First few weeks

It’s a bit of a worry when you’re parked in the bush and in the middle of the night you smell smoke.  We’re at Lake Mackintosh, can’t actually see much of the lake because the ‘permanent’ campers have got the best spots.   Obviously we’ve not been caught in a fire but my acute senses did smell smoke, Steve says someone had a fire going – I sincerely hope it won’t be going again.  

                                                  

                                                                                                                        

To get to this spot we had to drive over the dam wall.  There’s a sign saying no overtaking which is quite unnecessary as the wall is only slightly wider than the caravan    

The sign over the dam, has been changed by someone

I was in charge of breakfast this morning so I made something in line with my capabilities in the kitchen.  We each had a replacement meal shake.  I came down the step and shook them both and half of Steve’s went all over the place because, again in line with my kitchen expertise I’d not secured the top.  I laughed, Steve didn’t.

I broke another tooth.  I’m thinking it must be an age thing although there are some people who still have their own teeth in their 80’s.  I don’t understand why my health is so bad.

We spent a night at Beaconsfield, where the mining accident happened. 

We also spent time at Evansdale where they have a penny-farthing race but we didn’t stay for that.

Some time ago we saw a program on t.v. about Sheffield where they have heaps of murals on various walls around the town.  They’re really good and it was here that we bought tee shirts for the littlies.

We haven’t done any rushing about.  We’re taking it easy and enjoying the peace and quiet.  We’re here until the 23^rd April when we sail back to Melbourne.  We haven’t discussed what we’re going to do when we’re back on the mainland because it’s so far away.

We have to be back in June or July as I have an appointment with my orthopedic surgeon.  I have to have x-rays to make sure my hips are okay.  If they’re not I wonder what he’ll want to do.  So far this year I haven’t had any disasters, apart from breaking a tooth.  I have to make a conscious effort to walk carefully and take time getting in and out of the caravan because the last thing I want is to fall.

They have sparrows and starlings in Tasmania.  We’ve also been told they have blackbirds and I haven’t seen one of those since the last time we were in England.  I’m surrounded at the moment by big fat bumble bees, complete with yellow stripes, buzzing around.  We don’t have these types of bees in Perth, we have wasps which are referred to as bees but they’re not ‘real’ bees.

Before we left home Steve fitted two tanks in the back of the truck.  One is for diesel and the other for water.  I have a real fear that we’re going to run out of water, even though we carry litres of the stuff for drinking.  I don’t know if it’s because water is so precious in Perth but I do feel a lot better knowing we have plenty with us.

We had a laugh when he went to fill up with diesel when we landed at Devonport because he’d had to use the spare diesel and he wanted to make sure we didn’t get caught without some.  When he was filling the tank a lady asked him what he was doing and she thought it was hysterical and told him there are plenty of service stations to fill up.  When we were getting to Victoria we filled up at every station we passed because you never know where the next one will be.

We also carry a jerry can of petrol for the generator and because you can’t take spare fuel on the ferry Steve gave it to some German boys who were at Inverleigh with us.

Because of the solar we had fitted and the spare water tank we don’t need to go into a caravan park.  Like so many other caravaners of our age we don’t want bouncing castles or playgrounds and don’t like having to pay $30.00+ just to fill up with water and charge everything.  We are now totally self sufficient.  We charge the phones and ipads through the inverter and caravan battery which is charged by the solar.  If we want to do some washing then we use the generator and we also use this when we want coffee from the machine.

Since my hair has grown I don’t use the hair drier so don’t need power for that.

Trees, trees and more trees

New video about, the start of our trip around Tasmania

We've been in Tasmania for almost three weeks and I'm fed up of mountain roads and trees.  Yesterday we went from Queenstown to Strahan on the West Coast Wilderness Railway train, climbing up mountains and using the rack and pinion method (yes, I do understand how it works since they gave us a little model) and then we changed from a steam engine to a diesel.  Not my idea of fun.  I was bored to tears and spent most of the time trying to work out what jobs the various people in the carriage had done before they retired.

