Come join us this Sunday to celebrate life, love, friends, fun and Keith

Dear Friends, this is an invitation for this coming Sunday. We’d love to see you and we hope you can make it! If you can’t, we know we’ll feel your love and companionship anyway.

A year on: Friends of Keith real-time get-together & and Neutrophision Song Contest awards ceremony

When: Midday, Sunday 17 March until mid-afternoon or so. (This date is a year and a few days after some diabolical health and medical challenges added to Keith’s leukaemia adventure. Now, well there’s a lot to celebrate – and, most especially, friendship and community. Join us and share the joy.)

Where: 62 Gladstone Road, Highgate Hill (BINC’s house – high green fence)

Who: Anyone who’s been part of the gorgeous community around this adventure  - whether active or otherwise – or who knows Keith and would like to join in the celebration of life. So feel free to pass the message on (with RSVP info) – or send them to this page (http://chrisandkeith.wordpress.com/). And come and meet the others you met via the blog. It’ll be a lovely time.

And note, if you’re wondering whether ‘who’ means you: Who absolutely DOES include all the, friends, contacts, well-wishers, fabulous doctors, nurses, registrars, consultants, nursing aides, physios, stoma nurses, other leukaemia patients and their families, and anyone else who’s been directly or indirectly a part of this journey or connected in any way to making a difference. Bat and flying fox community, Landmark and other education connections, peace movement…and many others.

Pass the message on (with RSVP info) to others who have been connected in some way – or send them to this page (http://chrisandkeith.wordpress.com/). And come and meet the others you met via the blog. It’ll be a lovely time. And there’s no need to stay for long – you can just drop by if you’d prefer.

What to bring: a plate of tucker to share, some memories to share, something to drink.
(What you don’t need: plates, cutlery. There’ll be fruit juice and some soft drink, and a esky with ice for your drinks. Oh, and the space is fairly child-friendly)

RSVP: As soon as you can: via this blog, OR email Chris and Keith at biota @ bigpond.com (note: delete the spaces in the email address)…OR via the Facebook event page.

For queries, contact me (Chris) on the email address above, or ph/text 0437 327890.

Who’s coming so far…Well, there are around 30 people who plan to be there in person.  And there’ll be a few others who plan to join in at some stage by skype from down south, overseas and maybe from the WA desert.

For those who have been avid readers of the blog since its early days, you’ll get to meet some of the luminaries and other characters including…ta daa…the creators of the Holy Tea saga! (And they’ll get to meet each other for the first time too!). Even autographs might be possible at this special occasion if approached with due reverence and the appropriate votive offering (definitely of the teabag variety for His Holy Seer, and definitely only leaf tea for Sr Catherine.)  Guidelines may be posted on the day.

Anyway, it’ll be lots of fun and will undoubtedly include renditions of Neutrophision Song Contest winning songs and poems, numerous versions of Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ and various other shennanigans.

Until then, we send love, we’d luurv to see you there and we hope you can make it!

And in the meantime…

This is now…

Keith with his birthday present – very pleased.

Photo taken a few months back in late July 2012 by Kathy Hedemann. Keith was just starting to get around after the bowel rejoining.

And finally, a time-travel link back to a year ago, 9th March 2012.

It was a gorgeous moment as Keith was coming home after his second phase of chemo and hospital stay…coming home to recuperate and build up again while the neutrophils regenerated themselves.  I thought we had a reasonable sense of the general parameters of this present phase – and we knew that leukaemia is known for the unexpected. Certainly we had no idea what was just around the corner, just three days after this post was written on 9 March  2012. If you’d like to revisit the joyous homecoming that day, check out the post http://chrisandkeith.wordpress.com/2012/03/page/3/.

Note: For folks new to this Friends blog, the About page provides a brief overview. And if you’re wondering what on earth the ‘Neutrophision Song Contest’ is, see the tab at the top of this Friends website for background info.

Keith turns 60.

Hello dear friends

For those of you who don’t also connect on Facebook (fb), I apologise as this weekend I focused solely on communicating via fb and didn’t think to share important information with you about ta daa…Keith’s 60th birthday!!!!

