Category Archives: Uncategorized

Fathers Day | Sacred Heart

It was an honour to be asked to speak at the Sacred Heart Father’s Day breakfast this morning.  I felt highly nervous putting myself out there but I’m thrilled I did.  The feedback has been really special. 

The Letting Go Technique

I first mentioned this book in July. It’s definitely a winner for me. Here is the mechanism itself explained. It’s about being aware of a feeling, letting it come up, staying with it and letting it run its course. Without wanting to make it different or doing anything about it. Let the feeling be there…

Dom & Lou | Love Supreme…. ❤️

❤️

Honestly, How Lucky Am I??

No Words….

“No I’m not OK”

It’s very true, a conversation can change a life. I love that there’s modern-day awareness of this simple but indispensable need and a national day to support it. We can never do enough to inspire meaningful connections with people who are struggling. Anyone can reach out and ask “Are You Ok?.” I encourage you all…

Find The Positive And Ride It

My life took an unwanted turn in early June. Stupidly I tried to suppress or escape my feelings. Even more stupidly I didn’t reach out for help until I was struggling. It wasn’t until I was close to drowning that I swallowed my pride and asked for help. I’m grateful for the green shoots of…

“Lovely Noah”

“Dear Dominic,I hope you are well.We are thrilled to be giving lovely Noah the Big Blue Award this Friday. He is such a kind, hard-working and thoughtful student, it is well deserved.The award will be handed out at our 8:40 am assembly this Friday – it is a surprise for Noah!See you thenKind Regards,Sam and…

Fuck

And just like that, I’m back in a black hole.

The Mental Pain Cave – I Was Deep

As beautiful as it looks have you ever seen the heavy grey fog that settles in the valley of the blue mountains? That valley was my head. I couldn’t see a fucking thing. A cold wet mist, clouding my brain and crippling my existence. In reflection, it’s scary just how quickly you can unravel. Especially…

Addressing My Feelings And Letting Go

Over the coming weeks, I want to focus on the most healthy personality I can possibly be. This will need to be carefully balanced between work, play, love and even spirituality. What is held in the mind will manifest. I’m healing what is behind me so I don’t have fear of the future. Stress isn’t…

Grief – Pride – Courage – Acceptance – Peace

I haven’t read a book in years. My master’s degree turned me off reading and then Lou’s death and becoming a single parent sent reading way down the priority list. Picking up a single book has enlightened me. So many messages that resonate and have given me courage. Being forced to become aware of my…

I AM

We pay a massive price holding on to smallness if we want greatness. Smallness brings weakness, sickness, disease and even premature death. I AM letting go of the negative, I am surrendering it and choosing to love. I AM taking responsibility for my own consciousness as blame is the world’s greatest excuse. Don’t beat yourself…

Going For Greatness!

My sister recommended a book and it’s a game changer for me. It is the spark I needed to motivate and action my healing. It couldn’t have come at a better time. The teachings are allowing me to see things from a different perspective and context. I am surrendering my emotions. Disassembling the periphery and…

Down But Not Out

I spiralled into a state of apathy and depression in mid-June and have become more bogged by the day. A lot of my issues have to do with a relationship, assimilation of two worlds, a poor decision and failed communication and understanding. The best thing I can do to remedy the relationship is to heal…

Back To The Beginning

Hanging By A Thread

They Will Be Teenagers Tomorrow

Half Way through 2022. The year is dissolving without notice. Where does the time go? My precious children are growing up so fast, they will be teenagers tomorrow. Up until last week since February 2018, I’d never left the kids for more than two consecutive nights. This month I holidayed without them for seven nights…

“Why Are Mums So Special And Why Am I so Lucky?”

5 Reasons You Should Talk To Kids About Cancer 

“Mother’s Day can be an especially tough time of year for children and families that have been impacted by cancer. Father of two, Dominic, from Sydney, explains why it is so important to talk to kids about cancer following his own experience after wife Louise died from breast cancer in 2019. Louise was struggling with…

April Isn’t A Kind Month To Me

Happy Birthday, Lou Lou! 40 + GST. Evie rose early this morning as she always does. Often it’s on the wrong side of the bed but she was kind to me today. We cuddled on the sofa, wrapped in a blanket and flipped through some photos as the sun attempted to compete with the rain.…

Don’t Go Little Monkey, Not Yet

“I’m going to sleep in my own bed tonight dad.” I’ve never heard that from Noah before. He has never slept in his own bed. He went straight from his cot to sleeping with Mumma and Dadda and never graduated from there. So after a whole lot of talk in the preceding months about being…

Grief Kid

Nine!

