SCHOOL FAIR AND SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY

23rd to 29th March 2013

Today is Good Friday which commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus and is a day of mourning for Christians.  It is a very important day in church calendars as the sadness of the Crucifixion and the joyous Resurrection of Jesus are central events in Christian beliefs.  I would like to wish everyone many blessings for Easter, may this be a time that you treasure your loved ones and life.

The School Fair was on Saturday, the weather was absolutely perfect, the weather fairies were certainly looking after us!  I had rested up in readiness for the day.  I was so excited as I was having a stall called 'Dainere's Rainbow of Hope for Brain Tumours'.  It is my greatest wish to raise awareness and funds, in the hope of one day a cure being found for this horrendous disease. 

The day was long and tiring, I had to sleep during the Fair but Mum, Nalani, Jarrett and Gail looked after my stall for me.  Through the donations people had given me and my own contributions I was able to raise  a little over $1000 for The Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation Brain Tumour Research Fund.  With many thanks also to those people who made a purchase from my stall, together we can make a difference one day.  Thank you also to Monique who helped with packing up after such a huge day.

The Fair had exhausted me, so Sunday was spent trying to rest and recuperate.  I had to finish working on my Sports Science assignment also, which I wanted to be of the highest quality possible.  Then soreness and nausea made me feel so ill, it is such a dreadful feeling, I try to cope with it by distracting myself but this time I just slept. 

I was unable to attend school on Monday because I was still unwell and needed the extra day of rest before returning to the hectic school routine. 

With Easter, I then only had three days at school this week.  In Maths we worked on our Money Matters Unit, doing work on compound interest and learning how to use Excel Spreadsheet to calculate compound interest.

In English we have begun our work on Money Matters, researching about tax file numbers, opening bank accounts, industry awards and other issues relating to starting a job for the first time.  We have an assignment to work on which we have to present during Week 10 at school.

I did not have Sports Science this week, instead it was our School Cross Country.  I was so fortunate to be able to compete in it, I used my electric wheelchair and was able to do 3km (which is what AWD athletes do for Cross Country) doing laps of the oval.  The course from last year was just too bumpy and my fragile spine would not cope with it.  Even doing the 3km on the oval was not ideal.  I completed the laps with a humongous smile of achievement on my face but behind the smile I was in pain.  My spine, my neck and my foot ached terribly and then I began  to feel so horribly nauseous.  I had to take an ondansetron, but it did not seem to help.  Competing had meant the world to me, I won a 1st place blue ribbon and was able to earn valuable points for my House Guraguma, but the most important thing to me was that despite my situation, I was having a go showing others that there are no obstacles to competing.  Mum was awarded a personal best ribbon for being there supporting me, often having to pick up her pace to jog alongside me and being my lap counter.  The school community were also splendiferous as they cheered me on during each lap and applauded me as I came down the chute to the finish line. 

Jarrett competed in the Cross County also, he was unable to run at his usual super sonic speed, because of his hamstring injury he had to jog on the flat and power walk the hills and bumpy parts.  As he always wins the Cross Country it was difficult for him to do it this way but he also wanted to show others that despite his injury he was still having a go.  The boys in his age group who would normally not run in the long distance race took the opportunity to have a go, they could actually then say they beat Jarrett, the fastest in the School.  Jarrett still holds the school record though for the 4km, I don't think that will ever get broken.

I had a visit to my family doctor for a check up and he looked at my foot to see if he felt I needed to be referred to an orthopaedic specialist.  There are no boots which they often use for stress fractures that would fit my tiny foot and having it plastered would only be detrimental as it would make my muscles much weaker and ultimately cause more problems. Surgery is often used when someone has multiple re-injuries but they said that is out of the question.  So physiotherapy, compression bandage, rest and voltaren gel are the options.  As I am osteopenic that also means that bone injuries take longer to heal than that of a person with normal bones.   I am going to have my flu injection on 17th of April, as it is important for me to have it as I would get extremely ill if I got the flu.

This week I also had my physiotherapy appointment, which I was relieved to have, my right heel has been re-injured, it is so painful and weak. Kaitlyn worked on it, whilst I had heat packs on my spine and neck.  She used the ultrasound with voltaren to try to assist with the inflammation and pain. On days when I feel so awful, Kaitlyn is my extra special guardian angel, caring for and helping me.

In footy tipping I am leading by just one point to Nana and then Pop is a few points behind.  My poor Tigers did not have much luck in their game in terrible, wet conditions last night, I was so disappointed but it is early in the year, they have plenty of time to improve and move up the ladder.

Today was a true Autumn day, sunny but cool, the leaves on the trees are beginning to change to a gorgeous golden colour and it is becoming darker earlier.

'Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today, make yourself a list and start ticking off things that you would love to do or achieve, don't let any challenge stop you for having a go'