Today we felt as if we should be in Italy, driving up mountains with sheer drops on one side, double lines in the middle of the road which some motorists choose to ignore.  Steve pulls in whenever there's traffic behind us which means it takes us longer to get where we're going.  We travelled almost 100ks today.

They have sparrows, starlings and blackbirds here, also big fat bumble bees, Scottish thistles, rose bay willow herb and foxgloves.  I haven't seen any of these for years.  There's lots of bee hives around the place and the bees are very friendly.

The weather has been brilliant, blue skies and sunshine.  We're making our way towards Hobart, we're at Derwent Bridge, parked in the pub car park today and possibly tomorrow.  Yesterday I heard on the news that Hobart is on fire so I'm not in a hurry to move closer to it but we will have to move because I want to do some washing and it wouldn't be a good look to have the washing line out with knickers and socks waving around in a car park.

on our way

Saturday 17 February 2013

Well, here we are in Tasmania.  We had an uneventful crossing, actually there were a few moments starting with being in line for nearly two hours while all the cars and a whole heap of motor bikers got on the ferry but we were told that last on first off which was some comfort.

A few things happened on the boat.  Firstly, even before we got in the shower the en-suite floor was about 2cms deep in water.  Not our problem so we put a towel down so we wouldn’t slip.  Twice through the night I woke unable to breath, I don’t know what that was about.  Steve asked me from the comfort of his bunk was I all right?  I felt blue in the face but being the soldier I am I took, to the best of my ability, deep calming breaths and carried on trying to sleep.

At 3.00am Steve started on the chips, crunching me awake so I had a few to keep me going through the night.

At 5.45am a very nice lady told us we had to get up and be ready to collect the caravan at 6.30.  When we had struggled to get past it (because it’s a tight fit) Steve told me the battery was flat so out came his portable jump starter thingy that we paid a fortune for in Geraldton only to realise that too needed charging.  Fortunately it happens on a regular basis and the lads from the boat came to the rescue and jump-started us and away we went.

 We have no plan as to where we’re going and we have ended up in Deloraine.  On the way here we called into a bakery and had breakfast while we waited for the RAC man to come and start the truck.  We decided we’d take some yummo looking cakes with us but forgot.

The RAC man got us going and we’re now parked in a little area in Deloraine and we’re going to stay here for two nights.  We went back to the bakery today and I told Steve what to buy but he’d been listening to some other conversation and came back with the wrong cakes so he had to go buy the correct ones.  We ended up with 8 scrumptious cakes.

Photo of cakes to come

While we were in Melbourne we had a few moments.  First was when Steve ploughed through a red light with the caravan in tow, strangely enough it changed to red when we got to it and was green by the time we’d got through it.  Then he sallied through a train crossing when the barrier was coming down.  He prides himself on being observant but didn’t notice the red flashing lights or clanging bells.  In his defence he was in an unfamiliar place, trying to negotiate the traffic with me reading my book and being  ‘no help at all’.

11.2.13

Sorry it’s taken so long to update this.  Reception has been a little sparse.

We left as agreed at approximately 7.30 on Friday 1^st February.  We’d spent the night in the caravan because Beth and her family had already moved into the house and Andrew and Beth were in our bed.

I have decided that the country towns do little to enhance themselves ie. Norseman.  There’s only a few shops and they were closed and it was only about 2.00pm that we went through.  I was all for stopping and having a coffee somewhere but there was nowhere to go.

The Nullarbor was interesting – not.  I thought there’d be signs saying ‘You are entering the Nullarbor’ or something on that line but there was nothing other than a little wooden sign to the left of the road which, if I’d been looking straight ahead I would have missed.

I don’t remember where we’ve stayed until now.  We’ve had only one night in each place apart from a few nights ago when we were parked on the outside of the oval and there was going to be a cricket match the following day so we thought we’d support the local team which I think was called Mallala.   It’s in South Australia.  Unfortunately one of the locals told Steve the game had been cancelled so we moved on the following morning instead of staying.

I was so excited because at 8.30pm it was still light and we got to enjoy twilight after all these years in Perth when the sun has disappeared by 7.30.    

