12th to 18th March 2011
'Sometimes we worry too much about the future and brood on the past, life if more splendiferous if we focus on the present enjoying every day to its fullest'
Thank you to everyone who has been praying for my Great Gran, she is still with us fighting, she remains in hospital on oxygen but is becoming a little stronger. This week I received some more devastating news about someone else special in my life, Cate, I have spoken about her before, her son Ash interviewed me for Planet You last year, I was so saddened to hear that she had a heart attack and then two minor strokes within a couple of weeks of each other. She has pulled through but has been left with some brain damage, she is an extraordinary person as she is always helping others, again I am left questioning why it is those who are so wonderful and caring are the ones chosen for the most difficult journey's.
We returned from Sydney to a long weekend in Canberra, which I spent, resting, finishing recovering from my illness and doing some school assignments. On Sunday I went to running training and walked around some of the paths around the grounds of the AIS with my rollator. The uneven surface makes it more difficult for me, as sometimes the wheels of the rollator seem to have a mind of their own but I feel so much more confident with walking with my rollator now. Around the house I do some walking without it, some days I am quite steady but other days my balance is not terrific so I have to use furniture to help me regain my balance.
Tuesday was back to school for a short week, in Science we are learning all about plant and animal cells, it is extremely interesting that a cell is made up of so many different organelles like nucleus, golgi body, ribosomes, mitochondrion and cytoplasm. We have to make a 3D model of either a plant or animal cell, we have to be imaginative when we make it. In English we are working on a character study from our novel 'Holes' the character I am working on is Zero. When I have to concentrate excessively at school I find that my eyes with my nystagmus flicker so rapidly I think they are going to pop out of the socket and it makes my vision extremely blurry. I ended up with a really dreadful throbbing headache and then I had this terrible tingling down my right arm and felt excessively tired so I had to go home. After resting I recovered but still felt rather drained of energy for the rest of the day.
I had a bone age scan on Wednesday, as well as my flu injection and visit to the doctors for my blood test results. The bone age scan showed my bone growth is that of a twelve year old, so my growth is falling behind my chronological age. My blood test results were not the best, I have absolutely no immunity to measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, whopping cough, hepatitis A or B or pneumonia. Normally when you have chemotherapy your immune system is attacked but builds back up again however mine is not, I can not have immunisation because of my treatment. There are some other blood tests that have been sent to Sydney for further investigation and they are for blood and immune system diseases, results won't be available for them for six weeks. When I had my flu injection, around the site where it was injected became excessively red, swollen and hot to touch, it lasted for two more days but has now settled not being as large but still a little red and hot to touch.
Today I had physiotherapy which I was ecstatic about because now that I am doing some walking with and without my rollator I am using my calf and hamstring muscles more, but with use they are becoming tight so I was relieved to have them massaged, stretched and released. I also had some work done on my neck as I have continued to have tingling in my right arm which could be coming from my neck as it has exceptionally tight muscles in it. Rhiannon put heat on it also and did some traction, it is much looser but I now have a headache from it being released and that is normal. I did the sit to stand and walk around the stool short walk which I did in 24 seconds and 22 seconds, last time it took me 35 seconds and 30 seconds. With assistance from Rhiannon I did some very slow high knee steps, it was rather scary as I felt really off balanced like I was going to fall flat on my face, then I did some bum kick steps, again I felt quite off balanced but not as much as the high knee ones. I was immensely pleased with my physiotherapy session today.
Nalani has started at the gym, I bet she will be running easily by the end of three months, that will give her time to compete in some of the Cross Country Events which she really loves and either do track in Summer or continue with the Cross Country summer events.
Jarrett is racing next weekend in a Cross Country Junior Point Score event, it is 4.2km, I think he will run a great race, he too loves his Cross Country running. There is always a younger children's race before the main races I am hoping that this season I may be able to go in one of them, even just walking in it.
I wish everyone a splendiferous week full of many rainbow moments.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
SLOWLY GETTING BETTER AND AUSTRALIAN YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS
5th to 11th March 2011
Our World is suffering with so many natural disasters firstly in Queensland, then New Zealand and now Japan it is absolutely devastating and unexplainable, I just hope that we are spared any more heartache in our world for the remainder of the year.
I have spent the last week trying to recover from my upper respiratory infection and middle ear infection, it has taken two lots of antibiotics but it is now almost cleared which is such a relief, I thought it was never going to improve for a while there.
We had our School Fair on Saturday, it was a lovely Autumn day for it, I went for just a short time because I was just not well enough. Nalani helped setting up and Jarrett helped with the tidying up afterwards. I did not even go to running training because I wanted to get better to be able to go to Sydney to see Jarrett run at the Australian Youth Championships, so my walking practise around the AIS with my rollator had to take a back seat for my health.
Nalani had her appointment with the surgeon on Monday and she received some terrific news and that was that she will be fully back into sport within the next three months, she was advised to join the gym, to do some more work so she can get back to her running more quickly. The news put a huge smile on her face, she has found it so difficult not to be doing her sport, she says it not only helps her to feel healthy physically but also mentally.
I had to go for blood tests, they took four large vials, blood tests are so simple for me to have, although the blood nurse did mention that they seem to be taking the blood from the same vein all the time. I have a couple of results back, I have no antibodies to Hepatitis A or Measles, that is from the high doses of chemotherapy, sometimes your body is able to build back these immunities but mine has not been able to. I see the doctor again this Wednesday to have my flu injection, hopefully the rest of my blood results are back and he will discuss them further with me.
This week at school has been tiring for me, with still recovering from illness. My Art work is coming together nicely and I am pleased with how it is looking, in Maths we are learning how to convert decimals to fractions and in Integrated Studies we are working on a project about Active Citizenship. Each day that I have been to school I have been so fatigued that I had to come home and sleep, then again rest also helps your body to heal so it is a good thing however when you have the amount of homework we do in Year 8 it is often difficult to cope.
By Thursday I was given the all clear to go to Sydney to see Jarrett run, I was so elated, I would have been devastated to miss seeing him run. We left Canberra to drive to Sydney in the pouring rain which followed us until we passed Marulen, we had a stop at Sutton Forest to stretch our legs and for something to eat and drink. Driving into Sydney the sky was filled with a thick, heavy smoke haze from controlled burning, it stung our eyes and when you breathed in your lungs were filled with the smoke. However later in the day the winds came up, blowing the smoke away which was a good thing because with Jarrett being an asthmatic it could have really caused him many difficulties.