The actual day was yesterday, Saturday 2nd March. It was a triple treat as we joined a laid back combined Henderson/Borsboom family lunch that included my mum Nancy Henderson, sister-in-law Trish and our niece Carly Henderson and her partner Nathan Lamb who were visiting from London for a few days. Really lovely.

So, an update on Keith. Keith is continuing to do really well. Sure, remembering is still an issue since the chemo (though some of us have that challenge even without chemo). Also, the rejoined bowel can still be a surprise factor. Best to think of it – as Keith does – as a work in progress which seems to be heading in the direction of workability and dependability – ie the sort of thing that most of us so take for granted.

We are joyous at having this gift of life and love and friends and contribution. We thank you so deeply, every one of you, and us, for having made it to this point – a point which was unimaginable last year, certainly from the perspective of medical statistics and how ill we knew our Keith was. And together, dear friends, we did it.

Most of you will know about the jubilant, bliss out celebration coming up for this glorious community on Sunday 17th March at West End/Highgate Hill in Brisbane, Queensland. If you haven’t heard, please check the previous blog, or my facebook page – and let us know you’re coming. (That way we’ll be able to let you know the venue depending on weather and numbers).

Every day, we’d like to deeply thank the people on the ground who contributed so much to keep me/us going day by day through your generosity – in SO MANY WAYS.

For example, there were a half dozen offers of a caring place to stay close by the hospital, without notice. A friend I could drop my washing off to, and who even found me recycled clothes for when the weather turned and I was caught out. Friends who provided tucker to eat at the hospital, to tempt Keith, to have at home for when he was released. Plus, plus, plus. Young friends and others who sent cards and compiled collections of music and movies for Keith to keep him in a good space and sing those neutrophils back into action. Friends who connected the energy of the universe in our direction, whether from the depths of the Amazon, from the power of prayer of evangelical faith, from the Women Elders of Kapululangu. And every one of you who contributed in so many ways to Keith and all of us staying in the space of hope, to be choosing what is, AND, in the face of nothing, choosing possibility, joy and gratitude. And that certainly includes those who knew what was happening – and those who hadn’t heard.

Deep deep Namaste to every one of you. We are, thanks to all of you, all of us. We hope to see you all on the 17th if that works for you. See you then. See the previous post for details and RSVP via the blog comments.

Until then, much love
Chris

Recently, with nephew Zach

And a little earlier, when Keith was around 22.

This Sunday: Celebrate with Keith…life, love, friends, laughter

Dear Friends, this post is an invitation for this coming Sunday. Hope you can make it! If you can’t, we’ll feel your love and companionship anyway. 

A year on: Friends real-time get-together & and Neutrophision Song Contest awards ceremony

When: Midday, Sunday 17 March (ie a year and five days after K contracted that diabolical bowel cocktail).

Where: 62 Gladstone Road, Highgate Hill (BINC’s house – high green fence)

Who: Anyone who’s been part of the gorgeous community around this adventure  - whether active or otherwise – or who knows Keith and would like to join in the celebration of life.

And note, if you’re wondering whether ‘who’ means you: Who absolutely DOES include all the fabulous doctors, nurses, registrars, consultants, nursing aides, physios, stoma nurses and anyone else who’s been directly or indirectly a part of this journey or connected in any way.

So feel free to pass the message on (with RSVP info) – or send them to this page (http://chrisandkeith.wordpress.com/). And come and meet the others you met via the blog. It’ll be a lovely time. And there’s no need to stay for long – you can just drop by if you’d prefer.

Bring: some a plate of tucker to share, some memories to share, something to drink.
(What you don’t need: plates, cutlery, tarps or raincoats! It’s inside and on a back deck. There’ll be fruit juice and some soft drink, and a esky with ice for your drinks. And the space is fairly child-friendly)

RSVP: As soon as you can: via this blog, OR email Chris and Keith at biota @ bigpond.com (note: delete the spaces in the email address)…OR via the Facebook event page.

• And any queries, feel free to email or phone/text me (Chris) on 0437327890.

