Neglected...

I've been neglecting my blog lately because I forgot it is my own journal, my electronic journal. I haven't had any thing exciting to write about. But it is my journal and meant to be a record of my life day to day. Life isn't exciting every day, or it isn't around here. So here is the news, mundane as it is.

I worked up until the Easter break with a student in a busy period for the unit. It made me realise I enjoy teaching. Remind me I said that at the end of the year when the rotation of students lets up. We pretty much have students continuously until then. Patience is enforced as I watch the students practice something it would take me no time to do.

I had my flu shot and ended up with a painful arm for a few days. I put it off until after the race just in case a rare side effect interfered with my run. My nose is pretty much healed up with a couple of the dissolving sutures still making their presence felt when I wrinkle up my nose. My breathing is much better especially at night time.

Easter and Christmas bring up mixed feelings for me as I am not religious but still enjoy the festivities. I see both times as a celebration of family so partake in some of the rituals without mentioning Christ. Maybe there is some Druid in me, I respect life & the earth and treat others well. This Easter break has been very low key as we are heading off camping tomorrow so haven't caught up with my sisters as we usually do. Because there are no parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or cousins within cooee our family get togethers are very insular.

I am quite excited about our camping trip. I have been gathering together equipment & supplies with a cautious eye on the weather. Today has been showery & pretty cold, the forecasters have promised me a few nice days so I am pretty hopeful. It is just going to be me & Erin as my younger sister & her boys weren't able to come with us this time. We are going to be trying out the new tent and it will be a big test as to how self sufficient we can be. Time will tell if we have everything we need. I am taking the laptop with internet connection so we wont be shut off from the world. We will be bike riding, rock climbing & bush walking as well and I hope to take loads of photos.

I'm off to find a few chargers and go through my many lists again.

Check up...

I ventured into Sth Yarra this afternoon to see my lovely surgeon. Whilst he did not do lovely things to me today I am still very grateful for his expertise and care. He removed some internal stitches and did an unpleasant flushing thing. When I walked out the city air flowing into my nostrils was startling and refreshing. He is pleased with my progress and is confident of a good result (so am I just quietly, it has all gone very well)

Whilst I was waiting I was interested to read the information posters on his waiting room walls. I knew he went volunteered to operate overseas in Vanuatu but I hadn't quite realised the magnitude of it. The posters had photos of the primitive operating room and the grateful locals. Included was a snap of a handwritten poster that seems to capture the spirit of the people involved on both sides. I found it tonight on the internet and will definitely put it in a scrapbooking page.


WHAT IS LIFE?
Life is an Adventure ... Dare it
Life is a Beauty ... Praise it
Life is a Challenge ... Meet it
Life is a Duty ... Perform it
Life is a Love ... Enjoy it
Life is a Tragedy ... Face it
Life is a Struggle ... Fight it
Life is a Promise ... Fulfill it
Life is a Game ... Play it
Life is a Gift ... Accept it
Life is a Journey ... Complete it
Life is a Mystery ... Unfold it
Life is a Goal ... Achieve it
Life is an Opportunity ... Take it
Life is a Puzzle ... Solve it
Life is a Song ... Sing it
Life is a Sorrow ... Overcome it
Life is a Spirit ... Realize it
Not sure where it originally came from but I love these sentiments.

Rhino update...

Things here at recovery central are going along well. Just resting up and sniffing. Able to do some reading, time on the computer and TV watching. I'm better than I expected to be. I haven't needed to take any of the strong pain killers I was given, my nose is sore not painful unless I try to wrinkle up my nose or wipe it, then the tears come to my eyes which makes my nose run and...that smarts!

I have been sending correspondence to our neice who is away at camp all this year. Testing the postal system with hand written letters and cards. I have not received any letters back from her yet and in this day of instant communication I am getting impatient. I used to write to my grandmother when I was a child/teenager and miss those letters in the post, it is a habit I'm trying to get Erin into as well.

The other thing I am keeping my eye on from my sick bed is the current industrial action. The governments' refusal to negotiate has pushed things to boiling point. We need to keep fighting the good fight to protect ratios and conditions.

I'm there with you in spirit.

The rhino experience...

For the next two weeks I'll be looking for quiet things to do whilst sitting upright. In between spraying stuff up my nose and not blowing it.

Yesterday I had a septoplasty on my nose. Just like boring out my airways to make breathing a much easier thing to do. Might make for less huff and puff when running too.

I got up at 05:50 to have some breakfast before the official fasting time of 6AM. Then I fronted up to the hospital mid morning to sit around and wait until 4pm to go under. Being a patient at your work place is quite reassuring but maybe a little disconcerting for the others on the list. I'm sure they were wondering who is this woman who seems to know everyone from the clerical staff to the gardener and everyone in between.

But being a staff member still does not stop an emergency caeserian from holding up your turn. Oh well, I had my book and read many more chapters than I thought I'd get through. Everyone was lovely and very professional as I knew they would be. I came out with both eyebrows in tact and no tattoos. No pics on facebook either. All good.

Before I went into theatre I had my first (and only) experience with cocaine. A little of the good stuff is put on a cotton ball and placed up your nose to shrink the mucus membrane and reduce bleeding intra-op. Not sure of the dose but I was waiting for some kind of effect other than the shrinking membrane, but no. Chris thinks it is because I didn't use a $100 dollar bill to administer it.

The lovely anaesthetist needed 2 attempts to cannulate me, the pressure of being an oncology nurse was too much for him. Then he blamed the safety cannula as being blunter than the ones he likes to use!
When he gave the morphine he said I might feel a bit itchy, the feeling was more of a flushing all over and an ache in my shoulders...quite strange. Then he said something about a metallic taste in my mouth with the propafol and I was gone.

Waking up in recovery was hard, I could barely open my eyes and the movement of being wheeled back to my room made me quite nauseous. That nausea came in waves as I dosed in between gasping as I remembered to breath through my mouth. The combination of cocaine/morphine/paracoxib and panadol meant I had no pain just nausea. A little vomit and some antiemetic and I was on the road to feeling better.

The family visiting for a short while was lovely. With good intentions they said I looked funny, smelt funny and made fun of my drip catcher's official name 'the nasal tampon'. Hayley said when she first came in she left because she didn't think it was me. But she came back to crack a few more jokes and takes some unflattering photos. Even Callum came in for a short while and stood around and looked very uncomfortable. I put him out of his misery and let him go. I'm glad he made the effort.

During the night I had broken sleep between observations, medications, sips of water, application of lip balm my IV going off and a wobbly trip to the toilet. Burts Bees pomegranate lip balm was a god send and a must do tip for others having surgery where your nose is blocked.

This morning the nasal packs came out which was not as bad as I was anticipating. 2 seconds of pain and then I could breath through my nose again. As the morning has progressed the swelling is returning and will subside over the next few days.

I'm feeling good, no pain as yet (expecting not to have much). Its nice to be home although I wont get quite as good service as I did in hospital. I had the first cup of tea made for me but I've just made a coffee, after 24 hours with no food and very little water I've got some catching up to do. I'm not allowed to run for the next 2  & 1/2 weeks either, it will be a bit tempting to go overboard.


Its going to be hard generally to do not much and sit around and heal, but it will be worth it in the end.