To stretch our legs again from the trip we went for a walk around DFO and after we checked into our motel we went for the 1.5km walk to Sydney Olympic Park to have a look at the track. On returning to the motel I had a long sleep. After a delicious dinner at the bistro with Jarrett's coach we went to Sydney Olympic Park to watch a couple of other members of Jarrett's squad run in their events. One thing I must mention is that the footpaths in Sydney are atrocious, definitely not made for wheelchairs or even pedestrians they are so uneven, high gutters even at traffic light pedestrian crossings and at times so narrow from tree overgrowth. The races were exciting they were the Steeple events, I love watching them go over the water jump, both members of the squad did extremely well.
Friday was Jarrett's big day but not until later in the night, in the morning he had a physiotherapy appointment so we once again tackled the dangerous sidewalks to Sydney Olympic Park, which has marvellous paths for wheelchairs, as the Sydney Olympics were held there they have to have excellent walking paths. Before his appointment, Jarrett had to do a jog, stretches and some run throughs as part of his pre-race preparation. He had his appointment which he felt loosened up and ready to fly around the track. We had a hot chocolate and shared a jumbo chocolate chip cookie then began our walk back to the motel. Suddenly, the sky turned dark, small spits of refreshing rain turned to larger, heavier drops and then the heavens opened up and it poured down, fortunately, we found shelter under a shop. Eventually the rain stopped and the sun shone upon us again so we could walk the rest of the way back to the motel.
After resting we went across to Paddy's markets, the fresh fruit smelt so scrumptious, although the seafood did not have the same appeal to my sense of smell. There were many stalls with bargains, we picked up a couple. We returned to rest again, I fell asleep, as even though I am recovering my body still is weak from being ill.
The time then came to leave for the race, we drove to the track as it would not be appropriate to have Jarrett walk prior to a 3000m race. The skies had again become dark and there were a few spits of rain however the rain held off until much later in the evening. We watched Jarrett warm up with his Coach before his race then I gave him a humongous hug to wish him luck and told him to run his best. My stomach was full of butterflies when he and the other competitors made their way onto the track for the race, I can only imagine that Jarrett's stomach had many more butterflies than mine. Then it all began with the starters gun going off leaving my ears ringing for ages afterwards. Jarrett was the second smallest in the race, some of the other boys looked so much older than he did and were huge in stature. Jarrett paced himself just as his Coach had told him to, he looked strong, his breathing looked fine which was a relief after his severe asthma attack at Cross Country Nationals. With the final lap to go although Jarrett was not in medal contention he ran focused and strongly making more ground to finish with a 9:15:35 which was a personal best by five seconds this season, he came 11th which he was really thrilled with. He is the fastest in the ACT for his age group in the 3000m and the 11th fastest in Australia, I think that is incredible. The best part was, he has gained so much more confidence because his breathing was fine, I think it has been really scary for him since his attack at Cross Country. He was brave and determined, he was able to overcome adversity and move forward.
It had been a huge day and after a later dinner again with Jarrett's Coach I went to bed thrilled for Jarrett and extremely tired, I slept like a log not even hearing a thunder storm that hit Sydney in the early hours of the morning.
While we were in Sydney we heard some very upsetting news about my Great Grandmother, she has had a heart attack, she is in hospital, she has fluid on her lungs and a blood clot in her artery, the doctors are trying to drain the fluid and dissolve the clot. I have been praying that God will look after her and let her stay with us. Could I please ask you to pray for her and that her doctors will be successful in pulling her through.
I also know that some of my followers have been having health issues themselves and I have also been saying prayers for them and wishing them speedy recoveries.
In line with Jarrett's running I have this quote 'Every great athlete seeks a personal best, they seek new challenges, stretch their capabilities and learn from their mistakes, if they believe in themselves, show persistence, courage and have faith in their ability they will always surge ahead not only in their sport but also in life' I think we can in our lives all think like athletes, learning from our mistakes, showing persistence and courage and seeking to do our personal best always.
Our World is suffering with so many natural disasters firstly in Queensland, then New Zealand and now Japan it is absolutely devastating and unexplainable, I just hope that we are spared any more heartache in our world for the remainder of the year.
I have spent the last week trying to recover from my upper respiratory infection and middle ear infection, it has taken two lots of antibiotics but it is now almost cleared which is such a relief, I thought it was never going to improve for a while there.
We had our School Fair on Saturday, it was a lovely Autumn day for it, I went for just a short time because I was just not well enough. Nalani helped setting up and Jarrett helped with the tidying up afterwards. I did not even go to running training because I wanted to get better to be able to go to Sydney to see Jarrett run at the Australian Youth Championships, so my walking practise around the AIS with my rollator had to take a back seat for my health.
Nalani had her appointment with the surgeon on Monday and she received some terrific news and that was that she will be fully back into sport within the next three months, she was advised to join the gym, to do some more work so she can get back to her running more quickly. The news put a huge smile on her face, she has found it so difficult not to be doing her sport, she says it not only helps her to feel healthy physically but also mentally.
I had to go for blood tests, they took four large vials, blood tests are so simple for me to have, although the blood nurse did mention that they seem to be taking the blood from the same vein all the time. I have a couple of results back, I have no antibodies to Hepatitis A or Measles, that is from the high doses of chemotherapy, sometimes your body is able to build back these immunities but mine has not been able to. I see the doctor again this Wednesday to have my flu injection, hopefully the rest of my blood results are back and he will discuss them further with me.
This week at school has been tiring for me, with still recovering from illness. My Art work is coming together nicely and I am pleased with how it is looking, in Maths we are learning how to convert decimals to fractions and in Integrated Studies we are working on a project about Active Citizenship. Each day that I have been to school I have been so fatigued that I had to come home and sleep, then again rest also helps your body to heal so it is a good thing however when you have the amount of homework we do in Year 8 it is often difficult to cope.
By Thursday I was given the all clear to go to Sydney to see Jarrett run, I was so elated, I would have been devastated to miss seeing him run. We left Canberra to drive to Sydney in the pouring rain which followed us until we passed Marulen, we had a stop at Sutton Forest to stretch our legs and for something to eat and drink. Driving into Sydney the sky was filled with a thick, heavy smoke haze from controlled burning, it stung our eyes and when you breathed in your lungs were filled with the smoke. However later in the day the winds came up, blowing the smoke away which was a good thing because with Jarrett being an asthmatic it could have really caused him many difficulties.
To stretch our legs again from the trip we went for a walk around DFO and after we checked into our motel we went for the 1.5km walk to Sydney Olympic Park to have a look at the track. On returning to the motel I had a long sleep. After a delicious dinner at the bistro with Jarrett's coach we went to Sydney Olympic Park to watch a couple of other members of Jarrett's squad run in their events. One thing I must mention is that the footpaths in Sydney are atrocious, definitely not made for wheelchairs or even pedestrians they are so uneven, high gutters even at traffic light pedestrian crossings and at times so narrow from tree overgrowth. The races were exciting they were the Steeple events, I love watching them go over the water jump, both members of the squad did extremely well.
