IN SYDNEY STILL

29th and 30th October 2010

'There is a star that shines for me....it gives me love and sets me free.  There is a star that shines for me.....it shines for all tonight'

I saw this quote on a piece of artwork hanging on one of the walls of the hospital when I was allowed to go for a half hour walk from the Ward.  I am going to be in Sydney for a little while longer while they do numerous tests to try to find out what is going on with my body. 

My MRI has not been done as yet, so I still no answers about my foot, so until I have the MRI and we know what it is I am unable to do any weight bearing on that foot and no physiotherapy has been done.  I went for my bone density test though, it was similar to an x-ray but a machine ran over the top of me and took images, I had to maneuver into different positions that they told me to. The results of that should come back next week, it has already been established I have osteopenia but the bone density will determine whether I have osteoporosis also and then I will require treatment for that. 

I went to school in the afternoon only, I go with the High School students and we did some handwriting and I had to write a recount of my morning, I did not have access to a computer so this was difficult and tiring for me, my right hand became tired, so I changed to my left, it is so useful to be able to write with both, perhaps everyone should try it because you never know when you may need it.

The weekends are terrific when you are in hospital because tests can't be done, apart from my blood test which I have to have every single morning.  Mum is able to be with me for just about the entire day, Mum and I are very close, I love her so much.  She is also allowed to have dinner with me tonight, she has had to have take away because she was moving from place to place all the time, she said she felt like a gypsy but now she has a place for a few nights.  Mum has to bring her own food for the dinner and I have the hospital food, it will be great to have a meal with her and feel normal for a night.

I still miss home dreadfully but I have decided that the time will go very quickly and before I know it I will be back home with Dad and the others, in my own bed and doing the activities I love to do.  I wish that there was a children's hospital in Canberra, it is so distressing for children to be so far from home when they are not well, that is the time that you need to be in your home with all the people who love you.  Maybe there is some way that a hospital for children can be built, we are the Nations Capital after all.

Some good news is that my blood sugar levels which had gone high for no apparent reason and they were talking about diabetes have now come back down to a safe level, at least I have some good news to share.  I also have some non medical news to share about Jarrett, he ran at Interclub last night and in the 1500m he did 4:16:00 which is terrific because in March at Olympic Park he ran a 4:19:00 so that is a personal best for him, then he ran in the 400m and did 57:00, another personal best, I am so proud of him.  I am hoping that next year I will be there doing personal bests of my own.

Thank you again to everyone, you are all helping me to get over another hurdle, things are still not great but I have found that strength from within to move on, they can poke and prod me all they want and I will be courageous and accepting of it all, the one thing that truly hurts is Mum and I being away from Dad, Nalani and Jarrett.