October - December 2013

2013
	7 October 2013 It looks like our Artistry Server is down.... have no idea for how long. Jason uses the same server and he can't connect to his site either. This happened last year around this time, I think they were doing updates... Hope its not too long this time.
	8 October 2013 Back online.
	27 October 2013 I had shopping yesterday (Saturday) and forgot to take my pain killer before going because I was running late. As a result I was a total wreck by the time I was finished. I joined Jason, Jared and their friends at "Party Central" (out by the pool).... (can you believe that!!!!) ..... because I was good for nothing else. I came in before dusk to avoid the mozzies and bugs and soon died watching TV. Woke up around 1:30 am Sunday morning and went to bed.

	14 November 2013 What a week... got my computer back on Tuesday (took 8 days and made me $210 poorer) BUT Jason had to find the disc to set up Windows again. Many of you know that Jason is not the tidiest person on the planet so that took a while!! He eventally found what was necessary and got to work. I didn't bitch about the time it was taking because I knew it would do no good. Now my computer is working better than ever so I'm happy. S My laptop has so much more 'stuff' on it since Jason started using it that it works at "Snail's Pace".. very frustrating! While he was working on my computer I watched the opening of our Parliament (all day!!!!!!!!) It was really interesting since I'd never seen it before. Also watched the first session in Parliament and instead of my usual yelling at the TV I was laughing my head off. We're going to have a very interesting 3 years methinks! S Then, while I was "off the air" we had the typhoon in the Philippines, a truly horrific disaster. The scenes brought me to tears, especially the children, many of whom are now orphans. I feel blessed to have never experienced anything like this and this nation needs our prayers and our aid quickly. I say again, I cannot imagine what it would be like to lose everything including family members. It breaks my heart. Jason has a friend in the Philippines but fortunately she is north of Manila and safe. Jared (grandson) scored a job this week but I don't know how long it will last. It's not that he doesn't want to work, I just don't know if he's physically capable. He's willing to take on anything just to eliminate the boredom of being unemployed. BUT, Jared is built like a beanpole, skinny, and the job is off loading tons of scallops from trawlers at our harbour. He has bruises on his legs and his arms were in pain because he wasn't used to the hard lifting. However he's not given up and is back down at the harbour today for more punishment to his body. As for me... I was too sick to do my shopping on Saturday last because I took on too much in the days prior checking and throwing out old documents and unwanted items from my room. I wore myself out. I do much better taking an hour here and there to do this with rest breaks in between. BUT I had time up my sleeve so had decided to hit it head on... big mistake! I took a strong painkiller on the Friday, lay down in bed around 2pm and woke up the next day just before noon!!! 22 hours!!! I learned my lesson!
	21 November 2013 The entire world lost an extraordinary human being this month, NELSON MANDELA. A man of courage, wisdom and vision. A Nobel Peace Prize recipient and the first black South African President. He was prepared to die for a free and democratic South Africa. He never sought revenge for 27 years of imprisonment. To put it in today's parlance... he "sucked it up and got over it" and continued working for unity, harmony and equal opportunity for everyone. He was a leader that history will never forget, for the right reasons. To quote a statement that has been repeated in all news broadcasts... "We are unlikely to see the likes of Nelson Mandela again."