Friday was Jarrett's big day but not until later in the night, in the morning he had a physiotherapy appointment so we once again tackled the dangerous sidewalks to Sydney Olympic Park, which has marvellous paths for wheelchairs, as the Sydney Olympics were held there they have to have excellent walking paths. Before his appointment, Jarrett had to do a jog, stretches and some run throughs as part of his pre-race preparation. He had his appointment which he felt loosened up and ready to fly around the track. We had a hot chocolate and shared a jumbo chocolate chip cookie then began our walk back to the motel. Suddenly, the sky turned dark, small spits of refreshing rain turned to larger, heavier drops and then the heavens opened up and it poured down, fortunately, we found shelter under a shop. Eventually the rain stopped and the sun shone upon us again so we could walk the rest of the way back to the motel.
After resting we went across to Paddy's markets, the fresh fruit smelt so scrumptious, although the seafood did not have the same appeal to my sense of smell. There were many stalls with bargains, we picked up a couple. We returned to rest again, I fell asleep, as even though I am recovering my body still is weak from being ill.
The time then came to leave for the race, we drove to the track as it would not be appropriate to have Jarrett walk prior to a 3000m race. The skies had again become dark and there were a few spits of rain however the rain held off until much later in the evening. We watched Jarrett warm up with his Coach before his race then I gave him a humongous hug to wish him luck and told him to run his best. My stomach was full of butterflies when he and the other competitors made their way onto the track for the race, I can only imagine that Jarrett's stomach had many more butterflies than mine. Then it all began with the starters gun going off leaving my ears ringing for ages afterwards. Jarrett was the second smallest in the race, some of the other boys looked so much older than he did and were huge in stature. Jarrett paced himself just as his Coach had told him to, he looked strong, his breathing looked fine which was a relief after his severe asthma attack at Cross Country Nationals. With the final lap to go although Jarrett was not in medal contention he ran focused and strongly making more ground to finish with a 9:15:35 which was a personal best by five seconds this season, he came 11th which he was really thrilled with. He is the fastest in the ACT for his age group in the 3000m and the 11th fastest in Australia, I think that is incredible. The best part was, he has gained so much more confidence because his breathing was fine, I think it has been really scary for him since his attack at Cross Country. He was brave and determined, he was able to overcome adversity and move forward.
It had been a huge day and after a later dinner again with Jarrett's Coach I went to bed thrilled for Jarrett and extremely tired, I slept like a log not even hearing a thunder storm that hit Sydney in the early hours of the morning.
While we were in Sydney we heard some very upsetting news about my Great Grandmother, she has had a heart attack, she is in hospital, she has fluid on her lungs and a blood clot in her artery, the doctors are trying to drain the fluid and dissolve the clot. I have been praying that God will look after her and let her stay with us. Could I please ask you to pray for her and that her doctors will be successful in pulling her through.
I also know that some of my followers have been having health issues themselves and I have also been saying prayers for them and wishing them speedy recoveries.
In line with Jarrett's running I have this quote 'Every great athlete seeks a personal best, they seek new challenges, stretch their capabilities and learn from their mistakes, if they believe in themselves, show persistence, courage and have faith in their ability they will always surge ahead not only in their sport but also in life' I think we can in our lives all think like athletes, learning from our mistakes, showing persistence and courage and seeking to do our personal best always.
Friday, March 4, 2011
NOT WELL THIS WEEK
26th February to 4th March 2011
My dreadful cold continued over the weekend, I felt so ill and energy depleted, I thought going to running training on Sunday in the fresh air would be beneficial. The weather was so pleasant and it certainly did feel as though I was more energised so I decided to do some walking with my rollator, I felt rather comfortable as a finished the first lap and decided I would go for a second, that was probably not the best idea because as I neared the final two hundred metres of the second lap, my chest felt tight, asthma like, I pushed on to finish but them rested, perhaps I had over done it. That is twice now that I have completed eight hundred metres, I am now hoping to push forward and eventually achieve those 3km in my School Cross Country.
I tried to do homework but found myself just wanting to sleep, so that is exactly what I did and when I woke I felt much better but when I started on my homework again I began to feel ill again. I get frustrated now by illness, I feel like I don't have time to be ill.
My cold seemed to get worse on Sunday night, I did not sleep well as I was kept awake coughing, it was a dry, annoying cough that also made my throat and chest hurt. First thing Monday morning Mum made a doctors appointment for me. He found that I had an upper respiratory infection as well as a middle ear infection, I was put on antibiotics and told to stay away from school for the week. My immunity is low so whilst I am ill I am more prone to picking up any other illness that may be going around. He also wants me to have a number of blood tests to check out a few other things like whopping cough and pneumonia.
So this week I have spent sleeping, taking my medication, taking panadol for pain, headaches and fever and coughing. My cough has now become loser and seems to hurt my chest more, it is at its worst early in the morning and at night, so I have had many restless nights sleep unfortunately. I was given a repeat on my antibiotic which I will need to take.
I found with my middle ear infection that my already affected balance became so much worse, just standing on the spot I thought I was going to tip over just like a bowling pin. I have attempted to do some school work but really just can't concentrate. Oh dear, I sound like I am feeling sorry for myself, but I just want to feel better and it seems to be taking a long time.
On Monday I will go for my blood tests, back to school and hopefully each day I will see some improvement. Next weekend Jarrett is running in the Australian Youth Championships in the 3000m, I love watching him run and cheering him on, I am so proud of him and he really inspires me with his dedication and marvellous sportsmanship so I had better be felling well.
Nalani goes back to her surgeon on Monday also, she now has her brace off all the time and is almost walking normally. She is riding the exercise bike forwards instead of backwards and the physiotherapist is extremely pleased with her progress. She is hoping that the surgeon will now allow her to gradually return to sport. It looks like she will be walking or jogging the Cross Country rather than running also this year.
I received some upsetting news this week that a friend of mine who was kind and caring when I was bullied at my old school was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. It has made me question again why all the most extraordinary people seem to have been dealt difficult journey's in life while those who are cruel and hurtful go through life getting everything they want.
In some exciting news, money that was raised from a Golf Day has been sent to the Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation Brain Tumour Fund, it means so much to me to have been part of many substantial donations in the hope of further research to one day find a cure for children who have been diagnosed with brain tumours.
Autumn is here now, I love how all the trees leaves change colour, fall to the ground, swirling and twirling as if to a sympony of music, it is truly a magical time. I need to rest now but thank you to everyone who continues to follow my Blog and those new to following, I hope that I can inspire you all in some small way.
