Oh, and since it's been a month since I last posted, here are a few little messages of catch-up.
1. Uncle George is doing well and is back home from hospital. Grandma and Grandad are having a little bit of trouble moving him between the bed and the wheelchair but they are all managing reasonably well and are lots happier for him being at home.
2. I'm off the 6-MP, with both my Doctors concluding that while it works to fix the Crohn's symptoms, the side effect of my ending up with a drastically hobbled immune system is not worth it. I'm now experiencing the unmitigated joy that is once-weekly blood tests, and have to see the Haematologist again on the 30th.
3. Nicky is pregnant again, and valiantly keeping up the effort to prove herself again worthy of the "Queen of Spew" award given to her by workmates during her first pregnancy.
4. Went to Bryce's book launch on Monday. Had fun, was amazed to find that he remembered me, and read about half the book as soon as I got home. I'm now almost finished the book and it's a good read. I might write a review if I get around to it.....(I'd say "stay posted" at this junction, but considering the fact that I've only managed one blog post a month for the last few months, it's probably more like "don't hold your breath"!)
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Why, yes, I'd love to pay you more money.
I got a nice, polite letter from my mortgage provider yesterday, advising that due to "significant increases in capital market costs", they have put my interest rate up by 0.25%. Of course I realise they have costs, but what's next? "Due to a significant increase in the cost of those blue business shirts with white collars that all of our financial staff like to wear..."? "Due to a significant increase in the cost of sending you nice letters to inform you that there's been a significant increase in costs..."?
Coincidentally, today's the first Wednesday of the month - so in a little under an hour, the lovely people at the Reserve Bank will announce their decision on the cash rate for the month of October. Analysts have predicted that it will stay steady and I hope they're right. The wobbly house of cards that is my personal budget doesn't really need another rate increase at the moment. There is expected to be another rate rise before the end of the year though.
And, yes, I know that the economy is going gangbusters. How could it not be, with all the money being pumped in by my mortgage repayments!
Coincidentally, today's the first Wednesday of the month - so in a little under an hour, the lovely people at the Reserve Bank will announce their decision on the cash rate for the month of October. Analysts have predicted that it will stay steady and I hope they're right. The wobbly house of cards that is my personal budget doesn't really need another rate increase at the moment. There is expected to be another rate rise before the end of the year though.
And, yes, I know that the economy is going gangbusters. How could it not be, with all the money being pumped in by my mortgage repayments!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Hey - I know someone sort-of almost famous!
Last week, when I was reading a brochure for Mary Ryan bookshops, a face in a photo caught my eye. "I know that face".....and I knew the name too. - The brochure was advertising an Author Event for a new book by Bryce Corbett, who was the older brother of one of my good friends, and was a couple of years ahead of me at school. I think he worked for the milkman and delivered our milk at one point.
Anyway, he's written a book about his life in Paris, where he now lives. It's called "A Town Like Paris" and I don't actually know if it's any good because I don't think it's available for sale yet and in any case I will wait for the author event to buy mine. The few reviews I've been able to get hold of online indicate that it's funny and well written, so I recommend you get out and get it when it's available, so that you can support my old friend's brother. If you're in or around Brisbane on the 1st of October, you might want to get along to the event at Mary Ryan's at Milton - give them a call to book.
On the crohn's front, the 6-MP I've been taking is causing more bone marrow toxicity so my immune system is again suppressed more than it should be. I'm having more blood tests (I've had so many now that the nice lady who collects my blood samples knows me by name when I come in the door) and I have to see my Haematologist again. I can't get an appointment with him till the 25th of September so it's all a little up in the air at the moment. He has suggested that he might need to take a bone marrow sample which sounds like not much fun.....but we'll see....
Music recommendation of the day - Canadian Indie Pop band The New Pornographers.... With a name like that I dare you to Google them at work tomorrow!
Oh, and thanks to the lovely and talented Bonne Marie at ChicKnits for the link to this comic. I laughed so hard....(The Man thought I was nuts, so maybe you have to be a knitter...)
