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Len Gosley was born on 11th of June 1948 in Gympie, Queensland. We have know each other most of our lives. Married 34 years and still enjoy each others company (a miracle). Raised 3 boys and now have 3 grandchildren. The light of Poppy’s life. Len was what you may call a ‘true Aussie bloke’. He was tough, hard working and a quiet achiever. The only time he took off work is when he had Ross River fever and chicken pox at 45. Looking back he just was never the same health wise after the Ross River fever. This man would stay at work all day after being hit the head with a piece of timber and then only go to the doctors after work finished and I nagged him. People would say ‘he is a tough old bird’. Len just never had the energy level after the Ross River. He would come home from work and fall to sleep on the chair. I would wake him around 9pm for tea and then he would have a shower and go to bed. This kept getting worse over the next couple of years. He started to get rashes, itches and bloating which was put down to the long term affect of Ross River. Len stopped going to doctors when one asked if he felt he was getting ‘stressed or was he suffering from hypochondria’. So even when he got the tremors, painful hands and feet, night sweats and hated being touched he would not go to the doctors. He started taking more time off work which worried him. It all blew up the day my niece got married. He had slept all day and when it came time to go to the wedding he sat on the end of the bed and just stared into space saying ‘I just can not make it’. We went to the wedding but left early. On the Monday we got on the merry-go-round again. General Hospital doctors said he had diabetes and to go to his GP. He went to a GP and was told he had diabetes but believe he was having a ‘break down’. He went home, said nothing and went back to work. Two days later I took him to a local GP who listened. After tests he told us he believe Len was ill but he could not pin point what was wrong and sent him to a number of specialists finally ending up at Dr. Walker’s office in Maroochydore. After more tests he was sent to a Tropical Disease expert in Nambour. (back to where we started off from). Two days after the test we got a call that Len needed to be at the Wesley hospital in Brisbane on Friday as he had amyloidosis and had about 3 months to live if not treated. That was a real wake up call. Len saw Dr Bashford and his team at the Wesley. He started chemo and took the option of a stem cell transplant. 2rd Feburary, 2005 was day zero. Not once did he complain about anything. After the transplant he went down to 35kgs and looked like death but at no time would he say that he was sick. All the way through he kept saying ‘stop worrying, I need to be around to be a pain to my kids’. Through all the treatment and the recovery, I believe that his positive attitude and his sense of humour was the best medicine not just for him but also for the family. Two years on he still believes he is not really ill but just having a ‘hiccup’ in life. For him, some days are golden and some are days that you measure the golden days on. Thank God for GP’s who listen, doctor and nurses who care and family and friends for their loving support. Now is the time to stop and smell the roses. We are going traveling. We enjoy each day we face together and each sunset for us to reflect upon. No doctor can tell us what is ahead for Len but we know what is behind us and we hope that Len’s knowledge is passed on so less people are not ‘overlooked’ with this disease. The earlier you are diagnosed the better the out come. Len’s story is a positive one and we hope it will lift the spirits of those that are about to under go treatment. Len and Julie Gosley – email
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