Radiation Therapy has begun for Ros

... and she says so far, so good. No untoward effects. Ros goes daily for 10 sessions of therapy. The known side effects of nausea, tiredness, and tenderness in the targetted area - so far have not been an issue for Ros. She's such a calm patient. A perfect patient for any Doctor. No more chemo whilst the R therapy is happening. And regular contact with her team to give her an insight of the treatment. It's comforting to know that Ros is feeling as good as she is. Gemma, Grace, and I are flying to Melbourne next weekend to be with Family down South. Looking forward to it.

Bryce and Kathy are planning a holiday...

We are encouraged as Australians to be tough, be strong, show that Aussie spirit and determination to tough it out. Nothing will beat us. We will ride through this. We will be strong. We share our troubles with friends, but life goes on, and more life issues arise which take centre stage. We do take our health for granted. We "soldier on" and proudly say that we haven't taken a "sick day" for months or even a year. We are proud of our stoic ability to carry on day after day. And























then the doctor or specialist highlights that "Houston, we have a problem!". With Bryce, it's been lots of little things. Skin cancers, respiratory polyps, "Knee" problems, Auditory associated conditions, etc and then the big issues of Heart conduction issues, and Prostate Cancer. And now for Bryce, some thyroid concerns and yet another specialist. WHY??? Bryce's lifestyle has been dedicated to good nutrition and exercise. With me, it's been mainly centred around endocrine issues and getting the Thyroid issues balanced. Lately it's been "eyes" (something not feeling quite right) and the referral to an opthalmologist again. Mind you, I liked my treats interspersed within the "healthy" lifestyle. But after Christmas 2010, I was determined to shed mega kilos. OK... so momentarily we both feel pretty weary with what has happened to the health we once took for granted. But... we will take one step at a time and one day at a time and navigate our way through any issue that life serves at us. We will enjoy the life that we are living. Day by day. And we will LOVE the time we have together in Tasmania in April.

Ros has a new challenge to face

On Thursday night I returned Ros' phonecall. She reported that she had a new focus point for cancer treatment. She had developed a tumour within her brain. This may explain a lot of the headaches that she had been experiencing. She was having oral dexamethasone but was unable to keep the medication down as she was vomiting all the time. So the medication which would reduce the swelling around the tumour, was unable to work its magic. On Friday, Ros was admitted to hospital to have IV rehydration and IV medications. She was starting to feel a bit better on the Saturday, and was discharged home on Saturday afternoon, when she had proved her ability to keep nausea and vomiting free. A few days of rest ahead for Ros. Then on Tuesday afternoon, she will begin radiotherapy. This will be a course of 10 radiotherapy treatments. As she has to stay absolutely still during the treatment, there is a moulding to fit her headshape that she will wear/ lie in at every radiotherapy session. This will ensure that there is no movement and the radiotherapy is targetted to the exact spot of the tumour. My choice of photography here illustrates that there are some dark stormy days to navigate in order to see the light again. We travel stormy days in succession sometimes, wondering will there ever be an end to it. Of course there is. Glorious sunshine again. Through life, there are always stormy days, but they don't last forever. There is always light at the end of it all. Sunshiny days. Those stormy days serve to make you really appreciate the beautiful calm and peaceful sunny days.

"A Life worth Living is a life well lived "

Who said that? I guess it is a reminder to us to live each day as if it were your last. Effective. Worth remembering. Another cherished day. In years gone by I often felt like I was living "for tomorrow". Working hard today to make money "for tomorrow" because "who knows what tomorrow may bring?" But if I could have those days back, I would live every day like it was the only one I had. I would smile more. Laugh more. Kick back more. Not worry so much about what others thought or what impact my actions would have. Think. Think. Think. Too much thinking. And meditate. And bring on the calm. And the peace. And the harmony. Humm. And sing more instead of whingeing. And listen to nature. Listen to the breeze. Hear the birds. Feel the warmth of the sun. Bask in it's comfort. This is what is needed today. Today is all I have. I can't plan for tomorrow. I am wasting my time and not living in the moment. As Eckhart Tolle would say... Live in the NOW. I have to remind myself of that, or I may fall into old habits. Ah... today will be a harmonious and happy day. "Give us this day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it" (I know that verse from the Bible so well, and should make this my mantra). Have a wonderful day :)

And onto 2011...