Nearly off to Tasmania

The plan is to leave home on Friday morning.  Paige and Beth are coming home on HITH on Thursday afternoon.  We will be packing up the caravan on Thursday, leaving instructions for Beth and Jim about what to do when bills etc., come in.

Steve has made a vague plan of where he wants to stop along the way to Adelaide, then Melbourne before getting on the ferry.  I asked if we could go on the coast road rather than the Nullabor and he said that the Nullabor is indeed the coast road.  I thought it was inland a bit but then again geography was never my strong point.

My floppy foot is improving.  Today I went to the hairdressers and also my dentist, then to Officeworks and didn't have the brace on.  I did really well with my walking until I fell over a guy in Officeworks because I forgot to lift the foot higher than a normal person does.  Fortunately the guy caught me and I didn't actually bowl him over but it is a concern and I really don't feel 100% confident when I'm out.

 I no longer look like white trailer trash because my dentist has fixed my smile with the offending tooth on a dental plate.  I'm surprised at how natural it feels although she did say it was cosmetic only and if possible to remove it before eating.  I had it on the chair arm and Sienna tried picking it up because she thought it was Beth's!   And then, when Steve and I were motoring up to West Perth to see the orthopaedic surgeon I realised I didn't have it in my mouth.

Without

With

When I was at the hairdressers the gay guy who works there turned up and he was saying he'd had botox in various parts of his face, including his lips.  I asked him what it felt like to kiss botoxed lips and he said he didn't know so I told him to come over to me, pucker up and I'd tell him.

Princess Margaret Hospital and Cystic Fibrosis

I recently spent three days and nights in Princess Margaret Hospital with Paige while she had a tuneup. This is when they give her massive doses of antibiotics through her port and extensive physiotherapy for her Cystic Fibrosis.

This picture shows the first port that was surgically implanted. Before she had this each time she went into PMH for a tuneup she had to go to theatre for a picc line inserting.  She's had them in both sides of her neck, her arms and feet.  The veins in her arms have collapsed.  It was quite distressing for her to go to theatre so it was decided to implant a port.  Unfortunately the original one got blocked so she had to have another one put in at the other side.

The antibiotics are in the syringe and the 'spring infuser' pushes it through the tube into her body.  In this photo she's at our house taking advantage of HITH which stands for 'Hospital in the Home'.  Once a day the physiotherapist visits and puts her through her paces.  CFWA also send Denise to do some physio in the afternoon.  Beth and Steve have been trained to do the medication which frees up the nurses to visit other children also on HITH.

Fortunately we're getting a new children's hospital because the existing one is getting old.  Fridges that were donated have been removed from the rooms because of health and safety issues.  Now all food which was previously stored in the room has to be handed to a nurse and put in a communal fridge/freezer.  When we need something out of it we have to ask for it.  Beth waited nearly an hour for her little esky so that she could put some non dairy butter on Paige's breakfast.  Obviously by the time it was delivered the breakfast had been eaten.

We always knew that food in the cafe was a bit of a joke and Steve said that when he went in at 10.00am  on Saturday food which was to be heated up for lunch time was sitting on a trolley in the kitchen, instead of in a cool room.  They talk about health issues on the ward and they are putting all their customers at risk.  Beth came home for a few hours this afternoon and when she went back she sent this message:

'The options of food at the cafe was corn, broccoli and dry boiled potatoes or plain rice.  No sauce or stew or anything for moisture.  That was it!  When I asked for a veggie burger they said they had no bread.  When I asked for the pattie and salad they said they had no patties.  I'm eating a packet of chips for tea.  Bollocks'.

One of my favourite gripes is that nearly every meal which is delivered to Paige is never hot.  There's no use having a go at anyone because they're lovely people, all doing their best for the children.  Since Paige has become vegan she's had some interesting evening meals but breakfast is the same every day:  hash browns and beans.  She eats the hash browns but not the beans.  They also send her Rice Crispies with soy milk but she doesn't like the milk so the cereal doesn't get eaten.  She has a lot of snacks throughout the day, these are usually chips/water melon/other fruit/rice crackers etc.,  They also give her little packs of cheese which she can't eat because it's made from milk.

