September 2013: Being 40+

Dendy Riders.
I am writing this blog because sometimes life just sucks....I now have two close friends who are fighting cancer and I want to tell you about it and make three suggestions

Nick Auden.
He and I worked at Bain together - we lived in Korea for 7 months.  I taught him how to run and he taught me how to use excel.  He is 40.  He has 3 kids, loves football.  And he currently lives in the USA.  He is a Brighton lad - his house is almost opposite yours, Giles....
But, he has Stage 4 Melanoma.  He has literally thrown everything at this fight - but he is not winning.... he wants access to an experimental drug and he has launched a social media campaign.  In a little over one week, he has been on TV and in newspapers in the USA and Australia and he has 150,000 signatures on his petition.
Check out:
http://www.savelockysdad.com/
Watch the video to see a beautifully crafted piece of creative communications.  Warning - it may make you cry....

I am an advisor and a solver.... and it is hard to do nothing.  I've lent on my contacts in the pharma industy in Australia to see if we can get access here.  We ex-Bain strategy consultants have applied game theory to the options and developed a negotiation strategy with Nick.... but in the end, he is simply running out of time..............

The other is my closest collague at PwC.  He was diagnosed this week with bowel cancer.  He is 41,  3 kids.  He is staring into 5 months of intensive chemo, radio and a big operation to remove his bowel - with serious and permermant ongoing issues...  He is the fittest I've seen him.  He rides 200k per week - and his wife wanted to bid for me to be his domestique at this week's GF.  In just five days, his world has been turned upside down - from an all conquering partner at PwC, leading a global initiative within the firm and plotting his trip to Europe for the Rapha ride next year - to a very different outlook....

So - what, if anything can come of this?  Here are three suggestions to consider:

1. Live a full life - and take your opportunities.
 Because things can happen - even to very good people, who are fit and healthy.

2. Go to the doctor.
We ~40 year old blokes, in general are not that good of taking care of ourselves. We should be going to the doctor once per year for a check-up at a mimimum.... and if you sense that anything is not right - then it is best to get it checked out.  the "she will be right mate" attitude that served us so well in our 20's is not that good for us now....

3.  Make sure you have good insurance.
 And not just health insurance (that should be a given), but life insurance, income protection and trauma.  As any financial planner will tell you - their first task is usually to protect what you have.  And what about for your significant other?  The DR have experts that you could talk to about this (e.g. Kings and McQueen Wealth Management)

I know this is a tough topic.  The next post will be all cycling, promise...
See you on the weekend at Lorne...
Danger