Anyway, he's written a book about his life in Paris, where he now lives. It's called "A Town Like Paris" and I don't actually know if it's any good because I don't think it's available for sale yet and in any case I will wait for the author event to buy mine. The few reviews I've been able to get hold of online indicate that it's funny and well written, so I recommend you get out and get it when it's available, so that you can support my old friend's brother. If you're in or around Brisbane on the 1st of October, you might want to get along to the event at Mary Ryan's at Milton - give them a call to book.
On the crohn's front, the 6-MP I've been taking is causing more bone marrow toxicity so my immune system is again suppressed more than it should be. I'm having more blood tests (I've had so many now that the nice lady who collects my blood samples knows me by name when I come in the door) and I have to see my Haematologist again. I can't get an appointment with him till the 25th of September so it's all a little up in the air at the moment. He has suggested that he might need to take a bone marrow sample which sounds like not much fun.....but we'll see....
Music recommendation of the day - Canadian Indie Pop band The New Pornographers.... With a name like that I dare you to Google them at work tomorrow!
Oh, and thanks to the lovely and talented Bonne Marie at ChicKnits for the link to this comic. I laughed so hard....(The Man thought I was nuts, so maybe you have to be a knitter...)
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Looooong Time no post
Wow, it's been so long since I've been here that I'd forgotten my blogger password. Sorry.
I've been quite busy lately and have been filling in all my spare time with madly attempting to finish a couple of knitting projects - a jumper for my neice (which she will probably grow too big for before it's finished, at this rate) and a cardigan and pants suit for a friend's little boy who's due very soon.
A potted history of the last couple of months.
July - I turned 33, The Man went to Perisher for a week with a friend, and with Lalla looking after The Boy for the weekend I took the opportunity for a whirlwind trip to Sydney for two days. I took Mum to the theatre to see Company (loved it), had dinner with the family in J & D's new flat, which isn't actually so new but I hadn't seen it, visited Uncle George in hospital, visited Grandma and Grandad and drove Mum and Dad down to Dad's hangar, where he took the Chipmunk, which he'd just sold, for a final flight, involving me in the back seat feeling uncomfortable during the extremely tame aerobatic maneuver he managed to do before I sheepishly asked him not to do any more. (For those who know about such things, I couldn't handle a wingover.....I'm such a wuss)
August - We planned and packed and headed off for our trip to ski in Queenstown in NZ (12th-19th August). We had a great time and despite some difficulties and a little bit of a tantrum one morning, I did manage to improve my skiing over the week. I keep meaning to write a great long report, but I haven't got to it yet, which means I probably never will. (My road to hell is well and truly paved up to about knee deep by now with all my good intentions!). Anyway, if you want to see some footage from the first part of our trip, including me skiing slowly in a state of great concentration, here it is.
'
Things have been up and down with Uncle George - they moved him out of the high dependency ward into Rehab, then he got pneumonia, but Dad told me today that yesterday he was the best Dad has seen him since he went into hospital. He is cheerful and eating well, which is really great news.
I've been in my new job for nearly 14 weeks now. Gee time flies! I had my first performance review last week and it was quite good. I'm soooooo glad I left my old job. I've got an appointment to have afternoon tea with a couple of the people from my old team on Friday. I miss them, but not the job. I'm so much happier now with my work, and it's amazing what a difference that makes to your general well-being.
My personal training sessions are going well - at least I'm increasing the amount of weight I work out with (up to 7kg in each hand for squats and lunges) and there seem to be some muscles making an appearance! Who knew! I'm getting more and more convinced that all personal trainers are closet sadists, though, because my pt pushes me until it really hurts on the end of each set.....but that's nothing to how much it hurts the next day! Thank goodness I'm starting to see some benefits in my strength and body size (jeans are getting a little loose) because it's not easy to go back for that pain every week!
We just popped outside and checked out the start of the lunar eclipse. I thought the moon would be below the hill across the road for most of the start of the eclipse but it's well and truly above the hill. Not much to see yet, and it's a little cloudy so not as easy to see as it could be, but we'll keep looking!
Happy Birthday to Sharon, Uncle Peter, Grandma, Aunty Pam, Uncle George and Jill, who have all registered one number higher since I last posted.!
I've been quite busy lately and have been filling in all my spare time with madly attempting to finish a couple of knitting projects - a jumper for my neice (which she will probably grow too big for before it's finished, at this rate) and a cardigan and pants suit for a friend's little boy who's due very soon.
