The Queensland lifestyle...

There is something about warm humid weather that makes me feel like I'm on permanent holiday. Well I am actually on holiday right now, but I don't think I could adjust to living somewhere like this (Hervey Bay) due to the weather. I love it so much but it evokes a holiday atmosphere. I wouldn't want to go to work on warm days. I'd want to hang out at the beach, the local pub or cafes on the foreshore. I'd never tire of the ever-changing view, all the many beaches to lie on and swim at, the excellent food and the beer and rum! I'm rapidly becoming a local though. I have 2 pairs of shoes - thongs. A going out pair and a beach pair. I wear sleeveless tops daily. Go to bed early and get up early. That might be because of the household's baby though! I eat mangoes every day. I drink rum every night. I ride my bike with no helmet. I am slowly getting used to the wildlife- shared my room last night with my old pal Pierce- the Gecko who stares at me while I sleep, and a green tree frog. Admittedly he was outside my window on the sill. A cane toad lives in the gutter and croaks all night and by day the cicadas provide me with a musical chorus to walk to the beach with. We have none of these creatures in Tassie. It's like another world. Also, I've quickly learnt to avoid the narrow,circular burrow holes on the beach. Snakes. Apparently. I swim with the local sealife daily, in water that is so tepid it's like a bath. In Tassie we swim in 17 degree water in summer. Here it's about 25 degrees. Some days I have a cold shower after swimming to cool off. It takes me 2 mins and 50 secs to walk to the beach and I usually have the whole place to myself. I love Qld.

Endings.....

Things are always ending here in my world.  The day, night time (with no sleep in sight), my favourite tv show, my iphone battery, the block of Cadbury Coconut Rough chocolate, the Bundy bottle, the vodka, the wine..... and my periods of good health- Perhaps due to the ending of the latter 3 items?? :D 

I'm on a downward spiral.  Bugger. My stupid, too small head, & too big brain have begun to bother me again.  Not on a daily basis, just bi or tri weekly.  This means i get four great days each week!!! And i love those days and am eternally grateful for them.  But, this means the bad head days feel worse than they should.  Sort of like breaking your arm - you don't appreciate it til you can't use it, and then you stress about everything you are missing.  Never mind that you've not once used the weights at the gym. Now you can't, you  desperately need to!
So, the days i have a headache i become extremely frustrated, because i cannot go abseiling & rock climbing on such a beautiful day; i cannot go for a skydive or base jump; i cannot raise my head from the pillow.  Never mind that i haven't abseiled or rock climbed for almost 20 years, or have yet to do my first solo skydive.  The point is that today could have been the day i did those things. And raising my head from the pillow is a challenge every day, especially if it's prior to midday, and even more difficult if Ellen isn't on the tv! But today..... the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and i really want to get up and enjoy the gorgeous day that is. I feel guilty for staying glued to my bed.  Any other day i could care less.....

Yes my head hurts.  But that's just an irritation.  Its the limitations it places upon me, however unrealistic my expectations might be, that bother me more. So i while away the time waiting for that much longed for return of my healthy days by tweeting, facebooking and not blogging!

Today i decided i needed a mind shift.  So instead of looking at life as a bunch of endings of good things, i need to think of the endings as beginnings, and i need to look for the positives in these new beginnings.  Stretched my brain cells a lot when trying to find the positives in an empty vodka bottle, but i did.  There are many more vodkas i have yet to get to know!!! Bring it on!!  And the positives in a bed bound, headachey day - its a day for recharging the batteries.  Mine and my iphone :p

So, the next time i awake with a headache, after firstly celebrating the fact i slept with a vodka or two, I'll accept my day under the covers with good grace.  I'll dream about floating in zero gravity on my first space mission, knowing that it is what it is - something i need to do on a headache free day!! Yes i have some "unattainable" or "unrealistic" goals, but who's to say i wont do these things one day?? After all, tomorrow i am going to leave the house.  That was unrealistic 2 months ago, before my remission :))

Running... & Jumping...

We all run. Either figuratively or literally. We run from situations that scare us, intimidate, hurt, upset, make us uncomfortable AND from situations that could make us deliriously happy. I know I do. Not as much as I use to, but it's still instinctive to "run & hide" whenever I encounter a difficult situation.

I have always said "I don't run unless I'm chased. Or there's a million dollars to be had." I hate running in a physical sense. Hot, sweaty, pounding heart, pounding footsteps. For what? To get somewhere fast, to gain fitness? I can get all these hot, sweaty feelings from looking at a spider crawl across my ceiling, knowing its out of reach and i'll never sleep til i catch it!!

When physically running, you miss out on so much. You are too busy listening to your heart trying to escape from your chest, concentrating on breathing, counting the miles/kilometres, hurrying, rushing. The scenery flashes past, thoughts are dismissed. Similarly, the same happens when we run from situations in our life we want to avoid. We miss so much. We hide away and close ourselves off to what is happening around us.

The "fight or flight" response is inherent in us all.  There is a massive rush of adrenalin that is released as soon as we encounter anything frightening, or exciting.  We can either use this adrenalin to remove us from the situation, by running as far away as possible for example, or in a less physical sense, to avoid the situation in an emotional way by withdrawing.  Or we can use it to stay and fight, both physically and emotionally.  A couple of years ago, I decided to stop "running" and start taking in my surroundings, facing up to situations, to stop being fearful and worrisome, to use the adrenalin rush to my advantage.  I decided to jump into life with both feet and to see where it would take me!! So what was the first thing i did??

I jumped out  of a plane!!! 

And i enjoyed it so much i enrolled in Skydive School! I'm yet to do a solo jump, but i will.  I can't wait!!!

I still "run & hide" from life at times, especially when my IIH erupts, but i only have to remember the feeling of exhiliration i had when freefalling and i know i can face most things.  If remembering doesn't work then i look at the DVD of my jump and listen to myself screaming and squealing......... with excitement and sheer joy, mixed with a tiny bit of fear!!! Then i know i'm gonna be fine!

