SCHOOL, ENDOCRINOLOGIST APPOINTMENT, DIETITIAN AND PHYSIOTHERAPY

26th March to 1st April 2011

Cross Country Season has begun and on Saturday morning we went to the first point score event for the Season, Jarrett ran in the 2.1km Junior Point Score event and easily won it, then as a warm down went in the Senior Event which was a 4.2km race.  While Jarrett was achieving some more fantastic results I was using my rollator to do some walking, the surface was definitely Cross Country, a rollator is not as sturdy or supportive on a surface like that and as a result I twisted my right knee but it seemed to be alright.

Sunday was running training for Jarrett from the AIS so again I used my rollator and walked around the perimeter it was much smoother than the Cross Country track I noticed my knee was a little painful but did not think anything of it.  The rest of the weekend was spent working on homework tasks which included planting my broad bean seeds for the salinity project for Science. 

I had a busy yet terrific week at school, in Maths we are now learning about interior and exterior angles in triangles which once you understand it it is rather easy, later in the week we moved on to interior angles of quadrilaterals which as long as you remember they add up to 360 degrees they are also quite easy.  The Salinity Science experiment has continued and I am pleased to report that all my five pots are beginning to sprout, my hypothesis for this project is that if the amount of salinity is increased then the growth height of the plant will decrease, it will be interesting to see if I have made a correct hypothesis.  I finished off a quiz sheet we are working on for the novel Holes and handed in my artwork about a social issue.  My next art assignment is one for an anti-smoking campaign, all Year 8 art Students in the ACT have been asked to enter, I have drafted an idea and will continue to work on it, the winning entry gets to have their artwork displayed on the Canberra Milk Cartons and also wins a gift voucher.  In I.T we are working on our own website design, we are looking at present how other people have designed theirs, noting down the positive and negative points about them. 

During the week my right knee became painful and swollen, which made it difficult at times to put weight on it so I had to rest it, do only a little walking and exercises and then rest and either apply heat or ice to it depending which one relieved it more.  I was so pleased when Friday arrived and it was my physiotherapy appointment.  Rhiannon massaged and then used the ultrasound on it which she got Mum to use while she worked on my other leg, it was such a relief to have the physiotherapy.  My knee remains a little painful and swollen still but I am sure that as the week progresses it will heal.

I received excellent news from the dietitian, she is happy with my height and weight, it is in the healthy weight range and so she told me I am no longer required to see her unless I have any concerns.  I was really delighted to receive this news as it is one less person I have to see. 

My day though on Friday was not all full of good news, I saw the Endocrinologist who actually reminded me of a younger version of my radiotherapy doctor, who was so kind and caring.  He explained to me that from my tumour, where it was located, where I have tumour remaining and my treatment many functions in my body have been affected.  I have multiple pituitary hormone deficiency (MPHD), hypoglycaemia, growth hormone deficiency, adrenocoerticotrophic hormone deficiency and most likely also have cortisol deficiency, thyroid dysfunction and diabetes insipidus.  I have to go into hospital for testing, my first test is on 12th April and is for a whole day, it involves having a cannula inserted and blood taken every twenty minutes, then having a glucagon injection put in my leg and more bloods taken.  This test is called a Glucagon Stimulation test for pituitary function. I have to fast the whole time I am having the test, so I think I will be rather hungry by the end of it.  Following this test I then have to be booked into hospital overnight for another lot of testing but I will tell you more about that when the time comes.  It is most likely that I will be on many tablets and also injections, these will all give me a little more quality in my life but not any extra quantity.  Having a brain tumour certainly changes your life in so many ways, I still have days that I wish this never happened to me but then I am reminded that although it has there are many positive things that have come out of it like my book and raising money for brain tumour research and meeting people I would have never been able to if it did not happen. 

My Great Gran is still with us, she certainly is strong, although she has more fluid building on her lungs and was propped up in a chair and had a fall.  I think she is amazing and just hope that she is not suffering during this time.

'When a shadow comes across I life, I believe if we hold our face to the sunshine our shadows fill fade into the distance and our life will only be filled with warm and light'