A potted history of the last couple of months.
July - I turned 33, The Man went to Perisher for a week with a friend, and with Lalla looking after The Boy for the weekend I took the opportunity for a whirlwind trip to Sydney for two days. I took Mum to the theatre to see Company (loved it), had dinner with the family in J & D's new flat, which isn't actually so new but I hadn't seen it, visited Uncle George in hospital, visited Grandma and Grandad and drove Mum and Dad down to Dad's hangar, where he took the Chipmunk, which he'd just sold, for a final flight, involving me in the back seat feeling uncomfortable during the extremely tame aerobatic maneuver he managed to do before I sheepishly asked him not to do any more. (For those who know about such things, I couldn't handle a wingover.....I'm such a wuss)
August - We planned and packed and headed off for our trip to ski in Queenstown in NZ (12th-19th August). We had a great time and despite some difficulties and a little bit of a tantrum one morning, I did manage to improve my skiing over the week. I keep meaning to write a great long report, but I haven't got to it yet, which means I probably never will. (My road to hell is well and truly paved up to about knee deep by now with all my good intentions!). Anyway, if you want to see some footage from the first part of our trip, including me skiing slowly in a state of great concentration, here it is.
'
Things have been up and down with Uncle George - they moved him out of the high dependency ward into Rehab, then he got pneumonia, but Dad told me today that yesterday he was the best Dad has seen him since he went into hospital. He is cheerful and eating well, which is really great news.
I've been in my new job for nearly 14 weeks now. Gee time flies! I had my first performance review last week and it was quite good. I'm soooooo glad I left my old job. I've got an appointment to have afternoon tea with a couple of the people from my old team on Friday. I miss them, but not the job. I'm so much happier now with my work, and it's amazing what a difference that makes to your general well-being.
My personal training sessions are going well - at least I'm increasing the amount of weight I work out with (up to 7kg in each hand for squats and lunges) and there seem to be some muscles making an appearance! Who knew! I'm getting more and more convinced that all personal trainers are closet sadists, though, because my pt pushes me until it really hurts on the end of each set.....but that's nothing to how much it hurts the next day! Thank goodness I'm starting to see some benefits in my strength and body size (jeans are getting a little loose) because it's not easy to go back for that pain every week!
We just popped outside and checked out the start of the lunar eclipse. I thought the moon would be below the hill across the road for most of the start of the eclipse but it's well and truly above the hill. Not much to see yet, and it's a little cloudy so not as easy to see as it could be, but we'll keep looking!
Happy Birthday to Sharon, Uncle Peter, Grandma, Aunty Pam, Uncle George and Jill, who have all registered one number higher since I last posted.!
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Disappointments
Up until this evening, Uncle George had been doing really well. They drained the fluid from his lungs last week and he had improved a bit almost immediately. He had slowly got better little by little each day, and was sitting in his wheelchair. But we got bad news today that he has got a bad infection. I don't know anymore but it doesn't sound good.
And, in what now seems to be incredibly trivial news, I found out this evening that the new Doctor Who companion for the 4th season will be Catherine Tate, reprising her "The Runaway Bride" character of Donna. I guess I can understand the idea behind it, going from a companion the Doctor fell in love with (Rose) to a companion who fell in love with the Doctor and he just liked her (Martha) to a companion who is so blinking annoying that I can't imagine anyone being prepared to stay in a room with her.......(good thing the TARDIS is really really big inside). I'm just really disappointed - I actually found her character annoying enough that it might just turn me off watching the show - and this is a show that I am obsessed with, and have a withdrawal-like reaction to the end of a series...... The Man reckons that I'll watch it anyway, and I have to admit he's probably right, but I don't have to like Donna, do I? I won't do it, I won't! (pardon me while I pout, suck my thumb and find my blankie...)
Oh, and I see the Gastroenterologist tomorrow morning. He now does earlier appointments so I'm able to have an 8am appointment and get to work earlier (up until recently the earliest appointment was 9am, which usually meant it was after 10 before I got to work).....