A real man...

A real man is a woman’s best friend.

He will never stand her up and never let her down.

He will reassure her when she feels insecure and comfort her after a bad day.

He will inspire her to live without fear and forget regret.

He will make sure she always feels as though she is the most beautiful woman in the room.

No wait, sorry. I’m thinking of wine. It’s wine that does all that….never mind.

I forgot to mention....

.... I'm headache free!! I'm officially (according to me) in remission!!!! YAY!! The massive pressure headache has gone! It's so hard to explain how absolutely amazing it feels to NOT have a headache. In fact, it's slightly disconcerting. Sort of like having a part of yourself missing. I'm so used to having a headache that when I awoke to find it gone it took me a minute or two to wonder what was wrong with me!!  It's been three weeks now and LIFE IS FANTASTIC!!! I'm the luckiest person alive :))

Not sure how long it will last - last time was 5 months..... I'm not gonna worry, just ENJOY LIFE!  Isn't this fantastic news???

The woman who put the shizzle in the b'zizzle!!

Today I'm gonna talk about Kate. Those who know me should know who I'm talking about!! Kate Walsh. I ADMIRE her, but for some (Deli) my admiration appears to border on OBSESSION!!! I don't agree. I think she's gorgeous and funny and has a great outlook on life. I could see us being great friends. Obsession would mean I'd google her daily, watch endless YouTube vids,track down and watch over and over again any movie or vid she's been in, watch her tv shows relentlessly until I know every little nuance about her characters, I'd troll the Internet for pics and tabloid stories, I'd discuss her with other fans on forums, twitter, facebook, I'd collect pictures and pore over them, I'd have dreams of meeting her one day, I'd know her fav colour, food, her animals names, her fav sayings like "WORD!" and "Bad Ass Mother Fucker!" OH SHIZ!!! No no no! Its okay. Obsession would also require me to have given up my job and have all day to surf the net and chat about her and stalk her Twitter page Yes! It's okay! I have a job.  I'm just on leave. Pheeeeew thought I had a problem there for a moment! :))

Here are a couple of pics i happen to have...

No! No problem here.

I hate liars. Cheats and liars. Dishonest people. Hate is a strong word but it's how I feel. Dislike, detest just don't cut it. I don't hate many things, but lying is my pet peeve. We all do it. Every day. A white lie here and there might seem harmless and is almost an expected and accepted part of life. But where is the line drawn? When does a white lie become something more poisonous? What is a White lie anyway? How do we define that? Why do we feel we have to lie? When is it appropriate? Is lying ever acceptable?

I don't have the answers... I just know I hate lying. I hate it when I feel I have to lie. I hate it when others lie. I hate being implicated in a lie.

I appreciate my health.... and my intelligence

Spent the past 13 days in hospital, as most would be aware by now.  I'm home and i'm happy to be here.  Spending time with a lot of very ill people has made me appreciate my health.  Me healthy? Well compared to many other people i am bursting with good health!!  I have been surrounded by some very ill people. Mainly patients on dialysis for kidney failure, awaiting transplants that they know will most likely not happen.  90% of the dialysis patients will not be eligible for a kidney due to other health complications, age, or suprisingly because they REFUSE to make lifestyle changes that would benefit their health.

 I can't believe this. Why would someone choose to continue to keep themselves unwell?  Why would a 43yo mother of 3 choose to eat chips, chocolate, and pizza (delivered to her hospital bed) and drink copious amounts of coke on an almost daily basis, having been diagnosed with diabetes 12 months ago?  Not type 1 diabetes but type 2 - ie controlled by diet and exercise.  Why would this same person, when informed 7 months later that their diabetes had now progressed to type 1 due to their refusal to change their eating habits, again knock back any help with diet and exercise?  Why would this person again refuse assistance upon being told 2 months later that their kidneys were failing and that dialysis would now be required until they decided to take some action, or they died?  And last week, when the person was advised that they were to be discharged as an inpatient, unless they agreed to undertake a fully supported, holistic program to assist the return to better health, why did this person refuse to leave the hospital, when they again refused help???  Why?? I found out why...... and i cannot believe the stupidity. 

Here's a brief summary of the answer i received after asking  my roommate for her reasons for not undertaking the programs offered:

i like to eat what i want and when i want. 

No one tells me what i can and can't do.

I can't afford to eat the crap they want me to eat.

My kids wont eat fruit and vegetables.  I'm not making different meals for me.

I'm too sick to cook food like that.  Takeaway is easier. and cheaper.

I can't do the walking as my back hurts.

I'm not givin' up my smokes or my nights on the piss (drinks a bottle of bourbon a week)

BUT this person expected to be reviewed for the transplant list.  When advised that she did not meet the criteria, could not understand why .....

"if you bastards give me a new fucking kidney and pancreas then i'd be better and none of that crap you tell me i can't do would fucking matter"

"so u think my kids don't deserve a mum?"

"who gives you the right to say who deserves a kidney more?"

No matter how many times she was told that the transplant wouldn't work unless it had a healthy body to work with, she still refused to change her lifestyle.  She left the hospital escorted by security as she refused to be discharged.  She was drinking Coke and eating a tube of Pringles as she was loaded into a wheelchair by 4 security personnel.  She weighed 155kgs.  She wished me well on the way past and offered me a Pringle.....

The next person to take her bed was a transplant recipient.  12 years previously he'd undergone a kidney and pancreas transplant.  He would be dead if he had not received these gifts.  He was doing well and at only 41 had many years left ahead to enjoy living.  My 43 yo DUMBASS roomie will be dead in 5 years, if not sooner.  And whats the bet she asks for help when she's dying from toxicity???? 