Who’s coming so far…Well, there are around 30 people who plan to be there in person.  And there’ll be a few others who plan to join in at some stage by skype from down south, overseas and maybe from the WA desert.

For those who have been avid readers of the blog since its early days, you’ll get to meet some of the luminaries and other characters including…ta daa…the creators of the Holy Tea saga! (And they’ll get to meet each other for the first time too!). Even autographs might be possible at this special occasion if approached with due reverence and the appropriate votive offering (definitely of the teabag variety for His Holy Seer, and definitely only leaf tea for Sr Catherine.)  Guidelines may be posted on the day.

Anyway, it’ll be lots of fun and will undoubtedly include renditions of Neutrophision Song Contest winning songs and poems, numerous versions of Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ and various other shennanigans.

We send love, we’d luurv to see you there and we hope you can make it!

And in the meantime…

This is now…

Keith with his birthday present – very pleased.

Photo taken a few months back in late July 2012 by Kathy Hedemann. Keith was just starting to get around after the bowel rejoining.

Plus, this next link below is to our post from a year ago. It was a gorgeous moment as Keith was coming home after his second phase of chemo and hospital stay…coming home to recuperate and build up again while the neutrophils regenerated themselves.  Bliss bliss bliss. I felt we had a sense of the general parameters of what we were in for, at least for these initial phases of chemo. Ah, but no! As it turned out we had no idea what was just around the corner on 12 March, so just three days after this post was written on 9 March  2012. If you’d like to revisit that joyous homecoming, check out the post http://chrisandkeith.wordpress.com/2012/03/page/3/. And be so pleased with us that we’re here looking back. Oh happy dance.

Note: For folks new to this Friends blog, the About page provides a brief overview. And if you’re wondering what on earth the ‘Neutrophision Song Contest’ is, see the tab at the top of this Friends website for background info.

Celebrating a year on

Keith continues to do well: he’s in remission and his blood counts are slowly and steadily improving. True, he’s still a very skinny streak, many kilos less than what he used to weigh, however according to the scales he’s put on a little over recent weeks.

This time last year we were focused on bringing up Keith’s neutrophil count after his first round of chemo. And now, a year later…there’s no more chemo, there have been no bone marrow transplants, and there are no signs of leukaemia. There’s a lot to celebrate. Speaking of which…

Longtime friends from school days catch up to celebrate turning 60 this year. From left, Keith, Russell Bowles, Jim Dennis (of this blog’s Holy Tea epic) and Barry Thomas.

And you’re invited to join a get-together in real time and space to celebrate as well!

A good number of the contributors to this blog have mentioned along the way how great it would be to have this community come  together in real space/time to celebrate the successes, meet the great people we’ve been communing with… and of course to present the inaugural Neutrophision Song Contest Awards.

Well, it’s happening!! . In March, in Brisbane. Watch for the separate post for details.

My mum

For those who have also been following the story of my parents… In early January Mum (Nancy Henderson) was admitted to Wesley Hospital emergency with very bad pneumonia. She survived the odds (where have I heard that before on this blog…) and spent three weeks in hospital recuperating followed by a fortnight in the rehab ward.

Mum’s now back home at the high care residential home where she has become a permanent resident, and is pleased with the decision.

Looking back – and forward – what a gift the rehab phase has been!  Not only in terms of getting over the impact of her pneumonia etc, which has been very important, but also in helping her build strength, staying power and confidence. The difference is remarkable, and so obvious when she walks or uses her arms to express ideas. What a gift indeed.

Nancy celebrating her 86th birthday this week with grand-daughter Cassie and great grand-daughter Emily.

2012 – Friends in review

Hi all. The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report (below) for this blog. Here t’is in case you’re also interested. And I’d like to add a special thanks to Zohl de Ishtar’s contribution for her co-authoring over many months. Thank you and thank goodness!!

Btw, Zohl, now back in the remote WA desert with the Women Elders, is keeping a powerful, thoughtful daily blog about daily life, culture and the range of issues for their community. Do check it out at  http://zohldeishtar.wordpress.com/
love c & k

Here’s an excerpt:

4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This Friends blog had 20,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 5 Film Festivals

Click here to see the complete report.

