Clive Rennie – more than surviving cancer
Clive Rennie was Deputy Principal at Whanganui High School from 1986 to 1991 before becoming Principal of Rangitikei High School in Marton, Mountain View in Timaru and Otago Boys High. In 2005, he says, “I had problems urinating and so I went to the doctor, who assumed incorrectly as I was to learn, that it was a bladder infection. After a number of repeat visits it was diagnosed as bladder cancer.”
The initial treatment was to “inject TB into the bladder. The idea is that the TB will eat the cancer cells and is a common cancer treatment approach. However, it didn’t work for me.” Instead he was put onto a three month programme of chemotherapy, twice a month.” It knocked the hell out of me.” But he continued working at Otago Boys.
In 2006 he had surgery. “The agreed plan,” says Clive, “was to build a new bladder from my intestine but although they started it did not work so then they removed the bladder and gave me the external bladder.” The surgeons decided to also remove the prostrate as a precaution. “That was a decision I regret and wish I had thought more about.”
He smiles when he says, “an external bladder has some advantages. At night I plug it in and there is no need to get up to go to the toilet.” But looking back he says “when you have cancer you need to have plenty of conversations with the medical specialists. You need to take someone with you as a support person so they can listen for the things you might miss.”
He believes that “men are not good at helping themselves medically” and advises everyone “to know your own body and seek help when things don’t appear to be right.” Another recommendation is “to take time to reflect.” Clive has done plenty of reflecting and says, “It makes you examine life. You work out what you can change and what you can’t.”
He is naturally a positive person and despite the inevitable fears and emotions, he never thought the treatment wouldn’t be successful. He praises the work of the surgeons and is grateful for the great support both inside the system and from family.
He continued in his role as Rector of Otago Boys High through to 2014. While he retired from that role, he continued in education, working alongside Government appointed commissioners at Waitaki Boys High in Oamaru, Kaikoura Secondary School and Cannons Creek School in Porirua to bring these schools up to required standards.
His arrival at Otago Boys High coincided with some bad publicity over school bullying. The intake of year nine boys went down to 93 and the overall roll slumped to 600. He subsequently brought it back to 900 and says one of the ways was to “provide opportunities for kids to do things and to do them well. We promoted co-curricular activities such as sport, music, drama and public speaking. The school has done well both nationally and internationally. Hamish Bond was the school’s head Boy in 2004.”
Clive and his wife decided to come back to Whanganui because “we made friends here and we really enjoyed Whanganui.” They thought of settling in Dunedin where they had lived for 14 years but decided that it was better to leave his successor with the space to get on with the job without him close by. His son, Christopher, runs MacEll Maintenance Electrical and his daughter is soon to return to Whanganui.
Clive wants to give back to the community and he is involved with the Cancer Society “in whatever way they can use me.”
Initially he is using his educational background and is visiting Whanganui schools, promoting the use of sun screen. He is also encouraging the schools to enter a team in the Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, which takes place on Saturday, March 17.
He identifies three causes of cancer – genetics, bad luck and life style – with only life style able to be changed. But that still gives plenty of options such as stopping smoking, drinking less alcohol, avoiding too much meat, using sun screens and trying to reduce stress and anxiety.
He encourages people who have cancer to “listen and read, try out potential ‘cures’ which might work for some but not for others, such as using Vitamin C.” Looking back to when he had cancer, Clive says “there have been huge advances since 2006 in attitudes and treatments.”
In his ‘spare’ time Clive is helping to strengthen the services of the Boys and Girls Gym Club by taking on the role of acting manager. He does find it strange he says “that despite my 26 years experience as a principal, the Ministry of Education appears not to find any use for it.” If they did, he would have to cut down on some of his other activities.
By Doug Davidson
River City Press 22/2/18