My Cold July – Part I

So far, this story has taken 2 months to write and so far has a happy ending, not that I expect otherwise, I just thought you might like to know.

My cold July - © Robb Duncan 2009

For most Wedding Photographers in Melbourne, July is considered a cold and quiet month, and that was how I anticipated this July to be… I only had a few weddings booked, nothing out of the ordinary, leaving plenty of time to catch up on all those things I should have done in the months before… Yeah that’s right, I was looking forward to July.

Then a phone call on Friday afternoon (the 4th) changed all that, and the events that unfolded in the days that followed have changed my life forever. Sounds a little dramatic I know and I will be honest I didn’t start out with these words in mind. Having written and re-written this post over and over in the last 2 Months, I am still not sure what I am really trying to say.

The call was from my Dad, he’s the strong silent type you might say, a Farmer, a really nice guy. I could sense he was a little shaken as he informed me that Mum had blacked out behind the wheel of their Farm Truck and had been involved in a minor traffic accident. He went onto say that she was OK, but had been taken to Ballarat Hospital for observation and would have a scan to investigate the cause of the blackout. No big deal, they might send her home later this afternoon, he said, so could I please drive up to Ballarat just in case they do discharge her.

Hasty preparations, a baby-sitter found, and both my wife Narelle and I are on our way. 35mins later the phone rings, Narelle takes the call, its Dad again… Mums being taken to Melbourne for surgery, she has bleeding in her brain… An Aneurysm, I cant describe how I felt at that stage, I think I am still coming to grips with it. A change of course, now we are heading West, to pick up Dad from the farm and then return to Melbourne Via Ballarat (to collect the truck) a 5 1/2 hour round trip.

With 2 of My Mums sisters having already suffered a Brain Aneurysm, and one of them fatal, I knew how serious this was. Its a sad fact that we have such a strong family history, but its something we thought we had covered. Mum had been given the “All Clear” years before and we didnt see this coming…

Walking into the Emergency Dept of Royal Melbourne Hospital, its 9pm, fearing the worst, having no idea what to expect, I am really struggling with whole situation. Then we see her, conscious, a little groggy, but she knows who we are, relief is an understatement. After 6 more hours of waiting, we are told surgery is booked for 8am the following morning.

This is where I cut a LONG story short, (or into 2 parts really).

Part 2 to follow soon.