S2Ep2: "Return of the Dimo" with James Dimitroff

James is our very own Chiropractor at Balance Health and Performance. If you know James, you'll know he is charismatic, jovial and humble. However in late 2019, James' world came crashing down as an unexpected turn of events occurred 10 days before his wedding.

Join us as we delve into who James is and the events that he has had to battle to make a return as Dimo2.0!

@dimo.chiro2.0

Transcript

Nick Papastamatis  0:00  
Welcome back to the Balance Experience podcast.

Jac Simmonds  1:10  
Yes, sir. I'm good Nicko. How are you?

Nick Papastamatis  1:13  
I am wonderful. Thank you very much. I'm drinking a nice bottle of water right now. Oh, yeah. And it's quite fresh. What are you up to right now?

Jac Simmonds  1:24  
I'm also drinking the same bottle of water. The exact same one a different one. But um, and we just went for a lovely little lunch at ribs and burgers. It was delicious. A nice little lamb wrap.

Nick Papastamatis  1:35  
Yeah, that was fantastic. 

James Dimitroff  1:38  
Oh they got your order, right?

Nick Papastamatis  1:39  
This time they got they got my order, right. Look, they didn't get my order completely wrong. They had the right meat in there. So that's all count that Okay, good. Good feed, good food. 

Jac Simmonds  1:49  
Not bad at all. 

Nick Papastamatis  1:50  
Well, we have a very special guest. He is. Well, I think extra special, very special. He would he'd be someone I'd call a very important person to balance health and performance, to me personally. And I think to the collective of our company Jaco. Do you want to introduce this wonderful guest?

Jac Simmonds  2:10  
So today, as Nicko said, I think Nicko, put it perfectly. So today we have James Dimitroff, a chiropractor for us here, but also also a really good friend of ours. And James has a really interesting story to tell he's been through quite a bit, which we'll get to eventually in the podcast, but welcome.

James Dimitroff  2:31  
Thanks, guys. Thanks for having me. Dimo. I think this has been a while in the making. We've been talking about this for a long time. Yeah. So I'm very excited to be here.

Jac Simmonds  2:40  
Yeah, for sure.

Nick Papastamatis  2:41  
We have a we have a little thing at the clinic where we make animal sounds throughout, and we confuse the shit out of patients, and Grace... and Grace. Yeah, like a lot of a lot of new. It's part of it's part of the initiation process for new recruits. You want to give us a chance to just get ready for this one boys.

James Dimitroff  3:03  
Also known as the goat. Jac what's what would your animal sound? What does a kangaroo make ...sound as a kangaroo Skippy... is that where he puts the gun leaves together.

Jac Simmonds  3:16  
No one's ever subjected me to the animal noise actually. Yeah, what animal? I don't know. I've never I've never to be honest. Are we gonna do this right now on the podcast?

Nick Papastamatis  3:26  
Giraffe?

Jac Simmonds  3:29  
I haven't got one. I'll think of one before the end of the podcast come back to me.

James Dimitroff  3:36  
That was such an anticlimax I was waiting for like the best thing ever.

Jac Simmonds  3:39  
Give me give me an animal and I'll give you a sound.

Nick Papastamatis  3:42  
Oh,

James Dimitroff  3:43  
well what animal best represents you might typically mine is actually like a monkey. Yeah, because they like to have fun.

Jac Simmonds  3:57  
Oh, what animal best represents me?

Nick Papastamatis  4:01  
Well, I'm what's what's a fucking quiet one? Yeah. Quiet and doesn't make any fucking sound?

Jac Simmonds  4:06  
Is always injured. Giraffe. Emu? Emu?

Nick Papastamatis  4:11  
Yeah. Probably Emu's probably have terrible knees.

Jac Simmonds  4:16  
Probably

James Dimitroff  4:18  
Can we hear the emu sound then?

Jac Simmonds  4:22  
I guess.

Nick Papastamatis  4:29  
To all the listeners out there. We're very sorry. Sorry. We're very sorry.

Jac Simmonds  4:34  
I promised you the content gets better from here.

Nick Papastamatis  4:38  
Jaco is a better podcasts to host and then he's a animal interpreter.

Jac Simmonds  4:42  
Yes,

Nick Papastamatis  4:43  
that's alright.

Jac Simmonds  4:43  
Exactly.

Nick Papastamatis  4:45  
Well, shall we begin? I don't know where to start.

James Dimitroff  4:47  
Where shall we start? 

Nick Papastamatis  4:48  
Well James Dimitroff you're a chiropractor here. Do you want to tell us a little bit about yourself?

James Dimitroff  4:55  
Yeah, sure. I'm a chiropractor at balance health and performance. Been in the company for over four years now, Nick and I actually went to the same high school. Nick was my school Captain when I was in year nine. Yeah. So a small world that bought us around 360 that we're, he's now a work colleague of mine and my boss. So I've enjoyed getting to know Nick at school, not only at school, but also in a work basis as well. So it's been very interesting. So I was a probably a rugby tragic as a younger lad, used to take my rugby very seriously. And then I realized that it was either going to be a profession or rugby or rugby as a profession. And I chose the profession. So I thought I got to stop playing here. The good old manly Marlins shout out to the boys...yeah the boys. No, I decided that it wasn't worth you know, getting injured for and it's my job, you know, our job that we need to be on our game with our hands. Our arms. Got to be able to be standing. So yeah. You know, I couldn't. In my mind, it wasn't worth the risk of continuing to play while being a chiropractor as well. So yeah, interesting enough, after uni. Five years of study, I went to London to become a chiropractor.

Nick Papastamatis  6:17  
Did you go to London? Yeah. Yeah, I was in London. Oh, I thought you just had a job you hated here.

James Dimitroff  6:23  
No, no.

Jac Simmonds  6:24  
You studied in London or you worked in London? 

James Dimitroff  6:26  
No. I'm getting to it. Yeah. Well, I spent. I spent eight years working in a bar. And then I decided, you know, London was going to be my thing. And I went to London. And it was nothing like what I'd thought. I just didn't fall in love with London as a city. Yeah, it's very gray. It's very monotone. There's no culture. Look, I'm a Greek boy. I love my food. And I was like, you have to go out and spend a bit of money to get good food in London. Yeah, so I decided I actually had a had a job interview, went to the interview. Two days later, they offered me the job. And I was in the lakes district just below Scotland. And I decided that London wasn't for me. So I did what any other 24/25 year old did and spent all my money and traveled for four months, which was incredible. That's awesome. Once in a lifetime opportunity. So

Nick Papastamatis  7:20  
how long would it take four months?

Jac Simmonds  7:22  
Four months? Yeah, living in London for four months again said enough's enough was..

James Dimitroff  7:25  
No actually I was actually living in London for two months. Oh, I'm one. I'm very impulsive. So I find no influence straightaway. Or, I don't have a good inclination straightaway. And it's not for me.

Jac Simmonds  7:35  
Yeah. Yeah. Then it was a two month bender.

James Dimitroff  7:38  
Yeah. Yeah. Basically a four month four month. Look, it was fun. It was enjoyable. You know, sitting at like fine dining restaurants by yourself. And they're expecting you to come with one more. And I'm like, No, it's just me in my book. 

Jac Simmonds  7:51  
Just me treating myself, literally...

Nick Papastamatis  7:52  
Were you reading?

James Dimitroff  7:53  
Yeah, I was reading along the way. Yeah. Really? loving it. Dan Brown books.

Jac Simmonds  7:57  
Did you find yourself on that trip?

James Dimitroff  7:58  
No. I all I found was a lot of food. And a lot of alcohol. Back to Australia, back to Australia. So I actually didn't tell anyone. I was coming home. So I just rocked up. And my mum goes, James... Is everything. Okay? she freaked out. Yeah. I was like, yeah, I'm back home. Surprised my friends on that night as well. Because coincidentally one of them my best mate Brendan, who you know, Nick was having a barbecue and was actually just right. I just rocked up. I was like, oh my god. Well, yeah. No, no one knew.

Nick Papastamatis  8:34  
I'm not kidding. That's a that is blowing my mind. So you've literally gone. You bought a one way ticket? Yep. You stayed in London didn't like it. So you fuckin just, you know, traveled around. Yeah, did your thing and then you just rocked up whatever the fuck you felt like Exactly. I did, me. Mate. That is I am in awe of that. I have never done that before.

James Dimitroff  8:56  
Okay. And like I said, like that between, you know, having a full time book between union having the full time career that I wanted. I was like, This is the only or the best opportunity I'm gonna have at this. So I may as well grab it by the balls, literally. Yeah, and ran with it. So well. I had the best time. So what sort of country which countries? So I started Funny enough, actually met up with another pius boy who you may know, Tim van der gugten. Yeah, yeah. So Tim is a professional cricketer.

Nick Papastamatis  9:24  
I had him bowel at me a few times. Yeah, it was not a good experience

James Dimitroff  9:27  
He's a big boys. A dutch boy. 

Nick Papastamatis  9:28  
At the age of 14. He was. He was they were rockets. He's a very talented at 14, 120km/hr fast, I reckon. Yeah.

James Dimitroff  9:38  
He's a very talented cricketer. He actually plays in the Dutch national cricket team. Oh, well, so yeah, I met him in Amsterdam and he goes, why don't you just stay with me and stay there for two weeks and which was good. I think when you are with the locals or with people who know locals, you get the best part of the city. You get the best food you get the best places to drink. You get the best company most genuine company I loved. I loved Amsterdam hated London. I'm sorry.

Jac Simmonds  10:07  
What was your favorite? What was your favorite city in Europe when you're traveling? Oh, look,

Nick Papastamatis  10:11  
Yeah, good question. I love that

James Dimitroff  10:12  
I met up with family in Cyprus, because I'm Greek Cypriot. So that's always unforgettable. But then I did something. So my grandfather used to live in the north of Cyprus, and which was the part of Cyprus that was invaded by Turkey. So he got kicked out of his home. So he doesn't think very highly of the Turkish. And I went to Cyprus, and my next stop was going to be Turkey. And I didn't tell him I was I couldn't tell him I was going to Turkey. But my uncle who's is very understanding is I told him and he just constantly make jokes. Yeah.

Nick Papastamatis  10:48  
There's just a lot of history there. That is it. Yeah.

James Dimitroff  10:51  
Yeah. And then yeah, so I

Jac Simmonds  10:55  
A great lesson like family lesson that you learn. What's that? You don't hate the turks, you tolerate everyone.

Nick Papastamatis  11:00  
But that's not the lesson. That's not the lesson I go. That's that's that's my life lesson coming out. Not my father's version. That's for sure.

James Dimitroff  11:10  
I decided to do a sale turkey instead of sell Croatia because everyone does sell Croatia. Yes. And I think that was probably the best experience that I've had. I did. I did hang gliding in sorry, paragliding in, in Turkey off this place called the Blue Lagoon, which is one of the most photographed aerial shots in the world. And it was incredible. You get to swim in turtles and stuff like that, like, so. Just a great paraglide.

Nick Papastamatis  11:38  
You paraglided through there. Yeah, So what does that mean?

James Dimitroff  11:41  
yeah. So like literally, you're with you've got your your boss man behind you that knows everything, because I had no idea, the guy mounting you. Yeah, literally. And then you've got the parachute on and it's open and you just start running down a steep hill, and then it just lifts you up. And then you're literally parachuting down in circles and

Nick Papastamatis  12:00  
Mate, I would love this.

James Dimitroff  12:02  
Incredible and then he'd be like, okay, we're gonna do

Nick Papastamatis  12:05  
Like something out of video game.