My dreadful cold continued over the weekend, I felt so ill and energy depleted, I thought going to running training on Sunday in the fresh air would be beneficial. The weather was so pleasant and it certainly did feel as though I was more energised so I decided to do some walking with my rollator, I felt rather comfortable as a finished the first lap and decided I would go for a second, that was probably not the best idea because as I neared the final two hundred metres of the second lap, my chest felt tight, asthma like, I pushed on to finish but them rested, perhaps I had over done it. That is twice now that I have completed eight hundred metres, I am now hoping to push forward and eventually achieve those 3km in my School Cross Country.
I tried to do homework but found myself just wanting to sleep, so that is exactly what I did and when I woke I felt much better but when I started on my homework again I began to feel ill again. I get frustrated now by illness, I feel like I don't have time to be ill.
My cold seemed to get worse on Sunday night, I did not sleep well as I was kept awake coughing, it was a dry, annoying cough that also made my throat and chest hurt. First thing Monday morning Mum made a doctors appointment for me. He found that I had an upper respiratory infection as well as a middle ear infection, I was put on antibiotics and told to stay away from school for the week. My immunity is low so whilst I am ill I am more prone to picking up any other illness that may be going around. He also wants me to have a number of blood tests to check out a few other things like whopping cough and pneumonia.
So this week I have spent sleeping, taking my medication, taking panadol for pain, headaches and fever and coughing. My cough has now become loser and seems to hurt my chest more, it is at its worst early in the morning and at night, so I have had many restless nights sleep unfortunately. I was given a repeat on my antibiotic which I will need to take.
I found with my middle ear infection that my already affected balance became so much worse, just standing on the spot I thought I was going to tip over just like a bowling pin. I have attempted to do some school work but really just can't concentrate. Oh dear, I sound like I am feeling sorry for myself, but I just want to feel better and it seems to be taking a long time.
On Monday I will go for my blood tests, back to school and hopefully each day I will see some improvement. Next weekend Jarrett is running in the Australian Youth Championships in the 3000m, I love watching him run and cheering him on, I am so proud of him and he really inspires me with his dedication and marvellous sportsmanship so I had better be felling well.
Nalani goes back to her surgeon on Monday also, she now has her brace off all the time and is almost walking normally. She is riding the exercise bike forwards instead of backwards and the physiotherapist is extremely pleased with her progress. She is hoping that the surgeon will now allow her to gradually return to sport. It looks like she will be walking or jogging the Cross Country rather than running also this year.
I received some upsetting news this week that a friend of mine who was kind and caring when I was bullied at my old school was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. It has made me question again why all the most extraordinary people seem to have been dealt difficult journey's in life while those who are cruel and hurtful go through life getting everything they want.
In some exciting news, money that was raised from a Golf Day has been sent to the Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation Brain Tumour Fund, it means so much to me to have been part of many substantial donations in the hope of further research to one day find a cure for children who have been diagnosed with brain tumours.
Autumn is here now, I love how all the trees leaves change colour, fall to the ground, swirling and twirling as if to a sympony of music, it is truly a magical time. I need to rest now but thank you to everyone who continues to follow my Blog and those new to following, I hope that I can inspire you all in some small way.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
A VISIT TO THE ZOO, PAEDIATRICIAN AND DIETITIAN APPOINTMENTS
I have had a colossal week this week which began with walking a whole 800m around the AIS track using my rollator, in the last 100m I was quite fatigued and was not sure I was going to achieve my goal but I drew on my inner strength and I did it, nothing is going to stop me now, my new goal is to do 1km, I am hoping by School Cross Country day on 13th April, I will be able to walk 3km and compete in the Cross Country walking this year.
In the afternoon I had a lovely visit with Gloria who is my Starlight Wish Granter, Tess' sister, she updated me on Tess' progress, who is doing well after her back surgery, she is another determined person.
We then played a game of Upwords, as you know that is my favourite game and I have not played it for a while.
Sunday was an extremely exceptional day, we went to the National Zoo and Aquarium, it was a special event that was organised by Camp Quality, we have never been able to attend one of there events before because I have either been too ill, in hospital or in Sydney for appointments, so I was ultra excited about the prospect of actually been able to go. The weather could only be described as perfect, the sun was shinning radiantly in the crystal clear blue sky and there was a delightful gentle breeze to take some of the heat out of the day. I saw so many adorable, entertaining and unusual animals on the day, I loved the Meerkats, Red Pandas, Lemurs and the Sun Bears.
I even got to pat two dingoes and hold two snakes, one was a large one which went around my neck, it weighed six kilograms and the other one was a colourful tiny one which I was able to hold in my hands. I found it interesting that they did not feel slimy, they actually felt quite silky and soft and amazingly they were warm because they had been held.
I was amazed at the size of the giraffes, they were enormous, not to mention rather smelly. I was saddened by the story of the sun bear Otay who had been rescued from certain cruelty and death. She had been placed in a small cage called a crush cage and treated poorly and now she displays neurotic behaviour by swaying back and forward almost constantly but because she has been rescued it is hoped in the future this will stop. The day was incredible and I am so grateful that our family was able to go.
In fact I was so inspired by her story that I have decided that animal cruelty is going to be the topic of my art work this Term we have to explore an issue that effects society so I think I will be able to express the need for more people to take action against this type of cruelty to animals because as I see it, all animals are at the mercy of humans and we need to treat them kindly and with love.
School this week has again been quite challenging as well as intensely fatiguing, it is Week 3 in the Term so the work load has increased. In English we are continuing to look at poetry learning about metaphors, similes and personification in poetry and continued reading 'Holes'. In Maths we have worked on addition and subtraction of fractions which I really enjoy doing. For Science this week we looked at snails and each were given a snail to watch how they move, what they look like under a microscope and general observation. I learnt that they love to eat chalk dust, can climb over a knife blade without being injured, take a breath every six seconds through their breathing hole which also happens to be their anus as well and I had one on my arm which felt very slimy but once you took it off your skin felt really firm where it had been. In Christian Living we are learning about the story of Joseph and how he went from being the favoured son, to been thrown in a well by his jealous brothers, sold as a slave, being a trusted slave, then thrown in prison for something he did not do. Our Integrated Studies unit is still about Fair Go for everyone and we now have a project to work on looking at organisations who assist in our Community.
I had two appointments this week, one with my paediatrician who is impressed with the amount of walking I am doing using my rollator. He told me that school will be tiring, my eyesight will give me problems and my balance will always remain affected on my right side. He is organising for me to see the Endocrinologist here in Canberra and wants me to have another bone age scan done.