	22 November 2013 I have to write about this otherwise I will forget what happened when I go visit my GP on 13th December. Went to the hospital on Wednesday to see the Orthopedic Specialist.... only took 18 months from when the first referral was sent in by my GP. He was Australian with a 'toffee nosed' accent and an attitude to match.... talked in a monotone voice and had no sense of humour. I'm beginning to wonder if there's something wrong with me... why do I end up seeing medical jerks? Anyway... I remembered Jason telling me to stay calm... because I'll get a better result from the interview. First up... he asked what my problem was.... hello... he's an orthopedic specialist... maybe he needs new glasses because he had my referral in front of him with the details AND he couldn't miss seeing my hands! I stayed calm and held up my hands... then showed him my feet. Next question... which bothers you the most?? Answer... All 4 appendages but my left foot worries me the most because I don't want to end up in a wheelchair. His response.... This is one of the worst cases of Rheumatoid Arthritis he's seen. (No kidding!!) What medications are you on??? None, because I have a leg ulcer and was told arthritis medication would hamper the healing... that was 2 years ago!! Do you have Diabetes? NO. Why did you leave it so long before asking to have something done about the problem? I've been waiting 18 months for an appointment... He checked the records... it wasn't 18 months... actually 17 months but close enough... (so I was out by a month... big deal!) Have you seen a Rheumatoid Specialist? Yes... can't think of her name because it's been 2 years since I've seen her owing to the leg ulcer. Wasn't your doctor interested enough to check on why the referral was taking so long? Your feet are going to be a problem. (While this conversation was going on he was checking my hands and feet... we were about 20 minutes into the appointment) I told him my doctor did check but she was told there was a waiting list.... I had to be patient... How long have you had Rheumatoid Arthritis? 12 years. Why didn't you ask your GP to do something about my feet sooner? (By this time I was "getting hot under the collar") My feet were NOT a problem 18 months ago! By the time they became a problem I figured I would ask about them if and when I eventually got an appointment to see a specialist! He continued with inane questions that wouldn't have given him any insight into anything and he was still trying to blame my doctor for not following up often enough. PLUS he was talking down to me as if I was a child! I stopped him in his tracks and told him I may look dumb but I'm not... stop treating me like a child! He didn't like that! I repeated that my doctor did follow up but was fobbed off with excuses and basically told I would just have to wait. He continued... telling me that they could take care of my feet at the Hervey Bay Hospital BUT if I wanted my hands fixed I would have to go to Brisbane. WELL... this was a revelation!!!!! The Irish doctor I saw at the end of September this year, at the hospital, lied to me! She told me there was nothing the hospital could do for my foot!!!!! He continued... if you decided to have your foot attended to, they would operate and straighten the 3 middle toes and insert pins which would have to be removed 6 weeks later. Of course you would be in a great deal of pain during those 6 weeks! Once that was done you would have further pain for at least 6 months! You would also have to purchase orthopedic shoes! Well... I could get painkillers couldn't I???? That's not the point.. What is the point??? There's no guarantee that the toes wouldn't twist again. How many of your patients have had this happen? Can't tell you BUT many patients are sorry they had the operation. (By this time I was thinking he didn't want to help me at all... he was trying to put me off. Maybe he thought it a waste of time seeing I am 67) Do you know what a CT Scan is? Of course I do! I would like you to have one here at the hospital. OK... should I phone and make an appointment? No.. I'll get the nurse to organise that for you now. (He left with the form and returned a couple of minutes later... I assume I'll get a letter re the appoinment since he didn't elaborate any further) If I agreed to the operation would I get a general anaesthetic or a local? That depends... On what? I'm a coward... have never had an operation before. On your fitness. What if I decided to have my hands done? You would have to see a hand surgeon in Brisbane at the PA hospital. Why don't you go away and consider your options and after you have had the CT Scan I will see you again to see what you decide. By this time I was glad the appointment was over. I was ready to cry... he didn't seem interested in helping me at all... I felt like he was trying to get me to forget getting anything done and just put up with my problem. I couldn't talk to Jason when he came to collect me... had to come home and calm down first. It's times like this I wished I lived in Sydney again.... at least they have decent hospitals and specialists. So... I don't know what I'm going to do. Been a crap week.... :-( It can only get better S