James Dimitroff  12:07  
Yeah, we're gonna do this movie called something like a tornado where you like, literally, almost on your side, you're going around in circles, circle circles. So you get some pretty hectic g force in that as well. Like it was incredible best views. And

Nick Papastamatis  12:20  
yeah, that sounds like something unforgettable. Yeah, definitely.

James Dimitroff  12:23  
Wow. Beautiful. You meet so many people along the way on those sort of trips as well and

Nick Papastamatis  12:27  
Sail turkey would have been pretty cool. Very cool. I know the beach. Like I know the coastline. Oh, actually. It's beautiful. Yeah. You think of Turkey as Middle East. But really, it's such a it's like a really on the cusp of Middle Eastern Europe.

James Dimitroff  12:40  
Yeah. Fethiye is Yeah. Which is like coastal beach, or the coast says is incredible. The water is undescribable.

Nick Papastamatis  12:49  
Yeah. Oh, wow. Insane. Yeah, Turkey Turkey would be that's definitely on my list as well. Maybe not anytime soon, obviously. Yeah. But yeah. What did I yeah, my, my where I my parents were born in Rhodes, which literally, you can see Turkey. From the clothesline.

James Dimitroff  13:10  
I thought Rhodes was Turkish.

Nick Papastamatis  13:11  
No that's Cyprus buddy. It's pretty close. It's pretty bloody close. Which is, which is why a lot of people mistake me for a Middle Eastern sort of background. Because like, it's very, it's very close. But a lot of Greeks are actually quite fair. They actually look a lot like you Jaco would agree to like,

Jac Simmonds  13:31  
we'll talk. Yeah, Tara's got like, what my wife is great. And some of her relatives have like red hair, like,

Nick Papastamatis  13:36  
yeah, that's Yeah. Especially the north of Greece as you go up into mainland towards mainland Europe. Yeah. Yeah, they get fairer and fairer as you go north. Pretty sure.

Jac Simmonds  13:46  
Yeah, you two missed out.

Nick Papastamatis  13:48  
I missed out yet. That's okay. Now, well, this guy you got you're not just you're not you haven't got Greek. You've got a bit more of a coven. Yeah.

James Dimitroff  13:57  
Well, it's like I've got Greek Cypriot on mum side. And then dad side is a funny mix. My grandfather is Bulgarian. And then my grandmother's Scottish and they met on the boat out here. So and they actually my last name should be Dimitrov double V, but they misspelled it on the double v double v. Yeah, they misspelled it. So it's double f now. Yeah, there you go. That's why everyone's like, there are a lot of people who actually pick up that it's Bulgarian. Oh, bulgarian?

Nick Papastamatis  14:24  
So yeah, yeah, right.

James Dimitroff  14:25  
I like to think I'm related to the he's actually there's a famous tennis player. Dimitrov. Is it? Yeah. Oh, there you go. I think I'm related, a famous weightlifter too. Yeah. Well, you I must be related to him then. Yeah.

Nick Papastamatis  14:37  
Yeah, you got his strength. Let's see. The power and your leg drive.

Jac Simmonds  14:41  
So when you got back from Europe, then what was the what was the story then?

James Dimitroff  14:44  
So the story was I needed money to work because I'd spent a lot of money so I was I went back to the bar that I worked in because it was easy. It was comfortable. And I really enjoyed and I still do enjoy. Yeah, Ryan's Bar. I love hospitality work.

Nick Papastamatis  15:01  
That's where it was that.

James Dimitroff  15:02  
 Oh, it's a busy Friday. Yeah, right. Fridays in summer that's $100 grand night

Jac Simmonds  15:08  
You would have been a great bartender too.

James Dimitroff  15:12  
good banter on me.

Nick Papastamatis  15:12  
Yeah. Were you single? As a bartender? Yeah, yeah. Yeah,

James Dimitroff  15:17  
To tell you the truth. I've only had like, a couple relationships. And the last one was the final one, which is my wife,

Nick Papastamatis  15:23  
Yeah right? Yeah. The world. I mean, of course, Kristy's definitely. Definitely a find.

James Dimitroff  15:28  
Oh, yeah, definitely. She's a 10 out of 10 I'm punching well above my weight. I think everyone knows that too.

Nick Papastamatis  15:35  
I mean, yeah, thanks for saving us a sentence Yeah. Yeah, anyway, I would have thought sell sail turkey would have been would have been an interesting single single person's experience.

James Dimitroff  15:48  
Nah I was pretty behaved to my trip to say the truth because it..

Jac Simmonds  15:51  
What are you trying to get out of this podacst Nicko?

James Dimitroff  15:55  
it wasn't the only place I when I also did Paris. I also did Belgium. I did Brussels in Belgium. I went down to Barcelona. Gotta say it right. Don't Yah, like you have a lisp...barthelona Barcelona. And then I did. Yeah, I did. There's a it's above.. I did Majorca. I was like, What what? What's the island call which is off Spain well, which is above Ibiza. That too, is another highlight. Nah I've done I've done on a previous trip. To tell you the truth that wasn't a huge party trip for me. That was more. I love food that much. I literally made food. It was a food and coffee trip. Everywhere I went, I would literally as soon as I get there, I'd get a SIM card of the country. And I'd look up, you know, the 10 best restaurants there and the 10 best cafes. And I'd be like, cool. I've got to hit these. 

Jac Simmonds  16:47  
Well. Yeah, come back at pretty big boy after that. 

James Dimitroff  16:49  
Oh yeah. I'm still recovering.

Nick Papastamatis  16:54  
Well, um, I suppose you're like, I suppose to bring it back and start talking about a little bit more about you know, what you do here a balance? Yeah. And what you love about it?

James Dimitroff  17:06  
Well, obviously, I'm a chiropractor here at balance. I love being a chiropractor. Because I'm able to help people in my own way. There's so many different ways people can can help each other. And there's so many professions out there that people get to help people but I love being a chiropractor, and especially at this company, because I am, I get to be myself, I get to be authentic. Like you guys know, I'm a bit of larican. I like to have fun. I'm professional when I need to be professional. But I can be myself here, which is why I love it here. I don't have to hide anything really. Which is the best part.

Jac Simmonds  17:40  
I think that's that's a good point. Like, yeah, obviously, like you'd love to have a laugh and that's what everyone knows about you but you do know when to when to turn it on. 

James Dimitroff  17:46  
And yeah, definitely, I think I think and that's what you know, and to tell you the truth before hospitality, I was very shy individual. very shy. I would call myself an introvert. Before then. Nick's looking at me like bullshit. Yeah, I was a shy introvert.

Jac Simmonds  18:01  
Did you know, you knew Dimo before he was in...

James Dimitroff  18:03  
he would have seen me around

Nick Papastamatis  18:05  
I knew him from school and uni and like, but I actually when I saw Dimo at uni, uni. I was like, I think that guy went to my school. But you know, it's just like, just like, high schools. It's very hard to sort of get to know people, you know, you often know the year above you. Yeah. Yeah. It's it's harder to know, like, two three years below you. Yeah. And yeah, but I recognized Dimo. But I never thought that you were introverted. Yeah or heaps shy.

James Dimitroff  18:36  
very, like my parents. When I was younger, I used to ask me to ask for the bill. When I was like, 10, 12, 13. And I used to hate just even asking for a bill when we're at a restaurant. Really? Yeah. I would be like, No, no, don't want to do it. That's the biggest blessing in disguise...

Nick Papastamatis  18:51  
You are anything, but shy now.

Jac Simmonds  18:53  
What do you reckon it was about hospitality that brought it out of you?

James Dimitroff  18:55  
I think you're forced to talk to people. Yeah. Like there's no other way about it. you're forced to talk to people. Yeah. So. And there's a lot of people that come and go in terms of the employees in hospitality. So there's a lot there's a diverse bunch that come and go through it. And yeah, that is the biggest blessing for me to be come out of my shell. And even my parents will admit that the hospitality, working ryans bar let me come out of my shell. I think that's what made you a chiropractor. Definitely. Definitely shaped who I am now. Like without a doubt, 

Nick Papastamatis  19:27  
dude, like I couldn't I couldn't even imagine.

Jac Simmonds  19:30  
Yeah, I'm struggling to imagine you shy. Yeah, to be honest.

Nick Papastamatis  19:32  
Yeah. Anything but shy?

James Dimitroff  19:34  
I think I take it to the extreme at times. Um, I can be quite almost embarrassing for my wife, especially when we go out and yeah, I think she's

Nick Papastamatis  19:43  
really yeah. you're embarrassing?

James Dimitroff  19:46  
At times.

Nick Papastamatis  19:46  
what do you do? 

James Dimitroff  19:47  
Well, I don't know ask her that she gets embarrassed but 

Jac Simmonds  19:49  
Do you never get moments like anymore where you feel like you're that same person. 

James Dimitroff  19:53  
Nah, I think it's just because every you got to look at like, even when you know say if you're starting In your job or something, you got to look at it as the opportunity. That's the opportunity given to you. Rather than like, Oh shit, like, I don't know this. I don't know that I don't know this. No, it's the opportunity to learn this learn that. So I think it's just probably just how I look at things now is slightly different. Definitely. Yeah.

Nick Papastamatis  20:17  
So how did hospitality help you as a chiropractor?

James Dimitroff  20:20  
talk to people getting to know people for sure. So being able to chat to people getting on the same page. It's easy, because because I'm a foodie as well. Make there's so many people that love food out there, or everyone that's, I'm telling you now everyone that's on like a diet or calorie counting or whatever, they love food. That's why they're on calorie counting.

Nick Papastamatis  20:40  
Yeah, that's true.

James Dimitroff  20:41  
Yeah. So I think that's just found, you know, hospitality, it made it easier for me to find ways to get to know people. Yeah. So there's so many different avenues of sport, there's food, like, 

Jac Simmonds  20:54  
How important do you think that is as a chiropractor? 

James Dimitroff  20:56  
Extremely. Yeah, I think the worst thing you can do is be is not talk to someone, and just have them in the room. And then in and out, in and out in and out. Like, who are you know what I mean? Like, there's no personality behind that. What's the incentive for that person to, to keep coming back to you or to, you know, refer your name or, or, you know, say your blessings to someone.

Nick Papastamatis  21:19  
It's, it's, it's funny how, like, once they've gotten to know you a little bit better. And once they've, they've gotten to know you as a chiropractor. A bit better. It's almost as if it's a licensed for them to actually tell you more about what's going on.

James Dimitroff  21:33  
Yeah, some do. Like sometimes, like, I'm not saying I'm a psychologist, but people open up quite a lot when that once they get to know you, and you get to know them very much so.

Nick Papastamatis  21:43  
and part of that is sharing your like your own story, right?

James Dimitroff  21:45  
Definitely.

Nick Papastamatis  21:46  
We're about to do that. Yes, we are. Certainly because I'm so so I want to I want to hear more about like, what is it that really like? What do you love about being a chiropractor?

James Dimitroff  22:00  
What I love that being chiropractor? One, it's not just the fact that I can be myself because that's where you work. It's the fact that I get to help people. I get I get to, again, I can use the skills and the reason why I loved hospitality, which is talking, getting to know people, I like, I've always adopted the sense because I have a sporting background, is it you know, one of the reasons why I wanted to work here is I want to learn more about my rehab, and I want to learn more, I just want to learn more professional development. And a lot of places. I was actually, when I had the job before this, I you know, I was promised a lot of things in terms of professional development, and it never came. So I was looking for a job that would actually, you know, go through with their promises. So I think what I do is a chiropractor. I can help people, but they also help me as well. Like a lot. So getting, you know, I love the fact that I get to talk to people. That's helping me.

Jac Simmonds  23:01  
Mm hmm. Well, in what way does it help you? I'm curious on that.

