was closing him down fast.
Come the 10th day he was rebelling against all the drugs and drips attached to him and ripped them out and starting to push his wife around letting off steam what was happening to him.
Sadly this resulted in him having to pumped up with morphine to sedate him and slowly let David drift away from us.
I went to his funeral on Monday last, unbelieveable to think a friend fit as a mally bull, not big noter, just a top kid who turned into a top bloke/husband/father to a daughter only 2yrs old.
I am still in shock.....and what a reality check, I kiss and hug my loved ones everyday and night, you just never know.
RIP Davey "only the good die young" I'm told.

Sorry for the long post all, I'm pretty gutted when I think of him.
In fact I can't get it out of my head, I hate to think how my brother feels.
I treasure more the moments with my wife/kids atm.....dam lucky everyday.

Yes I know about the negligence from the first GP, that is up to his family to take on so please don't go on about that.
Importantly it tells you never rely on 1 opinion, especially if it's got to do with your health.

Thanks....

[wulos]

Condolences Mauz - It is VERY VERY hard to lose a close mate, especially one that should have had many many years left to share with you.
Cancer is a bad bad thing. (As I found out with my oldman not that long back.)

[robjh80]

Very sorry to hear your bad news, my condolences.

I work in the Childrens Hospital up here in Brisbane, I see babies and young kids every day who's lives haven't even started and their full of Cancer and fighting to survive each day, Cancer truly does suck.

As you say we should all just appreciate what we have and be so gratefull for each and every day, when I think Iv'e got problems or having a bad day a short trip down to one of the wards in the hospital certainly does give me a kick in the *** reality check I can tell ya.

[FORDNUTS90]

sorry to hear mate

[big_pete]

condolancies to his family and friends.

makes you wonder though, my mum has to get a lump removed (they couldnt tell what it was) but the earliest she can get it done is in mid march.

[chief]

Condolancies to the family and to you Maurie. I had a very close friend of about 9 years commit suicide not to long ago. Its hard to greve when someone close to you has passed away.

[MRJUCY]

We'd talked about this several times since you initially found out the news, sorry to hear the inevitable happened. I don't think knowing it's going to happen makes it much easier it's still somehow a shock when it does. Condolences to you & your brother & of course his family & friends.

[Dark Horse]

Geez, very sorry to hear, Maurice.

[Mechan1k]

I just went to the funeral of a good work colleague ... he dropped dead on boxing day.
He was 25 ... one of the smartest people I have known (verging on genius actually).
Apparently he had a stomach ulcer that burst and he died from multiple organ shutdown from peritonitis.

Major shock to everyone at work ... people here at work still can't believe he is gone.

His fiancee is having a hell of a hard time ... high school sweethearts (they had been together for 8-9 years).

[FTE217]

Thanks very much all for your kind wishes and thoughts, it's appreciated !