++ UPDATED 6 August 2008 5.33am

 
It's three days now since I arrived in Beijing and the place is really starting to jump.

Kochie, Mel and I stumble into our little temporary studio by the Olympic green before 3 am for Sunrise and are back on the streets again at 7am with the (local time) finish of the show.

It's been going well, except when I forgot to plug my microphone back in on the first day for a sports read after going to to the loo! D'oh, idiot!!

But the P word for me isn't pollution ... it's people.

Despite the brutally early alarm, it's wonderful to walk out into the city as it's rising to
face a new day. There are couple's walking dogs, small groups of older women practicing tai chi, old men grinning up at you from their mahjong games and the "new" China rushing off to work around them.

It's the minutiae of life that isn't reported that makes the Olympics experience so rich for the visitor.

You can tell the people of Beijing are fiercely proud of having the games in their backyard.
I took a long walk yesterday afternoon in the heat and brushed past thousands of families out strolling and taking photographs of their kids in front of these extraordinary venues.

In amongst them now are the international media and visitors from nations near and far.

Just observing and absorbing all this is my favourite pastime.

Languages I can't even recognise carry over the mob, journalists are rushing off to meet deadlines.

Others just arrived are slumped asleep in couches at the International Broadcast Centre, jet lag and the heat conspiring to defeat them.

My Dad went to the Melbourne and Munich Olympics as a radio anchor for the ABC.

Melbourne was before my time (just), but in 1972 I was 11 and remember sending him off proudly from Perth airport. He broadcast for a couple of days straight watching a television in his room as the horror of the Israeli athletes hostage crisis unfolded down the road from his hotel.

I didn't think I'd get to one Olympics, let alone two. My family and I were living in Botswana during the Sydney games.

Then I was lucky enough to get a call up to do gymnastics and equestrian commentary at the Athens Olympics. It's gymnastics for me again this time, with the ever prepared and fantastic

Liz Chetkovich, who holds my hand and steers me through yurchenkos and saltos and tucks and rudy's and randy's ... and that's just some of the moves!

The pronunciations are always a huge challenge. But the trampoline will be "special". One of the favourites for gold is the wonderfully named Dong Dong from China. I can't wait for him to bounce his way to a medal.

When I jumped off the plane from Sydney, the entire Polish team went through customs with me. Young people primed for competition, fit, healthy and bursting with the Olympic spirit. I felt like a very tired, old and unfit bugger next to them, but couldn't help but catch their vibe.

Oh to be 21 again, the world at your feet, years of training in your legs, an Olympic medal a chance ...

But reality bites. It's lunchtime and there's a Maccas just across the way from us here at the IBC.

Stuff it, my best is way behind me ... how much harm can one quarter pounder do to a 46 year old hack ...
Let the games begin.
 

++ UPDATED  May 26 10.54am - HOSPITAL BLOG #4

Hi everyone. Good to chat again. This blog stuff is therapy for the sick!!

The operation to remove the bits and pieces of "disc material" in the lumbar region of my spine was more than 2 weeks ago now. Overall, things are on the up and up, with a drastic reduction in the pain that had made life such a misery for more than 2 months. As I'd been told by many, the recovery from the surgery is gradual. With each day it seems I'm able to push the boundaries just a wee bit more. Like sitting down for more than 2 minutes!!

Of course there are the frustrations that come with the rehab from any back procedure and as I've mentioned before, my family can probably best explain what they are! I have pain and I'm a pain in the a$#e for them ... literally! I remain a very bad patient.

But I'm very mindful of the fact that as I get stronger I'll be able to do most of the things I took for granted, maybe even swing a golf club again in a few months time.One day at a time for now.

With the word mindful, comes the word grateful. There are so many people, my own mother among them, who live every day with chronic pain. As I lay on the couch (for the 800th time!) the other night, I looked down and said to Linda I can't believe that my hands have stopped shaking now. Before the surgery, almost without knowing, it's as if every muscle fibre, every nerve ending, had been switched to extreme overload.
With each movement and step my system had been trying to protect and shutdown the pain from the disc compression on the nerve. To no avail most of the time.

The upshot of that, was a steady descent into the world of chronic pain. It's a place I'm not keen to visit again any time soon. The enormous effort to go to the loo, to get dressed, to do anything that required bending or sitting was a nightmare. It of course affects you physically, but it also eats away at you emotionally. This may sound weird, but it's such a lonely and personal experience. When people ask "How are you" ...you want to say ... "life sucks actually" ... but you plug away, hoping that one magic morning you"ll just bounce out of bed, hi five the family and be living pain free.

This is not an attempt to evoke sympathy dear Sunrise family! More a way of describing what life must be like for the millions of people who know they're permanently on the wrong side of the dreadful and debilitating chronic pain barrier. The insurmountable wall that stands between them and their old self.

I feel I'm edging back to that old self and I really can't wait to get back to work as bizarre as that may sound! A big thanks to Ben Davis too for taking the chair while I've been away.That's the great leveller about television. A younger, brighter and better looking version is always ready to step up! Benny is a great fella and I know he enjoyed working with the madness of the Weekend Sunrise crew.

Who knows in a few months, Andrew and I may be trying out for the next series of Gladiators. The names could be a challenge though. Porky (me) and Bess maybe?

See you on Sunday and thanks for your lovely emails.
All the best,
Simon

++ UPDATED May 17 8.50am - HOSPITAL BLOG #3

 A big thanks for the kind words to those people who have emailed their best wishes after surgery.