James Dimitroff  23:05  
I think it's it's not the fact that you're telling them anything that secretive? Yeah. It's nothing like that. I think it's the fact that I just love talking to people so much. I need to be in exactly. It gives me energy to do so well. And it gives me more energy when I can when I'm able to do that.

Jac Simmonds  23:23  
It makes sense for someone who is obviously, you know, extroverted, like you get energy from social interaction and talking to people and you have a job where you can do that all day and meet lots of new people. And same with hospo. So yeah, that makes sense.

Nick Papastamatis  23:37  
And I think when it comes to just so really, is it. So you like combining the sport? You like combining a very sort of talkative environment? Yep. Is it anything? in particular with regards to the specific diagnosis? The like, Is it the detail side of chiropractic that drives you? Or is it more the relationships.

James Dimitroff  23:59  
I think and there it is definitely the relationships. I love being on the side of, you know, being able to diagnose someone or like being specific with, say, an adjustment. Yes. Like, that also gives me a bit of fulfillment. It's like I wanted, I targeted something and I felt like I was able to achieve that. But I think it's more so of the personal like, relationships you build out of it. And the people you surround yourself with, yeah. is why I love chiropractic.

Nick Papastamatis  24:24  
Yeah, sure. Awesome. And yeah, that's, that is, I think, I think if you asked 10 different people, you know, because obviously, like, if there's anything that I hear more often in interviews, it's well, why did you want to become a chiropractor? Oh, it's because I want to help people.

Jac Simmonds  24:38  
Yeah, why?

Nick Papastamatis  24:40  
Yeah, what is it exactly what helping people does? What is it exactly that it does for you? And for you, it also fills my cup, especially the relationship side of it. For me, it's the problem solving side of it. Yeah. I love solving problems.

Jac Simmonds  24:51  
Yeah. For me, I'd probably say the same as well. Yeah. Problem Solving and, like still being able to work in sport as well. I think Yeah,

Nick Papastamatis  24:59  
for me, and that's That's the difference because a lot of your patients like and you've been off for 14 months now, for 14 months, it's a long time about to get into this. For 14 months, you've been off and there are legit people that have refused to see anyone else but you for the entire time. And and it's got because it's got less to do with the problem solving, and more to do with the relationship that they have with you that they simply can't have with me or Jac or Joe Blow. Because you've got this unique capability to be able to connect and be on the same page with someone and help them work through a problem you get to the problem solving through the relationship, not the other way around. Yep. Which is for me, a frickin gold gold star. Unique special trait. So that I want to recognize, but I think what everyone's dying to hear, especially those that know you is where the fuck have you been?

James Dimitroff  25:59  
Yeah, I think a lot of people, I think it's been like kept in the dark of where I've been. It's just you know, James is just working on his health. And I think and I actually want to bring this up is that I think balance in yourself, Nick held that really well, that I didn't have people prying because people have me have my number that had me on social media, there are so many ways that they have access to me, and they let me be in Leave me, left me alone. And you know, that was my time for recovery. So on the 29th of October 2019, which is 10 days before my wedding, I was diagnosed with cancer. So I was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, right down low, like towards the rectum. And it was found because of Well, I think we have been having energy, you know, lapses of energy and tummy problems. 

Nick Papastamatis  26:50  
Yeah, let's talk 12 months before.

James Dimitroff  26:52  
Yeah, I would even say longer. I would say 18 to 24 months before I was just having periods where I'd have you know, I'd have energy and then all of a sudden, I would crash for like six weeks. So I worked with the naturopath.

Nick Papastamatis  27:06  
I thought it was because I was just working you too hard. I thought I was being hard on this poor bastard. He's fucking fallen apart, cracking the whip.

James Dimitroff  27:15  
Yeah, no. It may be it may be. Yeah. So we were try to find out, you know, what's my rhyme and rhythm? And, you know, why do I keep having these lapses and we tried quite a few different things kept happening. And then from the 12 month mark, I probably had a lot of tummy issues. They kept coming up. And I kept having to take you know, a day or two off because of the tummy. And, you know, it wasn't becoming normal. And I wasn't getting better, I think was the main thing. And whatever we did would help at times, but it would never fix it. And then I reached a point where I was actually I started to have blood in my stool. And I was training quite hard at the time. And I was thinking I just thought it was a hemorrhoid and actually went to a colorectal surgeon and he diagnosed me with a hemorrhoid. So I was like, okay, he gave me a couple tips to try and help it out and go, well, that I wouldn't say was the tip. But look, we went there. Yeah. So

Nick Papastamatis  28:15  
did you use a second finger? No, for a second opinion.

James Dimitroff  28:21  
No I am Yeah, so I reached the point where it wasn't getting better and actually had a conversation with you Nick on a Monday because you're talking to Jin. Yeah. And you're like, they like ... Jin is a doctor. He's, uh, yeah, he's a sports doctor that we have a close relationship with not a gin and tonic. No, although they are good. Together, Jin and Gin. So you obviously said like, you probably need to delve into this a little bit further. So one day, I was like, you know, screw this, I'm going to hospital. It's not getting better. I went to hospital. And actually, the funny thing was, they couldn't do all the tests on me. Because my bloods everything, I was too healthy. They considered me too healthy. I couldn't get transferred. I was at the San in Wahroonga. I couldn't get transferred to royal north shore because royal north shore wouldn't accept me because all my bloods, everything was fine. So, and this is like, testing time of like, Okay, I'm getting married in a couple weeks, like, I've got to get on top of this, you know, because I've got a future with my wife and what have you, and then all of a sudden, I was like, Okay, I need to go somewhere else and get a second opinion. So, I met a lovely man named Dr. Charles McDonald, who is a gastroenterologist and he understood that my predicament of you know, getting married, want to know what's going on. And at that time, I was thinking, I probably got ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. So he did a scope and then goes, I'll see you on Tuesday, on my day off, I'm like, Wow, what an absolute legend. He's gonna see me on his day off. What a naive motherfucker I was.

Nick Papastamatis  29:58  
Yeah, that's code for escalation.

James Dimitroff  30:01  
yeah. And then that was the 29th when I when I was diagnosed and, and that's when the proceedings began. And like, you know, before I got married, I had to do had to go and do sperm banking, because obviously, the treatment I was going to go through is going to be pretty rigorous, and there's no guarantee that I'm going to be able to have kids after. So yeah, I got married on the ninth of November to my beautiful wife. And I was thinking it's funny, because at that point, you're in a little bit of limbo, because you go for your CT, you go, you do your bloods, which are looking for tumor markers, and then you do your CT scan. And you want to know how bad it is? Yeah. So it's a bit of a freakout period. Yeah. of like, holy shit, don't know what's happening. You start to think the worst, like, does my wife even want to? Does my future wife, people want to marry me? Why am I gonna put her through this when and that's when you have to start having conversations about if you pass away. And you have to sign a lot of paperwork that says in the event of your death, you know that my wife has access to my sperm for the next so and so years. So it's really full on conversations you've got to have, but it was really weird.

Nick Papastamatis  31:06  
That is actually something I have not even thought about. Yeah, you would have had to face the simple fact that you may die.

James Dimitroff  31:15  
Yeah, definitely. And you have to accept that fact pretty quickly. Because, in my mind, you know, what are the five stages of grief? Again,

Nick Papastamatis  31:23  
the five you've got denial, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance,

James Dimitroff  31:28  
cool. I had to go straight to acceptance. Because I was like, right now, I've only got one option.

Nick Papastamatis  31:36  
Shit, you can't actually go through your natural process. 

James Dimitroff  31:38  
No, not at all. There's the one there was no time. And two, for me. It wasn't it, I know, was a possibility. But it wasn't the option. I was like, cool. What's the plan of attack? What are we going to do? How are we going to do it to go through? In my mind, it's like, and this is no attack on anyone that goes through anything. But why would I piss and moan about something that I cannot change? It's happening nonetheless. You've got to go through it. You may as well fucking accept it and go through it. Yeah, that's the only way to attack it. In my mind. That was like, that's the only way to attack it. And that's how I'm going to do it. Right. So um, yeah, I got married to my beautiful wife on the ninth of November. And then three days later, I started my treatment.

Nick Papastamatis  32:19  
And in the meantime, had a conversation about what you would do if you weren't here anymore. Yep. That would have been a very tough to have, like, both of you, and your families.

James Dimitroff  32:29  
Yeah. I think it was weird because I remember the day of diagnosis. And I was like, I need to just had a glass of wine. And I actually did puzzles, because it just helped distract me a little bit. And then this is before, or this is just on the day of diagnosis. And then, like I told the people that I need to tell once I told, you know, my mother in law and father in law. I just go, uh, you guys, okay. And for some I'd actually remember that. But my mother always brings it up. She goes, You kept asking everyone else if they're okay. Yeah. But we like no one ever asked, like everyone asked you if you're okay. But like you were so concerned about everyone else. It's strange like you, you're more concerned about how other people are going to take it? Yeah. Because a lot of people are like, absolutely shocked and devastated. And you've not only have you got to show brave face, but you've got to be ready for battle. Because that's what's happening. It's coming. Whether you like it or not, you've got a battle.

Jac Simmonds  33:21  
Do, if we if we can do you mind if we go to the day of the diagnosis, and that so it was a Tuesday said.

James Dimitroff  33:28  
Tuesday 29th October. 

Jac Simmonds  33:29  
Colonoscopy was the week before? Yep. What What was that day like? And if you don't mind sharing, like when you went into the doctor's office, what what were the words he said, or what was the conversation? 

James Dimitroff  33:40  
so the conversation was, he actually found it really hard to look at me because he started to tear up. Because at my age, and for people who don't know, the type of cancer and colorectal cancer is not supposedly common at someone who's 29 years old. It's someone they find in 60 and above. And, you know, when found early enough, it is treatable. But you don't know how early or how late it is at that stage. So I can't remember the exact words he was saying, but he never used the word cancer. Because it's such a negative connotation. And I didn't want to use the word cancer to start with because for me, cancer was like saying it's the end. Yeah. And it's funny because like, people are diagnosed with cancer every single day. And as soon as you hear that word, you immediately think that they're going to die. Hmm, that is it's definitely it's definitely renowned as a death sentence, isn't it? Yeah. So he was really good in the sense that it was a tumor. He's like we found a tumor. It's at the lowest part of the bowel. We can't see where how big it is, where we where it spread to. But we had to start talking about and being realistic about the options of what was going to happen. So he kind of planned it out for me a little bit then he also was going to get in touch with the surgeon that misdiagnosed it. And literally at that point, it's, it's, this is what's really good about the Australian healthcare system. Everything's planned out for you. So you literally, you have a support nurse at the hospital, and she makes all your appointments for you. It just takes that level of stress out of it. And yeah, but that day of diagnosis that was like, that's a heavy one. But I I think it was more heavy for my wife. It was like really hard. It's a tough conversation because she's like, why is this? Why Why is this happening to us?

Nick Papastamatis  35:31  
And when you went in, did you know you had cancer in your heart?

James Dimitroff  35:34  
In my heart? I knew something was up. You just know, you know, when something's not right with your body. Yeah, like realistically ou know, you just got this deep down feeling that something's not right. I didn't. I don't know if I would was going to say yes, I knew I had cancer. But you knew something was up. 

Jac Simmonds  35:50  
You were prepared to take that news, though. 

Nick Papastamatis  35:52  
I am sure you threw that around in your head?