This may be harsh but the world is full of ABSOLUTE MORONS like this person.  The hospital ward was full of them.... taking up space in our health system, using resources that could better help someone who is willing to take responsibility for their health and take action to improve it.  It made me angry.  It made me sad........

So i return home grateful for my intelligence and hence, for my health. 

Ohh and my headache is now back to normal!!

Queensland Trip April 2010

Del and i were lucky enough to spend 12 glorious days in Qld earlier this year.  This was the last time i actually felt well so it has lots of good meories health wise for me as well as general holiday memories. :)
We visited my sister and family on the Gold Coast for a few days and then our best friends in the universe further up the east coast, called the Fraser Coast,  Hervey Bay - the whale watching capital of Australia! They had just given birth three days earlier to their first child together so it was uber exciting.  Kirby baby was so excited to see us too. He screamed for 5 days straight!! Poor little man. Poor mum.  Poor Dad. Poor Nanny and Poppy who were visiting too. And poor Auntie Del and Great Auntie La - now affetionately known as GaLa!! haha For those not in the know, a galah is a bird and also what we aussies call someone who does something silly.  An apt nickname for me so i'm told! Here's some pics.  Enjoy. 1. Del and Kirby bonding. 2. Hervey Bay foreshore. had lunch there! 3. the beach next to the pier which is pic 4. the pier is longest pier in Australia at 868m in length.  Yes we walked it.

Gratitude

When I awoke this morning I was in shock. No I didn't win the 30 million in Lotto, or wake up with Rob Lowe in bed beside me. I did have a really good dream though. But the reason I was in shock was way better than either of those. When I opened my eyes, rolled over to check the time on my phone and sat up,I realized I DIDN'T HAVE A HEADACHE! For the first time in 59 days my vision was clear & my head was not throbbing!! And I was awake before lunch time. I had a brilliant morning. What a pleasure it was to read a book, to shower standing up, to go for a walk in the bush over my back fence. I have had a great day. And even though my headache came back I've still had a fantastic day. A few hours headache free gives me the strength & hope to remain positive. To know that I will wake up headache free again.... If not tomorrow then maybe the day after!!

My Miracle

If you'd known me 20 odd years ago at uni you would have voted me least likely person to have been a mother!!!  I was heavily into sport/outdoors, and partying!!  But miracles happen and I've been reminiscing  a little lately, with it being Adele's birthday - the big 20! No longer a teen!!

Apparently you are supposed to forget the pain of childbirth but my memories are still strong today.  It hurt.  A lot. For a long time.  But after 20 years i can laugh at it.  A little. :) I'll spare you the details and just deliver the highlights package! 47 hours of labour. For about 6 of those hours i cleaned my teeth every 20 minutes.  I don't know why, i just had to.  I used a whole tube of toothpaste and wrecked a toothbrush.  The hallway at the hospital was exactly 627 paces long.  At around hour 34 i tried to call a taxi to come collect me as i had had enough and wanted to go home. When Adele finally decided she was ready to do her meet and greet she also decided to start her dance career and do a pirouette, wrapping her cord round her neck.  My obstetrician decided it was time for the big guns and brought out his weapon of mass destruction ie the forceps.  He got himself ready and everything was action stations when he, the doc, felt it was all too much for him and had a little fainting fit on the floor right in the delivery path!!  After many urgent calls a new dr arrived as the first one was literally dragged out.  I wasn't inspired with confidence by my new docs appearance as he'd been called in from milking his cows!! It was about 4.30am.  He was wearing gumboots and a holey old jumper!!  Anyway, he prepared himself, the midwife, braced himself behind the dr and with a huge push from me, a yank from them and a plop from Adele, she came into the world at 4.57am on the 9th August 1990.

After that things are a bit hazy..... i know she was a bit bluish so they took her away for a bit.  I did see her at some point but i'd been awake for two days.  All i wanted to do was sleep!.  Her father went with her and bathed her, cleaned her up a bit and brought her to me where she screamed, i cried and said take her away...how mean of me:(  Later on they sat me on a rubber ring (remember that weapon of mass destruction) in a wheelchair and took me up to see her in the nicu.  She was still screaming.  I didnt like her much at this point.  She was too noisy.  Not much has changed - she talks a lot! I was given her to hold and then the nurse left.  My eyes wouldnt stay open, she finally shut up, and we both drifted off to sleep.  Except i kept dropping her, so i put her on the floor.  Then i went to sleep.  Gosh i was a caring mum :).  Someone eventually found us and growled at me.  I felt like the worlds worst mum and it was only day 1!!
It wasnt until day 3 that i changed her nappy. i assume someone else had been doing this before! i basically slept, ate, fed her, repeat for first 3 days.  After that i think i realised there was a bit more to it!!  Especially when they said i had to leave the hospital.  i did manage to stay for 10 days!!!! lol

But we survived and have made it to 20 years!! who would have thought eh?  And for the record Adele was not going to be an only child.  She was a twin, the other we sadly lost at 20 weeks gestation.  And we did go through GIFT (IVF) when Deli was younger to try for a sibling but it wasnt to be.  So my Deli is a miracle.  One i treasure everyday!! 

You broke it how???

Today I'm gonna tell you about my right wrist. Specifically about my scaphoid, a small bone in my hand that is about the size of a fingernail. It may be small but it is crucial as it controls the movement of the thumb. So onto the story....

I first broke this bone as a result of a car accident. Pretty normal. Well actually no! The car accident was minor. Slid off the road due to icy conditions. Noone injured. Until the police arrived. I was a passenger. The car was balanced on it's undercarriage on an embankment, no wheels on the ground. Police asked me to exit vehicle via drivers side door. I slid across, opened door and as I stepped out of car it slid down embankment. Taking me with it. Result: broken scaphoid, exposed nerves in hand, busted up and scraped raw knees! That's NUMBER 1!

NUMBER 2 occured about a week after cast was removed. Again passenger in car. Travelling down a slight hill. Car in front braked suddenly requiring us to do the same. I put my hand on glove box to steady myself. SNAP! that's 2!!

