Day 51 - Deja vu ICU

Got up Tuesday and determined not to break my routine just because Mum was in ICU (I know how bloody determined is that!), I went for a quick 20 min powerwalk in the hot, windy conditions. By the time I got back home, I was sneezing and scratching and basically feeling totally overcome with hayfever. I wolfed down breaky, dosed up on anti-histamine and went over to my sister's to pick her up.

Luckily her lovely MIL (Mum in Law) had stayed over from the day before and was covering the fort along with my best mate. They are the official dream team. They even baked banana bread! Babysitters who bake! How amazing is that!

So my sis and I got to the hospital and rushed to ICU. As we got there the nurse said our brothers had just beat us and we would have to wait. They only allow 2 visitors at a time in ICU which is fair enough. Then soon enough, our brothers came out the door, lattes in hand and big grins on their faces. Mum was awake! And talking!

I went in to see Mum and she was smiling at me and I couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe she was back in ICU again! Dad explained to her what had happened and she could remember it all as he explained it. It was so good to hug her and hear her speak and see that she seemed to be fine mentally.

The nurse told me that she would be moved up to the neuro ward once they had a spot for her so we hung around for a while in the cafeteria downstairs till she was set up. My hayfever was getting worse and I went through a whole pack of handypack tissues. I was over it.

Finally Mum got a bed in the ward and we went to settle her in. And then you couldn't shut her up. She was telling every story she could think of whether it happened 20 years ago or yesterday. The nurse went through some medical history questions with Mum and Mum told her every little unrelated detail for each question. The nurse was lovely and thought Mum was quite a character. In the end I started answering for Mum. Mum got a little frustrated and thought we were all laughing at her but I said were not laughing at the content of what you're saying, were just laughing cos you are talking so much! Poor Mum, not talking for 24 hours meant she had heaps to say now that she could!

I was feeling totally knackered and my sis wanted to get home for the 6pm feed, so we left around 5ish. It was good to leave knowing that Mum was on the ward and doing well. Once I got home, the shock and subsequent relief of the last two days hit me and I kinda broke down. I went over to my sister's and had a good cry and a couple of beers with my BIL for his birthday. Then I felt really shit and went home around 9.30pm and got straight into bed.

Food:

Meal 1 - muesli with milk

Meal 2 - water
banana smoothie

Meal 3 - rye sandwich toasted with chicken, cheese, tomato and lettuce

Meal 4 - water
nuts

Meal 5 - thai beef noodles
crisps
2 coopers pale ale

Day 50 - Horrible day

I'm not sure I can even remember back to Monday or if I actually want to. Monday was a horrible day. A horrible gut-wrenching, the world is ending day. But here it goes...

I got up and with very little energy went for a 20 min walk to my local park and back. It was fairly humid and although I was gonna walk for longer, my best mate called and offered to look after my sister's dog so we could go Xmas shopping with the girls. Previous to that we were gonna cancel our shopping plans as we had no dog-minder as Mum and dad had a doctors appointment and werent free to dogsit...long story. Anyway, I shortened my walk and got ready and went over to my sister's.

We fed the girls, loaded them into the car, dropped off the dog and were heading to the shops when my sister received a horrible call. It was from my brother and my sister started saying no and crying and I pulled over to the side of the road. My first thought was that something had happened to my brother's kids or my sister in law and I was very worried. She said it's Mum, she's had another stroke and she burst into tears. I quickly realised that it would be no use for the two of us to get upset, so I held it together and said it's ok, it's ok, where is she? She said the Austin, so I did a u-turn and tried to remember which way Heidelberg was in my confused brain.
We started heading to Heidelberg before remembering that we better pick up her dog and drop the kids at home with my sister's mum-in-law. It seemed like forever waiting for her and my BIL to arrive home so we could leave. We did odd jobs around the house and my sister was struggling not to cry. She was so tired and sleep deprived anyway, so this news was too much for her. We finally left the house and drove to the Austin.

