ELECTIVES, ACT CROSS COUNTRY CLUB PRESENTATION AND TINKERBELLE'S 1ST BIRTHDAY

13th and 14th October 2010

During the night the rain came tumbling down, the heavy drops were battering rapidly against the windows and the ground was saturated. The damp weather made my right ankle, knee and heel pound with pain and my left wrist became stiff and painful, hurting even to bend slightly.


The heavy rain continued into the morning so I had to arm myself with my umbrella before venturing outside to go to school. Even with an umbrella my legs and feet still got wet, which made my heel and ankle ache more severely. Once in the warmth of my dry classroom I began to dry off and felt a little more comfortable. We spent the first half hour at school discussing our Integrated Studies Task and what the different possibilities were for topics.


We headed into French with the rain still bucketing down in torrents, this Term we are learning French directions ready for our assessment which will be using a map to give written instructions in French for a person to find certain locations. I am actually finding the vocabulary used for directions much more simple than for food. This is a short Term so we have a lot to fit into a short period of time.


From French I had to put my umbrella up to head across the bridge into Senior School where my Textiles classroom is. We finished off our keyring weaving that we began before school holidays, I was really pleased with how mine turned out. I then started on a different type of weaving, it was one using a card with four holes, one in each corner, I had to thread a piece of wool through each hole, then I had to have the card in the middle and tie a knot at either end of the four pieces of wool. I then cut a piece of wool to weave through, you went through the space then you turned the card on a new axis and weaved the wool through again, you kept repeating this, what it makes is a friendship bracelet, I have not quite finished yet but it won't take long next lesson to complete it. Then we are going to begin knitting, I can hardly wait to do this because Mum has already taught me to knit and I have become rather expert at it, although if I have problems with my hands then I am unable to knit.


The rain had eased slightly as we signed off for the morning and began our walk home, Mum even commented that it looked as if it was pouring, then suddenly a deluge of rain began to fall and we were caught in it, fortunately we were almost home when this happened, my feet and legs were wet and had to be dried and Mum who can't carry an umbrella when pushing my wheelchair was soaked to the bone.


After drying off we had a hot cup of milo which warmed us up from the inside, I needed to have a rest, I was feeling fatigued but my left wrist was also swollen and painful, I enjoy my textiles and it was becoming painful but I did not want to say anything, I think I should have because the pain had begun to shoot up to my elbow and then it was difficult to bend it.


I did my physiotherapy exercises but did not ride the exercise bike because my ankle and heel were too inflamed and painful, I did some reading to myself and Mum and I had a game of Upwords.


We heard from Sydney and had to contact my paediatrician and I have an appointment late on Monday afternoon, he will then do a thorough examination and organise tests that I need to have done, after that the results will be communicated to my Sydney Team.


At night we had the ACT Cross Country Club Presentation Night, it was extremely exciting because Jarrett won a medal for being the U16 Male Champion as well as a Goblet and large Trophy for being the Junior Male Runner of the Year 2010. I was so proud sitting there seeing Jarrett receive his awards, he truly deserves them because he is so dedicated to the sport and his training. I think receiving the awards will also boost his confidence after his problems with his asthma and diagnosis of vocal chord dysfunction. Jarrett is always so humble when he receives awards and he told me that the awards that he won were for me also because I inspire him in his running.


I was extremely tired as we drove home in the rain and I fell asleep in the back seat of the car, Mum gently lifted me out but I woke up. I had a warm cup of milo and went to bed hoping for a decent night sleep. I would love to announce that I had a marvellous night sleep but unfortunately yet again I had another disturbed night again with pain and joint stiffness, one day, I will eventually have an uninterrupted night, I can only dream that will be soon.


Today was Tinkerbelle's first Birthday, I had made her a rainbow pom-pom ball and when I gave it to her she played with it for ages, picking it up in her little paws and throwing it, pouncing on it and just lying with it and patting it ever so often from paw to paw. Tinkerbelle has comforted me, loved me unconditionally and made me laugh often, she was a wonderful gift and I love her so much.


I worked on my Integrated Studies Task today, doing up a mind map of what I would like to include in my presentation. I am so excited because when I do my presentation it will coincide with International Brain Tumour Awareness Week, so I am hoping to actually encourage people to take part in at least one of the activities that are organised to raise awareness.


Working on my project tired me, so I had a rest before answering some emails and watching Disney Beauty and the Beast which is my favourite Disney Princess Movie because Belle is such a strong, unique and caring person, she overlooked the ugliness of the Beast to see his true inner beauty on the inside. So many people are wrapped up in what they look like on the outside and forget that true beauty comes from within you and makes you more beautiful on the outside. I have scars, no hair in spots and a different shaped skull now, I don't care, because it is not what is on the outside, I am warm hearted and my inner glow is what makes me special.


We went to running training and Mum finished reading the Cathy Freeman book 'Born to Run' to me. She spent seventeen years waiting for her dream to come true of winning a Gold Medal at an Olympics, she achieved that goal through determination and dedication despite her background.


Tonight I rode the exercise bike for fifteen minutes but my ankle and heel were in agony so I had to stop. I tried walking a little but found my heel had the most terrible tingling in it which made my foot jump up each time I attempted to put any pressure on it.


Tomorrow I have school again, I have Integrated Studies and double Science, it is also supposed to rain again, there are reports that we are to have 50mm of rain overnight with the rain continuing tomorrow, our dams are now at their highest levels in eight years.


'Believe in yourself and all you want to be, see your challenges and changes as something that will help you reach your dreams'