A PAINFUL DAY AND ACT SCHOOLS CROSS COUNTRY

21st and 22nd June 2010

On the day which was my Nana's actual 70th Birthday which also happens to be the day with the shortest daylight hours, I was in horrendous pain. The night before I had hardly slept because of the intensity of the pain and I felt so dreadfully ill and tired. I was supposed to go to school but even though I tried to be determined I just could not. The tears flowed freely and I just so desperately wanted it all to be taken away. I went back to bed and slept for a little longer, my pain still took control of my body. Nalani was sick, she had to go to the doctors, she was diagnosed with a sinus infection and was put on antibiotics. I wish my problem could be so easily treated.

I played Upwords to try to take my mind off the pain and my miserable mood. My Nana and Pop came over and we watched Herbie Fully Loaded together, I found myself dozing off throughout the movie, it was actually good to be relaxed. My pain eased off a little but returned with a vengeance in the evening which there seems to be the pattern for me and that is why I am so sleep deprived. The doctors in Sydney had mentioned taking stronger pain killers and this may have to be an option that I consider just to try to have some decent nights rest.

We spoke to Australian Hearing and my appointment to get my hearing aid on Friday has to be postponed until 30th July because my oncologist forgot to send them the letter before he went away to his conference. I am seeing my paediatrician who returns from his holiday on 12th July so I know that he will do the letter for me and I will be able to then hear in my right ear a little better with the help of the hearing aid. I am so disappointed that I have to wait for another month, my hearing is something that is so frustrating and makes it difficult for me at school to learn.

I had a bit of a runny nose last night so I hope I am not coming down with anything too sinister, that is all I need now. This morning was so overcast and looked like it would most likely rain. Today was the day that Jarrett was running in the ACT Schools Cross Country race at Stromlo Forest Park. The weather improved and the sun even started to peep through the thick clouds when it was time to leave to get to Stromlo. As we headed towards South Canberra the sun was fully out and it looked like the perfect day to run cross country. We watched a few races before, I saw some of my friends from school running and cheered them on, I had hoped this year to have been there at ACT Cross Country running against them but unfortunately that was not to be.

It was then time for Jarrett's race and the clouds had started to cover the sky again making it rather chilly and even though I was extremely rugged up I could feel my bones ache and that brought on my pain. I was so excited though to see Jarrett run and from the start he led the race, he had it all planned, in the second lap he would take off and demolish the field but tragedy struck and coming round the bend into the second lap he felt his thigh go heavy so he had to back off because when he tried to push he could feel a throbbing pain, he continued running but was unfortunately overtaken part way through the second lap, he was determined and showed courage and finished second which was fantastic. I am so proud of him, he runs so well and he did not deserve to get an injury. At the moment we are all feeling very much like nothing seems to go right for us and that our lives are just full of bad luck.

Jarrett will have physiotherapy tomorrow to find out exactly how much damage he has done, he is supposed to be running in a point score event on Saturday and then at the Club Championships the following Saturday.

Nana and Pop are coming over for dinner tonight before they fly home tomorrow, I have made a special desert for them, mars bar slice, I wanted to make them something delicious before they went home. I think they will be glad to go home to the warmer weather and their little dog Chifley.

'Life goes on and tomorrow is a new day and hopefully we may all see a rainbow shinning on our lives in the very near future.'