The reason we stay with Paige is so that we can attempt to correct any problems before they become bigger problems:  When she was having her nebulizer the nurse set the oxygen level but it was too high resulting in the tube constantly disconnecting from the mouthpiece.  The nurse had gone so we had to turn off the machine and Paige actually reset the level to the correct one.

Another time a nurse came in to give Paige insulin.  When the nurse was told she isn't diabetic she realised she'd been reading the wrong notes.  It's errors like this that can cause big problems or even death.

Then we had the registered nurse trying to flush antibiotics through the incorrect line.  Paige had to tell her to use the one which is specifically for flushing.

I am concerned that mistakes continue to be made.  I wonder if the staff are offered additional training in the correct way to carry out these procedures.

Organ Donation and Lungs on Hold

In 1988 when we still lived in England the local Rotary were trying to get donors on the Bone Marrow Registry. Steve and I took the opportunity to give a sample of blood and get registered.

When we arrived in Australia, I don't know how it happened but Steve and I got onto the registry and also on the Organ Donor list.  Louisa and James are also organ donors.

We feel that it's important for bits and pieces that are no longer any use to us, because we're dead, to be available to anyone who is suffering because their bits are no longer working properly.

Personally, I would prefer that my organs not be transplanted into someone who has deliberately abused their body, i.e. alcohol, drug abuse etc., but I'm told we can't discriminate and I'm really quite passionate about donating.  Let's face it, once I'm dead I'm not going to be bothered, all our family know my views and theirs will be the ultimate call.

When Paige was first diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at 6 weeks we were called into the Respiratory department at PMH and during the explanation of what CF is and what was likely to happen we were told that it may be that when Paige is older she may need a lung transplant.

This is the honest truth and I kid you not but immediately Beth said, 'Oh, she can have mum's! '.  I just sat there, wondering how I was going to manage without this very important part of my body.

A few years later Paige and I were talking about organ donation and I said that when she's older she may need a new set of lungs and (just like her mother) she said, 'Can I have yours Granny?'  I'd already asked her consultant if she could have one of my lungs but he said it was probably in a worse state than hers.  We need more people to become organ donors and I'm in the 'lets make it compulsory' camp.  You can't take your body with you when you die, it gets burned or buried, either way it's no use to anyone, if its buried it's taking up space although if its cremated your loved ones can take the ashes and sprinkle them on your roses and watch them spring into life.

Cystic Fibrosis - 65 Roses

Parents of kids who have Cystic Fibrosis have a unique relationship.  These videos are of Joel who I think is a couple of years older than Paige and his sister Jeslyn.

http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=c1fe693e9e5520f9b2843b&skin_id=1603&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url


http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=bd05263101311edb1e8ee7&skin_id=1604&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url

Beth met Leelee (their mum) in PMH.  Leelee is a real fighter and stands up for what she believes in.  Jeslyn is a true angel who you can see loves her brother without reservation.  I wonder if she'll be a nurse when she's older.

                                             ******************************

The following link is a movie that Steve made.  The baby is Sienna and the bits and pieces that Paige are putting together were donated by LJ Hooker, Mandurah.  It's a special nebuliser which cost a fortune and takes a very short time to dispense the medication.  She's using a traditional nebuliser in the movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBOj5zyN768

Doing some physio by blowing up balloons.


Steve and I had the back of the caravan covered in the hope that when we're on the road people will check out the website and learn more about this chronic disease which is the most common genetic disease affecting children.

When we're travelling and pull in for fuel we try to take a photo of the caravan with the name of where we are in the photo.  I don't know why we started doing this, possibly so that the CF. Association know that we are indeed spreading the word.

Heart Attack

Today I'm going to tell you about what happened when I had my heart attack in February 2003.  It was a Saturday night and we were eating tea.  Louisa had made salad rolls and mine was really tasty. Strange how you remember the most mundane things.

I'm eating away when my left arm felt strange.  Not pins and needles, just strange, then I started with a sensation in my chest, under my breast bone almost as if there was a rat gnawing away with his horrible teeth.  I had a couple of Nurofen (apparently the worst thing you can take).

