Well it does not get better than Qualia at Hamilton Island. Eliz and I are having a quiet relax in fantastic weather. Today was breakfast with view, boat trip to deserted island beach all set up for just us, back to poolside in afternoon, a nap then off to the steam room and super shower. Dying sucks a bit but the retirement stuff is fun.

This week, the Senate hearing is held in Canberra on Dying with Dignity. I hope to present at the Melbourne one as I could not be there. Documentary crow funding at 1/4 way, and there are 5 fantastic exotic drive day packages for 2. Go on get one for a Christmas present!

Have also cracked 20,000 on the petition, let’s keep going. One weird thing is after chemo ie last Monday my voice always goes squeaky, well this time it has gone full stop, now in day 5! Eliz and I had dinner the other night and I used notes on my phone to ask and answer. Make things challenging when you imitate silence of the lambs.

Pain 0/10 Mental Health 10/10 Physical Health 6.5/10 Life Enjoyment record 15/10

Clearly Dying with Dignity and the draft bill in the senate needs conscience voting and parties do not come into it. That is the hope and goal I have. However we then get confronted by things like in my case local state elections. Some parties are clearly supportive of changing the law so terminally ill and incurably suffering people will have a choice around medically assisted death. So the dilemma. I have been given great support from some interesting sources such as Fiona Patten and the Australian Sex Party and their 30,000 plus supporters. Also the Greens clearly at local and federal levels with the likes of Richard Di Natale and the greens senators and leader Christine Milne, and state levels in fact across their whole party. Then comes the active support from Labor’s Alannah MacTiernan and Melissa Parke……..these are a few but are key activators. I need more. Have a look at the note sent to 30,000 plus Sex Party supporters on the following link.

Click here to read the newsletter.

I conclude that picking parties and setting up a non partisan situation would be foolhardy but I do think it sensible when considering your vote to look to see if it goes somewhere supporting your underlying goals such as Dying with Dignity. This is yet another way to express yourself and I know I would be hypocritical not to support someone with this cause on their agenda on a person by person basis. I don’t say change party but ask your local parliamentarian and then see if they will be  an agent for change or you might consider it. Thoughts? Any help as from Fiona and the gang would be welcome.

Crowdfunding for documentary, $17,500  145 funders  $83,000 to go for target 43 days left, please help and not keep me in suspense……

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dying-with-dignity-documentary

Pain 0/10 Mental Health 10/10 Physical Health 7/10 Life Enjoyment 10/10

Chemo today. In for a fill and all went well. Have had some veins weirding out ,not a problem as have lots more. They go hard and stay that way. Have gotten passed the 2 week cough cold thing everyone has so back on a more even keel though this week will have lots of naps. It enables me to get a feel of how things are really progressing. Bottom line is all good but getting harder to breath, run, life ,jump etc doesn’t work.

So the story re heading: I went to Phillip Island with Eliz a while back and to cut a long story short we went to meet a guy called DAK,
http://www.stuffbydak.com/#!about/c10fk
and he is a used metal artist. Whilst chatting I noticed a very basic shape starting on his welding pedestal and he told us it was to be a kangaroo representing a wallaby he found hit by the side of the road and alive. He took it to the vet and on they way if played patta cake patta cake on his arm as he drove. Anyway the shape combined with the story was intriguing so I commissioned it. Went down last week, stayed over night at my sister Jills B&B Holmwood
http://www.holmwoodguesthouse.com.au
Then with Patrick and his trailer we brought it back. Next step is to install it in the backyard as it is big and heavy. Also mounted on a metal spindal so it catches the flow of the air and turns with the wind.

Questions I have been asked is why? The answer of course is why not, there is no finish line! Will post a photo when installed with the 4 bags of concrete I bought today, lifted by Mitch.

Crowdfunding for documentary , $12,500 plus about 145 funders $5,000 pledged $83,000 to go for target 45 days left, please help https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dying-with-dignity-documentary

Pain 0/10 Mental Health 10/10 Physical Health 7/10 life Enjoyment 10/10

In response to my 8th July email to all the Senate and HOR members, I have recieved a response from the Deputy Minister for Health,Fiona Nash. As you can see, she is also responding on behalf of Kevin Andrews, who has the honour of reversing the Dying with Dignity bill some years ago in NT. She has put the Governments position. Have a read, and I would be interested in your thoughts. To me this letter is insulting and scary in terms of implications for a free and bipartisan debate followed by a conscience vote on the DiNatale Dying with Dignity bill. The last 2 sentences in fact make no sense at all in saying “people should be able to choose the extent of active medical treatment they receive. As such the Aust Govt does not support legalising voluntary euthanasia at the Federal level.” I would love her to look me in the eye and say she and the Australian Government thinks if it comes to it I should suffer intolerably! It should be a call to each of us insist that Tony Abbott responds to my call for 1/ Making comment on the petition and 2/ Supporting  a conscience vote. Letters like this show complete disregard for transparency and the will of 80% of Australians. Feel free to contact your local member or the Prime Minister on my behalf. I am always up for a mtg just can’t get one.

Click here to read the Assistant Minister for Health Fiona Nash’s response to my email from last month.

Crowdfunding  for documentary , $12,000 plus 5,000 pledged $83,000 to go for target 45 days left. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dying-with-dignity-documentary

Pain 0/10 Mental Health 10/10 Physical Health 7/10 life Enjoyment 10/10

Hi having started to worry (not that I will stop) about would I be able to raise the funds to get the documentary made, today I came home to 3 things. 1/ A very kind letter and a cheque for $5000 from a past boss thanks JF, unbelievable 2/ an offer to provide 4 * $2500 exciting packages to be used in raising doco funding, which we will sort out and put up for all to see Thanks Matt/Walter and 3/ A heads up that some people just want to write cheques, so I have provided full mailing details on the website donate page for those inclined. Still a long way to go for $100,000.

Today we also loaded a new bit of film on the indigogo site, have a look it is under the gallery tab.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dying-with-dignity-documentary#gallery

I hope it stirs your excitement into making a small donation, I am like a child looking every night and a list of funders before bed makes for great sleep. Remember every bit makes a huge difference.

Tomorrow off on a 2 day adventure involving metal, a kangaroo, potatoes and an island. Will tell you next time.

Pain 0/10 Mental Health 10/10 Physical Health 7/10 Life Enjoyment 10/10

Thanks to Prancing Horse for a fantastic day in the Yarra Valley driving the backroads and taking in the sights up to the top of Lake Mountain and back.
http://prancinghorse.com.au

Mitch came along though not allowed to drive as under 30 so not insurable. As you can see lots of other friends made along the way. Also took the film guys who are still filming on the expectation we will pull off the crowd funding to help pay for the Dying with Dignity documentary. Please follow the link, seem to be stuck with only one or two donations a day.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dying-with-dignity-documentary

I continue to be amazed at how life goes on and take great interest in the plans, hopes and idea’s everyone is mixed up in,in their crazy lives. Looking forward to a big week with a great story coming up mid week I hope around a kangaroo! Breathing really is my only issue and other than s shortness and a bit of coughing all is good. For coughing one can take codeine, works but you need to guess a laxative as well to balance the codeine hardening impact, if you get what I mean. Argh….I am getting the balance nearly.

Pain 0/10 Mental Health 10/10 Physical health 7.5/10 Life Enjoyment 11/10