And, in what now seems to be incredibly trivial news, I found out this evening that the new Doctor Who companion for the 4th season will be Catherine Tate, reprising her "The Runaway Bride" character of Donna. I guess I can understand the idea behind it, going from a companion the Doctor fell in love with (Rose) to a companion who fell in love with the Doctor and he just liked her (Martha) to a companion who is so blinking annoying that I can't imagine anyone being prepared to stay in a room with her.......(good thing the TARDIS is really really big inside). I'm just really disappointed - I actually found her character annoying enough that it might just turn me off watching the show - and this is a show that I am obsessed with, and have a withdrawal-like reaction to the end of a series...... The Man reckons that I'll watch it anyway, and I have to admit he's probably right, but I don't have to like Donna, do I? I won't do it, I won't! (pardon me while I pout, suck my thumb and find my blankie...)
Oh, and I see the Gastroenterologist tomorrow morning. He now does earlier appointments so I'm able to have an 8am appointment and get to work earlier (up until recently the earliest appointment was 9am, which usually meant it was after 10 before I got to work).....
Friday, June 29, 2007
Let's hope next week is better.....
It's not been such a good week. My Monday blood test showed that my neutrophils were still only 0.6, so my haematologist asked me to have more blood collected yesterday. The results today show that the neutrophils are up to 0.8 (not brilliant, but we'll take any improvement we can get at the moment). My haemoglobin is still low, so I'll be going in for a blood transfusion next Saturday. I know that it's all incredibly routine and everything, but I'm a little apprehensive. I said to Mum this evening "they should keep the blood for the people who need it". She said "If the doctor is recommending this, you're the people who need it!" She also said that it's for this reason that she donates blood - to help people who are unwell. I wish I could just request a couple of units of her donations....
But even worse than that, my wonderful, special Uncle George had an operation earlier this week that didn't go according to plan and now he's in hospital, very sick and possibly at risk of dying soon. I feel so bloody far away from my Sydney family right now. I looked up flights for this weekend but they're very expensive. At the moment I'm waiting for news as it comes to hand, and hoping, hoping, hoping that he'll be okay.
But even worse than that, my wonderful, special Uncle George had an operation earlier this week that didn't go according to plan and now he's in hospital, very sick and possibly at risk of dying soon. I feel so bloody far away from my Sydney family right now. I looked up flights for this weekend but they're very expensive. At the moment I'm waiting for news as it comes to hand, and hoping, hoping, hoping that he'll be okay.
Uncle George last October at Jill's wedding. (I know the corners are missing but for some reason this photo was taken on an angle so I had to rotate it and crop but it was still missing bits.....)
Monday, June 25, 2007
Helmets, babies, water restrictions, birthdays and bone marrow tocixity
All of these things are a part of my life at the moment.
The Man and I decided to buy helmets to protect our little headsies and brainsies when we ski. I selected a size small, which seemed right in the shop but when we got them home and tried them on with goggles, it was too big so I had to go back and get an extra small. Good things come in small packages, like my tiny head, obviously. We got a helmet for The Boy a little while ago, so we will all have lovely protected heads for our upcoming ski trip to the land of the long white....ski run (hopefully).
Our good friends A and M had a little girl last weekend. I am madly trying to finish a gorgeous little rose-pink jacket that I've been knitting for a while....my fault that I've been procrastinating and working on other things, but there's only one sleeve to sew in and the buttons to sew on, and to give it a good wash and block and it will be done. Photos when it's finished, I promise.
Our technical writer at work is on tenterhooks because his partner is 5 days overdue with their first baby, another little girl. Aaargh.....I'm running out of time to knit booties.....
We are well into level 5 water restrictions and some recent rain hasn't been enough to really affect the dam levels at all. We are all being encouraged to use 140 litres or less of water per day per person, with full dishwasher and washing machine loads and 4 minute showers. To assist with this, the government recently had a massive mailout of 4 minute shower timers. I'd already bought a timer, so we had one in the shower already, but we put the new one in the shower and it fell off the wall and broke after less than one day. Damn. I was looking forward to being allowed to have 8 minute showers. *ha ha* Now it's back to attempting to get finished in 4 minutes. (I try, I really do, but it's hard to get the water to the right temperature and wash your body and shampoo and condition your hair and comb the conditioner through and wash your face and rinse off in 4 minutes....oh well, gotta keep trying.)