We tend not to panic in this house but I did say to Steve that it might be a good idea if we visited the local hospital just to make sure all was well.

Off we went and they put the leads on, did a blood test and an X-Ray and put me into an observation ward.  Everything came back negative so they sent me home.

The next morning we had our children, plus a couple of extras and we were all eating Maccas when it started again.  I'd felt it through the night but didn't panic.  I stopped eating, which is unusual for me and told Steve I didn't feel well and he suggested I go lay down on our bed.

When I was laid there I started sweating and asked for the air conditioning to be put on.  Louisa came in and threw the remote control at me saying she didn't know how to work it and I had to turn it on myself.  Just a little while later I went dizzy and really didn't feel well.  Louisa, James, Beth and various other people all went out to the markets to see if they could get any bargains.

I still didn't realise it was anything serious, it never entered my head to call for an ambulance and I told Steve I wanted to go back to hospital.  He moaned a bit but I really felt rough so off we went.  I told him he'd have to get me a wheelchair because there was no way I could walk and he'd have to park close to the entrance.

He pulled in and went off to find a wheelchair.  There was an ambulance parked at the side of us.  Steve came back and told me there was a queue and he couldn't find a wheel chair.  He didn't say it but he was thinking I'd tell him to take me home.

I didn't and the ambulance people told him where he could find a wheelchair.  When we got inside he went to reception and told them I'd been there the night before with chest pains and I was no better this morning.  The staff fannied about and whilst Steve was talking to another person a nurse came and called my name.  When she saw me sitting on my own and realised she'd have to push me into the department she said she'd come back later and left me there.

Eventually she came back and Steve pushed me to the bed she pointed to.  By this time my dress was soaked through and I crawled onto the bed, she fixed on the leads and within 30 seconds all hell broke loose.  Looking back I can laugh about it but at the time it was very dramatic.  Steve's face was a picture when the doctor told him his wife was having a heart attack.  (guilt).

I don't know how long we were there for but they transferred me to The Mount which is a private hospital in Perth.  We'd got private insurance in 2000 because after I'd had cancer in 1998 I fully expected Steve to have a meltdown and I wanted to have the best care for him.  We'd also arranged good life and trauma insurance but we're still waiting to claim on it because he's too damn healthy.  If he'd have a heart attack or lose a leg we'd get enough money to clear our debts but will he? no he won't.

Stayed in The Mount under the care of a lovely cardiologist who looks as if he should be playing rugby for Australia.  He did an angiogram and the result was that the artery was too small to insert a stent so he dosed me up with medication and told me I'd have to take it for the rest of my life which I'm doing.  I've had follow up tests and they've all been fine.  I used to see him every year and a couple years ago he asked if I knew what had triggered the attack. Had I been upset, arguing, anything at all?  Louisa got married the month after the attack but I wasn't stressed about it so he told me I was unique but we knew that already.

I didn't see him last year, I had the dodgy hips going on.  The year before I'd seen him and I'd been stuck in the waiting room because my knee was locked and I couldn't move.

The pain was not the elephant sitting on my chest.  As I said, it was as if something was gnawing at me and I've had indigestion that's been more painful.  I have to say though that when I do get indigestion I do wonder if it's my heart and still I don't panic.  I have one of those spray things but the first thing I do is have a couple of Rennies.  The pain goes away so it's not cardio and since it usually happens at night I go back to sleep and wake to see another day.

My words of wisdom regarding health are, if in any doubt whatsoever, see a doctor.  I used to think I was a bit of a hypochondriac but it doesn't matter how many visits you need to make, if you're worried take yourself to see a professional.

What shall I write about next?

Jodi Ellen Malpas. This Man Trilogy

I don't do reviews, to me they're a bit like a resume where you write stuff that prospective employers want to read, rather than what you can do ie.  I can competently operate and maintain computer databases/systems and use financial systems to process payments received and monitor expenditure.  I'm able to maintain client records and create effective documentation while respecting the need for privacy and confidentiality.

In other words, I can use a computer, deal with accounts, do the filing and keep my mouth shut.


I read a book by Jodi Ellen Malpas.  It's the first part of a trilogy called 'This Man'. It has some naughty bits in it and it's so good and funny, he doesn't like her swearing and shouts 'Mouth' at her when she's cursing then he has a countdown when she won't do as he says.  I won't tell you what happens when he gets to zero.

I keep tabs on books I know are coming and I saw that the next one 'Beneath this Man' had been released on Amazon UK but not yet on Amazon.com.  Because I'm in Australia I have to get my books from Amazon.com but couldn't find it.  However, I've read enough thrillers and suspense novels to know there's always a back way in and I don't know how I did it but I did indeed find the new book and downloaded it yesterday.

David Kimmerle as Jesse

Oh joy,  I'm trying to read it slowly so that I can really enjoy it but as I'm sure most readers will appreciate, I'm desperate to see how it goes.    

http://www.amazon.com/This-Man-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B009UFDYV8/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1358741004&sr=1-2&keywords=this+man

This is for the first book which is a steal at only $2.99 with approximately 448 pages.


The second one is $5.69 which is another good price
htttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B1WP8T4/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

Far too often books have only a couple of hundred pages in them.  I can't tell you how many there are in the second book but I'm sure I've seen somewhere that its over 300, perhaps even 400.

Anyway, these are written by a lovely lady from Northampton in the U.K.  We had a bit of a conversation on Facebook, only a few comments because I have no doubt she's desperately busy, keeping her fingers to the keyboard and knocking out another book for us.

Fantastic read, download them now or wait for the third one so you can read them all in one hit.  Steve and I often say we lead boring lives, a bit of fantasy now and then makes up for the day to day living (and certainly perks up the nighttime)!

Books and authors - Aleatha Romig and Maya Banks

I have heaps of books, mostly chick lit' but also crimes and thrillers.  I have to get rid of them.  I don't like lending them out because I'm always afraid they won't be looked after but since we've decided to sell they have to go.  They all look brand new but they've been read at least once by me and perhaps once by one other person.

I went off reading for a while but then so many people were talking about Fifty Shades of Grey that I thought I'd give it a go and mygod, I'm so glad I did because it set off my girly bits with a real vengeance.  Poor Steve was totally whacked because I couldn't get enough.  I honestly thought I had something wrong with me and I mentioned it to the pharmacist who said it had probably just triggered something and to be grateful (which I am, believe me).

Anyway, it lasted about four months and its settled down now, I'm over begging and just grateful when Steve is in the mood.  No more headaches for me although Steve has had quite a few recently.

I have to say that since reading Fifty Shades I've had my eyes opened and what annoys me is that my girls know more about what goes on in the bedroom than me (well they did but not since I've googled quite a lot of it).  They've never told me about this stuff and have years of ignorance.

I bought a Kindle a few years ago and it's great because I go onto the Amazon web site and look at the books I fancy and they can be downloaded within a couple of minutes.  I still go to the book stores to see what's in and make a note of them.  I have over 300 books on my second Kindle (I gave the first to Louisa because it wouldn't fit in my small bag).  I now read the Kindle through the day and the mini iPad in the evening because it has a back light where the Kindle doesn't.

Anyway, whilst trawling through Amazon I came across 'Consequences', followed by 'Truth' written by Aleatha Romig.     http://www.amazon.com/Aleatha-Romig/e/B009SYSSE4

I'm saying no more, other than I am desperately waiting for the final book called 'Convicted'.  Poor Steve has had so many shocks when I've exclaimed, 'Ohmygod I don't believe it!', and 'this is awful', and other such statements.  The suspense is killing me and whilst I converse with Althea through Facebook there is NO WAY that I want to know what happens in book 3.  I will probably taunt myself for a few days after I've downloaded it by not reading it straight away.  I think it'll be a soft cheese and biscuits time, on my own with no distractions.

One of the books I'm saving is 'Colter's Promise' by Maya Banks.   http://mayabanks.com
The 'Colter's books are about three brothers and the woman they share.  They're not smutty, just rather nice.  My eyes have been well and truly opened as I mentioned before.

These are only two of my favourite authors, There's a few more which I'll tell you about later, providing I get a few comments.