What a year! Reflections, thanks, future plans.

Hello dear friends. We wish you and our planet the very best for the coming year.

In this blog: something from the Royal…something from me…and then something from Keith )!

From the Royal

Keith’s latest bone marrow test has come up squeaky clean – NO signs of leukaemia …and his blood levels are all reporting in as acceptable. Sooo good. No big gain in weight yet, just a couple of kilos since the op back in July – we’ll work on that!

Also on the medical front, the filter inserted back in April through Keith’s leg vein (to stop clots getting to the lungs during the long period of inactivity) has now been removed through his neck vein. The filter is an amazingly big, strong, seriously grabby (like lawyer vine!!!) stainless steel device, given that it’s slipped up into a vein! Having it out is great news as it means Keith no longer needs to inject Clexane, a blood thinner, into his abdominal flesh every day. (The original clot had disappeared a while back). So early mornings are definitely more relaxed.

DVT filter – sitting on a sheet of card after removal.

On Keith’s hand. Gives an idea of the size, eh.

The colorectal mob and Curley our haematologist are very pleased with Keith’s progress. Sure, there’s still a long way to go to get over the effect of the chemo, have the bowel functioning normally and build energy, memory etc…however this is small fry compared to the joy of no leukaemia. We are all fully committed that it’s now gone forever. Yay!

From me, Chris

Thinking back to a year ago, while we’d known for weeks that something wasn’t quite as it ought to be with Keith’s bod, we had no idea how big would be the roller coaster ride…how much we would learn about being present, being a stand, being outrageously unstoppable – and about the joy that comes from actually choosing how we would be, (minute by minute, yep, couldn’t ask for better practice, I reckon ;-D)…rather than having our experience of life an automatic reaction given by whatever circumstances life turned up. (If that last bit makes sense!)

Dear friends, there’s also the huge gift that is you, individually and collectively. The joy of connecting more deeply with existing friends, meeting new ones, having you meet each other. Not to mention the deeply etched learning about asking and sharing, and of putting minds and hearts together for a vision that really mattered to us. Deep honouring and thanks to each of you.

From Keith

What a wonder and delight this year has been, made very interestingly by what I’ve learnt and how my concept of reality has changed. Year’s end is a time to thank everybody for such great support and seeing me through to this moment. For those reading this that think for any reason that my thank you doesn’t apply to you, consider you have no idea what a profound difference you made to me.

I can lie in bed and delight in watching the sun touching the leaves each morning. What magic moments, thank you.

An additional thank you to Chris for allowing me to hold on, simply by being there, being inspirational and being herself. Thank you for being visible in the abyss.

On gratitude and choosing the way life is

The notion of gratitude has also been much on my mind and in my heart for much of this year. I wondered though if Keith felt the same way.

C: Are you grateful for your leukaemia, for what’s happened?
K: Absolutely!
C: And if you could rewind and not have this last year?
K: Oh, yeah….. The thing though is that it DID happen, and since it DID, choosing it works!

On coaching

This last year was a corker for building my coaching skills! Now I’m taking my success coaching business off the backburner and getting it dancing again, with plans for group and online as well as individual work.

You could really assist by LIKE-ing my Chris Henderson Success Coaching Facebook page.

On cupcakes

The Cupcake Awards Ceremony went AWOL at the end of last year, set aside due to family commitments. We’re thinking of rescheduling it towards the end of January or early February. Who’s interested – and what would work for you? Let us know via this blog.

(Note to new readers: the Cupcake Awards are for the winner/s of the famed international Inaugural 2012 Neutrophision Song Contest. For more info, take the Neutrophision link at the top of this page – and visit my coaching website to see the final Neutrophision Song Book.)   

That’s all for now, folks. Wishing you all a blessed new year.

Much love

Chris and Keith (YAYYYY!!!)