James Dimitroff  35:55  
Yeah, definitely. It's, yeah, it was definitely a strange day. Because you once you're diagnosed, you almost have like an out of body experience. It's like you drive home. It sounds really dangerous. You drive home, you know, when you drive somewhere. And you're like, how freakin hell did I get here? Like, you don't really remember the drive. It was like that all day, and a pretty sleepless or rough night. Just thinking like, you think you just remind yourself, like, holy crap, I've got cancer, I have a tumor. I've got cancer tumor. So and again, that's when that moment of being in limbo starts, which I think is the worst thing out of the whole experience is not knowing. Yes. When you're so unsure of how bad it is how big it is. It is so unnerving. Not knowing what's next. So that's when they again, the the hospital books, the scan the CT scan for me,

Jac Simmonds  36:50  
So basically set up a full plan for you.

James Dimitroff  36:52  
Yeah. So they they Firstly, they find out what it is how bad it is. So a 10 centimeter tumor within my bowel that had spread to some of the lymph nodes around it. So the reason they had to start treatment quick was because it had spread to the lymph nodes, because that's how it spreads through the body. So they were like, we have to start treatment pretty like ASAP. Okay, yeah. But once you see you got your oncologist there, you've got they, he introduces you to the radio oncologist because it was always kind of decided that I was going to do chemo, radiation, surgery, and then chemo again, just in case. So yeah, it's he, they kind of plan it out. And I think the lucky thing for me was they have a once a month or once every couple weeks, they have a night where they have surgeons that have radio oncologists, and they have oncologists all meet up and discuss cases. They're either complex cases or young cases. So I was one of those cases. So I felt like I had a lot of hands on on my case, and a lot of people looking after me and have the best interest of me in mind, obviously. So I felt well looked after from for that process.

Jac Simmonds  38:06  
Which would give you some obviously peace of mind is going to be very hard to come across at that stage when you've got all that news. But I guess having that plan would give you you know, a lot of peace of mind that you're in the best hands and everything's being done.

Nick Papastamatis  38:17  
So the there's definitely a component of as you there's a cultural component of like the way people think as a collective. It's called uncertainty avoidance. And generally people avoid the thing and the and that's how people deal with ambiguous new environments. And that is, the more they learn about the situation, the more at peace they feel with it. And really, your level of avoidance is, this is where people bury their heads in the sand. Yeah. Because when people see things like blood in their stool, it's very easy to bury your head in this, it's easier to ignore it, because you're avoidant of uncertainty. Some people are very open and accepting of uncertainty. And they're the ones that go to the doctor straightaway and just be like, hey, something's wrong. He Hey, come on, sorted out. Yeah. But the uncertainty avoidant ones, which tend to be mediterraneun. Well, I'm not going to stereotype that but the depends person to person, but how long did you feel like you buried your head in the sand? 

James Dimitroff  39:18  
Um, I would say probably a couple months, at least, from when I started to notice it. Yeah, I think it wasn't too long. But I, you're right. I think it's like maybe it's like the Greek mentality of like, oh, it'll be right. It'll be right. Just give it a bit of time. Just we'll just say, Oh, yes, yes. Yeah,

Nick Papastamatis  39:33  
yeah. But yeah, slowly,

James Dimitroff  39:36  
I think then you have the logical brain. So for me, even through my whole process, it's like, what's my emotional brain doing? What's my logical brain doing and try and separate the two you have, I had to act very logical about things. Because that's what it is what it is. And I guess I'll say that a lot and I say it all the time. It is what it is like you you can't change that situation and being emotional about It not only puts stress on you, it puts stress on everyone else. I don't want to put any extra stress on my wife especially, because like she... we were gearing up to go through hell. I even said to the oncologist, I go, I'm young. I'm fit. I go nuke me. I go, I'll take it. I can take it. Whatever you give me, I'll take it. I was ready for I was ready for war.

Jac Simmonds  40:22  
Fuck, all of the cells gone. Interested, like the things I've picked up so far as it sounds like your initial thoughts were you're worried about your family. And you were worried about Kristy more than you're worried about yourself?

James Dimitroff  40:31  
Yeah, definitely.

Jac Simmonds  40:32  
And you were very logical in the beginning about Okay, this is what it is. And now we need a plan for how we're going to get through this as well. Yeah, she's um, yeah, which it goes to show selflessness as well. But also like, yeah, you just being logical about this whole thing and being like, okay, like, yeah, I'm young. I'm fit. Let's let's figure out how to get on top of this.

Nick Papastamatis  40:52  
Yes, thing so like to be honest. Like, I'm actually pretty like when the first time you told me, usually up front it's just the way I'm built is on like, you i get i go straight put the armor on righto. How we going to fucking deal with this? Yeah. And that problem solving solving mode is very much where that came out. So when you first told me not was I was not surprised. I was like, Okay, I don't even remember that conversation by the way. Yeah.

James Dimitroff  41:26  
I called you literally on the way home. Yeah. From the doctor's office.

Nick Papastamatis  41:29  
Because it was it was a very much we were in each other's pockets. For a while there. Yeah. Just being like, What the fuck is going on with your health? Yeah, because I think you had had so many like, a lot of days off. Yeah. off work just going just I'm not Well, I'm not Well, no. Well, my you're not going back to work. Go fucking get your shit sorted. Yeah, literally, literally. Yeah. And sometimes you need that right. But yeah, we were in each other's pockets. So literally just as problem solving, I felt like we were sort of on the same wavelength throughout that time, but just listen to you recounting. I can't help but be rocked, actually. By just the fact that you're, you're more concerned. And this is just where your relationship driven approach is to health care? Yeah. Is you are more concerned about the other person in the relationship than you were even about what was going on with you like you've already gone straight to the acceptance phase. Now, I don't know if that's psychologically possible. Yeah. Right. Logically possible, it might be. But maybe perhaps the denial, anger, bargaining came out in different ways. And maybe you use that problem solving as a mask to hide some of that shit, so that you get through it. And maybe you don't have to be grieving about anything, actually.

James Dimitroff  42:47  
I think. And it's funny because you use external, you know, influences to, to mask or to influence how you feel. So I remember when the very first day of treatment, I'm like, let's get some fucking Drake, some warrior music on. I need something to pump me up. Well, yeah, I was like, this is happening. Let's fucking do it.

Nick Papastamatis  43:05  
Well, this is it. Yeah.

Jac Simmonds  43:08  
So like, if moving on from I guess the diagnosis? Can you give us a bit of a rundown of what the treatment was? So what was actually involved?

James Dimitroff  43:16  
Yes. So the initial phase of treatment was was chemotherapy, and we split my chemo up. So I'm not sure why. But there's like this magic number of 12 chemotherapy sessions. Before they either, you know rescan or what have you. So, initially it was I'm going to do four sessions of chemo, and then we're going to scan to see where we're at. So yeah, it'll be a CT, sorry, PET scan. And MRI, pet and MRI. PET scan is, it's a scan where you actually ingest and they inject radioactive dye within you. So technically, on those days, I'd called myself Hulk because I've got radioactive shit in me. Again, just just literally, again, just probably my way of dealing with things is to make light of the situation, because that's just how I wanted to deal with it. And that helped me and I know that helped my wife as well and it helped people around me. So yeah, they inject you and you ingest radioactive dye. You can't do any physical activity the day before, because they don't want too many cells to be like lit up, when you go through, and then it's a 20 minute scan. And then the MRI is just a 20 minute scan where you don't need any any prep or anything for that. So the pet is a scan that shows where the cancer is and how much of the cancer there is. And then on top of that is a CT, where they do like a radioactive CT which is the gold standard. So that actually goes through your whole body and as we as it is This is gonna sound a bit funny. I don't know if I told you guys is when I had the CT. You get like a hot flush go through your body when they inject it in, and it went straight to my ass. Yeah, yeah. So I was like, and maybe it's psychological. But to me it was it was telling me that it's just located your ass. So I was like Kristy it went straight to ass and stay there. And I reckon that's where it is. And it's not spread.

Nick Papastamatis  45:24  
Mate if, honestly, scientifically in your head, whatever it is, who fucking cares? Yeah. If, if I was in your position, I would be hanging on to anything that gives me meaning.

James Dimitroff  45:36  
Yeah, definitely. hanging onto anything. Definitely. And I think anything that takes away hope with anyone going through any sort of treatment like that. Once you've lost hope. That's like, that's the end. It's fucked. Yeah, you stop fighting. Yeah. So for me, it's like, whatever gives me hope. Whatever gives me fight is what I need. At times. That would be laughter. Yeah, that would be making light of the situation. 

Nick Papastamatis  45:58  
I think. I don't know anyone. You probably find a way to laugh every day.

James Dimitroff  46:02  
Yeah, I'll find a way.

Jac Simmonds  46:03  
Yeah. So if this is right, either, but I feel like having spoken to you a lot about your cancer throughout the last year. I actually feel like you like talking about it as well, though.

James Dimitroff  46:14  
Yeah. It kind of helps me talking about it. And I don't I don't mind talking about it. As well, because, yeah, I guess it just helps me psychologically. Maybe that's my way of dealing with it. Sure.

Nick Papastamatis  46:27  
It's catharsis. That's what they call that, yes. cathartic? It's sort of like it's cleansing to talk about it. It takes the weight off the shoulders, Greek word, getting gohari. So cleaning.

James Dimitroff  46:40  
So yeah, I had, I had one month of Sorry, I had two months of treatment, which was chemo. So it's four sessions of chemo. I have one session every two weeks. And being the naive person I was I thought all chemo was the same. But they'll have, there so many different types of chemo drugs out there to target different types of cancers. Yeah, so I had three chemos. So I would have on the day, I'd have a two hour infusion into a what's called a portacath, which is located above my... Yeah, see my chest, which is just above my heart. And that's just so they don't give you like track marks and stuff when you have lots of needles. Which you did have. Yep. Yeah, all the blood tests, man, I'd have blood tests every second a blood test you reckon you've heard 20 to 25. And I'll tell you why I had more blood tests because so with with the treatment with the three chemos I'd have one, which is a two hour infusion. I'd have one which they'd inject really quickly. And then I actually have a take home pack. So I'd have a pack attached to my heart, basically for two days. And I just walk around in a bum bag with my little peanut pack. The first time I had chemo.

Nick Papastamatis  47:52  
Were you wearing Nike TN's at the same time?

James Dimitroff  47:53  
Yeah, pretty much. Eshay. Chemo eshay. You know, I'd like to say so in my head I think I had an expectation of what chemo was and for me, I don't know if you guys have seen Creed the movie Creed. I love movies by the way. Everyone love movie. No, I have no so the in the movie creed Sylvester Stallone? Oh, yeah, yeah, I think Creed Yeah, he gets cancer and you know, he's spending every second day with his head in the toilet bowel loses his hair, this and that. And the technology now and the anti nausea drugs they give you now insane they're so good. So, you know, I had nausea at times. But I didn't ever vomit. I dry wrenched a couple times but never never nothing ever came up. The first time I had came I had a slight reaction where I'd dry wrenched and I had to go to the toilet. And then I was like sweating and I was like oh shit. Like, if you guys if people who don't know if you get any sort of fevers, chills, it's a medical emergency when you're on chemo because they worried that you might have an infection and when you're immunosuppressed you can't fight the infection so that there's a higher probability to die from an infection. Yeah. So you really have to do you do have to look after your health of what are reacting to the drug no just infection in general in general, like yet. Although I did have reactions to chemo which they found a little strange I was this whole process I probably wasn't right with everything I did because I I actually was hospitalized three times because of the chemo that I was having. And that was because I would It's like my body I don't know would like kind of fight it a little bit. So I have a fever and our back okay Kristy, we're gonna go to my I've got literally a 39 degree temperature we've got to go we've got to go to hospital. You get this little card that says that you're on chemo 39 degree if you're above like 37 and a half or 38 It's a medical emergency and you literally show that front destiny whisk you, right in Yeah, and they do blood cultures, they do blood tests like that finding out if you do have an infection. So of the three times I didn't actually have an infection, it was just my way of reacting to the chemo, chemo. So

Nick Papastamatis  50:13  
It's essentially poison you injecting.