It was all too weird arriving at the Austin and going to emergency. My Dad and my brothers were already there when we arrived and they were able to tell us that the doctors weren't sure whether it was a stroke or a seizure. If it was a seizure that was better because it wouldn't leave any brain damage. Dad described what had happened. Luckily Mum and Dad were home when it happened. They were both getting ready to go to Mum's doctor's appointment and then Mum was having trouble getting dressed. Dad was helping her and then before he knew it, she wasn't responding and her eyes were rolling back in her head. He freaked out of course as she started to convulse and he called the ambulance. They were fantastic, telling him what to do as he laid her on the floor in the coma position. Before too long they arrived and put her in the ambulance. What he described sounded like a seizure.

We waited for a while then some doctors came to talk to us. They said it looked more like a seizure at this stage. They said that when Mum arrived at the hospital she wasn't responding too well and she wasn't breathing properly, so they incubated her and put her in an induced coma. They were now moving her to ICU, where they would monitor her vital signs and slowly bring her out of the coma as she started to initiate more breaths on her own. They let us quickly see her in the emergency room. She was hooked up to lots of wires and the breathing tube and looked a little bit distressed as she tried to pull the tube out, so they had lightly strapped one of her arms down.

Whilst they were waiting for a bed for her in ICU, we went to have some lunch. I was still on my stupid diet, so while my family got stuck into hot chips and other greasy comfort food delicacies, I went the healthy sandwich option. But in a strange way, I was glad to have my routine making the day slightly more normal.

We then went to wait in ICU to see Mum. It was so freaky being back in that waiting room. It was only around 18 months ago we were all in there when she had alot of health complications last year and it was very touch and go for a while. We couldn't believe we were back here again. Strangely, I felt like it was more bearable because it was something I'd already been through. I had hope. I knew that this story could end in a positive way.

Looking round the waiting room was difficult as it was last time. You start to work out who the other families are and hear snippets of their conversation. Last time we where here we made friends with a family who were so dedicated that they had a rice cooker and sleeping bags with them. They were literally camping there. They only went home in the arvo for a shower...

And this all reminded me again how wonderful the Austin Intensive Care Unit is. The people in there are amazing. They give life every day. They are so patient and kindhearted and don't mind explaining things over and over because when you are that stressed and concerned about your loved one your mind becomes like a sieve that cannot retain any information.

Anyway, back to Mum. Finally, we went in to see her and she was heavily sedated, still not responding and still with the breathing tube down her throat. Each time she started to rouse, she would gag uncomfortably and try to retch the tube out. She seemed to hear the voices in the room, but they still weren't comfortable enough with her breathing to take the tube out and decided to leave it in overnight. I became quite upset watching her gag on the tube but the doctor reassured me that it was a great sign that Mum was doing that. It meant she had brain activity. Someone who was braindead would not feel uncomfortable with the tube at all.

I stayed at the hospital with my sis until around 9pm, when we left so she could do the 10pm feed. I dropped her home and went home to collapse into bed. It had been a horribly hard day.

Food:

Meal 1 - lemon water
muesli with milk

Meal 2 - water
apple

Meal 3 - multi grain sandwich with chicken, avocado, tomato, asparagus and tabouli

Meal 4 -water
nuts

Meal 5 - water

roasted veg

Meal 6 - water

yoghurt

Day 49 - Slightly hungover

Woke up this morning, hot and sweaty, with no will to live. Ok, maybe I'm being a tad dramatic but my body is so detoxed (what Larry would call 'clean'), that alcohol really takes it's toll now. I wasn't extremely hungover, but enough that I wanted to sleep in and go into a dark hole for a while. I was meant to go to a friend's house for coffee but I texted him to ask if I could come a little later and he said come in the arvo cos he had only had a few hours kip himself.

So I went back to sleep with my beautiful cat snuggled into my legs. I slept till 11.30am and felt so much better when I got up. I got ready and walked back to my sister's place to pick up my car. When I got there the girls were asleep, she said she had had a shit morning with them and they had only just gone to sleep. Hopefully if they have played up today, she will have a good night with them again! I can hear her snickering right now as she reads this blog entry at 3am tomorrow morning...

Then I went over to my friend's house for a coffee. He has a 1 year-old girl who has grown so much since I last saw her. Makes me realise how quickly the months go by and how I need to pop over more! It was great to catch up and even though we both felt like a cold beer to survive the heat of today, we promised to catch up soon at the pub.

Now I'm relaxing on the couch. I kept turning the air con off and on. I turn it on because I'm hot and my brain is fuzzy with the heat, then I turn it off because I'm chilled to the bone. Oh well, I'm sure it will be very effective on a 40 degree day.

BTW, I so wanted junk food today! Grease would have gone down a treat!!!

Meal 1 - lemon water
muesli with milk

Meal 2 - water
apple and nuts

Meal 3 - water
tuna salad with mixed beans, tomato, avocado and low-fat mayo

Meal 4 - water
protein shake

Meal 5 - water
smoked salmon and steamed asparagus and snow peas

Meal 6 - water
yoghurt

Tomorrow I'm going Xmas shopping with my sis and the girls. And tomorrow is the start of my final week of this challenge! I only need to do this regime for four more days! Woo hoo!!!

Day 48 - Busy, busy, busy

Yesterday was a busy day. Got up went to the gym and did a step class which was quite fun. Haven't done a step class for a while, so it was good to test out my memory and co-ordination! And cos I'm so over the exercise it was good to do a class which made the time fly by.

After the gym, I pottered around at home for a bit, did 5 loads of washing, the dishes which were stacked almost to the roof and some grocery shopping. First I called into a fantastic Italian delicatessen on Lygon Street (not the busy Carlton end) called Enteco Sileno. It is ghastly expensive but so, so awesome. It has everything you need from truffle oil to limoncello to dried porcini mushrooms. I bought a big wedge of Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmasen cheese). I like to buy the real stuff but sometimes I have to begrudgingly make do with supermarket crap when I can't get to a speciality store. The delis at my local shopping centre are all Greek, so they have the most wonderful cheeses but no Parmesan! Aargh, so racist ;) (But my BIL told me a new one has just opened up on High Street, Northcote so will have to check it out!)

Then I went to the supermarket and bought the rest of the ingredients to cook my BIL a birthday dinner. When I got to my sister's place, I couldn't believe how much the girls had grown since Wednesday when I last saw them. Its crazy! They were very unsettled and spent most of the night crying. I got stuck into the beer while I was cooking and my sis, BIL and his Mum went for a walk with the girls and the dogs. When they got home the girls were still crying. In the end we sat down to eat cos they just weren't gonna go to sleep...my sister told me today that they slept the best they have ever slept last night. From midnight to 2.30am and then from 4am to 6.30am. I guess they were exhausted from all the crying.

Food:

Meal 1 - lemon water
muesli with milk and berries

Meal 2 - water
apple and nuts

Meal 3 - water
tuna salad with mixed beans, tomato, red pepper, cucumber, avocado and low-fat mayo

Meal 4 - 2 coopers pale ale
cheezels

Meal 5 - 1 coopers pale ale
2 glasses of Shiraz
mushroom risotto
rocket salad with balsamic vineagerette and shaved Parmesan
few thick slices of white breadstick with butter

Meal 6 - water
sticky date pudding with double cream

Yum, yum, yum! Was nice to eat some delicious food (ok maybe I should be more modest) and drink nice wine. My BIL opened a 2002 Shiraz which was very nice!

Day 47 - Unexpected turn of events

Today was weird. I woke up with no desire to do anything. Didn't want to go to the gym, didn't want to volunteer in the city, didn't even want to have a shower. I wanted a couch day. But that wasn't gonna happen.

I went to the gym briefly and did upper body weights, then came home, got ready and hopped on the train to go and volunteer at the Wheeler Centre (the home of the Melb Writers Festival team). I was going to help out on a project. I got to the city and my best mate called me to say she had been up all night vomiting and felt very nauseous, dizzy and had tingling in her face and hands. I called the MWF and told them I couldn't make it and got to my friend's house as soon as I could.