Approx 5 weeks after cast removed I was at at home when I got a call from a friend to come collect her from a local night club. I was waiting outside the nightclub when a bouncer threw a large bloke at the door. The door rushed open so I put my hands up to stop it hitting me! That's NUMBER 3!!

NUMBER 4 occurred a couple of years later. I stepped into the shower, slipped and sat on my hand. This time I shattered the bone on all previous fracture lines. Dr wanted to operate and fuse it with piece from my hip. I refused as it meant loss of most of range of motion of thumb! So 5 months in cast. My job at this time- swim instructor!! Lol 30 hr weeks in water!! Managed with combination of waterproof casts and plastic bags!!

And NUMBER 5!!! the best. Had the cast off for less than 24 hours!! And without going into too many details let's just say it involved another person, some nice wine, and a coffee table!!! And a cast for another 5 months. LOL

BUT I avoided surgery again and it's been fine ever since!! So one bone, 5 breaks! Can anyone beat that?

Random Photos...

Ha!! I'm hanging on tight here! Think this was taken summer 2009 at Fortescue Bay on Tasman Peninsula.  Could be '08 or '10 as we camp there every summer.  Not all that far actually from Shippies, or Shipsterns Bluff, for those not in the know.  The place where all the real surfers go to catch the monster waves.  Maybe i'll drag the old blue coolie board out next year and have a go...lol

This little pic is a shot taken from the beach at Fortescue. We usually have between 30-40 people in our group including kids, and we camp for about 2 weeks.  We have a couple of power boats, a yacht or two, and kayaks for all sorts of on water entertainment.  We ski, biscuit, dive for abalone and crayfish (lobster), fish, sail, snorkel around the ship wreck, do bushwalks, eat gourmet meals made from our fresh catch each night, drink lots, some ppl chase kids and do the parent thing, the rest of us drink more and watch :) It is a trip i look forward to every year!!

The pic to the left is taken on the waterfront in Hobart, looking west towards Mount Wellington.  In summer the waterfront is a busy place.  We have the Sydney to Hobart yacht race between Xmas and New Year, the Taste of Tasmania and the Festival.  The rest of the year its a few seagulls hoping a tourist may throw them a chip!!!

Last week however, we had a whale come visit us. 

Thank you for the music...

I love nothing more than to open up my lungs and belt out a song or two!  Singing is a wonderful mood lifter.  Well it is for me.  For those around me it is not.  I love to sing.  I sing in the shower, around the house, in the car,and even when wandering around the supermarket or shops if i hear a song i like.  However, there is a problem.  Unfortunately for the listening pleasure of the general public, i am tone deaf! I cannot sing.  Despite years of being in school choirs, years of practice, years of thinking i sound okay. I don't.  I sound terrible.  I remember auditioning for the school choir in year 7 and the school had a policy of inclusion.  Don't know why they audtioned anyone but they did.  So after i "sang" my piece, i eagerly asked was a soprano or alto.  Mr Coad looked at me and said quite seriously "Neither. You're back row." I must have improved however because by the end of the year i was in the front row by speech night.  Mind you that could be because i was one of the few in full school uniform!! I stayed in the choir right throughout highschool.  i was also in the school band, playing flute, oboe and piccolo.  Mastered none of those but they all looked good. Got out of a lot of school for various performances in the community.  I knew what i was doing! 

Over the years tho i really did wish i could sing.  I went to church youth group activities and you do an awful lot of singing at church so i'd join in singing as loud as i wanted, thinking that church goers would be nice forgiving folk.  Several times i was asked to tone it down a little and once was asked to move to the back whilst they were recording the service and singing!! Then along came Deli.  I'd sing to her in my belly when she was all squirmy and kicking me heaps.  Didn't really seem to calm her much but a friend of mine who sang in a band used to be able to calm her just by speaking.  i played his music a lot.  Tim Slater.  The Talk. Wonder whatever happened to them? 
After Adele was born i used to sing to her all the time until one day when she was about 2 and she could finally talk properly.  We were in the car with my mum and i was singing away and Deli had her hands over her ears and yelled out "Mummy NO MORE. You are hurting my ears!!"  I was crushed.  Mortally wounded. If my 2 yo could tell that i couldn't sing then i was really bad.

I still love to sing but now its confined to the house when i'm home alone.  Or the car.  I play Singstar occasionally with close friends who are brave enough to put up with my Blondie impersonation and my version of ABBA.  I'm not too bad at ABBA.  I've been singing their songs since i was 10.  In fact for years i thought Napoleon wore suspenders, when really he did surrender in Waterloo!  Thanks Singstar for clearing that up!!! So if you ever meet me, we have a couple of drinks and i suggest karaoke or Singstar then you accept at your peril.  YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Oh and if you come to a musical with me ...... :-D

#stuffyoucan'tdowhenyourkidneysdontworkproperly

As has been obvious to many I have been unwell for the past few weeks.  Instead of trying to explain to everyone in 140 characters (impossible) i decided to blog. Usually the best place to start is at the beginning but i'm gonna start at the end!  I'm crazy like that. Live on the edge :0 LOL

So as you can tell by the title it is to do with my kidneys, although in reality it is to do with my brain.... lol  Confused??? Read on!!!

My kidneys decided they would like a rest and decided to only operate at about 10% of their full capacity about 4 weeks ago.  This obviously made me feel rather ill.  It's as important to pee as it is to poo apparently! You know the saying "if you dont shit you die"? well the same goes for peeing. 