Did 2010 go fast or what? So 2011 is another year to look forward to. Sure, one can look back on the journey taken so far and ask WHY. Who are we to question what Mother Nature has in store for any of us. It's how we take on the challenge and live each day to the best of our ability. I must say, in the last year, some days have been quite challenging. But 2011 and holidays and all... I reflect back that it was simply a very full year. Post Christmas, Bryce and I drove to Melbourne to see the family down south. We had a day to travel down. A day there. And another day to get home = 3 days total. The original plan was to bring "the mums" back to Sydney for a week's holiday and then to drive them both back home. Joan immediately declined saying it was too humid this time of year in Sydney. Mum said "yes" to begin with and then she declined on all further mentions of the idea. She just wanted to stay in her own place, where she was most comfortable. So we had a good catch up with both of the mums.
It was great to see Ros looking so good. Her #1 hairstyle looks quite OK. Even so, I think I will send her down another sports hat to give some variety and protect her head when out in the sunshine. Ros had a nagging pain, but as usual, she didn't complain about it, and joined in with all the usual frivolity. (She fortunately had a "pain relieving patch" on hand, should she need it). And Dougal was an absolute bundle of fun. Total FUN FUN FUN. Very cute to boot. I'm sure he'll be a wonderful companion for Ros and Dave. We saw Bron as well, and it was lovely to spend some good quality time with her too. David and June joined us all @ Ros & Dave's place for supper, and a post Christmas exchange of gifts. So it was a fun-filled night. Then home to Sydney on the 29th. Bryce is well (His most recent PSA level = 0.001 and that was great news). We have embarked on a diet/exercise regime for 2011. It eliminates "most" simple sugars from our diet and that includes too much fruit. Breakfast is the only time for fruit and that comes in the form of a smoothie. Vegetables = everything except potato. Protein is 6 times a day. 100gm/50gm/100gm/50gm/100gm/50gm. 3 hours between each meal. And 10,000 steps per day. So far so good. I'm not tired. I have energy. And I feel really good. That is a real bonus for me. (I hate that "tired" feeling). My hips have stopped aching when I move. And it's only been 4+ days. So watch this space. And HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Ros says she is doing very well, thankyou :)

... and that's what it's all about. It's about having the quality of life everyday. You have to be happy and you have to be enjoying what you are doing each day. It's also about being surrounded by and connected to people who care about YOU.
It's also about getting rid of all the rubbish and time wasting activities that encroach upon your day. So every day is then simplified and uncrowded. It's about stepping back and not getting caught up in "other people's dramas and adgendas" and taking one step at a time and savouring the moment. Eckhart Tolle talks about "living in the now" everyday. It's a purer sort of existence. Taking photographs of flowers can give you that "slow" appreciation of living things. Taking photographs of structures can give you that appreciation of the time taken to construct the object and the care in design by the creator/architect/builder. Everything has its own life. But it's an eternal lifeforce that takes one thing and turns it into another thing. So there is no beginning and no end. Garden waste is composted and feeds the seeds of plants to create new life. Cloud appreciation shows the everchanging canvass that is the sky. Every cloud is ever changing. Always a calming and equally exciting thing for me.

Long time no posting...

I don't know what it was that made me stop blogging. It must have been like writer's block. So wanted you to know that I am back on track. I will be blogging to my 4 x blogs daily. This is a really interesting life. No one knows what's around the corner for them. Why do we expect only good news OR only bad news. Why can't bad news turn into good news? Why doesn't good news satisfy us? Why do we need more and more of it?
I know that my art has really helped me make sense of some of the things in life. Sometimes you can't eloquently say what you're thinking, but you can get your emotions out through your art.
Bryce and I have been trying to understand why what has happened in our lives happens to us. Then we realised that every family goes through these ebbs and flows. No one can predict how life will be - rich, rewarding, full of health issues, downtimes, stressful times, easy times etc.
I understand now to "go a bit easier" and not to "expect too much" of myself or others. What will be will be. Don't fight it. Accept it. Move on. Make the best of every situation. Never stop being connected to what you believe in. And most of all - simply enjoy life and all its offerings.