Its about a week now since undergoing the knife for my disc operation. Slowly and gingerly I feel like we (my back and I) and getting back to a working relationship after our traumatic bust up! I'm home at last and loving being back in my own bed surrounded by my "loving family."

However it's frustrating this road back thing and I continue to be marked poorly for bad behaviour and general grouchiness by my dearly beloveds. I've become this crotchety old grandpa ... Foods too hot, toilet seats too low, can't you turn that down ... I guess you get the picture.

But there is an upside to this long process.

Physically, there are flashes of a 20 year old Simon when I catch a glimpse in the bathroom mirror. Ok Ok... when I stand in shock staring at myself for 5 minutes!! If I take out the grey hair aspect, I've lost a lot of weight this past week and with that the love handles have dissolved and my middle age paunch has magically de-paunched. You just don't know what this vanity means to we 46 year old blokes!

Bad old habits have been temporarily suspended as I try to put this dodgy spine back into order. But with that there's this strange irony of seeing a skinny guy once more, driving an XW falcon around Perth, trying to fathom the secrets of girls.

Sorry everyone, I'm way off message. I can hear Linda calling ... its time to take my medication again.  But just for a moment there... "Now can you kids turn that damn tv down!!"

Reality bites and the road is long. To the millions of bad back sufferers out there, I really do feel your pain.

Thanks all and chat again soon.
Simon.

++ UPDATED May 11 8.28am - HOSPITAL BLOG #2

 
First of all a thank you to the very kind people who have sent get well messages to the sunrise website. When back on deck I promise to reply.

Its 3 days after surgery now and overall things appear to be heading the right way. The wonderful surgeon is happy with the way things went and I'm wobbling around on my feet already for a few minutes at a time.

But I'm a bad patient. Grumpy and frustrated. I'm desperate to go home but Linda and the kids I think are keen for me to stay in! That's gratitude! They've been great but they know having a semi incapacitated grumpy bum around the house isn't going to be easy for a while.

Recovery from this surgery is generally 4 to 6 weeks if all goes to plan. I hope I stick to the plan!

Any back related injury scares the heck out of me. As a good friend said who has had the same disc operation, your back is about your whole strength and at the centre of who we are. Without that strength, we're reduced to shadows of our old selves, which is the way I've felt for the last couple of months. I felt 90 years old. Stella and Sam had to help put my socks on half the time and life had become pretty miserable for all.

But as I lie here late at night drowning in self pity, I feel very strongly about one thing. Nurses are the most extraordinary people. At a time when our health system is at the centre of national debate, I wish I could double their wages and pin medals to their chests.

Their good humour and compassion dealing with so many of us sick folks on a ward through day and night. Their dedication to their jobs under very difficult circumstances is incredible

Let me say this bluntly. I've had peeing and pooing problems since the surgery that have reduced me to a sweaty, blithering wreck. The stuff that goes with all the drugs designed to help us get through often has a flip side! Yeesh. And who's there to calm you, help you through the long nights? These incredible nurses. Surgery is humbling and a great leveller. Prince or pauper, when you're sick and needy, you are in the hands of the nurses. So to Pumela, Sasha, Kim, David and everyone here, a huge thank you. That bedside button has worked overtime and they've answered the call with good grace and a smile every time.

Will keep you grossed out and posted on the days ahead.

All the best, Grumpy Simon

++ UPDATED 9 March 2008 1.48pm - HOSPITAL BLOG #1

As I write this I confess I'm a bit scared. In the way I remember as a kid sometimes facing an exam.

In January while playing with my kids at the beach, I remember throwing Sam in the water and a feeling like someone had punched me hard in the lower back.

It hurt like hell and the pain continued for days and then weeks.

After a holiday in Bali with no improvement I had some scans which showed a couple of herniated discs in my lower back.

A visit to a specialist left me with the idea that an operation was a strong possibility. I have been in the wonderful hands of physiotherapists and osteopaths since then but only ever with temporary relief from the burning pain of a compressed nerve.

Some people reading this will know what I'm talking about.

Back pain is so debilitating it makes you feel out of step with the world, even quite depressed at times.

I can't sit down for more than 10 mins maximum and I hobble everywhere.

I've come home from work a couple of times and thrown myself onto the bed with searing pain down my leg.

The Sunrise gang have been fantastic cutting me a lot of slack in recent weeks, but I've missed being part of the daily action.

As scared as I may be about the operation, it offers hope for getting back my old life, or at least as much of it as I fondly remember.

That's the bottom line I suppose. You can never take your health for granted.

Look at poor Patrick Swayze. He has it all ... but with his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, I'm sure he would trade wealth and fame for his health and a long healthy life.

This is not a life-threatening procedure for me by any means. But it is the first time our family has faced a bit of a bump since our dear Sam was born with a heart condition.

I'm 46 now ... Matt Price, the wonderful commentator and journalist whom I knew over the years lost his life last year in just 8 short weeks at the same age as me.

Like Matt said, no pithy one liners, just hug your kids and be thankful for everything you have.

Am I being melancholy, well yes, I'm sorry.

But we all get a tap on the shoulder often when we least expect it. It does make you think about the big picture.

I'm lucky to have a great surgeon lined up to perform my surgery. I will keep you posted on how things turn out.

I desperately hope I'll be back on deck soon, making bad jokes with everyone on Sunrise about being an old man before my time and hugging my kids free of this bloody back pain.

All the best everyone.

Simon

++ UPDATED 17 December 6.07pm

Our trek was set up by a friend of mine, Brad Horn, who has a boutique
safari company called epic private journeys. Brad took Kochie to the
Kili summit in 2005.