6 months post surgery update

Life is a roller coaster you just gotta ride it! Lovin a bit of Ronan when you can't sleep! I'm all itchy in my head it's like I'm wired on too much caffeine but I know I've not overdone the lattes today. I had like, one only, and that was at midday. I've had this before, this feeling. I am insomniacal from time to time but it's usually when I'm stressed or got too much on my mind. But I'm definitely not stressed. I'm wired. Like I've got something I need to say but can't get the words out. I have definitely felt this before. And I overcame it with a good ....... Writing session. Yes! I needed to write! When it happened before, that feeling of itchiness in my mind, I blogged and couldn't believe the relief I got afterwards. It was such a release! Oh man! Woman and child! But I couldn't really say that out loud that it was the writing that I needed to do, cos that would mean I think of myself as a writer, and I don't, well I don't want to say it out loud. But it's what I'm beginning to think I might need to be. A writer. Oh god, there, now, I'm going to have to have seven years bad luck or something! It's ok, nobody's reading this shite anyhow. 

Anyhow back to the blog. I've been meaning to write but I've been upto my ears in beanie making! You wouldn't believe how popular these beanies are! We've had to launch adult size beanies now! Matching beanies are trending on Instagram as I write, there's whole families of them, mom AND dad joining in the beanie craze! Once bitten by the beanie bug they're coming back for more, in different colours! We also have a stockist now, "Little Haven" in Pinehaven, they have some very cool things for sale in there and do lovely coffee. It's awesome! We're loving it! 

I was so busy with the beanie buzz I almost let my 6 month post surgery date slip by without sharing with you. July 14th was actually a Thursday too. I quietly let it creep up on me and wallowed in it the whole day thinking "this time 6 months ago....". It was mine to own. Without anyone else being brought back into that world of uncertainty and worry that was my life back in January. I just sat on it. Reflecting. Feeling. Comparing how I feel now compared to how I had felt before the surgery. Way before the surgery. Like years and years before. I still get "ghost" feelings. Still occasionally feel like I have a patch over the holes in my neck. It's a weird sensation. A reminder. But I have never felt that I should have done this year's ago. It still honestly feels like it was the right time. All the ducks in a row, everyone on board, focused, ready. January 14th 2016. Reboot. Switch me off and on again. Upgrade completed. 

So what did we do to celebrate 6 months? We took flappy out to our favorite Italian restaurant, Fratelli's and I ate a bowl full of the fluffiest gnocchi ever! Soft clouds bobbing about in a four cheese sauce with tomato salsa and a smidgen of Italian sausages. Mmmmmm mmmmmm. I'm not even gonna think about what I was eating 6 months ago but it wasn't freakin homemade gnocchi! Seriously, Jamie Oliver when are you gonna sort the hospital food out?!?!?! 

Oh there goes the first serious yawn! I must be reaching the bottom of the writing pool reserve for tonight. Well I'm glad I reconnected tonight. Better to get this all down in black and white rather than leave it spinning around in my head. At the very least I can look back on this post and see what I ate for dinner on Friday night hahahahaha hahahahaha!!!!!!!! 

One more thought to leave you with.......

Sassy Roo

So this is what I have been getting up to when I'm not blogging about myself! You thought I had been a bit quiet lately, eh? No news is definitely good news! I couldn't be more happy at the moment with this new venture that has me and my niece on the ceiling with excitement! We are Sassy Roo and we make beautiful, warm and cosy beanies for babies upto 2 years old. Come and check out our Facebook page (search for Sassy Roo) or see us on the "felt" website click here: Sassy Roo on Felt website

It's been a hoot! The best bit is me and my niece get to spend a lot more time together and that can only be a good thing! I LOVE crocheting. Its becoming an obsession. I need to walk away from the hook now and then otherwise I get "crochet eyes"! It's like my lenses are fixed on an object 20 cm in front of me all the time. I do actually resemble an addict. Slouching round the house, looking for my next fix of wool. I just can't get enough of it! But hey, I know it can't possibly last. I'm not gonna make a million making beanies. Ill always be chasing that first fix. I'll have to come back to the real world at some point. Or maybe this is just the beginning of the story?