My kidneys didn't make this decision on their own.  They were forced into it.  A "doctor", and i say that with much sarcasm, prescribed me two medications, in extremely large doses, that should NEVER be taken together.  I'll get to the why i needed these meds later.  So, i became ill.  My GP ran a blood test.  My kidney function came back as Stage 3 Kidney Failure (stage 4 daily dialysis, stage 5 transplant).  GP rang a Renal specialist who ran through my meds and immediately stopped the two offending medications.  To say he was horrified would be an understatement!   So I had scans and numerous other tests this past 2 weeks to be told last week that i have sustained permanent damage.  Not sure how much funtion will return.  Been "fitted up" for dialysis in case needed on more permanent basis.  Can now pee, feel better, and am returning to work on monday for 2 hrs, after 4 weeks at home.  Still require blood tests, fluid restrictions, iv topups, etc everyday and will need to be monitored for rest of life.  But, at least it  was picked up early enough.  Any longer and it would have been very serious indeed. 

Okay.  Why i needed the nasty meds in the first place.... i have a medical condition that's kinda rare.  There is no cure and treatment is usually trial and error.  LOL Big errors!!  It has several names, none of which really describe it well:
Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension  - IIH

Benign Intracranial Hypertension - BIH

Pseudo Tumour Cerebri - PTC

Basically my body either produces too much cerebral spinal fluid or does not absorb the fluid it produces fast enough, or both.  The fluid pools in the brain causing huge headaches and various other problems.  Its a little like a brain tumour, as the fluid causes pressure on parts of the brain and affects the brain's function.  I've lost my fluency of speech, use of left side, had uncontrollable shakes, lost my vision.  But unlike a tumour , the pressure forms on different areas so its unpredictable and obviously can't be removed.  Obviously all those things i've experienced were tempoary and as soon as the pressure is drained via a lumbar puncture i return to normal.  The condition is not fatal, but it will cause blindness if left untreated or treatment is not successful. 

Treatment includes lumbar punctures to drain fluid, medications like diuretics (work on kidneys to remove fluid from body) or shunts in spine or brain venticles.  Shunts only have 50% success rate.  I'm not keen yet.

Fortunately, once the right balance of treatment is found the condition can go into remission and stay there for years.  I was diagnosed 12 months ago.  Had remission for 6 months.  Had 2 years of hell prior to diagnosis with no treatment or diagnosis apart from -"oh its migraines"....... So i do have some vision problems - i had perfect vision but now i have to wear glasses to drive, especially at night and probably should wear them more during the day!! 

Immediately prior to the kidney issue my neurologist and i were trying to get me back into remission after the meds i'd been on stopped working.  I'd been hospitalised for repeated lumbar punctures to drain the fluid as the pressure was high, had headaches, and was beginning to get the speech issues back. (normal pressure 5-12.  Mine 34-55) Thats when he decided to mix migraine meds with different diuretics.  Should have read his MIMS.  Pharmacist in hospital should have picked it up when dispensing my medications each day and upon discharge.  Lots of "shoulda"....

Soooooo....... now you know!!  I look normal.  The biggest problem for me on daily basis is having a headache.  Rarely take anything for it. No point.  Usually have a lumbar puncture once a month.  Doesn't hurt.  Is risky.  Weigh that risk against risk of losing vision if don't have it.  Choose LP.  And even though my kidneys did get f'ed up, the bright side of it all was that the 2 weeks on those nasty meds has appeared to put me back into remission.  Fingers crossed.  I fully intend to stay here forever.  2011 is the year of MY BIG ADVENTURE.  I am not gonna miss that because of a silly headache or peeing problem!! LOL

So #stuffyoucan'tdowhenyourkidneysdon'tworkproperly

Drink coke/caffeine based drinks/alcohol (i'm gonna ask the doc about that one again!!!)
Drink lots of anything - you swell up! I looked pregnant....
Pee - obviously
Wear shoes - feet swell
Stand up suddenly - you pass out
Eat - your body doesn't process toxins so you feel sick and vomit lots
Sleep - have to take meds every 2 hrs + 30 mins apart.  This is why i was always on twitter!!
Work

Of that list the first two only apply now thank goodness!!!

Note:
The link below is to a video made by a lady called Jenny who has IIH.  It does a good job of explaining the illness.  Everything she experiences, apart from surgery, so do i.  The surgery Jenny underwent is for a Lumbar Peritoneal Shunt, which is an option if i choose to go down that path.  If i cannot stay in remission this is the next step.  When i first saw this video i agreed with the sentiment behind the song "why did this happen to me?"  I no longer question the why - it just did!! The question i ask myself now is "what is the best possible life i can have whilst living with IIH?"  I'm on the journey!!

I had nothing to do with the production of this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDlYGzAAuE&feature=PlayList&p=EBD00308D7EF919A&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=23

Le Tour de France

This time next year, all being well, I will be in France watching a couple of the TDF stages live.  Its been a dream of mine for a while now.  I would have loved to have had the opportunity to see Lance Armstrong compete but, as this is his last year, that won't happen  I do hope to see him in the Hawaiian Ironman in 2011.  2011 is the year of MY BIG ADVENTURE. More about that later. 

So next year look for me at the top of one of the mountain stages and half way up the Col de Tourmalet - by far my favourite col.  This year the riders must conquer its slope's twice in 2 days.  Absolute torture.  The  rest of the time I'll be in a pub somewhere in France/Europe watching the highlights on tv, eating and drinking!!!

This years Tour has been one of carnage and drama over the first ten days.  So many crashes in the first few days  ruined the chances of several race favourites, including Lance; the complaints of the riders about the cobble stage; the go slow by the peleton.  All in all it has been fantastic for spectators and for tv viewing.  I watch for the scenic views as well as the cycling.  The history, the architecture, the stories told by the commentators all make for great viewing as the peleton passes through each small town.  Plus men in lycra with shaved legs aren't bad on the eye either!!  Or as is the case with the pic here- no lycra!!!!  So another week and a half of late nights and sleep ins.  Luckily for me i'm off work at the moment.  i couldn't have times it better if it tried!!  Although i am getting cabin fever and would much rather be back at work than lazing around home watching daytime tv and tweeting ridiculous amounts, trying to keep myself occupied. 