James Dimitroff  50:15  
literally. And the thing with the chemo is it's it's not targeted to just the cancer, it kills normal all cells. So that first two months, or the first four sessions was pretty tough. Yeah. But then, you know, I had the scan at the end of that session. And it showed that the the lymph nodes, which has the highest probability of it spreading weren't lit up anymore. So that killed the cancer the lymph nodes and actually shrunk the cancer a bit sounds like so in my head this is working.

Nick Papastamatis  50:45  
So you just got this in time?

James Dimitroff  50:46  
yeah. Big time. So I was like Oh, shit, it's working. Let's keep going. Keep nuking me. Yeah,

Jac Simmonds  50:55  
so what was what was the next step after that?

James Dimitroff  50:57  
Next step was, so you got to have a few weeks break. And then I had 25 sessions of radiation while you have radiation, so I did five weeks of Monday to Friday, one session a day. And on those days, you're also going to take chemo drugs, and what the chemo drugs do have what my understanding was, all of it was the chemo actually helps expose the nucleus of the tumor cells, right? And then well it's all cells but the radiation is like 3d and targeted at just the tumor. So the cells are exposed. And then radiation helps kill the cells

Nick Papastamatis  51:37  
So what like basically just destructures with the fucking wrong word

James Dimitroff  51:46  
zaps it. just say zap.

Nick Papastamatis  51:47  
Zaps the fucking thing.

James Dimitroff  51:51  
It just, I don't know, just absolutely fries it. So, you know, they're the worst thing about radiation...

Nick Papastamatis  52:00  
The nucleus is where the DNA is held, yeah, they've there's got to be like, they've got to break that somehow.

James Dimitroff  52:05  
Because all tumors are just mutated, different cells. Yeah. That's all they are. So

Nick Papastamatis  52:13  
yeah, and the only thing that's that's wrong with cancer is the fact that it just makes everything function incorrectly.

James Dimitroff  52:17  
Yes, exactly.

Nick Papastamatis  52:19  
It's not the cancer itself kills you. It's the lack of function of what it affects. Exactly right.

James Dimitroff  52:24  
So that's why you know, having the bowel affected, not too bad, but having everything above the bow say liver, pancreas. Yeah, lungs like these vital organs. Yeah. When they're affected is when you're in trouble. Yes. So yeah, I

Nick Papastamatis  52:40  
So the bowel. There's not much reabsorption happening at the bowel is there?

James Dimitroff  52:44  
The only thing that really absorbs is water. Isn't it?

Nick Papastamatis  52:46  
The large bowel? I'm not 100% sure. But um, but yeah, I think I think it's like, maybe all of your absorption as all digestion has already occurred. 

James Dimitroff  52:55  
Yeah. Is that Yeah. And what I know that because of what had happened later, it was mainly for water absorption, because you're I had once had surgery, my small bowel had to act as the water absorbent. So I was actually going to the toilet, especially for the first little bit after I had surgery going to the toilet a lot because I wasn't absorbing as much water. Yeah, so yeah, I had my my radiation and what I didn't know about radiation, I actually the worst thing about radiation is probably that it's just that low level nausea you have it's not like you're going to be sick or you just feel sick. But in saying that, I still I was still like gyming and stuff like that

Jac Simmonds  53:33  
throughout radiation, and chemo. Okay. Yeah.

Nick Papastamatis  53:36  
So what did you have you? So what else happened? What else happened during the?

James Dimitroff  53:40  
Yeah, the process? Yeah. So after radiation finishes, I had 10 weeks off. And that's because during that process, the radiation within your body actually ramps up. Even though it stopped, you've stopped that the radiation process. So it keeps ramping up ramping up so more cells will die. And then I had another set of scans then and then I had surgery. And what the surgery involved was was cutting the bowel below the tumor, so at the rectum, and then above it, and then reattaching it then and there. And then once they've done that, they taken up the cancer segment and then yeah, and then reattached it and then strip

Jac Simmonds  54:24  
So they fully removed it?

James Dimitroff  54:25  
Fully remove it, right. Yep, reattach it at a time,

Jac Simmonds  54:28  
okay to make that to make up the rest of the intestine.

James Dimitroff  54:31  
So they have to reconnect the bowel of the large bowel,

Nick Papastamatis  54:34  
ah, like sigmoid into rectum.

James Dimitroff  54:36  
Yeah, right. Okay. So they take out that segment of bowel reattached it at the good points, and then they pull a small part of my small bowel out and cut a hole in it and that's called a stoma. So all my waste product was coming through the small intestine into a stoma bag. So I had an ileostomy bag during the process, and that that surgery is a pretty pretty hectic surgery, it's it's usually five and a half hours but because my abdominal wall was so thick, it took six and a half hours. And it was via robotics. So he used the robot. Well, which is really cool because it wasn't even in the room now. Oh no, he was in the room controlling robot.

kept thinking he, I kept thinking he came in like some Terminator like suit. Yeah. But that that didn't happen. But yeah, it was pretty hectic surgery I mean, it's called an ultra low anterior resection and ileostomy.

Nick Papastamatis  55:37  
So that's where they literally detach the small from the large intestine at the ileocecal valve.

James Dimitroff  55:43  
No, they don't actually detach it. So I had a loop ileostomy So essentially, what they do is pull the bowel out and keep it in its loop and just cut a hole in it. So everything the whole tract is is all attached now. So it's a loop of the bowel, they literally loop out and cut, it's not a whole part of the bowel. Yeah, so it allows you that for the rest of the bowel to actually heal. Oh, that was the point of it.

Jac Simmonds  56:09  
Crazy what they can do with those surgeries.

Nick Papastamatis  56:12  
I was looking at it so robot like so like Lego like oh, yeah, oh just cut it there. Yeah, it's not like a hose into a bag. And sow that up and we'll just yeah, Bob's your uncle.

James Dimitroff  56:25  
that you go to you go to the surgeons for their skill set. And I and you know, everyone that I've spoken to said my surgeon was like the bee's knees. He was top dog. So I was gonna be well looked after he was the shit. He literally literally is the guy that is and he

Nick Papastamatis  56:43  
Wait that's the guy that misdiagnsoed you?

James Dimitroff  56:45  
He's actually the guy that misdiagnosed me. So I think he thought probably that he had some room to make up here. Yeah. And yeah, he absolutely bloody nailed it.

Nick Papastamatis  56:55  
So what's the difference between Old MacDonald and the surgeon that got it wrong? Charles MacDonald.

James Dimitroff  56:59  
So um, so Charles macdonald had a personality. So he had skillset, but he had the personality, right. Whereas my surgeon just had...in qualification was there a difference? Yes, colorectal surgeon. vers. So Charles McDonald was the gastroenterologist. He was a gastroenterologist and Justin was the surgeon. 

Jac Simmonds  57:17  
So it just filled you with more confidence, basically. Yeah, you connected with him a little bit better.

James Dimitroff  57:21  
I connected him with him. He got to know me a little bit more that relationship he kept he kept following me up through the whole process. He was he because he would get updates. That's how they should be. Oh, he is an absolute gem. And if I could recommend and recommend anyone to go see a gastroenterologist would be Dr. Charles McDonald. Hands down. He is a he's one of the people is why I'm still here. Well,

Nick Papastamatis  57:43  
it was right. 

James Dimitroff  57:45  
So yeah, Justin nailed the surgery was a big surgery to have.

Jac Simmonds  57:49  
just quickly as well with with the bag out how did you find that experience? You know, for the few months living with it?

James Dimitroff  57:56  
Yeah. So I feel

Nick Papastamatis  57:59  
like we were very much part of that experience here at balance health and performance. Yeah, definitely. We saw that bag many times. You weren't shy with it.

James Dimitroff  58:05  
I definitely wasn't. I wasn't a shy introvert with it.

Nick Papastamatis  58:08  
I know, the secret sauce, but I'm glad that you weren't shy about it. I would hate for you to hide it and be like conscious of it or something. It's kind of like, it was a part of me at the time, wasn't it? That's how it is.

James Dimitroff  58:19  
And you know, I think through that whole process, up until that surgery was a pretty testing time in Australia with COVID. So I was extra aware of like, you know, not going out. And really looking after myself because I was going to be immune suppressed. And because my body was already going through enough stress as it is. Yeah. So when it came time for surgery there, there was a point there where I may have had to have a permanent bag because there could have been a risk of contracting COVID if depending on how long I was going to stay in ICU. But we're lucky enough that at the time I think Australia started to get onto Oh, sorry, New South Wales, pardon me start to get on top of it at a really good time. So that's a blessing for me because we're able to do the temporary ileostomy bag and

Nick Papastamatis  59:06  
so if we if we were like Victoria, do you feel like you'd have to be permanent?

James Dimitroff  59:11  
I may have had a had a permanent bag. Well, man possibility. Yeah, it was a big possibility that the surgeon which was Yeah, yeah. I think it's like, I think you just have to adapt.

Jac Simmonds  59:22  
Like,

Nick Papastamatis  59:23  
like, what would you do anyway? Yeah, like your that or death?

James Dimitroff  59:25  
like yeah, I would say as I said before, it's a situation you're given that you just got to accept it. And you know, I didn't need to, I've got to wife so I didn't need to impress anyone and stuff like that. She loves me for who I am and what I look like.

Jac Simmonds  59:37  
You got some brownie points on this podcast. Yeah.

James Dimitroff  59:42  
So I'm now living with the bag. Definitely an adjustment period to start with. And you know, very biley to start with when your body's adjusting and your small bowel has to act as the water absorbent now because it's not getting to the large bowel. So I think for me was more so the adjustment of like, how to how to put the bag on and yeah you know how many times that I think the biggest disruption it had to me was probably at night when I'd have to empty in the middle of the night so the whole time I had the bag which ended up being six months was you know having to get up every single night one to two to three times a night to empty the bag. Pending on how much I'd eaten how late I'd eaten things like that so different in factors for that.

Nick Papastamatis  1:00:26  
will definitely know like it hasn't gone through your large intestine for you to know. Like, you know, obviously once it once it's turned into proper feces for you know, normally functioning Yeah gut You can't tell what's been absorbed and what hasn't. Yeah, you'd know like either I remember seeing this about Oh, like some of the shit like

James Dimitroff  1:00:47  
my, my long they can like he used to give me were giving me a painkiller. That's a 12 hour slow release painkiller. And I'd be like the tablets here already. Guys. It's full. I haven't absorbed anything. So I was like, pulling out the tablet. Oh, in the bag. Oh, yeah.

Nick Papastamatis  1:01:02  
Like, unbroke?

James Dimitroff  1:01:04  
unbroken! Oh, no, that'd be like pieces of like, you have to really be careful of how much fiber especially at the beginning, because I was having because that will clog the small bowel up. 

Nick Papastamatis  1:01:14  
Was it almond flakes that I saw coming out at one point?

James Dimitroff  1:01:16  
Man. Yeah, you got to be careful of nuts.

Nick Papastamatis  1:01:18  
Yeah, like stuff that just literally Yeah, like it has not been, its unaltered.

James Dimitroff  1:01:22  
Yeah, I think and there's like a bad stigma about like, you know, ileostomy bags, oh they're stinky and this and that, guys, the technology that that has gone into what ileostomy bags are now and and how they're applied. And it not doesn't smell like real poo or anything like that. Like it's quite like it's at the stage before actually smells like that. There. Yeah, I think massive adjustment phase and having to go through, you know, the ileostomy bag. I think the surgery, the surgery itself and recovering from the surgery was a big part. That was, that was a tough time because it was like, body was sore. I wouldn't say I was in heaps of pain, but it's, you know, I go through discomfort or I'd need to go have naps, you know, things of that sort. So that was the big adjustment period was more so of what's happening with post surgery rather than the bag itself.