Doing what you love with those you love is the ideal job I reckon. I really think this comes through in the product too. I love every one of the beanies I make.  I guess thats why we call ourselves Sassy Roo made with "love"!

We have been "live" for one week today and have over 200 likes on our FB page. Thank goodness for the young and social media-savvy generation! We'll be compiling a flyer to send out by pigeon post for everyone else! To celebrate 200 likes in our first week were doing a giveaway on FB so check it out if you're on Facebook.

Well I better get back to the wool and hook. Its calling me!

Sign off!

Today was a pretty special day. A full circle day. An opportunity to thank the surgeons and airheads (anaesetists! Cannot spell this word even now!) and nursing staff who cared for me, and who cared for J it has to be said. D-day was 5 months ago already! It feels a lot longer. I have really come a long way in this short time - it's incredible. It is so easy to forget the journey once you get back into the grind of the everyday life. Once you've stopped living from one nap to another!

Look at me now, I'm not blogging half as much! Must be feeling better! Don't need this anymore do I? Far more interesting things to be doing is it? Too much Tipping Point and Coronation Street if truth be told! No that's not true. I've been creating. But more on that later. Back to today...

So this afternoon, me and J had what turned out to be our final outpatient appointment with Dr Griff Rhys Jones at Plastics, Hutt Hospital. We were loaded down with bottles of Pinot Noir and chocolates galore and lovely cards filled with thank you and You're awesome! As we waited the obligatory hour we reflected on how wonderful it was to be there without those pesky butterflies in our stomachs. The waiting room was packed and I felt a fraud, as I usually do, looking around the room wondering what these people are having to deal with today. The little toddler not much older than our great nephew, the middle aged ladies, the younger lads, the older couple, those on their own at their first appointment. What will their journey involve and how long will it be? What support do they have? What will they have to face? Then I thought about my own journey. Well this section of it anyhow. I am so glad I started this blog. Cos I'd never be able to really remember the details of how I felt at the time. It's like when you go on holiday. You live it at the time but it gets condensed into a little pocket in your memory. If you don't take pictures you won't believe you were even there! God help us all when we hit the dementia years! It's bad enough now!

Dr GRJ was a little emotional when we gave him his present. Maybe he doesn't get too many gifts from patients. He had already given me the once over in terms of flappy. I said do you wanna have a  look? And he remarked, "Not wearing a scarf today?". Nice he noticed cos it was a big deal for me to let flappy run free as a bird. It was bloody freezing today so the scarf was in me bag! Hahahaha! Don't want flappy catching a cold. "Oh there's a couple of staples that might work their way through". Mmmmmm he's looking for an excuse to see me again. "Well if you can't pick them out with a sterile tweezers pop some betadeine on and a dressing and come back. Well take them out under a local anesthetic". Right you are then, cos sterile tweezers are things I normally have in me bathroom cabinet. Blimey the district health board is really under the pump if they're pushing DIY plastic surgery! Best pop to Bunnings for some supplies!

We said our goodbyes and hoped we'd ne'er meet again! You know what I mean. I bet we keep bumping into each other in the supermarket. Can't imagine him doing the weekly shop though. Or DIY for that matter. Well he'd have the perfect excuse wouldn't he? Maybe I should've got him a voucher for a manicure! Nah, that's all a bit "Nip n Tuck" and he's definitely not US TV serial material. Well he'll always have a place in my heart and I'll be forever grateful for this man walking into my life.

So what have I been upto lately? Well June has been a busy month with both our birthdays. We went to Nelson for Queens birthday weekend for the Ceol Aneas Irish music festival. We usually take our instruments and do the music workshops. This year we just wanted to relax and mooch around. It was a great weekend. Weather was amazing. Really love Nelson. Then we had a weekend in Wellington which was gorgeous and filled with good food, lovely waterfront walks and shopping. Winter is truly here so we've been cooking lots of yummy soups and J has been mastering his baking skills. Oh boy his cakes are amazing! He's a natural! They all rise! Banana cake, rhubarb cake, ginger cake and the latest is chocolate cake with chocolate sauce! Awesome!!! You'd think with all this cake I would be the size of a house but I'm not. Still struggling with my weight. I'm mainlining protein shakes now. Ah well maybe they liposucked me when they relocated my abs.