Naming rights....

I'm a weirdo.  I say that and mean it.  As far back as i can remember i have always named inanimate objects. Its a family thing, inherited from my mother.  The main objects i have named have been my cars, which is relatively normal. I think!!! My current vehicle is Harvey. He's a boring wagon. His name suits him.  He plods a long reliably doing his job of getting us from A to B.  We also have Poppy, an ageing, red Ford Fiesta, who is actually Adele's car but i tend to drive as she doesn't drive a manual.  Neither did i until recently.  That's another story. My previous car was Colin Malcolm, a Toyoto Camry wagon. Again a boring wagon, who liked to drink a little too much, resulting in problems with his head. And prior to that Lucy the useless Laser.  A contrary biatch of a car who had a mind of her own.  She was retired due to an unfortunate 'meeting' with a friends vehicle towing a boat. 

My reasoning behind naming my cars is that if i give them names, suited to their idiosyncracies, then they may be more likely to behave!  I have yet to prove this theory as i have not conducted a proper study! (I didn't actually call Lucy "useless" to her bonnet as i didnt want to affect her performance! ) And unfortunately, each car HAS  required large sums of money to be spent on their care and upkeep!!  The jury is still out....

At the moment Harvey is desperately asking for a day at the day spa.  He may get his wish next week!  Might even take him shopping for some new shoes if i'm feeling generous. :)

See i am a weirdo.......

You are what you eat...

I spent 3 hours this morning at the pathology lab having some blood taken. 3 hours was a dreadfully long time. They took a rather large quantity of blood. I'm not gonna go into details about the why and what for, but needless to say it's not because I'm fighting fit and perfectly healthy. Anyway, whilst I was taking a break from being stuck, I was people gazing and noticed that a lot of people were coming in to get tested for diabetes. They were all over weight, all about 50 years old, all complaininng about having to fast overnight and miss breakfast, all groaning and moaning about drinking a small bottle of glucose drink that actually didn't look to bad to me, and were all complaining about having one tiny little needle stick!!! Got me thinking. I asked the nurse how many of those people would return positive tests. She estimated about 80%! I was horrified. That was only 1 3 hr period in one centre, in 1 suburb, in one city..... It's an epidemic. I bet 80. % of those people left that centre and went to McDonalds on the way home too. It was just up the road. As was KFC and Souvlaki Hut etc.

On the opposite side of the lab is a new gym. Just opened. Car park was empty. Like the gym before it, it won't last. Yes it still is open. I don't know how it males any money. This new gym is open 24 hours. No classes. Minimal staff. No supervision after hours. It might have anchance. I bet not one of the 80% of the people insaw this morning will ever set foot in a gym. I bet they do go to McDonalds though. Even though it will kill them.

Why Twitter is breaking down the barriers...

Please note : this entry may seem a little disjointed as i melded an older post from my other blog with a post from this blog!! lazy i know.. :)

Inclusive Practices 
 
That was the title of today's workshop. It's very hard to define inclusion without using the word include, or as some smart person did today, exclude! After asking the group to describe it without using include, one 'smart' chap came up with this gem...
" Inclusion is the process by which noone is excluded"

Pretty good, but not enough information i thought! So we added to this by saying,

".... due to race, religion, beliefs, gender, sexuality, age, SES(socio-economic status), disability or ability, etc"


The interesting thing about taking this workshop is that people are always wary of speaking up in case they say the wrong thing. We spend large amounts of time discussing perceptions and judgements made on appearance, race etc, and everyone is willing to share an occasion where they "judged a book by it's cover!" But, one point that ALWAYS shuts people up is "using Inclusive Language". Today we are soooooo politically correct that people are scared to speak up in fear they may offend someone. So today i began this session with a discussion on discriminatory or non inclusive language. "Labels" as they are sometimes known. Finally, after many examples from myself the group began to offer some suggestions -

"towel head", "blacks", "coons", "wog", "spastic", "retard","four eyes", ....... etc.  

All those words that were once used to describe a particular group of people.  Words that were degrading, derogatory and demoralising. It was very confronting for some group members, and some chose not to participate.  I asked if they didn't feel comfortable saying these things because we are all fairly new working together as a group , fully expecting this to be the case.  Which it was. One participant however, blew me away when she said the following ....

" I am so used to not using these words that I don't even think them any more."

Oh, if only that was the case more often. How often do we make judgements based on appearance ..... a classic example the soccer ad on tv in which 2 teams are picked and the really little guy is left over. Typical scenario.  At the end he runs off and kicks an amazing goal. Result - both teams fight over him. We have all been guilty of making judgements. We do it every day. We have all labelled someone.... "Ben Cousins is a drug addict", when really "Ben Cousins has a drug problem." (For non Aussies Ben Cousins is an Aussie Rules footballer who was suspended for a season for drug problems and sacked by his club)

We do this all the time.      Is it wrong???          Depends upon the situation i guess.
In the workplace - definitely wrong; in schools- wrong; at home with family????
Have you passed judgement today?
Did you sit next to someone on the bus and "decide" certain things about them?
Did you bypass a homeless person today and decide they were lazy and dirty and poor and an alcoholic??? All labels......
If only we could all be like my course participant today and not label people and perhaps (just perhaps) the world would not be in conflict....



And you know what i like best about twitter?  I can chat with people from all over the globe and get to know more about other cultures and lifestyles just by sending and receiving these very brief 140 character messages!!  When it gets right down to the bare bones of communication ie. 140 characters only allowed lol, then there is no room for labeling or discriminatory language.  We want to get our messages across in the most simplistic way possible.  Often there is a language barrier.  Most times we use humour. But most importantly, the common message that comes across on Twitter is, that no matter where you are from,  we are all the same. Here for the same reason: to chat, have a laugh, meet similar minded people, share experiences.  And that is how it should be.  Perhaps our governments should jump on here ?? :)

My Proudest Achievement....

