One Last Blog Post

On April 24^th, 2015 my Dad wrote his first blog entry documenting his diagnosis and subsequent battle with pancreatic cancer. On March 4^th, 2016, he published what would be the last installment in a remarkable series of works. My father was an optimistic and data-driven individual, and the approach with this final installment is an attempt to service both of these fine qualities he so consistently exemplified in his daily life.

Four days on the 16^th floor of VGH in Palliative Care don’t hold a candle next to 315 days of blogging, 52 posts, and 35,000 page views. These numbers, in turn, pale in comparison to 33 years of marriage, 31 years of fatherhood, and 65 years of an extraordinary life.

For those of you who have followed his writing, you already know that Hugh used this blog as a means of catharsis, a creative therapeutic approach to a daunting situation, and a pragmatic means to expedite the process of keeping his community informed. 

You know that he used humor to communicate his well-being, once joking that an unforeseen benefit of chemotherapy was that no bug bite went unpunished -- mosquitoes attempting to dine and dash succumbed to acute chemo toxicity, never making it past the perimeter of the patio.

You know that he quickly tired of explaining the status of his illness and treatment, and that he drew immense satisfaction by cutting such interactions short with three simple words: read the blog.

You know what a keen insight these entries offer into the life, mind, and soul of Hugh Tildesley: film, theater and book reviews in the Art’s Report, technology discussions in Tesla Titillations, Rants on topics ranging from Translink to federal elections to water restriction policies, expressions of his deep affection for The 5 o’clock Club (which he describes as “a witty, pseudo-intellectual denouement to the day”), FAQ headings such as “How are you feeling?” and “Do your cats and dog know you’re sick?”, Trivia like “What do the Beach Boys, Elon Musk and the Wright Brothers have in common?” (For the answer, you guessed it, read the blog). 

You might even know that his favorite course at Bandon Dunes was Old MacDonald, despite the unrelenting wind.  

What you may not know is the profound strength this readership gave him. Tens of thousands of page views were more than fodder for bragging rights, they were a reflection of the support he felt from each and every one of you… his friends and family, his colleagues and peers, his students, his patients, and all the people he inspired along the way.

Whether you’ve read the blog or not, these entries offer a way to feel close to Hugh. I couldn’t adequately summarize his words, even if I tried, but one quote strikes me as salient enough to repeat. In describing the fearless Bruins left winger Stan Jonathan, Don Cherry said something along the lines of, “it’s like ‘tis. When yeah gots a guy like Jonatan, everybody plays bigger.”

My Dad would want everyone to know that their support was felt, and to the many people he held dear, he’d say:“I play bigger with these guys at my back.”

A Celebration of the Life of Hugh Tildesley

Tuesday, March 22^nd

4:00pm

Point Grey Golf Club

Love from,

Deborah, Donovan, Hamish and Catherine Tildesley

I need some Sun

Dr. Hugh Tildesley

Status update: Weight and blood work remain stable, save for a jump in the tumour marker CA-19. Again this does correlate with my clinical course, and may reflect the extra 2 weeks off the poisons because of my low white count. It will require close observation.

Tesla Titillations: I got another new car last night. Autopilot has been further tweaked with constant reminders to keep hands on the wheel, automatic slowing when you have your blinker on as you approach an exit, to make ramp speeds more safe, and on my most recent trip down Dunbar the car told me that autopilot was not supported (I suspect due to the narrowness of the lane as a result of the ever under utilized bike lanes.

I am still trying to get it to back into the garage, some how the computer visualizes my garage 25 degrees off its true angle. I have some corrective theories being tested.

The latest is a function called “Summons”; in tight spots you can move the care forward and backward using your iPhone. Works like a charm, but at my weight it is relegated to “show off” stuff.

Arts Report:

Chris Rock

The Oscars in my view were flawless, Chris Rock was brilliant. I was a little uncomfortable with the lynching and rape line, not even Bob Hope would have gotten away with it, but a black man dressed in black and white did. The predominately white audience laughing was what I think made me really uncomfortable. The show was tight; most winners had their speeches memorized and rarely went over time. A pleasant change from the Gong show, which was the Golden Globes.

The family quiz was won by Catherine with a ridiculous score, followed by her beau, Andrew, who I think lost on purpose. He has been nicknamed “Prince”, after Prince Andrew, but he is a prince of a fellow.

The son with the film degree was well down in the scoring, barely beating his parents, and his blind brother who never saw any of the films. Naturally the senile academy is to blame for us not picking the winners!

Dark Money: Jane Mayer

As the US election heats up, this book casts a frightening insights on how a small cadre of billionaires have utilized lax trust laws to disguise millions of dollars of political donations that are virtually untraceable. It makes one easily understand how Obama was blocked at almost every legislative initiative, and how the GOP has lost touch with its constituents. When taken into perspective the American people are not stupid and the publication of this information feeds Mr. Trump.

Clinton Cash: Peter Schweitzer

The Democrats are no better. This book outlines the tag team, which is Bill and Hillary, again using trusts as a shield to billions, which have gone into The Clinton Foundation. This is some of the most sophisticated use of political power to gain wealth.

Canada has strict laws now, which monitor charitable organizations and political donations. The US needs to copy us!

Weather Blues: El Nino is winning; I am looking forward to some sun. We leave shortly for Arizona, visiting friends, some golf, some touring and watching nephew, Liam, in an upcoming tournament in Tucson. No rain in the forecast.

The next blog will likely be a travel log, hopefully more pictures than words.

Until next time….