Creatively speaking I finished the mosaic mirror I was working on. Here's Woody doing the final quality checks...

And for my birthday I got my first power tool!!! Very exciting! A twist-a-saw. Does everything like sanding, cutting, engraving. Looking forward to getting medieval with that little puppy. No not a REAL puppy, you know what I mean.

But the project that has me all excited and busy is something me and my lovely niece have been conjuring up. But you'll have to catch up with me later on this cos it's way past my bedtime!

I really wanted to blog today because this is a huge milestone that we've reached. And with ensuing normality it is easy to overlook days like these. So here it is, in black and white, in Reeniesblog - CLOSURE. That's a good word for it. CLOSURE.

See horses not zebras

I've just finished reading a memoir called "When breath becomes air" about a neurosurgeon who has lung cancer which spreads to his brain. He died in his mid-30s in the prime of his life. This is all very poignant that a Dr used to dealing with death would have to confront his own and consider the meaning of his life in the process. Many of the steps along the way to the diagnosis ring true, the denial of the pain and tiredness at the beginning, not prioritizing this but instead putting it down to over work, long hours on his feet. I'm not suggesting that we should run to the Dr with any twinge but how many times do we hear that a friend/colleague or family member left it too late to go to see the GP? And how many times have you hassled your loved one to go and see the GP, only to have your head bitten off for over caring? Keep hassling I say.

Drs are taught to look for horses and not zebras when a patient walks through the door. Go with the majority verdict. If they come back in 2 weeks then send them for a scan. Fair enough you might say, restricted budgets and all. But how many do come back in 2 weeks or do they leave it for a month, or 2? Add on 4 weeks for the waiting list for a CT and you're several months away from the original complaint. And if it is something serious, like cancer, well you've just given cancer a head start I the race. So, google it. Yep, first stop for a diagnosis is the WWW. Scare the shit out of yourself why don't you! We all do it. 

Going back to the zebras, beautiful aren't they? Sometimes it works in reverse. Sometimes when I walk into a Drs surgery and meet a new Dr they see my list of treats and see the zebra first. I probably don't help with Mr Google under my arm and not allowing the Dr to get a word in edge ways.  So this week I have a bit of a bronchial cough and will get it checked out at the GP, hoping she'll see the horse and give me antibiotics. 

Paul Kalanithi was the name of the neurosurgeon. It is his almost poetic, philosophical voice that stays with me. His first love was literature. He died before completing this book. He ran out of time. 

None of us know when our time is up. It's a cliche. Play another record. We're almost immune to it. Too many funerals go by with us repeating the same old same old. Make the most of life. Live life to the full. Don't sweat the small stuff. Try to find good in everyday. Treasure every hour with a loved one. Kiss your lover hello, goodbye and goodnight. Don't put off til tomorrow what can be done today, is an oldie but goody! What is it that you've always wanted to do? Then do it.

Creativity Update
I've just finished a crochet tank top. I think tank tops are going to be the new black. Was inspired by my Dutch friend El so can't claim to be very original here! So I'm happy with it but can't wear it yet until I grow into it! I'm a little under my ideal weight at the moment so it's a bit baggy under the arms. Here it is:

The other project I am working on is a mosaic mirror for my friend Sho. Can't put a picture up though cos it's a surprise. But most of the tiles are down now and next will be the grouting.

The other project I've got going is definitely at the prototype stage. It's my projector project where I enlarge an image and transfer it to wood and jigsaw the hell out of it! Here's a picture so far:

I'll either mosaic this one or go ahead with the protoype painting using spray paint with a metallic effect. It's all new to me. I loved using the jigsaw as it was just like using a sewing machine. But I didn't like the reverb on the drill! Thanks to J for the demo. 

So that's all from me. Apart from to say that I've been catching up with friends over the last couple of weeks. It's been absolutely awesome. I have guzzled down every word and taken them home and reflected and laughed to myself. Not just the real life friends but also the virtual ones too. Laughter is the cure all and how I love to laugh. And it's with friends that we laugh so freely. Have a great week. Find something to laugh at. This cracked me up this week... Hope the link works...Mom with Star Wars mask

It's May!!!