My second appointment was with the dietitian who is pleased with my weight which has remained steady and she said if it is still the same next time then she will not need to see me anymore unless I have any problems, which was terrific news.
Last night Jarrett ran in the 3000m ACT Championships and he was truly on fire, he ran a determined and focused race, I cheered him on and was so excited to see him come first easily by two hundred metres in an excellent time of 9:20:73. He was really pleased with his result as he is competing in that event in the Australian Youth Championships in Sydney in a couple of weeks so to have a fantastic run like that is a real confidence booster. He even let me wear his gold medal around my neck!
I have had some headaches this week which are quite debilitating because they make me feel nauseous as well and today I have woken with what seems like a cold as I am all choked up and have a sore throat and cough.
Nalani is recovering slowly, she walks without the knee brace at home but still needs the brace for school and shops, she sees the surgeon again on 7th of March and is hoping he will let her begin sport again.
Thank you for suggestions about school and all your support please know that I read all your comments and are inspired to continue with my determination because of you.
'Eliminate every barrier that you can, give yourself every chance to achieve your goals and you will find that anything is possible'
Friday, February 18, 2011
WEEK 2 AT SCHOOL
12th to 18th February 2011
'It is important to write from the heart, let your words flow, share dreams and hope because doing this is a beautiful gift to all'.
My weekend was quiet because I had had such a busy and tiring week with school returning for a new year. I worked on homework, covered books and enjoyed been creative with title pages. We went to the AIS to see Jarrett run the 1500m Championships, he now runs in the U18's so runs against people who are at least a year older than him. He ran exceptionally well and in a close race that saw him and another competitor take the lead at different occasions throughout the race, he came second only by milliseconds. I was so proud of him and he was always happy with the result, you see Jarrett is not the type of person who has to always win, he is just always out there doing his best.
I experienced pain in my lower back over the weekend and it has continued throughout the entire week, it has made it difficult for me to do all my physiotherapy exercises, been unable to bend forward or backward and woken me during the night because it has been catching. I was so relieved today to be having physiotherapy, Rhiannon found I was extremely tight , she loosened it off, put soothing heat on it and gave me some exercises to do to help it. I honestly don't know what I would do without her, she is always there to help with all the new issues that arise.
Now to school, it was enjoyable because we are learning some fascinating things and I get to spend time with my friends. However, I am finding school so exhausting, the days seem so long compared to what I am used to from last year and some of the work although interesting is so very challenging for me. Something I have found is that when I am copying from the board or reading from paper my eyes begin to flicker, that is my nystagmus, the longer I have to look the more they flicker, I think they flicker as fast as Jarrett can run. With the flickering I am also finding that my vision becomes blurry and I am unable to see. As you can imagine this is quite frustrating when much of the work you do at school is either from the board or from printed handouts.
In English we are learning about poetry and reading the novel Holes. We have looked at shape poetry which I really love, I wrote one about kittens in the shape of a cat and then did one about the sun which took the shape of the sun. We have moved on and are looking at puzzle poetry by E E Cummings, it is quite unusual and very imaginative. I have begun to read the novel but find I can't read for too long as my nystagmus causes problems, so Mum reads it to me also.
Our maths lessons have been about prime numbers, factors and multiples, today and every Friday we have a ten question quiz to see how we are going. Maths has always been an area that I feel more confident in since having my tumour.
We did a fifty word spelling test as well as a writing test on Tuesday, by the end of them my head felt like a spinning top that would take off and fly any second and I felt like I just wanted to go, lay my head down on a soft pillow and sleep. I had a headache and my stomach felt churned, my energy was totally depleted it was a tough day.
The Tuesday had taken its toll on me, Wednesday I was still fatigued, my eyes kept closing sitting waiting to go to school and I felt ill. Mum decided that I needed to recuperate, I slept which really assisted, later in the day Mum worked with me on some school work. Sometimes you have to listen to your body, telling you when you need to stop and rest.
Today I was jubilant because it was the end of a long, tiring week. I must say that my favourite class today was Christian Living, we were learning about Joseph and his dream coat and the teacher presented it in such a believable way.
We went to Stromlo tonight because Jarrett was running at the Stromlo Festival School Challenge, there were so many people there, they had thirty minutes to run and had to run as many laps as they could. Many people ran or jogged about one lap and then walked, Jarrett ran eight laps which also was eight kilometres in the time, he and only one other person ran that many laps. It was such a glorious night to be out in the fresh air with just a gentle breeze and splendid views of our city. Canberra is such a lovely, peaceful and unpoluted city to live in and I feel so priviledged to live here.
Tomorrow while Jarrett is training at the AIS I am going to try to walk 800m with my rollator, I am hoping that my back will not stop me from achieving this goal, as you know I am one determined girl and I don't like having things stop me from achieving the goals I set myself. Next week I see my paediatrician and the dietitian, I am also looking forward to school again as well as seeing Jarrett run in the 3000m Championships.
Thank you to all the people who are following my Blog and for the heart felt messages you leave, you are all such an important part of my journey.
'It is important to write from the heart, let your words flow, share dreams and hope because doing this is a beautiful gift to all'.
My weekend was quiet because I had had such a busy and tiring week with school returning for a new year. I worked on homework, covered books and enjoyed been creative with title pages. We went to the AIS to see Jarrett run the 1500m Championships, he now runs in the U18's so runs against people who are at least a year older than him. He ran exceptionally well and in a close race that saw him and another competitor take the lead at different occasions throughout the race, he came second only by milliseconds. I was so proud of him and he was always happy with the result, you see Jarrett is not the type of person who has to always win, he is just always out there doing his best.
I experienced pain in my lower back over the weekend and it has continued throughout the entire week, it has made it difficult for me to do all my physiotherapy exercises, been unable to bend forward or backward and woken me during the night because it has been catching. I was so relieved today to be having physiotherapy, Rhiannon found I was extremely tight , she loosened it off, put soothing heat on it and gave me some exercises to do to help it. I honestly don't know what I would do without her, she is always there to help with all the new issues that arise.
Now to school, it was enjoyable because we are learning some fascinating things and I get to spend time with my friends. However, I am finding school so exhausting, the days seem so long compared to what I am used to from last year and some of the work although interesting is so very challenging for me. Something I have found is that when I am copying from the board or reading from paper my eyes begin to flicker, that is my nystagmus, the longer I have to look the more they flicker, I think they flicker as fast as Jarrett can run. With the flickering I am also finding that my vision becomes blurry and I am unable to see. As you can imagine this is quite frustrating when much of the work you do at school is either from the board or from printed handouts.
