Ok so I've been really slack but hey, life gets in the way sometimes. This could be a long one so either get a coffee and put your feet up, decide you can't be bothered or I may break it down into bits, who knows, my mind is a blank at the moment - nothing new there then.
March
Don't think a great deal happened, Heather should have gone to Heron Island for a school trip but a cyclone decided to show who's boss and the trip was postponed.
April
OK so this is where things got a bit interesting. Had a doctors appointment because I was getting really bad stomach pains, major reflux etc. Got sent for a blood test which is easy because most medical centres have a pathology section attached so that was all done by 12 on the 1st. Made another doctors appointment for the following week and thought nothing more. However at 8.30 that evening I got a call from the Pathology Lab in Brisbane to ask if I was ok and that they were a bit concerned! They were doing the tests on my blood and decided they needed to ring me immediately to tell me to get to hospital! OK so we all freaked ever so slightly.
Following day - Good Friday, me and the girls drive down to the hospital, walked into Emergency, up to the reception, managed to say that I'd had a blood test and had been told to..... Got no further, the nurse looked at me, told me I was obviously very anaemic and to go and sit down immediately. Started feeling a tad paranoid at that point. Got dragged into the Emergency ward where they started asking millions of questions over and over and over again. Was then told I needed a blood transfusion NOW and that I wouldn't be going anywhere for a while. Rang Kevan who was doing some work north of Brisbane - impressed not!
Had the blood transfusion started, got moved up to a ward, thankfully a room for two and the other person 'seemed' quiet. Was very naffed off as I honestly felt ok.
Had to phone a friend because we were due to go out on the Saturday night and Kevan and I obviously had to cancel as they wouldn't let me out. She freaked slightly :D Anyway Heather and Luke went in our place and had a ball so that was nice wasn't it, they only went on about it for a few days!
Had a bit of a meltdown on the Saturday night as I really really really wanted to leave. I was over it and felt ok and just wanted to be home. However the doctor on duty rocked up told me, Kevan and Abs that I could sign myself out but if I collapsed at home vomiting blood profusely, it may take a while to get me back in! Whoa, thanks for that, let's put the fear of god into all of us why don't you! I think he missed the bedside manner class!
Finally got out in the afternoon of Easter Monday. Happy Easter!
Technical stuff - Haemoglobin levels should be about 130 which I think equates to 13 in the UK. Mine, prior to going in were 50 - equivalent to 5.5 so fairly non existent and no one could quite understand why I was a) not feeling ill; b) not flat out on the floor and we won't even go into how I was driving, working etc. Medical miracle me, either that or medical anomaly.
Regular blood tests in the next few weeks showed that my iron levels were gradually dropping again so had to have a Gastroscopy and Colonscopy booked - joy!
May
You need licences to tie your shoelaces over here so Abs decided it would be a good idea to get a Barista licence - all the plebs amongst you that means she can make a cup of coffee. Proper coffee obviously and we stupidly thought she wouldn't have a problem getting a job - wrong! however many months on she still hasn't found one.
Heather decided to do the Bar and Entertainment licence so once she turned 18 she'd be able to get work in a bar if she so wished. That was done through the school so worked out quite cheap. She's still at Woolies, not loving it but it's secure work and she can do the hours that she wants so it works for the time being.
June
Had the Gastroscopy and Colonscopy. Not fun! Well it was ok, was asleep so totally unaware of what was going on but having to empty the body of anything other than organs wasn't the best. Anyway result of these was that I don't have cancer which is nice because I hadn't actually considered I might have, hadn't crossed my mind until they told me I didn't have it of course. However I did have two Gastric Ulcers. One little and not too much bother, the other rather large and rather angry and bleeding. Was on meds for them so not too concerned.
Got the date for Heather's op and countdown was on for the 1st July - all started to get a bit stressed about it (note to self: stress doesn't help ulcers get better).
July
Oh god, getting Heather up to the hospital for her op was a nightmare. She was crying, begging each set of traffic lights to go red and of course sods law they were all green so that really pissed her off. Everyone at the hospital were telling her to calm down which is all well and good but when you're about to get on a trolley and be unconscious for 5 or 6 hours whilst some guy breaks and resets your face, calming down isn't actually possible.
Finally was able to leave her at the Operating Theatre doors and Abs and I escaped to a huge shopping centre for something to eat and a movie to take our minds off things. Saw Toy Story 3 in 3D, such a good film but crying when an animated person gives his toys away to another animated person seems a tad daft!!
Went and got something else to eat and to buy some stuff for Heather. Got a call from Kevan to say the surgeon had just rung him and what were we doing. Panic!! Realised I'd put my phone on silent in the movies and forgot to turn it on again so had missed two calls from the hospital. Felt like the worse parent in the world and we rushed back to find her on the ward, very sleepy, groggy and face strapped up. The drugs they'd given her for sedation and pain were cracking - want some! She loved everyone. Didn't matter who walked into her room, she told them she loved them. Had to text some people to tell them how she was doing and she was aware enough to ask who I was texting. When I told her, she said she loved them. It was ever so cute and we have a recording of her telling Abs she loved her.
Getting her Epilepsy meds down her when she couldn't open her mouth was interesting but the nurses decided to crush them up, mix them with yogurt and I fed her them that way. Found out when she was discharged that we shouldn't have done that as the meds were slow release but I very politely (honest) told the nurse that she wouldn't have had any for three days if we hadn't and that I didn't think her having a seizure immediately after jaw surgery was a good idea.
Got her home on the Saturday which we thought was amazing. The Surgeon and the Orthodontist had told us that's how long it would be but we didn't believe it possible. She was back at school two weeks after the op - seriously impressed by the speed of recovery although finding food I could turn to slop and that she in turn would eat (slurp) was a nightmare.
Anyway she was centre of attention for a week or so with everyone staring at her and telling her how fantastic she looked - you mean she didn't before?????? She had to go into work to give them the medical certificate for time off and the supervisor thought she was Abs and was talking to me about Heather as if she wasn't there. Shock wasn't the word when the penny dropped - quite funny really but she was very embarrassed.
The Monday after she came out of hospital we had an appointment up there to see how things were going. Got home and the phone rang. Kevan - could I come down to the hospital (different one) and collect him as he'd had a operation and they wouldn't let him drive! WTH?????? Turns out he'd been at work and had his finger smashed between a trailer and a ute and when he got to the hospital, after straightening the finger himself (what is it with men?) they'd had a free spot in the daily surgery section and decided to open the finger up, remove the splinter of bone, sort it out and sew it up again. I swear he was after sympathy after Heather getting it all.
You seriously couldn't make it up.
August
Not a huge amount going on from memory and according to the diary. My iron levels were dropping, Heather's face was getting better, Abs started with the xrays ready for sorting out what her jaw would need oh and Kevan hit 50.
Can't believe I just said that. 50 for crying out loud. Now I know it's just a number but it's a fairly serious number. Didn't do much to celebrate to be honest, he wanted it to go away and we thought we'd be better off doing a multi birthday celebration later on.
Heather had QCS exams at the end of the month. These are Queensland Core Skills exams. Four of them over two days, done near the end of Grade 12. Major stress before they start, vague panic during and huge relief after.
September
Again fairly quiet. My birthday arrived and departed fairly swiftly and I'll move on from that and then Heather's hit. Yup 18. She had a party here but we kept them outside until they moved inside to sleep. Very impressed though, got up the next morning to find everything had been cleared up - didn't do things like that in my day!!!!!! She overindulged slightly but was only sick next day and remembers most of the evening so it was all good.
Ended up not really celebrating any of them properly apart from Heather's party but by this time Kevan had been laid off from work and so we had sod all money and what we had we kind of thought we should use for food and bills. Strange like that.