Nick Papastamatis  1:02:18  
I can imagine that there have been a multitude, multiple facets of you just have to deal with different things on different levels. So like, obviously, like the bag had it's had it input. Like if you have to wait one to two to three times a night. The surgeries you've got to recover from the chemo, you've got to recover from Hmm. Did it get like what was some of the because this isn't the end of the treatment

James Dimitroff  1:02:43  
Nup, nup that's I'd say halfway.

Nick Papastamatis  1:02:46  
Yeah, I reckon let's keep Let's keep going. Keep going with the rest of the treatment.

James Dimitroff  1:02:50  
So after that I you know, you have to wait until your body is slightly repaired because that's when the chemo had to start again. But I think just before the chemo, we got the biopsy back of what he took out. And luckily, it was well margin. So that means the tumor was within everything he had cut out. But it was very, very close to the edge. So that's why they decided to continue with chemo just in case. They hadn't done a scan at that point. 

Nick Papastamatis  1:03:18  
What do you mean? As in the cells were still well defined, but not but almost starting to sort of be not well defined. 

James Dimitroff  1:03:26  
Yes, exactly. It was so close to the edge of malignancy. Yeah, well, it was technically already malignant because it had it had already spread through the bowel and hit the lymph nodes. So they Yeah, it was really close. But they didn't do a scan then. So it's like a bit of a godsend because you're like how well like, technically I should be cancer free. Yeah, but there's no guarantee here, right. So that's when Yeah, that's when the the chemo started again. And that's when I had to do twice as much as the first time. So that was eight rounds of intense chemo while recovering from the six and a half hour surgery that I had had. So you notice different things along the chemo journey. You get, you know, peripheral neuropathy. And for people who don't know that it's you know, pins and needles or tingling of numbness at the feet. That type of chemo out I was on I would also be extremely sensitive to water when I was on it. So if I had, you know, remotely cold water, sometimes room water room temp water would feel like it's like burning me. So I'd have to have like warm more than have to drink warmish water. I could never have cold water.

Nick Papastamatis  1:04:37  
What do you mean burning you like ice? Ice Bernie?

James Dimitroff  1:04:40  
Well, yeah, like frostbite burning. Holy moly. Yeah. So yeah, that was just a couple of the things and then also, obviously, the nausea. And I reached a point then when I was like, I want to get on top of the nausea because the nausea was getting worse but it wasn't making me sick yet, but it's just like It's a crappy feeling feeling nauseous and feeling nauseous for like numbers of days. So, you know, that's when I had a little look into the research of, you know, CBD oil. And what is CBD oil? And I found some really cool research papers to show that illustrated that CBD oil paired with bowel cancer. So when people were having their chemotherapy and added CBD oil, it actually helped target cancer cells. Well, which is just insane. 

Nick Papastamatis  1:05:27  
How does that even work? 

James Dimitroff  1:05:28  
And then I'm thinking, Why the fuck, aren't they? You know, isn't this the norm now is to take CBD oil when you're, you know, going through chemo or what have you. And that to tell you truth, as soon as I took that oil, and I'd have CBD oil that had extremely low THC. So to tell you the truth it didn't affect me in any sort of way. Yeah. You weren't high. Yeah, no, nothing like that.

Nick Papastamatis  1:05:53  
And I yeah, although that would be fun. Yeah, exactly.

James Dimitroff  1:05:58  
Make it interesting. Yeah. But yeah, so the first time I took CBD oil, I was actually feeling quite nauseous and at the point of vomiting, and literally within about 45 seconds to a minute, I was fine. I was like, Whoa, what is this? So I started to take it, I'd have it like once a day when I was on the chemo, or had the take home pack. And I brought it up, you know, sometimes it's better to ask for forgiveness rather than permission. So I brought it up with my oncologist. And I was like, I need to tell you something. I had this and he was like, That is awesome. That's amazing. I'm so glad you could get your hands on it. Because if that helps more than the drugs, I'd rather you take that than me prescribe you other drugs. Well, he was all for and at one point, there was actually a there's a trial going on at the moment with RNS and RPA and stuff. I was going to put my hand up for the trial, but I didn't meet the eligibility criteria... to healthy. Yeah, yeah, apparently.

Nick Papastamatis  1:06:57  
Yeah. Wow. So that's really reassuring to hear that, you know, the oncologist was actually open to that. And I assume that people like oncologists are dealing with pain or that you're gonna take every win you can. Yeah, but can you imagine being in oncology ward as an oncologist, you are literally dosing out, you're dealing out bad news, all day, 

James Dimitroff  1:07:17  
day in day out,

Nick Papastamatis  1:07:19  
like all day, and if someone tells you that something worked, you probably want to take that win? Definitely. So that's Um, so CBD oil,

James Dimitroff  1:07:29  
CBD oil is great. And actually I had a talk with. So not every time I'd see the oncologist I'd see his registrar. Yep. And Hannah, who is an absolute legend, and someone who would make you feel so reassured and actually take the time to explain things to you. Yeah, I dealt with her a lot. And I and I told her and she goes, you know, that's strange, because some people, she's like, that's awesome that you can take it and has that effect. She's like, it works one of two ways CBD oil, it's either your reaction that helps a lot of people in this net, or there's the reaction of like, it did nothing. There's no in between. It's either like does nothing or works miracle. Well say yeah, to help with the nausea was just yet to help with the nausea especially was like the reason I took it. Yeah. And, you know, from then, it just seemed like chemo was the downhill. This is the second round of chemo that Yeah, so this was eight rounds of chemo, which is four months. So I obviously at that time, I started to notice that my skin became a little bit more sensitive. So I'd scratch a little a little bit easier. And I still quite sensitive in that fact, as well. Really, yeah. Because, you know, the amount of time that I was on chemo, it takes time for your body to recover completely from all the side effects. Yeah. But in saying that I you know, being on the the ward where they administer chemo, there are some they're worse off people...and I'm like, if that's all I've got to deal with, and it's a divine perspective, and when you know, and I'm telling you the nurses that do all the work in the hospital, but especially that Ward Yeah, incredible. Absolute, a magnificent people. Yeah. You know, spending their time and it's not a happiest place to be around, but spending their time giving people hope. distracting people as well making them laugh. You know what I mean? So they are the absolute troopers there. 

Nick Papastamatis  1:09:21  
Well, yeah. Hats off. Hey, definitely day in day out.

James Dimitroff  1:09:25  
Yep. And then I think by then, you know, I'd finished chemo. Yeah. And that again, that bit of limbo anxiety started again, because it's like, technically I should be cancer free. But you know, it's never guaranteed in this game. Yeah. So you go through that cycle again. Like what if, what if, what if, yeah, so you just like, let's just do the scan and let's just go from there. So like, I had another conversation.

Nick Papastamatis  1:09:47  
I remember those days. Those waiting days. Yeah, like, I'm going in for my scan. yet. It's the point at that point, you will completely symptom free. Yep. So hang on question. When did you stop shitting out blood? Because you got your you got your bag. Yep. After your first round of chemo. Yeah. So when did you stop noticing? Which point did you notice?

James Dimitroff  1:10:10  
Six days after my first round of chemo, you stopped six days. And that's what what else gave me hope because it's like, it's taking away my only symptom I have really? Which is the blood? Yeah. And I haven't seen blood since well touch wood, which is like then that that also gives you hope. Yeah,

Nick Papastamatis  1:10:29  
yeah. So you use it as working? You use it?

James Dimitroff  1:10:32  
Yeah, yeah. And that's another thing that really helped me and staying relatively fit. And moving during the whole process helps a lot.

Nick Papastamatis  1:10:41  
Yeah. Do you feel like do you feel like the fitness that you've built up? I mean, all your bloods were really good. And what do you feel like that helped you throughout the process? 

James Dimitroff  1:10:48  
Definitely. It was the it was definitely the foundation of like, where my body was and and it could take the stress of what was going to happen to it. So, man, yeah, so we had.. pays to be healthier. Definitely. And you really, you don't know what you lost until you lose your health. Money comes and goes. Shit comes and goes. But once you lose your health, you do start to feel hopeless. Yeah. So, you know, after my after that

Nick Papastamatis  1:11:15  
Huge perspective.

James Dimitroff  1:11:16  
Yes. I've got that last CT. And, and that just showed this lady Hannah. Asked Nick, if she could deliver the good news to me. Yeah. So she said, yeah, that's your cancer free. Basically. That's so and that is the biggest weight off the shoulders. Wow. Yeah. That would be a very big moment. Massive it's, almost to the point where you don't know how to comprehend it. Because it's so overwhelming.

Nick Papastamatis  1:11:39  
Is it a is it so that when you found out you had cancer? Yep. You mentioned that you had an out of body experience. Do you feel like it was the same but in a positively? Definitely. Definitely. You will be walking on clouds man.

James Dimitroff  1:11:51  
literally like I at Northshore You don't ring a bell, They don't have a bell, I know. I think RPA I think they have a bell. Oh, right, people have a cancer free. They ring it. Yeah, I think gives a lot of other people hope as well. Oh, yeah. Yeah. So that's a great point. Yeah, I think walking out of there, I literally just message I live, you know, with my in laws, as you know. So I messaged my mother inlaw and I said, pop the champagne. And she's like, call me was what's the news.. she is completely confused by it. I think it's very relieving process, also telling the people that you were more worried about in that process. Yeah. So you know, people like my, my family and my close friends. Yes. And yeah, I think they that was like a big relieving process. Yeah. And it's really funny, because I even talked about, you know, through that, through this whole process. Like you need a good support system. And as strange as that sounds, you really do know who your friends and who you know, in a relationship, it's going to be give and take, you really do realize who are the takers and not the givers. Well, so for me, I'd say my friendship base smaller, but that much more important to me. And I'm fine with that. To tell you the truth. Yeah. There's people actually pulled up some of my best friends halfway through the process. And I go, yeah, literally, like you've been shit friends. Like I was brutal. I showed you. I think I showed you the message. Yeah, no, yeah. But I was pretty brutal in the message. But they needed to know, they needed to understand how I felt.

Nick Papastamatis  1:13:22  
I can only imagine that, like, you're in that position, you're allowed to feel exactly what you feel. And maybe Hang on, and maybe just maybe that is actually your grieving process coming out? Possibly. Yeah, maybe that's the anger. Yeah. And, like, like I said, I don't know if it's psychologically possible to not go through it. So perhaps it's, I don't know, maybe I just went in grief.

James Dimitroff  1:13:45  
And I felt completely abandoned. And that's why it's like, I need to message them. They need to know they need to be aware. Yeah, they've been shit people. Well, I go if you don't want to, if you're not going to give to me or you're not going to support me, I'm done with this relationship. Well, that's how and I left the group message. I literally bombed it and left it. I was like, deal with that. And I consult my best friend before I do a lot of things. And I talked to him. I go Brendo, how tough should I be on the group? And he goes, six. As soon as I did that, he goes, bro, that was a nine out of ten.

I think that was also a bit of a part of like, that was a weight off my shoulder because it was something that stressed me out was the fact that people weren't touching base with me. Or they just think they're so completely unaware of what I was going through, even though I let them know. They're just in their own work world and they're a bit busy. And I think it just it's perspective. To me. That's all it is. Yes. Really its perspective.