Noah, Today you are nine years of age. Your last year in single digits. I can’t believe you were only six years old when I left. Such a heavy load to bear when you were so young. Your shoulders are so broad and strong though, I’m in awe of the way you tick off the…

MUMMA’S BOY

The three year anniversary of Lou’s death was special but poignant. Just getting to Momi Bay, Fiji was a challenge. The Omnicron Covid variant was on the loose in Sydney, severely impacting holiday travel. As a vacating family of 11 we were magical to dodge positive tests before departure. It was like dancing in the…

THREE LOOOOONG YEARS!

You’ve missed so much Lou. The kids, particularly Noah (his memories are more vivid than Evie’s) are missing you incredibly right now. He’s had several moments in tears over the Christmas period and my heart aches for him but I love seeing him process the pain and cry it out. I don’t want his little…

Our Optimism Was So Bloody High

I can’t believe it’s been three years since we were in Germany. Fighting for life. Looking back our optimism was unrealistic. Lou was so-so sick and her chances of survival must have been near zero. But they were “near zero”, they weren’t zero. I’m proud that WE all hung onto that fraction of a percent…

Beautiful Girl, It’s Your Birthday

My little beauty. You won’t remember but we used to have these little clashes. You were only three years old but the little mixing pot we both shared of; fire, stubbornness and a pinch of crae-crae was the perfect tiny storm for some mother and daughter friction. Always trivial of course but can you imagine…

Mummy’s Proud

I go through these stages where I imagine Lou turning up, just walking through the door at that very moment. “Oh look, kids, mummy is here!!!” The thought of this event might not happen for weeks and then it becomes a daily occurrence again. The grief roller coaster of emotions must trigger various thoughts and…

Home Sweet Home

What Lockdown?? Noah, Evie and I left our home for a 10-day road trip on the 24th of June. A scheduled 10 days on the road turned into 107 days of running. The intention was to cruise up the coast to the Goldie and hit all the theme parks to get our buzz on. Queensland…

Missing Piece

Three years ago in Septemeber 2018,  Lou Lou took Elyisa, Jboy and I to Brisbane to see the Vance Joy concert at the River Stage. On the morning of the concert Louise had a massive panic attack while we were looking for somwhere to have breakfast and commence our exciting day together. The ambulance took…

2020 F&*K YOU!!

COVID aside, my year was muddled. I just couldn’t find a spark and with no spark, no momentum. I’ve often used sporting analogies when commentating about struggles on this blog, especially during Lou’s fight for life. There’s a tremendous amount of review and analysis that goes into a professional sport so I think it’s fitting.…

Merry Christmas From The Byrne’s

“So enjoy your families today everyone. Stop for a while and soak up all the little things….” .

When it all comes clear, when the wind is settled I’ll be here, you know…..

Just some pics of Lou. Not for any particular reason. Lot’s of memories.  Always happy. Always full of life. I’m on bedside care duties tonight. Hopefully, her mum and dad get some rest. xx    

Give Blood, Make The Effort And Save Lives

Have you ever needed a blood transfusion? Do you donate blood regularly? 💉 🌡 If you’re answer to question 2 is no, and you have no medical reason, then just consider for a moment that there was no blood to give me today. Or no blood for your loved ones when they need it. Blood…

I don’t know why this is?

Even though my medical experience is shallow, from my observation, there is a massive divide between non-traditional and traditional medicine. Surely there could be major benefits, for patients,  if there were collaboration and co-creation of treatments. I don’t know why this is? Other countries seem to be so much more integrated across the traditional to…

What Is Cancer? Do You Actually Know The Answer?

If you or someone close to you has been diagnosed with cancer, you know how overwhelming it can feel. Maybe you’re also getting a lot of confusing information and advice. The more you know, the more confident you’ll feel making decisions. That’s the way I see it. If you asked me a year ago what…

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