ClubMaster Club

We had been looking at moving to the Gold Coast, and in the midst of numerous property inspections our situation changed dramatically.

On the morning of October 21, 2020 and only after a few mouthfuls of my breakfast, I was doubled up in pain and feeling extremely nauseous. After 30 mins of trying to tell Mike it would pass, I agreed we should go to emergency.

Two days prior I had received results of my free 50 yr plus poke-a-poo test, as I call it and all three ‘pokes’ tested positive. Given my recent blood test which showed I was low in iron, blood in the stool and severe abdominal pain, a CT Scan was ordered. If you’ve never had one it really does feel like you are peeing your pants. An ‘Apple Core Lesion’ was found…..fully obstructed bowel cancer, which meant 16 days in total on a liquid diet. Hangry does not even come close to describing my demeanour.

My medical team at the Gold Coast University Hospital were amazing.

After a colonoscopy, extended right hemicoletomy and during chemotherapy I said to Mike “I don’t want to settle, I want to travel”. I mean how hard would it be to find a motor home during Covid!!! The second one we saw we fell in love.

During Chemo I turned 53 and my eldest birth daughter Steph gifted me a gorgeous pendant with a symbol which stood for Valour, courage and strength. On the back she engraved ‘My Hero’…..many many tears were shed and I wear it everyday. I told Mike I would like to incorporate the name ‘Valour’ in the name of our Coaster…. And he simply said, “let’s add a Y” - so VALOURY she became. She’s a 1990 vintage and she’s got all the courage and strength by the tonne.

Sammy