Nick Papastamatis  1:14:43  
Yeah, I think because I really want to learn a little bit about what has this taught you? I mean, how old are you? You're, I'm 30 now so you're 30? Yep. You know, at the age of 30. Like what it's taught you? I don't want to ask that question. just yet. Because, like I mean, where are you now? I mean, you've you've had your second round of cancer.... chemo. Sorry. Yep. You've been told your cancer fucking free,which is that's it that's dimo the conqueror. Yep. How did you celebrate that night?

James Dimitroff  1:15:15  
Pop the champagne. Did ya? Yeah, I had like, I didn't, I didn't, I wouldn't say I got drunk or anything like that, but just have a nice quiet drink. And I just like, just need that time to reflect with my wife a little bit. Which was really nice. And just try and soak it all in. And I'd say that lasted for a couple weeks and like, Let's go out. You know, we're having a celebratory dinner. Yeah. And throughout the process, like when you have small wins. Yes. After chemo. Notice it was going to take him good to take him here. So I was like, Fuck this. We're going to this dinner place.

Nick Papastamatis  1:15:42  
Mate I remember and by No way, this is a comparison, but it's just resonating. Yeah. I remember. Like, I used to write goals. Mm hmm. And one of the things that I naively used to write was achieving this goal is the reward. Yeah. That's such a pragmatic fucking I don't know. Not a good way of celebrating your wins. Hey, you did this therefore you are now rewarded. But no, like as in you've got a pop the bottle of bubbly. And and really savor it and enjoy it. 

James Dimitroff  1:16:19  
definitely take the small wins when you can. Wow. Yeah, for sure.

Nick Papastamatis  1:16:23  
And how long ago was that? What do you remember the date of the... being cancer free?

James Dimitroff  1:16:26  
first of October. That's when I was told. I think it was Thursday or Friday,

Nick Papastamatis  1:16:31  
the 24th of October till the ninth of October.... 29th to the first of October, so 12 months.

James Dimitroff  1:16:37  
But we weren't done because I still had the ileostomy bag. So I had to get that removed.

Nick Papastamatis  1:16:43  
And that's 20... that's the first of October this year. Yep. 2020. Yes. Right. So how long ago How long were you had? Did you have the bag now? 

James Dimitroff  1:16:55  
I had the bag for six months, literally six months to the day. Yeah. Because I had surgery. I think it was May that it was May the fourth and I had for the original surgery to put the bag on and I had the reverse ileostomy so taking the bag off. Yeah, on November the fifth, right? Yeah, so it was literally six months with the bag to the date. And it's weird because like, you know, you'd think that all I thought the surgery was just gonna be was they stitch up the little hole. Yep. of where the feces comes out. Yeah, pop your intestine back in and institchu up.

Nick Papastamatis  1:17:29  
It sounds pretty simple. Simple.

James Dimitroff  1:17:30  
They did half of that. They leave the hole. So they stitch the intestine popped back in and then they allow your body to like naturally heal. So you have like a fucking hole in your stone. So had a hole in my stomach that literally...it's still healing. what Yeah, crazy. Wow. Yeah. So like, you know when it's like you're a whale. Yeah. It's like this crevasse. You can like you can sing into an echoes and stuff. Yeah.

Nick Papastamatis  1:18:06  
With that I let's move on, not freak the listeners out.

James Dimitroff  1:18:09  
Yes.

Nick Papastamatis  1:18:10  
We're getting a little weird I reckon. I reckon we could. But um in terms of so. You've had that you had your been bagless. Yeah. Now for that would be...

James Dimitroff  1:18:21  
5 weeks.

Nick Papastamatis  1:18:23  
Five weeks bagless.

James Dimitroff  1:18:24  
I'm going to follow up next week with the surgeon. Sure. Everything. Everything's healing. All right.

Nick Papastamatis  1:18:29  
So it heals from the outside in. Yeah, that's it out there. 

James Dimitroff  1:18:32  
The whole doesn't didn't necessarily close up. What happened was, because it was quite deep, it actually healed from the inside out. Oh, wow. So yeah, it's at that point where it's like scabbed up now. Which is nice. And, you know, I've started a little bit of training now, which is even better. It's good, because I need to train. I really enjoy training. So

Nick Papastamatis  1:18:55  
you'll have a fair bit of rehab after this too. Hey,

James Dimitroff  1:18:56  
yeah, yeah, I've already started the rehab process with Jaco.

Nick Papastamatis  1:18:59  
Because your frickin oblique and your transverse abdominus just got punctured. 

James Dimitroff  1:19:03  
doesn't really work at the moment. It's inhibited, I'd say.

Nick Papastamatis  1:19:06  
It's caught in literally been interrupted.

James Dimitroff  1:19:08  
Yeah. Yeah. So I'll get I'll be getting into some Pilates as well. Yeah. So I just think I need the all ok from the doctor to do all that. Yeah. But again, sometimes it's better to ask for foregiveness.

Nick Papastamatis  1:19:20  
Well if you feel good.

James Dimitroff  1:19:21  
Well, yes, I did a little bit of squatting on the weekend.

Nick Papastamatis  1:19:23  
It's not like it's gonna affect your bowel ish

James Dimitroff  1:19:26  
Nah. Nah it won't... a lot of scar tissue, though.

Nick Papastamatis  1:19:28  
Yeah. It's not going to move very well.

James Dimitroff  1:19:31  
Now. Yeah, it doesn't. So I think the still got a little bit of road to recovery in terms of where I want to be. But I think the main thing is that I'm cancer free. Yes.

Nick Papastamatis  1:19:43  
Well mate that's a huge congratulations for getting through that and you've conquered it. Thank you. What a journey that's been. I want to what have you like throughout that process, I mean, you're actually still at balance. Yeah. We I don't know how, what we did how we did it, but I'm like, obviously you went treating any patients and I'm sure patients were hounding you a fair bit.

James Dimitroff  1:20:05  
Especially when they'd see me around clinic and be like Oh, you're back back. Not completely.

Nick Papastamatis  1:20:09  
Yes. Long story there. Yeah. And I think there was that it was quite ambiguous for them as they weren't sure they like I know a lot of them. A lot of patients thought that you had depression. Yep. They thought you had some some sort of mental or psychological obstacles to deal with. Others assumed it was cancer. Others just had no idea, then we're just worried about you. And I'm sure that patients will, we're texting you From here, you know, but I think the key was to keep it pretty ambiguous from balances perspective. And yeah, definitely let that out. So how did how did you stay involved at the clinic?

James Dimitroff  1:20:49  
So I was lucky enough, we pretty much made a role for me, didn't we?

Nick Papastamatis  1:20:53  
Yeah, we figured it out. Yeah.

James Dimitroff  1:20:55  
So it was a lot of computer based stuff, in terms of, you know, learning what marketing is learning to, to, you know, read and discover what real social media is. Yeah. And also help manage the team a little bit as well at times. So I had plenty to keep me busy, which was nice. And that wasn't in the, you know, clinic rooms. But I'll tell you what, I missed it. Yeah. I think this, this process showed me that I like my true calling is is chiro. 100%. Definitely, cuz it just even you know, that first day back when you weren't feeling well, and I was like, Well, I was like, I'll step in. I was happy to Yeah, I was waiting for it. I was also happy that you did. Yeah.

Nick Papastamatis  1:21:43  
For Yes, for those that don't know, I had to step in for dimo at Bondi Junction, in the year that he's been off. And that was a huge challenge for me to soldier on and, and be able to, essentially, continue to double hand my role of treat the patients that I needed to treat at Bondi Junction in lieu of James. But then also build a future for the company at the same time, and

James Dimitroff  1:22:13  
you were wearing a lot of hats.

Nick Papastamatis  1:22:14  
wearing a lot of hats, and I'm really, um, it's definitely taken some pressure off me now I can just have one full time job. But that's by no way am I saying that to make you feel bad? Ah, it's more just we really care for you mate. And, and making sure that the platform was set for your return was very, very important to me, to the team and to the patients. So definitely. So now that you and and for what it's worth, although you're not one of the CO hosts, this podcast wouldn't actually exist without you.

James Dimitroff  1:22:44  
Yeah, I do. I do help out and a lot of the behind the scenes and organization of it and almost at times kicking your ass into gear to make it happen. But as you know that that was the opportunity given to me. So of course, I was gonna run with that.

Nick Papastamatis  1:23:01  
And you did stellar a job, mate.

James Dimitroff  1:23:02  
Thank you appreciate it.

Nick Papastamatis  1:23:04  
In terms of like, over the past. I mean, you're at the age of 30. Like we said, you've been through basically a year of torture. Hmm. What did you learn?

James Dimitroff  1:23:14  
That I am mentally stronger than and physically but mainly mentally stronger than I ever thought was capable. Well. And a lot of people said to me, oh, like, how do you deliver that mindset. I'm not sure. It's just, it is what it is, like, you have to deal with that. I don't think I would have been able to be as strong minded from to tell you the truth, with a lot of the stuff that we've done here. And my professional and personal development I've done at balance. Because we do a lot of things, a lot of work and have done a lot of work on mindset. Yeah. So I think, you know, it just paved the way to make me mentally stronger and actually have some mental toughness and grit.

Nick Papastamatis  1:23:56  
Yeah, that is brilliant. Do you feel like do you feel like working through because originally, you we had you on a we had you on a d load program? Yeah. So you try, you'd work you'd work at hired at a at your high intensity at that point? for three weeks? And then you have a week? Yeah. Wait, wait, get

James Dimitroff  1:24:13  
A week easier.

Nick Papastamatis  1:24:16  
Do you feel like that built your grit and your mental fortitude? 

James Dimitroff  1:24:20  
Definitely, I think also that physical capacity because seeing people, although it fills my cup, it does at the end of the week, it takes a lot out of you as well. So I think building that tolerance, and that capacity, definitely helped pave the way of what I had to go through. But I think more so that the mindset behind what I had to deal with and, you know, all we're here at balance, we're all about, you know, making the plan, like what's the plan? Let's look at the schedule. What is the plan so I think that also helped in the sense of I knew I was being looked after. Once I knew the plan. I understood the plan and I was like lets tackle it. Well, it's awesome. I think there was just no other way for me to, to look at it as the sense of like, this is the position you're in, you cannot change that no matter how much you want to this is happening.

Nick Papastamatis  1:25:15  
You know, like when when you look at people that are like Paralympians and people that obviously suffering from disabilities, or stuck with some sort of lifelong condition that they can't conquer, the only thing that you can really own and the only thing that you can be the master of the domain, with is your mind. And you can, that's why you have people that are able to compete at the Olympics with disabilities that work through obstacles that that are physically paralyzing yet, but have the strongest might look at Stephen Hawking. Yeah, like some one of the most powerful minds ever known. And what you just said that you are much more mentally strong. That if if there's anything that I've learned, over 10 years of looking after people's physical health, musculoskeletal health, the power of psychology, oh, it's insane.

James Dimitroff  1:26:20  
I think that's also what gave me the strength at times to deal with what I had to deal with. And like I said, I would use other influences like music, or like, there would be days where I'd look in the mirror, like, just before I knew I was going to have some sort of a big treatment and just say, You got this. Yeah, like, you've got it. Let's go.

Nick Papastamatis  1:26:40  
beliefs equal thoughts, which equal actions, which equal results! Yeah, which equal beliefs, and it just keeps going around and around? So all you need to do is just say it? Yep, you've got this.

James Dimitroff  1:26:52  
You've got it almost at times influence your mind to believe that as well. But

Nick Papastamatis  1:26:59  
so what are you going to say to someone that's in pain that feel sorry for themselves?