	24 November 2013 I did my shopping yesterday so you know the day was a write off. As a result I was not online at all. I took an Endone before I tackled the shopping and that worked great but by the time I was finished scanning (for Nielsen Research) and had them put away I was wasted.... so I took another Endone (my knees were hurting making it painful to get up and down from where I was sitting.... damn!!) Of course I fell asleep... fortunately Jason was going to a friend's place for a bar-b-que and Jared was going to one of his friend's for a while so I didn't have to worry about dinner. I had a snack. I have received so many emails re my "bout" with the "specialist" and I thank you all for caring. I'm overwhelmed!!!! I will answer you individually as soon as I can because you took time out of your day to console me. I've had time to consider the options and still don't know what I'm going to do. I'm thinking an op couldn't be any worse than what I went through yesterday BUT the pain would last longer than one day... with no relief. Jason delivered a letter to my GP on Friday but she was away and won't be back until tomorrow (Monday) so I'll see what she says. Jason decided yesterday that I am not to do a lot of work cooking for Christmas!! Since we celebrate here in Summer he said we're going to make it simple.... Salads... seafood....marinated cooked prawns... bar-b-qued scallops and calamari, Lamb kebabs (Jared (grandson) is not fussed on seafood, except for fish), slices of smoked salmon already in the freezer, caviar (LOL!!!) which I purchased yesterday.... sounds great to me!!!! I'll even use disposable plates so there's no washing up... LOL!!! I think I told you Jared has a part time job. It's hard work, loading scallops off the trawlers when they come into harbour. The money is good... He doesn't like scallops BUT he was given a huge bucket of them when he finished work on Friday. He knows Jason and I love them. Once Jason shelled them and washed them in sea water we had 2kgs... they're selling for $45 a kg in the fish shop. (outrageous!!!!!) Nice bonus!!!!! A couple of the other guys working with him don't like scallops either so they declined the offer. I told Jared to tell them to take the scallops next time they're offered and pass them on to him when they leave for the day!!! LOL!!! Since Jared is working for the local fisheries we may get the prawns at discount cost... hope so because the prices spiral here for Christmas. So, I'm looking forward to Christmas day this year. S I still wonder where the heck the year went... it passed by so quickly.

	5 December 2013 Last week I went out to lunch with my friend Marj... We were discussing my "run-in" with the Orthopaedic Specialist. She asked me... "It wasn't Dr. Gxxxx... was it?" I said... "How did YOU know????" She told me he was the surgeon who looked after Ruth (her disabled daughter) when she broke her ankle a couple of years ago during the infamous 4 days we spent at the Gold Coast hinterland. Infamous because I also had an accident but didn't need hospitalised. She agreed that he was particularly "blunt"... no "bedside manner" BUT was a hell of a surgeon!!! He did a brilliant job with Ruth! Small world isn't it..?? I was in shock! But I told her that his "brilliance" was no excuse for his attitude. I'm ready for my next interview with him... I have a list of questions needing answers.
	19 December 2013 Less than a week until Christmas... where has this year gone?? It sure has had its ups and downs for me. I had an UP moment earlier yesterday when I visited the specialist. His attitude was totally different. I suspect he made a note in his folder about my comments during my last appointment about talking down to me because as soon as he opened the folder he was friendly instead of being cold and matter of fact. He actually looked at me when asking questions and looked at me when answering my questions. He almost slipped a couple of times... but all in all he had found his manners. S He wants opinions from other colleagues because my problem is complicated. I now have another ex corn which is ulcerating under my middle toe. It arrived at the weekend to keep the original one company! S So I have another appointment "to look forward to" before he makes any decisions. BUT I feel more confident about him now. Having a DOWN moment right now... I can't access any of my Artistry site. I can't FTP anything because my Host has done the annual update and has changed my IP so Jason has told me some complicated crap about DNS and other stuff which I don't understand except that I just have to wait until the new IP has completed its changeover. GRRRR!!
	25 December 2013 Wishing one and all a very happy Christmas!
	26 December 2013 Here in OZ we've already celebrated Christmas but I know there are those up the top end of the planet who are celebrating today... I hope you have as great a day as I did!!! Except for the heat and humidity. I heard on the news that some parts of the UK are flooded and parts of Canada without power... I pray that everyone is safe. What a lousy time for this to happen!! I hope our members have not been affected and pray for those that have. Jason did all the cooking for us and we had a trail of people popping in and out all day. I did nothing for a change except... since Jason had done all the work keeping us full... I did the dishes. Today... Boxing Day... he's taking care of the meals and nibbles again.




	JANUARY-MARCH 2014