How can something this scruffy and cute.....

Evolve into something this graceful and elegant.....                                                                                       

                                                                                      

And Beautiful.....

                       

Deli will kill me if she sees this but yes I am allowed to brag.  Just a little...

 Love you 'pea! xx

The World Cup

The World Cup is highly topical on twitter atm. Sort of. Most ppl have nominated a country they are at least slighlty aligned with. Brazil seems to love everyone! lool  New Zealand ez surpraseng iviryone! South Africans are being  poopols with their vuvuzelas! And Australia is being hard done by, by the refs....  But it is all a lot of fun and has led to a lot of funny comments and conversations and the occasional pearler of a pic!  Hey Sarah!!!! I'm also taking the opportunity to learn some of the South African lingo!! Not quite sure if i have a handle on it yet but i have had some fun hosing myself and others, being a poopol, with my skattie Ella, and i think theres been some lekker lekker and something to do with oaks happening too??.... haven't quite got the drift of that yet!!!    So i'll blow my =========<() one last time, suck up my spit, and leave you with this thought for the day....

      Girls....Don't let just anyone blow in your vuvuzela. Keep it nice.....

Sailing...

Sailing is something i really enjoy doing.  I'm definitely no Jessica Watson (the 16 yo  aussie who just sailed solo round the world) but i am old enough to be her mother!! I have many friends who love to sail, both competitively and for pleasure.  This is fantastic as i get to experience both types of sailing, and they are very, very different. And my friends have yachts!! Lots of yachts!! A Forty footer built for ocean racing.  A 34  footer  for the harbour racing/cruising most often done here.  A couple of Tiger and Hobie cats - super fast local off the beach sailing.  Super fun!! A mirror or two..... And lots of other toys. I have fun friends :)

Cruising (on the yacht) is great. Relaxing with a beer or champers or what ever is your guilty pleasure, cruising down the Derwent (the river/harbour Hobart sits on), pulling in to a bay for a spot of lunch or a swim  or beach cricket.... And then picking up the sea breeze on the way back, putting up the spinnaker (in the pic) and flying home - sometimes!! Extended overnight trips rock! Anchor off an island or bay somewhere. Row into shore.  Build a fire.  Dive for some lobster and abalone.  Fantastic!  

Racing, on the other hand can be both mentally and physically exhausting. Races can be anything from 2hours to epics like the Sydney to Hobart. I'd never do the Sydney to Hobart. It's hard enough timing visits to the head (bathroom) on the harbour  when tacking and jibing, with a boat full of men! I'm usually the only female in my group of friends who goes sailing. Doing that in massive seas would be awful!!! Longest race i've done is about a 10hr event. My role in the race was purely as moveable ballast!! I literally slid under the boom and hung out over the side of the boat each time we tacked/jibed.... for 10 hours.  That wasn't fun.

The best races would have to be the corporate races held in the evenings after work in summer. About 2hours in total. Fast and furious, fighting other boats around a marked course. And always finishes with a drink and a few tall stories!

Here's a funny story about my first sailing experience - a group of us had decided to take an overnight trip down the River Derwent. Fantastic! It was many years ago. Adele was only young and neither of us had sailed before. The first day and night were great. Althoguh i was a little disappointed as i expected it to be slighlty more exciting than it was.... i had pictured Sydney to Hobart like scenes!! Hooked in trapezes, hanging over side, speeds of 30-40 knots.  The 6-7 knots we did was a little tame for me!! However, the next day, we had to turn back and head home. The weather took a turn for the worse and we had to sail into a terrible northerly which meant a cold, wet trip into a head wind - lots of tacking.  I had no idea what any of this meant at the time. So i ignored the seasoned sailors warnings and Adele and i decided to stay in bed, warm and cosy. 

BAD CHOICE!!! Sea sickness quickly overcame us.... Adele spent the next 7 hours on deck in her pjs, wet weather gear and with her head in a bucket. I managed to swallow a travel sickness pill, only to vomit it "overboard" minutes later. I spent the next 7 hours on deck, assisting the helmsman with a very important job. Apparently, you dont feel as sick if you are concentrating on something else. I had to hold a rope and each time the rope went slack i had to jerk it hard, whilst keeping my eyes on the bow. i wasn't sick any more.  When we were almost back to the marina i needed to pee so i handed the rope to someone else, gave him the instructions and went below. Uopn my return i was aghast to see the rope lying on the deck unattended.  I quickly grabbed it and everyone started laughing...... I'd fallen for the oldest trick in the book. The rope was cleated off the whole time.  I had bloody fingernail marks on my palms from holding on so hard... but i wasn't sick... When we berthed, Adele gave one final heave into the bucket, alighted from the yacht and swore she would never sail again. She hasn't. I swore i would learn from my stupidity. I know NEVER to hold a rope without checking what it does! Oh and if someone says" hold this rope" then thats automatically a clue as ropes on yachts are called "sheets" :)) I also learnt which side of boat to vomit over - the lowside - downwind, not the side i chose. Everyone else standing near me also learned the hard way for not telling me that important piece of information!! Haha!! And i also learned not to attempt to use the head at the same time as "going about". You get wet. I have since mastered the art of not needing the head. But that story is not one to be repeated here :D

RoboCat

Before we start i admit i  stole this idea from someone else.  More accurately the other blog reminded me of this.....and if you havent read the other blog then you won't really find this all that amusing or even interesting. Again i say go here http://www.neilandrea.com/ read, be impressed, or not, BUT LEAVE A COMMENT AS NEIL NEEDS TO FEEL THE LOVE, and say i sent you if you wish. I dont care if u comment. i already feel loved.