James Dimitroff  1:27:05  
I guess you have to find out. What what's their limiting belief of why they have to stay in pain? Or how, how are you going to manage it? Like realistically, like, you can't, there are things you cannot change. How else can we help you? How are you going to manage that? Yes. Because as much as you'd like to I don't have the magic pill. Yeah. I don't think anyone has the magic pill. Yeah. So this is, this is the challenge you have? What's the opportunity you have out of this?

Nick Papastamatis  1:27:34  
The if there's anything that your story has taught me, it's the simple fact that not only can you not get through it with one foot, you had three specialists, and a very fucking good nurse sounds like Yeah. You had your wife, you had your, your family, your in laws. You had balance? Yep. You had your friends. Yep. Like, if that's what it takes for someone to survive cancer, not only that you had chemo, you had surgery, you had radio, you had pills, you had this multi multifaceted approach to treat you. Of course, cracking your lower back for your chronic low back pain that's not going away. Is not going to solve the problem now. Like, it's not the same thing as cancer that you'veconquered`. But you need a multifaceted approach need a support network. You need a conducive home environment, you know, conducive work environment, you need a conducive,

James Dimitroff  1:28:36  
What are you putting into your body as well? You know, your nutrition? Yeah. So it really is and and it's funny because how you react to how my body reacted to say chemo or to radiation to the surgery. Even my doctors would say, it's so multifaceted like us, like, how do I you know, how do I lower my my liver function tests We're getting high towards the end of chemo? Yeah. And my platelets are dropping, and I was like, how can I raise my platelets? And how can I lower my liver function tests and exams? and they're like, it's not as easy as taking a supplement. It's, it is multifaceted. Well, so it's like, make sure you're moving. Make sure you diet make sure you're hydrating. Yeah. Now Really? Yeah.

Nick Papastamatis  1:29:20  
Like in order to change the way your liver functions, you might have to change. It's not just fix the liver. It's like, well, you might need to ingest a different fuel. Yeah. Or stop a different fuel or make something else function better in order for the liver to not be overloaded. Yep. Just like pain, you've got shoulder pain, for example. Or that pain in your shoulder is because of overload because something is not doing it's job.

James Dimitroff  1:29:46  
Or you're not recovering enough or lack has it? There's so many factors. You can't just say it was this one thing? No. Yeah, definitely. Well, I think for anyone Going through, like that sort of treatment, especially cancer, I think it's, you know, if you've got your support network and and you're not happy with someone because you feel like, you know, you're good support to them and you you expecting them to be a good support to you, you have to let them know. Yes. If people people are so unaware of their own a shit, yeah. 100% that you need to make them aware. And my way of doing that was being direct. Yes. And being like, yo, you've been a shit friend. Yeah. Do you want to continue this friendship? Because I'll, if you want to cut it, I'm happy to cut it. Well, but this is the expectation I have from now. Do you want to make that expectation? Yes or no? You have to have that you have to have those conversations with people. Yeah. And yeah, it's, it's funny, because when I told them, you know, the people that I thought you care a little bit more, some of them were crying. And I'm like, they

Nick Papastamatis  1:30:49  
can't believe they let you down.

James Dimitroff  1:30:51  
Yeah. And that's like, I've got a friend now that and I think people who haven't been through any hardship as well, yeah. They just don't know how to understand that they can kind of get it and comprehend it. They do not understand.

Nick Papastamatis  1:31:06  
Yes, I always am concerned or cautious of people, of chiro's or physios that haven't had their own injuries. Yeah, that haven't experienced some sort of pain somewhere.

James Dimitroff  1:31:14  
Yeah, it's so true. So I think if I could give any advice to anyone going through this is like, the people who you expect to keep close, and you want to keep close, make sure that that they understand that. And if they don't, you need a new support network, because they're not supporting that's not a relationship. It's a give and take way, and they're just taking and not giving you that is not a relationship. Yes. That's bullshit. That's what it is.

Nick Papastamatis  1:31:38  
Yes. Really. It's a that's a something that consumes... something that consumes more than it contributes is a cancer.

James Dimitroff  1:31:46  
Yeah, literally. So you know, you could say like, you know, keep your friends closer and blah blah blah or whatever. But you need to understand that some people will not rise to that challenge. I think people need to be aware of that people who you thought that would.

Nick Papastamatis  1:32:01  
So so hang on, there's like, so throughout this process, you're not only dealing with your emotions, the emotions of your family, your loved ones, but you're also dealing with like, relational issues where interpersonally you're being let down by certain people that you expected more from or, and I suppose, you know, some would say, Well, the problem is you had expectations in the first place. But fucking why shouldn't you? Yeah, like you've got friends. If it's a friendship, like, What does friendship mean to you? It might mean something completely different to someone you thought was close. That's it. So I don't think there's anything wrong with having expectations. It's just, it just hurts when you get let down? Yeah. And so you've got your own health. You've got the fucking shit you're going through. You go to wake up three times a day, and you're pissed that your friends aren't even calling you.

James Dimitroff  1:32:47  
It's another stress. That you don't that you really you don't need.

Nick Papastamatis  1:32:50  
Yeah. So what's worse, like them contact you too much or not enough at all?

James Dimitroff  1:32:54  
Yeah, exactly. Yeah. It's funny cuz Brendon is literally like, my best mate was like, he asked at the beginning, he's like, I'm just gonna check in with you every day. And I'm like, I actually don't want you to do that. Yes, I need some space there. So yeah, yeah, you need your space to absorb what's going on and just have your own time. And, you know, I had my my biggest support was my wife. So I would not have been able to go through what I went through without my wife. Definitely. She's like, my number one. Huge. Yeah.

Nick Papastamatis  1:33:21  
She's a legend. 

James Dimitroff  1:33:22  
She's a machine. Yeah, my remember. So there's a quick side note. We had a one of my reactions, I had to chemo. We had to go to a hospital that wasn't royal North Shore. And they didn't really know how to deal with me. They saw my chemo pack and I said it was a chemo pack and then I'll just take it off. Why is it connected to you? I go, it's chemotherapy. It's injecting into me. I felt like the doctors were dumb asses there. And at one point, they're all standing around. I had a huge fever. And my wife goes, if you're not going to effing help us, Kristy is like, a timid, Yeah, like, yes, I'm not shy, but she's not. She's reserved. Yeah. And she unleashed, if you're not gonna fucking look after him, we're gonna go somewhere where they will.. either you transfer us, we're walking out right now. You either help him or we're walking out and they were like holy crap. Like, I didn't have the energy to fight as much then, I looked at her and I was like, Oh, I love you. Yeah.

Nick Papastamatis  1:34:22  
Yes, yes. That's like,

James Dimitroff  1:34:24  
Well, okay, we'll stabilize him, and then we'll transfer him. I'm like, good... done.

Nick Papastamatis  1:34:29  
is there's no better support than a strong woman next to you mate..

James Dimitroff  1:34:33  
She's a machine. Yeah. Yeah. Titan.

Nick Papastamatis  1:34:36  
Yeah. Well, I mean, so I suppose. So. Now you're in remission. Yep. And what does that What does remission mean?

James Dimitroff  1:34:43  
I will technically I'm cancer free. But the next five years are pretty crucial. Yeah. And they'll monitor me for the next five years. I'll be doing scans and blood tests once a year for the next five years. I'll be going for, you know, regular colonoscopies as well. And it's just a monitoring system because the chances of you developing a cancer in the next five years are at there highest. So if once I get through the next five years, it's like, you can let the guard down a little bit. Right.

Nick Papastamatis  1:35:13  
Okay. Yeah. And and you still haven't had any symptoms?

James Dimitroff  1:35:18  
Not Not my energy is probably the best it's ever been in your life, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's like, Oh, shit, this is what of 29/30 year old was supposed to feel.

Nick Papastamatis  1:35:28  
So how would you compare yourself in 2018 to now? Energy attitude sort of demeanor. Oh, shit,

James Dimitroff  1:35:35  
I would say, you know, the maturity level, Definitely. In terms of what I've learned and what I've gone through energy wise, I feel like I've got at least 50% more energy than what I had. So I'm running at 150% compared to 2018. Yeah, I'm just feel really good. And, you know, I think it's showing me that you just got to take, you know, any, any opportunity that's given to you just take it, you've got to run with it. You can't be seen saying, you know, what a for, you know, because it might be your last. And I think one of the things that one of the things that helped me like, come to terms with that as well is like, I could be driving any day and have a car accident and die. Yes. So, death is everyone's going to die at some point. Yes. So I think that that in itself would would help me kind of deal with it and be like, okay, I could be in a car accident die. I was like, fuck it. I got this. I can fight this. Let's do it. So yeah, that's another thing. It's just a bit of reality. Well,

Nick Papastamatis  1:36:34  
has it changed your perspective on life, then?

James Dimitroff  1:36:37  
Like I said, just take take the opportunities given to you. Like, you don't want any wasted opportunities anyways, to challenges like you said no to things that you shouldn't have. Not now. It's like you you have to just, you know, accept the things you can't change. Change the things you can if you want to.... frame that. Yeah, shit. That's really good. Hey, that just came to me, 

Nick Papastamatis  1:37:00  
Accept the things that you can't change and change the things that you can if you want to. Yeah, beautiful. I think for those that are listening, still, I think I don't know how long we've been gone longer than an hour. But, you know, all I can do is, you know, how can like what's the what's the plan for James Dimitroff in 2021 2021

James Dimitroff  1:37:26  
2021 is dimo 2.0. So, reconnecting with my dietitian, I'm going to be getting into my training a lot. You know, looking, we're wanting to look at starting a family, but we can't yet because of what we've been through. So, you know, if we've already accepted if we have to go down the IVF, stage or even, and we've even talked about adoption, so we want to start a family next year, if we can. But I think it's, it's going to be the dimos year. Yeah, yes. It's enough of everyone else's. It's fucking the dimo's year 2021.

Nick Papastamatis  1:38:00  
That's it. Yeah. Good on you, bro. Yeah, I'm fuckin pumped. So so how can how can you How can the listeners thank you for this?

James Dimitroff  1:38:08  
How can they thank me? Yeah. How they connect with you? Oh, guys,

Nick Papastamatis  1:38:11  
I I'm by the question. Yeah.

James Dimitroff  1:38:14  
That's like, thank me. I love red wine and I love food. No, no, no. Look, obviously I work at balance health and performance. So you can always contact me here via Sienna or Grace. And I've also got... I'm also on Instagram and Facebook. My Instagram handle is the bald sports chiroi. Are you gonna start? Well, I might have to change it after what?

Nick Papastamatis  1:38:39  
What are some of the stuff? I think I think this ...that was dimo 1.0.

James Dimitroff  1:38:43  
Yeah, we're gonna go with dimo 2.0.

Nick Papastamatis  1:38:48  
Might have to. That's huge. Okay. With a quote underneath it.

James Dimitroff  1:38:52  
Yeah, probably should have. But if you can't change it, yeah. Okay. Well, that's that's food for thought. But at the moment, it's it's it's thebaldsportschiro, that's probably going to be changing to dimo 2.0. Yeah. Hopefully no one's taken that actually. Fucking buy it. Yeah, yeah. But you can always find me as James Dimitroff on Facebook, as well. Nice.

Nick Papastamatis  1:39:13  
And, and for the patients that are very, like very clearly telling us that they're waiting for you. When are you coming back?

James Dimitroff  1:39:24  
let's say start of Jan. So just using this period here to just, you know, build some tolerance and a bit of capacity again, and then start of Jan, will will start to open up my schedule, just nice and slowly because I can't, you know, I can't kill myself with workload as well. So just be patient. Guys. I am there for you. And I haven't forgotten about anyone as well.

Nick Papastamatis  1:39:50  
Yeah. All right. Thanks so much for sharing everything.

James Dimitroff  1:39:53  
Thanks for having me, guys. Appreciate it.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai