Ready to start posting again.

I know there are a few people who have been missing my posts, and I want to apologise for my absence.  It has been an interesting year, but I think I might have my head back in order enough to keep the poor old blog active.

A lot has happened since my last post over a year ago - including more than a dozen half-written posts that I couldn't bring myself to complete.

I'm still working my dream at the Mowbray Veterinary Clinic as a Vet Nurse, and loving every moment of it - through the good times and bad.  One of the bad times was in September when I was barbed by a Platypus and spent 8 days in hospital, 5 of those on a Fentanyl pump (push button, get pain relief) due to the intense pain Platypus venom inflicts on the human body, and a further 4 weeks off work, and another 4 weeks of reduced hours - more of that on another post (that's one of the longer unfinished ones).

We have added a new animal to the family - a handsome Standardbred (that's a Horse to those not in the know) named Captain, who has become almost as much a part of Broc as Gypsy is of me.

There have been camping trips, trail rides, parties and dinners.

Broc has been a dutiful house husband the past few months, keeping it all together while my work hours slowly increase.

I have struggled with some weight gain, and struggled more with trying to lose it.

We have been looking at property on and off over the last several months, and while there are a few prospects, nothing concrete yet.

That's it for now, starting work at 12 for a 7 hour shift, so I need to head off and get organised.  See you again soon!

Most of those close to us know that, for the last couple of years at least, having children has been frequently in our thoughts.

I have suffered with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome since my early teens, and although I manage my symptoms fairly well, I do have flare-ups from time to time.  Most days, I appear to be a normal, healthy, 26-year-old woman.  Other days, I can be irritable, physically exhausted to the point of not being able to drag myself from bed, anxious and jumpy, mentally exhausted and unable to concentrate on the simplest of tasks or hold a conversation - or any combination of the above, just to name a few!  My symptoms are exacerbated by - among other things - stress and physical exertion, so the thought of what being pregnant, and then taking care of a baby would do to my health terrifies me!

We feel very strongly about not having children until we can provide the best life possible for them - otherwise we would have had them years ago, I'm sure!

There is still little known about the effect of pregnancy on sufferers of CFS.  What is known for certain, is that I would have to stop taking my medication.  I currently take an anti-depressant/anti-anxiety medication to help even out those symptoms, as they also help to exacerbate the physical side of the illness.  Although I am confident that I would be able to cope without them these days - under normal circumstances at least - I do not know how the hormones, and physical and emotional stresses of pregnancy would affect me mentally.  I have come to terms with the fact that there is a very high probability that I will suffer from Post-Natal Depression.

Friends assure me that we will cope - and yes, we have a fantastic support network of friends and family, but none of them suffer from Chronic Fatigue, so it's hard for them to think of the situation the way that I do, and I can't help but be scared.

I have been searching for the experiences of others in my position who have taken the plunge, and found a fantastic article on a blog.  A quote:

Here’s the thing, I am going to be sick whether I have kids or not......The thing is, the amount of joy we get from our kids WAY outweighs any hardship.

Reading the entire article, I feel much more at ease.

What do you think?  Especially to those who suffer from a chronic illness, how do you cope day-to-day taking care of your child/children?

I look forward to reading your responses!

Edit: PS: When you go and look at the linked article, make sure you check out the rest of the blog!  Some great reads there.

Okay, so I've had a pretty boring week so far!

If you've been following me on Twitter, you'll know I've been suffering with terrible hayfever, which has been making me feel pretty ill.  I've spent a couple days in bed, and the others feeling terrible.

I did manage to get in to town to do some Christmas shopping yesterday though, and picked up some fantastic bargains at Toyworld for my niece and nephews!!  If you have any children to buy for, and don't have anything specific in mind (except a budget!), I highly recommend you take a wander through the store and have a good look around.

Aside from that, I've spent some time thinking about what Christmas yummies I'm going to make for friends and family!!  So far I've found a lovely Biscotti recipe, and have dug up a couple of old favorites - but more on that when I actually make them!

Been feeling pretty lost lately, and I've decided I'm going to take a page from somebody else's book and set out my goals on the blog. Nothing better than the huddled masses on the web to keep you in check!

As some of you know, housework and other tasks really tend to get on top of me. If I'm unwell for a day or more, general daily chores get missed, and it snowballs from there. Depression ensues, and it turns into a vicious cycle!

They'll get more ambitious as I get into it, but here they are for a start.

• Blog at least once a week
• Spend some time at least 5 days a week one-on-one training with the dogs
• Exercise at least 5 days a week - minimum 10 minutes
• Keep up the good work listing my mounds of stuff on eBay
• Set 3 simple housework goals each day, and achieve them!
• Take a few minutes out each day to spend time pampering myself
• Don't let things get me down!

Okay! Let's see how I go with those for starters.

Now that I am healthier, happier and more active, my dogs have again become a big part of my life. That's not to say that they haven't been the whole time - they have - but now I'm able to be more active with them, which I have missed dearly.

Still gone are the days when Sooty and I would walk for hours in the bush and run in Heritage Forest - I don't think I will ever be as active as I once was.

I am managing to walk almost every day, usually for around 30 - 45 minutes, and covering between 3 and 5 Km, usually on flat ground. This seems like a good distance for me at the moment, and also for my walking partner - Harry.

To add more content to the blog, I've decided I'm going to chronicle all the fantastic places I visit on my walking trips, giving detailed information such as on leash and off leash areas, pet drinking facilities, parking, track and ground conditions (likely to be muddy after rain, very muddy, underwater, paved, gravel, etc.), terrain and whatever else I think may be relevant to others who might like to visit these areas.

I hope these entries will become a useful resource for others! Stay tuned for entries in the coming days/weeks/months.

I have spent the last two mornings at the dentists!

But it's not all bad. Yesterday was a check-up and a nice clean, and today I had some microabrasion treatment done on my front teeth. I'm so excited! They look so much better already, and over the next 6 weeks they will continue to whiten as they remineralise following todays acid treatment.
PS: The treatment tasted AWFUL!

Also, I bought my wedding shoes today!!! they are a nice Beige which should compliment my dress nicely, and they were also on special. Win! They look really nice, don't make my foot look HUGE, and they are quite comfortable. They have a respectable little heel on them, but not too much. Can't wait to try them on with my dress!

I also bought my wedding flowers and ribbon today so I can start working on the boquet. No more details as yet - you'll just have to wait!! ;)

Anyway, I think that's about it for now. We got a couple of new fish recently - I'll endeavour to take some nice pictures of them and put them up soon. There's a couple of pictures of one of the new additions up on Facebook - click here to check them out.

As you may (or may not) know, last week I had a molar removed - that nasty, skanky thing in the back of my mouth that's been broken since college.


Anyway, it started to heal up OK, and the pain had subsided a bit by Wednesday. Thursday onwards was a whole other story. The pain got worse - a throbbing ache which even Panadiene Forte and constant heat packs could not quell. Plus there was this little sharp bit which I thought was a piece of tooth. No. It wasn't (I checked - more ouch).


An emergency visit to the Dentist first thing Monday morning confirmed my worst fears - a dry socket, and a nice sharp piece of jaw bone that would hinder healing and needed to be dealt with as soon as possible.


Back in on Wednesday morning at 9AM for some more local anaesthetic and the dentist got to drilling and filing the protruding piece of jaw down, then proceeded to stitch up my gum. Apparently, I have pansy girly thing gum tissue, so this took awhile.


Thankfully it's all over now - the stitches are dissolvable, the mouth wash is revolting, but at least the two different types of pain relief seem to keep on top of everything.