Diagnosis

Never get sick around a long weekend ... or at least that's what my hubby's medical team kept saying as we waited for the results.

Finally a week after the biopsy was done, the Dr came to tell us that unfortunately the tumor was cancerous. It's quite large and they recommend shrinking it before considering surgery. One positive, it's appears to be a primary tumor, which means there's no signs of tumors else where in his body. It's recommended that a combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy be used to shrink the tumor, then surgery to remove it ... if that's what we want. The surgery for this type of tumor is huge! It requires two surgeons, one working from the abdomen and the other from the chest. They remove the tumor, then stretch the stomach and the oesophagus to meet each other.

We were told that we have to make all decisions, as that cannot be done for us. We will have all the options explained, but it's up to us if we do any or some of them.

It was way to much to take in ... but at least we had a diagnosis and for that we were grateful.

The following morning, when his medical team arrived, my hubby was told he could go home. I was with him, as I wanted to hear if there was any more that could be explained, but we were told that the Oncologist would have more answers and hopefully we'd have an appointment with that person next week.

So more waiting ... but at least my hubby is home! He's still on fluids only, and he's been making veggie soups, custard, jelly and drinking the ensure and enlive the hospital gave us to take with us.

Hopefully we'll see an Oncologist this week!

Humps along the way ...

My hubby (of 28 years) is unwell. He's been unwell for quite some time, maybe six months or more, but I guess we always thought he'd heal, with rest and love, like his hockey injuries used to. Unfortunately this isn't a hockey injury and over the past couple of months (and weeks) it did become more and more obvious that this time, rest and love alone was not going to heal the issues. He's also lost 38 kilos, seven of them in the past week. It's good for him to have lost weight, but not in this way, or at this speed.

He was finding eating difficult and in particular bread and meat became impossible to eat. Then any foods that weren't moist, or were doughy and soft, had to be ruled out. Over the last few weeks his choices became even fewer and while I was in Sydney last week, he finally was unable to keep fluids down. When I returned to Adelaide Airport last Sunday he appeared as pale as a ghost and looked run down, exhausted and most unwell.

On Monday the doctor sent him to hospital. He was 'fed' two bags of bloods and put on IV fluids. On Tuesday he had a Cat Scan and unfortunately a shadow was found around the lower part of his oesophagus and upper stomach. All other organs were clear, but he needs to go to a hospital in Adelaide.

On Wednesday I took him to Adelaide and he was checked into the QEH. Today he had an endoscopy and now we have to wait for the results.

Week 136 - Adjustment 19

12 March 2008

My orthodontist announced my left side is now Class I ... exciting! Unfortunately my right side is still Class III ... and the gap over my upper right impacted canine is still not closed, but it's gotten smaller!

Uppers

• To continue with class III elastic ( 3/16" elastics - red bag) on the right side - minimum of 23 hours a day, change once a day. Wear in a class III configuration - upper right first molar to lower canine.
• No ligs changed (last change was 15 October 2007)

Lowers

• Strong powerchain removed
• A new strong, 13 link, grey powerchain added across all lower teeth
• There's still a small gap either side of my lower right central incisor. All other gaps have closed since I had the IPR.

I'm frustrated that gaps have reappeared between my upper centrals, only small. Plus a noticeably sized gap between my upper left central and upper left lateral. I didn't mention these, as at this time it's all about the gap over my impacted canine closing, so my right hand side can become class I.

Next appointment in 10 Weeks - 21 May 2008.

Heat Wave in South Australia

The last record heat wave was in 1934 – eight days in the mid 30’s. Today marked day nine of temperatures higher than the mid 30’s … a record heat wave for South Australia.

The weather forecast is for another week of these high temperatures.

Records are something that we usually celebrate, but due to the drought having continued for several years, this intense heat is something we don't need!

Tomorrow

It's my 19th adjustment tomorrow and I'm excited, as I've not seen my ortho since December. Unfortunately the gap over my impacted canine has not yet closed ... but there has been progress. This gap is frustrating, as it's taking soooooo long to close!

After my ortho appointment, my hubby is taking me to the airport, as I'm flying to Sydney. My hubby will join me on Friday. We're visiting our kids, who both live there. It's exciting, as our daughter has bought her first home, a town house in Plumpton, one of Sydney's western suburbs. We're staying with our daughter, and will see both kids as much is possible during the stay.

Our daughter is participating in the World's Greatest Shave, on Thursday, a fundraiser for the Leukaemia Foundation.

Then on Sunday, we fly back to Adelaide ... hopefully refreshed for work on Monday!

House Plans

Here's the floor plans ...

The front of our house is the left of this scan. It's a long ranch style house, with a simple arrangements of rooms. We've gone for a large open plan area through the centre, with hallways opening off either side. One end is my hubby and mine ... our bedroom, walkin robe and ensuite. The other end has three bedrooms, laundry, bathroom and toilet. Bedroom 2 ... the one by the front entrance, will be a therapy room, and will be decorated suitably for me to work with clients.

The room called 'Dine' ... with the double doors, will be an office. It's planned to be a 'versatile room', which means it can be a fifth bedroom, formal dining, or a 'whatever you' like room.

Our entertainment area will run from the back of the double carport, to between the laundry and toilet. Some will be covered and some not.

... we are still waiting for the the founds to be laid ... doing our best to be patient!

Here's a pic of how the finished house should look ...

The double carport has double auto doors, which adds to the length of the place, when looking at it from the road.

Six Ton of Soil ...

Photos of the progress on our land.

Our land before any work began! Photo taken from the top native garden at our existing residence ... facing East


28 February 2008 - What six tons of soil looks like. Photo taken from our soon-to-neighbour's house, which is currently being built.


Photo taken from the road below. This shows the 'rise' of our foundation preparation. The tail of my ute snuck into the photo. Upper right, is our current residence.


29 February 2008 - A photo of our floor plan marked out with crushed metal. To the left is our current residence and to the right is our double carport.

Disgraceful

I'm shocked to find a company in Australia trying to rip people off by so much! :-(

Waterpiks are wonderful for cleaning between your teeth and even more wonderful when you have braces. When I first got braces, there weren't any waterpiks being sold in Australia, and a friend in England gave me one as a gift ... an awesome gift. It was the cordless waterpik Model WP360 and cost about $31 Aussie dollars! This rotten company ... Natdent Pty Ltd are advertising themselves as ... Waterpik Australia - retailer of Waterpik™ brand Oral Irrigators ... and sell this exact same model for $225 Aussie plus $11 postage. I hope that no one in Australia purchases from this company, as this is just sooooooooooooooo wrong!

Recently I purchased a type of waterpik ... battery run, from ebay, from a company called Ozinnovation. This is slightly different to the waterpik, but the battery does give some advantages ... and the cost $35.00.

If you want a waterpik type oral irrigator ... please be careful who you buy it from, as sometimes it's much cheaper to buy from overseas, than to allow yourself to be treated as a fool, by a rip off company!