What a glorious day!
The weather has been soooo kind. I'm so enjoying it right now. To think that when I was in the throws of recovery, just after getting out of hospital, the sun was splitting the rocks and I was so not interested in it. Wasted on me, the whole scorching hot summer. Endless days of scorchio. From January to May all I cared for was a room with a bed and heavy curtains! Or sat in front of Downton Abbey in the lounger with the curtains drawn to hide the sun from the TV screen at 2 in the afternoon. Shocking! So now I am so thankful that scorchio is still here and I can appreciate it sitting here on the covered deck tapping away.
So was anyone else a little surprised that yesterday was the 1st of May? We're almost halfway through the freakin year people! What have we got to show for it? Where's that New Years resolution list gone? Well by way of a kick up me own arse I vowed to myself last night that come this morning I will start actively DOING rather than thinking about the list of stuff I wanna do this year. There's only so much prepping you can do. Did you know that you can qualify as an honorary member of the Church of the Latter Day Saints if you can show you have stockpiled 3 months supply of wool in the event of a creative apocalypse? I have enough wool to insulate the entire house and the air aid shelter (google it up kids).
My day started at 6.30am with Pet Rescue. Woody brought a bird in the house, alive. It was like Tom and Jerry (You Tube it up) in the kitchen, plates, pans, water bowls going everywhere. He hasn't really got a killer instinct, he just brings them home to hang out. Never kills them. They usually die of shock. Anyhow this little bird was cornered by the bookcase on the floor. I grabbed a blanket and chucked it over the two of them. Dragged Woody out and then scooped up Birdy in the blanket to take him downstairs for release. I opened up the blanket and he flew straight off. Excellent start to the day. Back to bed with a cuppa and a surf of the net. I didn't stay there long what with the wailing banshee of a cat outside the door.
New cereal for breakfast today, fit for Ironman himself!

Back to the creative jobs for the day. Now can I include two rounds of washing, hoovering the house and cleaning the bathroom floors? OK, no it is a bit of a stretch especially as ma was helping too! What about an omnibus edition of Corro? Sorry! I know it's not exactly Dostoyevsky (ok so I googled the spelling whatever's!). Well I did take up J's trousers! 

I did make a start on my projector project:

Templates drawn ready to project and enlarge! And we're off........

GONE noroVIRAL!

We've had an unexpected visitor who has ripped havoc through our family this week. It's only now that I am able to talk about it. Never before have I felt so drained and exhausted. J has been blown over too. The big man was floored on Saturday and is still reeling today. It all started a week last Friday......

The little un has been fast approaching his first birthday and all plans were set in motion weeks ago for the party on Sunday 17th April. Cake duties were split between myself (defaulted from J due to all day bike ride on Saturday 16th in wop wops. Gawd!) and grandad H (chief icer). 5 loaves pre-ordered from bakery to be sliced by the baker (learnt that trick from the christening! Still have the callouses from the knife!) for ham and tomato sandwiches. Presents wrapped (including DIY monkey - see previous post) and cards written. Fifty million small plastic balls bought for DIY junglerama in the paddling pool. All set for Sunday's party. 

So, a week ago last Friday, the little un has a bit of a barf in his push chair after a busy morning chasing balls in the official Junglerama. Teething perhaps? Yeah. Cheeks are a bit flared. Goes to bed that night and mum is woken by a gurgling sound and there's little un covered in spew in his cot. Poor wee mite. He's all out of sorts next day and just before bedtime mum is up hurling too. On the hour every hour she's up spewing through out the night. This is Saturday night. Night before the party. So next morning she's absolutely exhausted. Cancels the party (very sensible) and reschedules for the 30th. Thank goodness for the power of Facebook! She's back to bed and dad's taking over the little un. So he's next in line. Hits him Monday night. Ugh. On the hour every hour. Has to try to get it together though to attend a funeral on Tuesday! Passes the baby baton back to mum who's still gotta get herself in order to go with him. Meanwhile me and great-nanny Ann step up to baby sit for a few hours on the Tuesday. Thinking little-un is well over his barfing so it's just a couple of nappy changes and some feeds. No signs of any spewing. All good. Baby goes home. We go to bed. I'm up the next day to get flappy checked, hit the Sweet Vanilla Cafe for a cheese scone and a latte, meet a friend in town, pick up some craft tools, visit the new Bunnings in Petone, take a wrong turn and am heading back to Welly, running out of petrol, gas-up, on my way again! Having a great day. head home to mamma to watch a bit of Tipping Point. Perfick. 