When I got there the front door was open and she was lying on the floor and could hardly move. She said she had slipped off the couch because she was so dizzy, but I think she probably fainted. I called an ambulance and they said they would be 30 - 60 mins away! WTF! I couldn't believe it!

Soon after her Dad arrived and we managed to lift her onto the couch. We tried to keep her talking as much as possible and then we actually got her standing and into the car. We didn't want to wait around for the ambulance. Then as were leaving it turned up. All the neighbours were concerned when they saw it, thinking it was for an elderly lady in the front unit. I sent the ambulance away saying we would drive my friend, only to realise we probably should have gone in it. Would have been alot faster getting her seen in the emergency room!

So then we spent the arvo in the hospital waiting for blood tests and in the end everything was fine. They didn't know the cause of her symptoms and sent her home with the anti-nausea meds. I hope she will be okay now!

Now I'm at home dying for an alcoholic beverage to take the edge off but I cant. I'm saving myself for tomorrow night. I'm cooking a birthday dinner for my BIL. Gonna have a nice glass of wine. I can taste it now!

Food? What food?

Meal 1 - lemon water
muesli with milk and berries

Meal 2 - water
apple

Meal 3 - nuts

Meal 4 - nuts (thank god I had some in my bag or I would've starved at the hospital!)

Meal 5 - water
thai stirfry with red pepper, eggplant, tofu, onion and chilli

Meal 6 - water
rice crackers and cheese

So tired now...need to zone out in front of the telly...

Day 46 - Whew, what a day!

Today was fullon. I spent 6 and 1/2 hours at Doncaster Shoppingtown. But more on that later.

Went to the gym this morning (no surprise there) and the stats were finally up! But unfortunately I'm still in sixth place! I was pretty disappointed cos I felt like my photo was alot better this time. But I guess I still don't have abs and most of the others do. Ho hum. (I'm contestant number 2, currently on 9668 points).

But on a brighter note, the final measure-up and photo is Friday week! Which means I only have 8 more days of this rubbish! Woo hoo! I thought I still has 2 more weekends to get through but now this weekend is my last restricted weekend! Which is alot easier now that Xmas get-togethers are starting to be flow in.

So although I felt a bit disappointed and had a passing thought of why bother, I'm not gonna win, may as well give up now, I corrected my thinking pretty quickly. Really, Ive done an amazing job and Ive lost 4 kg (weighed myself this morning and I was 66kg) which means I'm 1kg off my goal weight! And who cares if I don't have rock hard abs. I have a pretty flat tummy now and as my Mum would say, I have a woman's shape. I no longer look like I'm six months pregnant anymore, maybe more like 2 months! Haha. (Although I'm having a laugh about this, a couple of years ago I was congratulated twice in one month for my supposed pregnant state. It wasn't so funny back then!)

So it's still game on! I'm gonna get another spray tan next week and also I'm gonna take some herbal diuretics which will get rid of all the excess fluid around my belly. Not sure when to start them because they will make me wee alot! Tomorrow I am volunteering at the State Library so I don't wanna start then and spend the whole time in the loo!

After the gym, I went to Shoppo and spent ages shopping and even managed to watch a movie - Due Date. It wasn't bad; it was a rip-off of Planes, Trains and Automobiles, (which is one of my personal favs) with Robert Downey Jnr in the straight man role (Steve Martin's character) and the other dude, Zach Galifinakis as the annoying fat guy (John Candy). It was entertaining but I think its more of a DVD film...no need to rush to the cinema to see it. Although, I am looking forward to Love and Other Drugs with Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal and Little Fockers both released later this month.

So I managed to do most of my Xmas shopping! Hurray! Next week I'm taking my sis and the girls shopping on Monday and then Mum on Tuesday and hopefully I will not need to go near a shopping centre again before Xmas. I could feel the madness starting already today at Shoppo. It was hard to get a park and people were on edge. I tried to be really friendly to counteract it all. I actually had fun chatting to shop assistants and pointing to my car in the car park to give people my spot. Yeah I know, I'm a sad individual. I think I'm just turning into my Mum, but that's not a bad thing :) Love you Mum!

