It had been almost 2 years since Desiree and I had, had a good holiday. We were in Melbourne to attend Desirees daughters wedding. Karen and Ken were getting married and we were part of the bridal party.

The wedding had gone all to plan and we were going to have a break from our hectic work styles.

The Adelphi Hotel in Melbourne was where we were staying. This place was right in the centre of Melbourne and was a boutique, minimalist property. We had been there about 4 days and were doing some serious shopping, and relaxing with friends around Melbourne. Our stay had just about come to an end and we were scheduled to travel up to the Yarra Valley to sample the splenders of this gourmet region just on the outskirts of Melbourne.

Desiree woke up on the morning of our scheduled departure. “I can’t see out of my right eye, I am totally blind” she said as she drew up out of the bed. I knew that this was not good and recognised it as the possible signs of a stroke. She made it to the bathroom, where she slumped over the sink while trying to clean her teeth.

I called the Adelphi reception and ordered an ambulance. Within 10 minutes we were speeding through the streets of the city on the way to the Royal Melbourne hospital. I had a chance to call Karen and let her know what was happening. The next thing I knew I was waiting in the emergency room of Royal Melbourne Hospital. This was going to be the longest day of my life.