 

A baby flying fox having its bottom washed. Cute bracelet, eh…   

Keith at a weekly breakfast during Movember, with Landmark friends Paul Vic and Regina Malia. Looking better and better, gaining strength.

In our backyard with splendid friends Ajarna who’s studying Geology at UQ, and Rohani who – that same day – had graduated as a doctor along with her partner Brad. These beautiful young people have all visited Keith while in the Royal. We’re one of the very proud pseudo-aunties and uncles. (For regular blog readers, Ajarna and Rohani belong-em dear friends Roy and Jo from Woombye)

It’s not too often that the photographer gets to play in front of the camera as well. A couple of months ago I passed my camera to a friend Kathy Hedemann to take photos of us at a cafe. While I know Keith’s health and energy has improved heaps since then, I still really like this whole series, especially the middle two.

Dad

I started writing this post back in early November. And then paused. It felt like time to step back and reflect a little before putting pen to paper.

Clive (Dad) died on Saturday 20 October, just three weeks after diagnosis of the extensive advanced cancers throughout his bones and body. He was 87 and the various small signs he’d asked about over the years – back pain, sore ribs, cough, stomach pain, losing weight, had been ascribed to old age.

Dad’s funeral was a very fitting opportunity to remember this very good, much loved and much appreciated man. Those of you in this small band of blog followers who knew Clive (and that’s most of you I think) may wish to view a photographic tribute to his life over the years. It’s been a joy to put together – and certainly still a work in progress, particularly as Dad was a keen family snapshot photographer over many decades, and passed the photography interest on to us. So far we’ve selected from print photos – the many boxes of slides are still untouched!

Now our family traverses another of life’s phases as we increasingly take on the carer role to support Mum through these months…initially at home since mid August; and now through a gradual and supported transition to residential care.

Along the way we are appreciating the wisdom and stories of others who have themselves travelled this path, or assisted their parents in doing so. One learning… It seems that for many from our parents’ generation (ie the now elderly group), the expectation was to live out their final years in their own home, looking after each other – i.e. without needing to be looked after somewhere else or by someone else. I can also see how much easier the transition could be if we downsized and moved somewhere soon, while faculties are still sharp – and thus before we need to move and while the change process isn’t overwhelming… yet will our generation or even the next really be any different? Will we put contingency plans in place, do you think? Have you given thought to this?

I’m on the lookout for others’ take on this, others’ ideas of how you’d like it to be. For example, a friend’s mum dealt with the sense of displacement and unfamiliarity years ahead of when she needed to move into an aged care home. How? Well, she started volunteering at the local aged care home when she was in her seventies. By the time it was her turn, she had no qualms – in fact, it felt totally like home, her friends were there, the staff knew her well – and she was delighted. Plus she’d made a great contribution to the lives of others. What an elegant model for transitioning into this phase.

A group of friends is planning to move into separate houses in the same  cul-de-sac and to co-fund a nurse or carer to look after them.

Keith is dreaming up a variation on this theme, one that involves friends join in purchasing 10 acres of land near us when it becomes available and having a collection of small abodes close together and the rest of the land for food production.

Finally, just a brief reflection. Visiting so many aged care places has done wonders in having me feel comfortable with them and even warm to most. So much so, evidently, that I recently found I had written my name in the visitors’ book (as usual) – however this time I had also put my name in the column asking who I was visiting! Is my inner self telling me I could do with a quiet holiday? Somewhere meals are provided, diversional activities are available, and the place is set up to look after my needs… I think Keith may already have his bag packed. he says!

Below, some photos of Dad. Next post, an update on Keith who is progressing steadily.

x chris

At a Brisbane Valley field day for vintage Caterpillar memorabilia. February 2009. Dad had such a good time. He had been local government and agricultural manager for Hastings Deering for many years before his retirement.

Driving an old Caterpillar grader.

Looking through the wheel of a Sydney-made Hy-Way scarifier.

With grandson Zach, around March this year. Zach was growing his hair as a challenge for Keith to get well and cut it for him. As it turned out, the haircut came first – that time at least.

Dad loved measuring the grandchildren. Here, he’d more than met his measure, to his and Zach’s delight!