Nourishment:

Meal 1 - lemon water

muesli with milk and berries

Meal 2 - water

apple and nuts

Meal 3 - water

coke zero

sweet potato spud (from Spudbar!) with chilli beans, cheese, tomatoes, spinach, beetroot, sour cream and chives. Yumo!

Meal 4 - water

nuts (this was an emergency snack as I ran overtime at the shops)

Meal 5 - water

chilli con carne with carrot sticks

Meal 6 - water

yoghurt

Oh, forgot to tell you that I popped into Apte this morning and Carrie Bickmore was there. She must live in Northcote cos Ive seen her at my doctors as well. Small world Caz! She looks quite different without being all dolled up for the telly. I tried not to stare too much at her. It must suck being famous sometimes...I'd rather be a famous author that never does press interviews. Or only does them in a mask. A masquerade ball mask. Hmm mysterious...

Day 45 - Another girly outing

So today was another fun day. Got up this morning and went to the gym, hoping to see the leaderboard stats but to no avail. But I realised something about the photos. Some people were definitely pushing out their guts in the first photo and are totally sucking them in in the subsequent photos. No fair people. That's cheating. The rest of us poor novices hadn't thought that far ahead...or am I just shitty cos I didn't know about it? If I did know I would have been puffing out my belly with the best of them on Day 1 right?

So I did 15 mins on the bike (with a non-clicking knee!) and then did my lower body weights. As I was cranking out some leg presses, Maggie (the random lady who corrected my technique on the chest press a couple of weeks ago) started chatting to me. She said I was looking great and wanted to know what I was doing. I said I was doing the six pack challenge and we chatted about that for a bit. Then she told me that she heard that one of the instructors, Faye, was looking like she was gonna win the comp. I told her I thought it wasn't fair that the instructors entered in the comp because they had a definite advantage with full use of the gym, experience and knowledge in weight training and diet and who knows...maybe inside information? Normally with competitions, employees aren't allowed to enter right? Maggie agreed with me and said I should say something but I said no, I dont like to rock the boat. And she said, oh I love it, I'll say something! So not sure if she will or not. On the one hand, this comp may not have gone ahead if the instructors didn't enter because they were a bit short on entrants at first but on the other hand, if an instructor wins and second place goes to a customer, that's not really fair right?

Oh well. I didn't do this to win anyway. I did it to shed the remaining 5kg that I wanted to lose this year and to stay fit and healthy and give myself a routine during my break between jobs. But come on Larry, put up the stats! I need to know if Ive improved on the leaderboard!!!

After the gym I went to my sisters and picked her up along with the girls and Mum and we all headed to the podiatrist. We took it in turns going inside for a good old foot scraping and sitting in the car minding the little ones. Then we went to Apte in Alphington. I had two coffees and braised lamb with cherry tomatoes, rocket and feta. Delish! It came with parmasen toast as well but I didn't eat it. I took a small bite but it was quite dry and not nice enough to waste excess calories on. I have started to slacken off my diet a little but I still need to pull the reigns in sometimes...

After lunch, I went to the post office to get my passport renewed. $208 later...yes you heard right. It costs $208 for a passport these days! What a load of crap! It's cheaper to bloody fly to your holiday destination than it is to flash your passport at the bored attendant. Jaysus!

Tonite...more job searching. Gotta put in some more hard yards on that front...not sure if anyone is bothering hiring at this time of year though. Ho ho ho!

Happy 1st day of Xmas everyone!

Nosh:

Meal 1 - lemon water
muesli with berries and milk

Meal 2 - water
braised lamb with cherry tomatoes, rocket and feta

Meal 3 - water
pear and nuts

Meal 4 - water
protein shake

Meal 5 - water
chicken salad with lettuce, carrot, red pepper and cucumber

Meal 6 - water
yoghurt

Tomorrow I am going Xmas shopping and seeing a movie! Woo hoo! I'm off baby duty for a couple of days. I will miss my little critters though :(