In English we are learning about poetry and reading the novel Holes. We have looked at shape poetry which I really love, I wrote one about kittens in the shape of a cat and then did one about the sun which took the shape of the sun. We have moved on and are looking at puzzle poetry by E E Cummings, it is quite unusual and very imaginative. I have begun to read the novel but find I can't read for too long as my nystagmus causes problems, so Mum reads it to me also.
Our maths lessons have been about prime numbers, factors and multiples, today and every Friday we have a ten question quiz to see how we are going. Maths has always been an area that I feel more confident in since having my tumour.
We did a fifty word spelling test as well as a writing test on Tuesday, by the end of them my head felt like a spinning top that would take off and fly any second and I felt like I just wanted to go, lay my head down on a soft pillow and sleep. I had a headache and my stomach felt churned, my energy was totally depleted it was a tough day.
The Tuesday had taken its toll on me, Wednesday I was still fatigued, my eyes kept closing sitting waiting to go to school and I felt ill. Mum decided that I needed to recuperate, I slept which really assisted, later in the day Mum worked with me on some school work. Sometimes you have to listen to your body, telling you when you need to stop and rest.
Today I was jubilant because it was the end of a long, tiring week. I must say that my favourite class today was Christian Living, we were learning about Joseph and his dream coat and the teacher presented it in such a believable way.
We went to Stromlo tonight because Jarrett was running at the Stromlo Festival School Challenge, there were so many people there, they had thirty minutes to run and had to run as many laps as they could. Many people ran or jogged about one lap and then walked, Jarrett ran eight laps which also was eight kilometres in the time, he and only one other person ran that many laps. It was such a glorious night to be out in the fresh air with just a gentle breeze and splendid views of our city. Canberra is such a lovely, peaceful and unpoluted city to live in and I feel so priviledged to live here.
Tomorrow while Jarrett is training at the AIS I am going to try to walk 800m with my rollator, I am hoping that my back will not stop me from achieving this goal, as you know I am one determined girl and I don't like having things stop me from achieving the goals I set myself. Next week I see my paediatrician and the dietitian, I am also looking forward to school again as well as seeing Jarrett run in the 3000m Championships.
Thank you to all the people who are following my Blog and for the heart felt messages you leave, you are all such an important part of my journey.
Friday, February 11, 2011
MY 13TH BIRTHDAY AND BACK TO SCHOOL
5th to 11th February 2011
What a huge week it has been for me, I have some wonderful memories to treasure like my own living photo album, I will be able to look back enjoy them, learn from them and continuously add to them throughout the year. Thank you to all my followers who left such lovely Birthday wishes for me, I appreciate them, you are all so very special.
On Saturday at running training I surprised myself and walked six hundred metres around the AIS track using my rollator, the smile on my face matched the brilliantly shinning sun. Not this weekend but next weekend I am going to attempt eight hundred metres which is two laps of the track.
Tuesday was a very special day for me, It was my 13th Birthday, I can't believe that I am a teenager now. I am hoping that I can be a role model to other teenagers and inspire them to do wonderful work helping others in the community, teenagers don't have to be selfish and not get along with parents, that is something I was told when I was in hospital at the end of last year and I thought it was terrible and I would never be like that. My Birthday was splendiferous, I received some truly beautiful and thoughtful gifts and cards, I got lots of wonderful warm hugs and a special visit from Sarah. At night we celebrated with dinner out and then had a scrumptious profiterole Birthday cake that melted in your mouth.
The next day was my first day back at school, I have to admit I had very mixed emotions, on one hand I was excited yet one the other I was extremely nervous, I had a stomach full of fluttering butterflies and a headache but once I was there I felt so much more settled. Middle School have moved to a new Campus, so it is a new beginning for everyone, we all have to get used to the new surroundings and new faces.
My first week at school has been enjoyable, challenging and a little tiring I actually fell asleep on the lounge I was so exhausted after my second day. I am going to strive to do my very best though each and every day. We do not do our normal school timetable for the first week back but take part in what is called The Genesis Program. We participated in some interesting challenges, like as a group designing a package to try to stop an egg from breaking when you dropped it from a height and then threw it as far as possible. The only materials we could use were newspaper, masking tape and straws, there were many different ideas, some worked and others did not. In the dropping challenge our egg just slightly cracked on one side but in the throwing challenge our egg got totally demolished. As you can imagine it was lots of fun and because it was a sunny day, it did become a little smelly!
We also did a poster for a Celebrity Loser, my group chose Lindsay Lohan and we had to work out a rehabilitation plan for her over twelve months and consequences if she did not follow our plan. That activity was also enjoyable. Part of the program involved making a time capsule that we will open at the end of the year, we had to put important things to us in it, photographs, a piece of string that measured our height and a letter to ourselves, it will be interesting to see what has and hasn't changed in that time. We finished off the week by writing class rules and consequences which of course really important.
Each day I have been working on my stretches and riding the exercise bike, I can feel that my muscles are not as tight as they once were which is a really positive thing because I was so tight before it caused me pain.
My FM transmitter is fantastic to use in class, I find that my hearing aid only picks up conversation that is close to me, I think I will need to hear clearly this year because lots of the work in Year 8 is much more complicated than Year 6 or 7.
I am pleased that the first week back at school is over and that the weekend has just begun, Jarrett is racing in the Athletics ACT Junior Championships in the 1500m on Saturday night, it is supposed to rain tomorrow but he loves running in the rain so that could be an advantage to him.
I don't have any homework for this weekend, hooray! Oh, I do have to cover a few books but that is easy. I will rest up so that I will ready for a full five day week at school next week. I am wondering how I will cope with it as last year I only went every second day for short hours.
On a disappointing note, I found out this week that I have to have my MRI's in Sydney still because they want to monitor my tumour using the same machine, they said it is more consistent and if anything shows to become aggressive they can act more quickly. So every three months I have to visit Sydney for my MRI, this will mean time away from school and family.
Please say a special prayer for Tess my Starlight Wish Granter because she has to have major back surgery on 16th February, she is an extraordinary person and I hope the surgery goes well and she will be back on her feet as soon as possible.
On Saturday at running training I surprised myself and walked six hundred metres around the AIS track using my rollator, the smile on my face matched the brilliantly shinning sun. Not this weekend but next weekend I am going to attempt eight hundred metres which is two laps of the track.
Tuesday was a very special day for me, It was my 13th Birthday, I can't believe that I am a teenager now. I am hoping that I can be a role model to other teenagers and inspire them to do wonderful work helping others in the community, teenagers don't have to be selfish and not get along with parents, that is something I was told when I was in hospital at the end of last year and I thought it was terrible and I would never be like that. My Birthday was splendiferous, I received some truly beautiful and thoughtful gifts and cards, I got lots of wonderful warm hugs and a special visit from Sarah. At night we celebrated with dinner out and then had a scrumptious profiterole Birthday cake that melted in your mouth.