Until 4 o'clock.

Searing pain in my belly button. Argh. Need toilet. The big "D" in vomiting and diarrhea hits me. Ugh! Then the big "V" shows itself. Dramatically. Epically. Projectiled. I can't lift my head off the toilet bowl. Holy Fuck! What is this? Ugh. Bed. Half hour later I'm up again. V. I hate it. 5 hours I managed of this trotting to chuck. It's inhumane. It was like gastric plus flu. Gastric flu. Pains in the bones and fever. My head was on fire but my feet and hands were freezing. Whatever was in my system it was having an all night rave. After each hurl I lay in bed like I had main lined Rohypnol. I couldn't even move my lips. Boot camp for bugs. That's what I was doing.

By 9pm I was able to move from the bed to the sofa but still lay horizontally, moaning. I felt like I'd been run over. Now, you know, avid readers that I can confidently state that I do have a high threshold for pain. I have visited my happy place to relieve anxiety and pain on many occasions. But this battle with this particular bug was like Sigournet Weaver in Aliens (the one with all those British actors in it don't know which Alien movie it was darn it). "It will pass. It will take its course. It will be over. Soon. Ish". It did stop. The "V". And my first solid passed reminded me of my time in hospital and made me smile. How good it feels to move yer shit after you've been on a holiday in hell. 

So it's now Thrusday morning and I am totally wiped out like a rag doll. Stomach muscles, check. Flappy, check. Throat, errrrrrr, nah, sore throat!!!!! Argh! No way. Stripped and bare my poor throat is on fire. FFS! It's like those first few days after surgery. You know when you think they've let off a thousand ants in your mouth. There's nothing like being starving, not "V"ing and not being able to swallow - to bring you right down. I was sooo sooo over it. AND it was little-uns birthday, the actual one, and I wouldn't be able to go and eat the freakin cake!!! Right that's it I headed straight for the Watties tinned cream of tomato soup and sank right into its velvety creaminess, like a cat, swimming backstroke I was. Yummmmy yum yum. I wouldn't look at it normally, the tinned soup section. Oh no, it's all Go-Nakeds all the way (that's a brand of soup not Tuesday nights in New World Supermarket Thorndon!).

But there's more to the week that was from hell. J and great nanny ann set off to see the little un on Thursday night. J is out to work as usual Friday. We're all set to head to the beach for the long ANZAC weekend. We have our usual Friday night take out. Go to bed. And at 5am J is up "V" and "D" ing. "I've got the bug". What The Actual Fuck? This thing is flying through us like, er, flies? OMG. I seriously think the bug was twice as bad for J. Maybe it mutated? J still has it. It's funny, well not funny, But it's cute that we both share the same language while we're hurling. "THis is a fuc*ing Bast*rd" was one I remember. 

I headed to the t'internet, as you do, to get to the bottom of what we were all experiencing. A couple of other family members affected reckon it was worse than campylobacter and well that is saying something eh. I reckon we had Norovirus come to stay. Ripped right through all of us........ Except for great nanny ann, fingers crossed. Shes been with me all week while I've been ill and she's been around the baby and now J. 

Must be the fags. It's the only difference between us!!!!!! 

Long may she remain symptom less. Here's a link to Norovirus with all the symptoms we had.... Norovirus info click here

3 month milestone

Celebrating my 3 month milestone with a mini bottle of bubbles. Three months ago was D-day. January 14th. Wow. I am so grateful in so many ways for being alive and well today. So grateful for the love and support from my family and friends. All those positive vibes helped me heal. I am still healing. There are ups and downs. But everyday I am grateful for being here. Loving and cherishing every day as best I can. Hoping my guardian angels can take a vacation now. Cheers everyone!