It's birthday time here at the moment - My niece's 2nd birthday tomorrow, The Boy and his best friend at the beginning of July, our friend Nicky is turning 40 in the middle of the month, and my birthday is later on in July. The Man and I are finally managing to get out for the long-awaited dinner at Gambaro's seafood restaurant in a couple of weeks and we're going to stay the night at the Sofitel in town. The Boy's Grandma is coming down to take care of him for the night. I can't wait...I haven't had prawns in sooooooooo long, not to mention oysters, crabs, moreton bay bugs......
And in health-related news, the Puri-Nethol (6-mercaptopurine/6-MP) I was taking for my crohn's disease has started to make me sick. It had started to be toxic to my bone marrow, my haemoglobin had got down to 71 (should be 115 plus) and my neutrophils were 0.5 (should be 2+). So I'm tired, pale, have a tendency to nearly black out when I get up too quickly and have lowered resistance to infection. I'm off the drugs for the next week and a half and having blood tests once a week, so I'll have to see how it all goes. The gastroenterologist thinks that I will recover on my own without treatment so fingers crossed. I should have some idea tomorrow when I call to get the results of today's blood test.
Anyway, I hope you're all well, you didn't wash away in NSW's recent storms and that your winter isn't too chilly. :)
The Man and I decided to buy helmets to protect our little headsies and brainsies when we ski. I selected a size small, which seemed right in the shop but when we got them home and tried them on with goggles, it was too big so I had to go back and get an extra small. Good things come in small packages, like my tiny head, obviously. We got a helmet for The Boy a little while ago, so we will all have lovely protected heads for our upcoming ski trip to the land of the long white....ski run (hopefully).
Our good friends A and M had a little girl last weekend. I am madly trying to finish a gorgeous little rose-pink jacket that I've been knitting for a while....my fault that I've been procrastinating and working on other things, but there's only one sleeve to sew in and the buttons to sew on, and to give it a good wash and block and it will be done. Photos when it's finished, I promise.
Our technical writer at work is on tenterhooks because his partner is 5 days overdue with their first baby, another little girl. Aaargh.....I'm running out of time to knit booties.....
We are well into level 5 water restrictions and some recent rain hasn't been enough to really affect the dam levels at all. We are all being encouraged to use 140 litres or less of water per day per person, with full dishwasher and washing machine loads and 4 minute showers. To assist with this, the government recently had a massive mailout of 4 minute shower timers. I'd already bought a timer, so we had one in the shower already, but we put the new one in the shower and it fell off the wall and broke after less than one day. Damn. I was looking forward to being allowed to have 8 minute showers. *ha ha* Now it's back to attempting to get finished in 4 minutes. (I try, I really do, but it's hard to get the water to the right temperature and wash your body and shampoo and condition your hair and comb the conditioner through and wash your face and rinse off in 4 minutes....oh well, gotta keep trying.)
It's birthday time here at the moment - My niece's 2nd birthday tomorrow, The Boy and his best friend at the beginning of July, our friend Nicky is turning 40 in the middle of the month, and my birthday is later on in July. The Man and I are finally managing to get out for the long-awaited dinner at Gambaro's seafood restaurant in a couple of weeks and we're going to stay the night at the Sofitel in town. The Boy's Grandma is coming down to take care of him for the night. I can't wait...I haven't had prawns in sooooooooo long, not to mention oysters, crabs, moreton bay bugs......
And in health-related news, the Puri-Nethol (6-mercaptopurine/6-MP) I was taking for my crohn's disease has started to make me sick. It had started to be toxic to my bone marrow, my haemoglobin had got down to 71 (should be 115 plus) and my neutrophils were 0.5 (should be 2+). So I'm tired, pale, have a tendency to nearly black out when I get up too quickly and have lowered resistance to infection. I'm off the drugs for the next week and a half and having blood tests once a week, so I'll have to see how it all goes. The gastroenterologist thinks that I will recover on my own without treatment so fingers crossed. I should have some idea tomorrow when I call to get the results of today's blood test.
Anyway, I hope you're all well, you didn't wash away in NSW's recent storms and that your winter isn't too chilly. :)
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