October
Kevan got another job. Not ideal but he can do it in his sleep - agricultural equipment. Unfortunately has an hours drive each way but it's a permanent contract so holidays and sick pay and it's a job.
Got a call from my Gastro guy to say my iron levels were seriously low again, around the mid 60s I would guess so had to go into hospital the other day for an Iron Infusion. Didn't enjoy that, felt really 'off' driving home after six hours of sitting in the Cancer Care Unit having this stuff pumped in. Don't feel hugely better, still really tired but not to worry. Got another Gastroscopy tomorrow which won't show up a great deal but has to be done.
Heather has three weeks left of school so it's a bit busy. Academic Awards Night tonight. She's never won anything academic before and got a bit of a surprise when told she was up for one but it's a secret as to what it's an award for so we're in the dark really. Find out when we get there.
A few exams to go, then Graduation and then on the 19th she has her Formal and then the After Formal party. Formal is being held in some fancy hotel in Broadbeach, We can go watch them arrive in their limos, ice cream vans, American vintage cars, you name it, they're turning up in them. Then we stay to watch them do some dancing - waltz, cha cha and another one I think, then we leave, they sit down and eat. Finish at 11, rush home to get changed and then back to a pick up point at 12:00, onto buses and off to a secret location for a party finishing at about 6am Saturday morning.
She's also going to Melbourne with friends for a week to celebrate finishing school. Not fair, I want to go!
Find out in the holidays whether she's got onto the course she wants at the Uni she wants which will start in February.
Weather
It has been total rubbish this year. Summer was ok, not terribly hot or humid, but ok. Autumn was wet as was winter - should be dry but at least it kept the tank topped up and we didn't have to use town water. Really cold this winter. Had the wood burner going far more than previous years but thank god we have it. Spring started up as it should, warm, sunny, perfect blue skies but seems to have deteriorated somewhat although the last couple of days have been nice. Had a couple of weeks of total UK winter weather (without the stupid temperatures of course). Low grey dank clouds, rainy, shivery - really horrible, struggled to get over 22 degrees. Apparently we're in for much of the same for summer. Wet's fine, but it would be nice to get out of jeans occasionally.
I know everyone feels desperately sorry for us having this rubbish weather :D so mustn't grumble, well not too much anyway.
Update.
At Academic Awards night she was awarded Childcare Student of the Year. Received a certificate, a very nice glass trophy and a cheque for $225 - useful for Melbourne. Really excited. Did have photos but they're on Abs' laptop and that's just blown up!
She had Graduation on Wednesday after getting Tonsillitis on Tuesday! which could have been very very emotional but I only shed a few tears. My camera was playing up - just as she got on stage to receive the Certificate so only got the pics I took afterwards.
Oh and braces finally came off on Tuesday so she's smiling constantly. I'd say the surgery and aggro was well worth it even if it was a very stressful and painful at the time.
The Grad cake was made and decorated by one of her friends and yes it was supposed to read 'ConGRADulations' although it took some of us a while to twig!
Last night was Formal, held in a hotel up at Broadbeach. That's not the boyfriend, he couldn't go as he went to a different High School but the car belongs to boyfriend's dad who drove them up.
That finished at 11, rushed home, changed clothes off to after formal. Got a call at 2:30 to pick her up as the tonsillitis was making her feel rubbish, together with strobe lighting stressing her out in case she ended up having a seizure, managed to get lost trying to find her and eventually got home again at 4. She's off to the first night of Schoolies tonight, then work tomorrow, Schoolies again tomorrow night, Monday night, work Tuesday blah blah blah. We may get some peace and quiet when she goes down to Melbourne on Thursday!
Schoolies is a major event where a few towns around the country get taken over by several thousand school leavers to party. It's quite organised in that they have to register, get a band and then get access to certain events all week. Loads get apartments and stay the week. I think Surfers's is expecting 35,000 tonight. Reason Number 1 why no one in their right mind would actually live in Surfers!
Oh and just to even things up a bit, here's some pictures of Abs done for a photographic shoot.
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