The next day was my first day back at school, I have to admit I had very mixed emotions, on one hand I was excited yet one the other I was extremely nervous, I had a stomach full of fluttering butterflies and a headache but once I was there I felt so much more settled. Middle School have moved to a new Campus, so it is a new beginning for everyone, we all have to get used to the new surroundings and new faces.
My first week at school has been enjoyable, challenging and a little tiring I actually fell asleep on the lounge I was so exhausted after my second day. I am going to strive to do my very best though each and every day. We do not do our normal school timetable for the first week back but take part in what is called The Genesis Program. We participated in some interesting challenges, like as a group designing a package to try to stop an egg from breaking when you dropped it from a height and then threw it as far as possible. The only materials we could use were newspaper, masking tape and straws, there were many different ideas, some worked and others did not. In the dropping challenge our egg just slightly cracked on one side but in the throwing challenge our egg got totally demolished. As you can imagine it was lots of fun and because it was a sunny day, it did become a little smelly!
We also did a poster for a Celebrity Loser, my group chose Lindsay Lohan and we had to work out a rehabilitation plan for her over twelve months and consequences if she did not follow our plan. That activity was also enjoyable. Part of the program involved making a time capsule that we will open at the end of the year, we had to put important things to us in it, photographs, a piece of string that measured our height and a letter to ourselves, it will be interesting to see what has and hasn't changed in that time. We finished off the week by writing class rules and consequences which of course really important.
Each day I have been working on my stretches and riding the exercise bike, I can feel that my muscles are not as tight as they once were which is a really positive thing because I was so tight before it caused me pain.
My FM transmitter is fantastic to use in class, I find that my hearing aid only picks up conversation that is close to me, I think I will need to hear clearly this year because lots of the work in Year 8 is much more complicated than Year 6 or 7.
I am pleased that the first week back at school is over and that the weekend has just begun, Jarrett is racing in the Athletics ACT Junior Championships in the 1500m on Saturday night, it is supposed to rain tomorrow but he loves running in the rain so that could be an advantage to him.
I don't have any homework for this weekend, hooray! Oh, I do have to cover a few books but that is easy. I will rest up so that I will ready for a full five day week at school next week. I am wondering how I will cope with it as last year I only went every second day for short hours.
On a disappointing note, I found out this week that I have to have my MRI's in Sydney still because they want to monitor my tumour using the same machine, they said it is more consistent and if anything shows to become aggressive they can act more quickly. So every three months I have to visit Sydney for my MRI, this will mean time away from school and family.
Please say a special prayer for Tess my Starlight Wish Granter because she has to have major back surgery on 16th February, she is an extraordinary person and I hope the surgery goes well and she will be back on her feet as soon as possible.
Friday, February 4, 2011
A HOT TIRING WEEK INCLUDING A TRIP TO SYDNEY
29th January 2011 to 4th February 2011
As I am typing this Blog entry we are in the middle of a fierce storm following a hot and humid day, which we have had many of over the past week, a storm provides some relief from the heat that just takes your breath away and zaps you of your energy.
The place to be during this heat wave if you don't have air conditioning is in shopping centres, we ventured out to DFO for some heat relief and to allow Nalani to do some walking in a shop that was not too busy. When we left, the heat outside was like being in a desert without water.
Each day even in the heat I work extremely hard on my physiotherapy exercises, ride the exercise bike and do stretches, regaining muscle strength is important and will help me to be able to be more mobile, I can do shorter distances with my rollator but tire if I try to walk long distance, over uneven surfaces or up hills. I would love to be able to not have to use my wheelchair by the end of the year, I think that will be one of my long term goals this year. I still have balance issues and always will but there are some things in life that you have to learn to overcome and make the best of.
Tuesday I had to go to Sydney for a lumbar puncture and oncology clinic visit. We left Canberra at 5.30am, and did not arrive in Sydney until just before 10.00am, there was so much traffic, I have never seen anything like it before. Once in Sydney, I was admitted on the ward and saw the Oncology Registrar who gave me a thorough examination. I still have right sided weakness which has remained the same, I have no lower limb reflexes in my right leg but that has also been around for a while now, it seemed to have occurred whilst having my chemotherapy, the nystagmus, which is flickering of the eyes is still present, my MRI results showed what the preliminary one did, remaining tumour, enhancement in the lumbar area and a moderate enlargement of the fourth ventricle. I remain stable which is a really positive thing, because my type of brain tumour was an extremely aggressive one.
The best news of all from Sydney is that I am now going to see doctors and specialists in Canberra, my paediatrician will be in charge and I know that I am now in the best hands I could be. Being looked after in Canberra means that I had to withdraw from the study, I am a little disappointed that my results now are unable to help others but I know that there are so many more productive ways that I can help make a difference to other people's lives. I do however have to return to Sydney for lumbar punctures and I will have to go in August again. I guess I have learnt that if you are not happy with what is happening, it is perfectly okay to question, to make requests and to do what you have to to move forward.
Being able to see doctors at home will help me have just a little more normalcy in my life this year, meaning I won't have so much time away from school and family. Having cancer does change your life, but it is what you do after the experience; being positive, acceptance of what you have been through and understanding that even though you may have changed physically you are the same person on the inside. Each day I wake wanting to have the most splendiferous day I can, even if I do have challenges to face or pain I don't want to waste a minute of that day.
I had a special visit from Stuart while I was in hospital awaiting my lumbar puncture and that was very special and helped pass the time. I had my lumbar puncture, when I went in to have my anaesthetic I was smiling when they put the mask on and I kept smiling, Mum said that they had to check to see if I was asleep because I was smiling. I awoke smiling and felt comfortable, had some food and drink and an hour later I was able to leave.
Travelling home from Sydney was so hot, it reached forty five degrees outside when we were on the M5 and so many cars were pulled over on the side of the road with their bonnets up, their engines must have overheated sitting in the heavy traffic. It was such a long tiring day, it took so much out of me and it was hot when we arrived back home late at night.
The next day I awoke with a painful back, I discovered that I had two hole punctures in my back and they were both quite bruised, I have never felt so uncomfortable after a lumbar puncture. I had to take panadol throughout the day to provide some relief.
Thursday I went to running training with Jarrett and Nalani, while Jarrett was sweating it out training hard, Nalani, Mum and I went for a walk, Nalani is so pleased to be active again and said she even felt like breaking into a jog but is not allowed to yet. I long for the day also when I am able to break into a jog around the oval and a longer term goal is to be able to do some training of my own.