Anyway... RoboCat, or as she was called in our house for many years Tekno Kitty, as that is what it said on the box, has lived with us now for about 10 years.  She is very low maintenance.  She does not require 7 people to care for her. In fact she has lived very well with no care for the past 8 years alone, uncared for, unloved, in her box, in a plastic crate, in a garage or shed.  I dug her out today. Her batteries still worked!!!(it is true what they say about the Energiser Bunny!) She greeted me with a purr and a meow, and immediately resumed were she had left off 8 long years ago. Her tail waved, her head waggled and her eyes flashed.  Very uncatlike.  Our real cat at the time was terrified of her.  Our bird Katie, who is still with us, is not. 

I was thinking of going into business with Tekno Kitty. There is obviously a market for robotic animals and mammals (and even real life mermaids).  But i think i will have to move to the US.  The  job market in Tasmania is too limited.  and even though i have the skills to assist anyone to gain a job, if real live people can't get jobs,  then my RoboCat is stuffed.  Although i did see an opening at the local pet store for a sales assistant. Must like rodents!!!!?? 

There is a vid but i have yet to work out how to link  it....  i have been very very busy. Really.

My office

I'm extremely lucky as  i get to work in so many different places.  My work allows me to travel around the local area quite extensively, and if i wish i can pick up work around the state or even interstate.  Now that Deli is "all growed up" i can do this more often. That is my long term plan.  So here are some photos of some of the places i have recently been working either at or near.
This first pic is of the Fraser  coast-Hervey Bay - home of the whale watching capital of Australia.  Not strictly working here. But i was canvassing the area for work opportunites for when i return shortly. :) Really...

The second and third pics are the view from my front deck, just outside my study/home office.  As you can see, its a great view and changes minute by minute, with some magnificent cloud formations over Mt Wellington. In winter the mountain is often covered in snow, as it was a few days ago. Its a great place to go for bushwalking, rock climbimg, abseiling and has some fantastic MTB tracks. All within 15 mins of home! I have ridden from home to the top - once. And back.  It was epic. Don't feel the need to do that again!!  I'll post more pics of other places around Tassie later. Its such a beautiful place to live.  You should all come and visit some day!!

My Mailbox

My mailbox is green. It has the number 11 on it and the letter A. It sits on a pole next to it's mate, number 11(no letters), at the bottom of a long, steep, windy drive, which has a very big ditch beside it. It's a treacherous journey down to the mailbox. It's winter here and the temperature barely reaches double figures most days. (we measure in celcius) So sometimes its icy, sometimes its covered in loose gravel, sometimes its very windy as we sit on top of a big hill. My house sits at the top of a large block which is being subdivided and hence some construction is occuring in front. Luckily we are situated so nothing will obstruct my view and i can not be built out behind as we back on to a public reserve. Beautiful. Peaceful. Private. BUT...... it means i have a long steep and often hazardous walk to check my mailbox each day. Normally this isn't an issue. However, since i won the competition on Neil Andrea's blog (http://www.neilandrea.com/ go and have a look, you won't regret it) it will shortly become necessary for me to check my mailbox a little more regularly - like every half an hour - lol..... no seriously..... i might just get a little fitter this month.

Hello Tweeps

Hey guys! Welcome to my tweet blog. Not sure what this will be about, if anything, but i shall just see where it takes me. I have a real blog which i'll probably link to from here every now and then, but that tends to be rather boring. Twitter, for me, is all about having fun! :) It's a way of taking time out from the real world i guess. More entertaining than sitting in front of the tv; but no substitute for socialising with friends face to face either. Mind you, in the short time i have been chatting with some of you, you feel like friends already :)

Most of the peeps i chat with have one thing in common - The Walsh!! I admire Kate for her tenacity at sticking to something she loves and pursuing her dream. I've followed her career on and off for a while now. She's funny, beautiful and on top of that can act!!! Oh and her bf's not too bad either. Agreed??? lol

I guess i'm not the typical Kate fan. I'm not a teenager. I'm not overly obsessed. I don't make fanvids. I do watch them. I do read the press releases and look at pics. And since finding twitter, i tweet to Kate!! And Neil :) Neil tweets back. Often. And don't the Kate fans love that??? Yep we do!! haha Neil has his own following now, and even his own fan!!

Most of u already know i'm older than the majority i tweet to. Yep i'm an old hag!! I'm a mum and best friend to the most beautiful girl in the world - Adele!! She's nearly all grown up but will always be my baby girl!! She doesn't tweet much. And she's horrified that i do!!! lol Thinks i'm having a mid life crisis or something! She's probably right!! :)

I've been asked why i'm online so much and the short answer is that i'm not working overly much at the moment. I work on a contract basis (self employed) so i pick and choose my jobs and hours etc. And yes i DO SLEEP!!! Just not the regular 8 hours at night like most people. Why? Short Answer is i'm on twitter!!! haha

Work for me consists of lots of different stuff. I was teacher (primary school, then Maths/Phys Ed/Sports Science etc)but now i work with adults and college age students, doing all sorts of stuff. I train Teacher Assistants to work with Special Needs students. I work with adults with aquired brain injuries, giving them skills necessary to return to the workforce. I work with young adults with Autism, assisting them with communication and social skills in order for them to enter the workforce. I work with groups of long term unemployed ppl giving them computer and basic business skills so they have the confidence to apply for jobs. I work with community groups setting up programs for disadvantaged ppl who do not have access to technology. I assist adults with literacy and numeracy. I work with migrants, giving them functional literacy skills and the ability to access further education or training. I also work at the opposite end of the spectrum. I consult to companies, offering training in time management, project management and diplomas and certificates in Frontline Management and Business Administration. Boring stuff. And completely unrelated but by far my most favourite thing - i teach swimming to children. In particular to children who have an extreme fear of the water, have had no prior experience (usually migrants) or have a disability. I LOVE it. Been doing it for over 20 years. Did it fulltime for a while. Was fantastic. Would love to do more of it again. Could talk about that forever!!! :)))

Thats enough for now.... Later :>]