I had pain in my right arm and some tingling, when I returned home I felt strange, next thing I knew my right arm had dropped and was ever so painful, I also felt so sleepy and had a terrible headache. A couple of hours later the heaviness in my arm disappeared but I felt weak and had pain. This morning it improved and just felt extremely tight and a little weak.
Today was physiotherapy, working with Rhiannon is special, she encourages me and helps me to set little goals. She worked on my foot, my legs, my arm and shoulders then I did a walk, it was three metres without the rollator, I did a sit to stand, walked around a step and then back to the seat. The first time it took me thirty five seconds and the second time it took thirty seconds. We are going to do that again after another few physiotherapy sessions and see how I am going. I have to do some foot taps at home where I hold onto the bench and use a phone book, I have to see how many taps I can do with my right foot and then my left food in a minute. My right foot will be less but I bet with practise it will improve and I will be able to do more the next time I have to do it.
The rain is teaming down outside, the thunder rumbling in the distance and jagged bolts of lightening flashing in the sky. The rain is so refreshing and it is cooling down the house making life so much more bearable, my heart goes out though to the people of North Queensland, Cyclone Yasi has been so destructive yet Queensland people have such a strong spirit and will recover from this tragedy, they are so inspiring
Next week is a huge week, my 13th Birthday is on Tuesday and then Wednesday is the first day back at school. 'As each new day dawns I look inside my heart, I find the strength, spirit and courage to create the most beautiful sunrise from deep within to fill my entire day with joy.'
As I am typing this Blog entry we are in the middle of a fierce storm following a hot and humid day, which we have had many of over the past week, a storm provides some relief from the heat that just takes your breath away and zaps you of your energy.
The place to be during this heat wave if you don't have air conditioning is in shopping centres, we ventured out to DFO for some heat relief and to allow Nalani to do some walking in a shop that was not too busy. When we left, the heat outside was like being in a desert without water.
Each day even in the heat I work extremely hard on my physiotherapy exercises, ride the exercise bike and do stretches, regaining muscle strength is important and will help me to be able to be more mobile, I can do shorter distances with my rollator but tire if I try to walk long distance, over uneven surfaces or up hills. I would love to be able to not have to use my wheelchair by the end of the year, I think that will be one of my long term goals this year. I still have balance issues and always will but there are some things in life that you have to learn to overcome and make the best of.
Tuesday I had to go to Sydney for a lumbar puncture and oncology clinic visit. We left Canberra at 5.30am, and did not arrive in Sydney until just before 10.00am, there was so much traffic, I have never seen anything like it before. Once in Sydney, I was admitted on the ward and saw the Oncology Registrar who gave me a thorough examination. I still have right sided weakness which has remained the same, I have no lower limb reflexes in my right leg but that has also been around for a while now, it seemed to have occurred whilst having my chemotherapy, the nystagmus, which is flickering of the eyes is still present, my MRI results showed what the preliminary one did, remaining tumour, enhancement in the lumbar area and a moderate enlargement of the fourth ventricle. I remain stable which is a really positive thing, because my type of brain tumour was an extremely aggressive one.
The best news of all from Sydney is that I am now going to see doctors and specialists in Canberra, my paediatrician will be in charge and I know that I am now in the best hands I could be. Being looked after in Canberra means that I had to withdraw from the study, I am a little disappointed that my results now are unable to help others but I know that there are so many more productive ways that I can help make a difference to other people's lives. I do however have to return to Sydney for lumbar punctures and I will have to go in August again. I guess I have learnt that if you are not happy with what is happening, it is perfectly okay to question, to make requests and to do what you have to to move forward.
Being able to see doctors at home will help me have just a little more normalcy in my life this year, meaning I won't have so much time away from school and family. Having cancer does change your life, but it is what you do after the experience; being positive, acceptance of what you have been through and understanding that even though you may have changed physically you are the same person on the inside. Each day I wake wanting to have the most splendiferous day I can, even if I do have challenges to face or pain I don't want to waste a minute of that day.
I had a special visit from Stuart while I was in hospital awaiting my lumbar puncture and that was very special and helped pass the time. I had my lumbar puncture, when I went in to have my anaesthetic I was smiling when they put the mask on and I kept smiling, Mum said that they had to check to see if I was asleep because I was smiling. I awoke smiling and felt comfortable, had some food and drink and an hour later I was able to leave.
Travelling home from Sydney was so hot, it reached forty five degrees outside when we were on the M5 and so many cars were pulled over on the side of the road with their bonnets up, their engines must have overheated sitting in the heavy traffic. It was such a long tiring day, it took so much out of me and it was hot when we arrived back home late at night.
The next day I awoke with a painful back, I discovered that I had two hole punctures in my back and they were both quite bruised, I have never felt so uncomfortable after a lumbar puncture. I had to take panadol throughout the day to provide some relief.
Thursday I went to running training with Jarrett and Nalani, while Jarrett was sweating it out training hard, Nalani, Mum and I went for a walk, Nalani is so pleased to be active again and said she even felt like breaking into a jog but is not allowed to yet. I long for the day also when I am able to break into a jog around the oval and a longer term goal is to be able to do some training of my own.
I had pain in my right arm and some tingling, when I returned home I felt strange, next thing I knew my right arm had dropped and was ever so painful, I also felt so sleepy and had a terrible headache. A couple of hours later the heaviness in my arm disappeared but I felt weak and had pain. This morning it improved and just felt extremely tight and a little weak.
Today was physiotherapy, working with Rhiannon is special, she encourages me and helps me to set little goals. She worked on my foot, my legs, my arm and shoulders then I did a walk, it was three metres without the rollator, I did a sit to stand, walked around a step and then back to the seat. The first time it took me thirty five seconds and the second time it took thirty seconds. We are going to do that again after another few physiotherapy sessions and see how I am going. I have to do some foot taps at home where I hold onto the bench and use a phone book, I have to see how many taps I can do with my right foot and then my left food in a minute. My right foot will be less but I bet with practise it will improve and I will be able to do more the next time I have to do it.
The rain is teaming down outside, the thunder rumbling in the distance and jagged bolts of lightening flashing in the sky. The rain is so refreshing and it is cooling down the house making life so much more bearable, my heart goes out though to the people of North Queensland, Cyclone Yasi has been so destructive yet Queensland people have such a strong spirit and will recover from this tragedy, they are so inspiring
Next week is a huge week, my 13th Birthday is on Tuesday and then Wednesday is the first day back at school. 'As each new day dawns I look inside my heart, I find the strength, spirit and courage to create the most beautiful sunrise from deep within to fill my entire day with joy.'
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