Twenty Two years later!

Way way back in the last millennium, 1992 to be precise, I was transferred from Newcastle Police Station to Belmont Police Station. I didn't really want to be transferred, but it happened and so I went from a 5 minute walk to work in a relatively new station to a 30 minute drive south to an old run down station. My role within the Public Service changed and I was less than inspired by my new duties.  On my first day at  Belmont I met Jenny.  She had been transferred into Belmont about 3 weeks before me and I must say she made my transition an easy one.   We clicked, although we had few obvious common interests.  She was a smoker, loved netball, trashy magazines and P&O cruises.  None of those things struck a chord with me, yet we laughed, a lot.

The years went on and we worked in a series of failing buildings. Staff levels fluctuated and changes were made to suit.   People shifted offices and buildings, filling weird little spaces.  The original buildings themselves were completed in 1964.  Initially 1 police station and 2 residences, but by the time I arrived the residences had been converted over to office spaces. Over my years at Belmont I worked in every building,  the boat shed became brief storage, the carports were enclosed and became exhibit storage.  The original timber dock disappearred to be replaced by a metal and perspex one.   New machinery arrived.  A series of different breath analysis machines came thru,  video cameras appeared in the ceilings of the charge area, a new cell complex was crafted from nothing to provide a safe area for both prisoners and staff.  Gone were the days of cutting out warrants on the weekends. Petrol cards became the norm and our backyard bowser became redundant and was filled with foam. The massive charge books disappearred as did carbon paper.  Fingerprints no longer needed ink.

After the 2000 Olympics Belmont received a second hand fax machine from the task force.  When the station was ultimately emptied before demolition 3 weeks ago, we still had the same machine and it had survived, without servicing and without fail, all that time.  The building were added to, modified, painted in gross colours and chopped and changed to suit changes in legislation and staffing levels.

People changed too, there was a regular turnover of staff.  Sad to see some faces go, others ... not so much.  Staff married, had children and grandchildren, divorced and died.  Some took their own lives, some took the lives of others.  None without touching us all in some way. I have been to far more funerals than weddings.  Jenny died too.  Constables have left and returned as Sergeants. Detectives have left and returned as Commanders. As I age I can't believe how young they all look!  The years have flown.  I have gone to a lot of parties! I'll never forget that NYE when 2004 turned into 2005 down by the tents in Valentine with Sarabear, The Commodore and The Kent. Nick names ruled and still do!   The crims were many and varied. Often a family line appeared, sometimes a whole family.  Kids followed parents into a life of crime.  There have been some celebrity prisoners and I'll never forget the bloke charged with murder who asked me out on a date "when i get out".

We have continued to work on through some trying times.   Bushfires and storms have caused some grief.   When we have not been able to get home because of fires, flooding, road closures and fallen power lines.  We've slept in cars or in the office because we can't get back to our families between shifts.  I remember that terrible night when two good mates were surrounded by fire and had to shelter in their vehicle until help came.   The work radio brought relentless tragedy. Listening to the urgency in their voices as the search for a missing officer unfolded and the abject despair that overcame us all when she was found.  The radio brought more tragedy on the morning Dave Rixon was shot, it failed to tell us Dave managed to handcuff his killer before he passed.  His heroic last act. The chilling immeasurable sadness the morning Tony Tamplin passed is still fresh in my mind. The radio rarely brought good news.   So many sad, terrifying, horrible times. So many things that are best not dwelt on.  Thankfully, there were many more happy times.

Over the decades architects came and went, measurements were taken and plans drawn, all to no avail.  Then about 2 years ago funding was secured for a new station and whilst many of us believed it would never happen, it has.  The station is no more.  Over the last 3 weeks it has been levelled.  The abundant rodent population has found new homes and the clean up has begun.  The site is not yet ready for the first sod to be turned and, no doubt, there will be a ceremony for that!  Digging the foundations is probably not more than a week or two away.   In the interim, staff have been scattered   to the winds.  Myself and my Prosecutor have moved to a new office and it is working extremely well for us so far.  Deconstruction and demolition does cause the walls to vibrate, the noise can be loud, yet the workers are brilliant.  The chosen construction team, Kingston Building Australia,  are professional, generous and hard working.  Nothing is too onerous for them.  Again, or rather still, my workplace is full of laughter, personalities and genuinely caring people who will go above and beyond ... and I wouldn't want it any other way.

As always... for reading this far you are rewarded with images.

Two years later!

It was two years ago on 19 June that I had my first hemithyroidectomy.  It was, in fact, a right hemithyroidectomy and I had hoped it would be my ONLY hemithyroidectomy.   But this was not to be.  The frozen sections were found to be a malignant form of the cancer and 6 weeks later the very talented doctors opened up the original incision site and extended and straightened it for a total hemithyroidectomy.  So what's happened since then?  Well my treatment has continued and I now take 19 tablets a week to replace the now absent thyroid gland.   The levels of thyroid function are measured monthly and have been stable until this last round of tests.  So it is back to the specialist at the John Hunter Hospital to have that tweaked next month.  After both operations I felt well, although tired.  That hasn't changed.   I am happy and well, except for the constant tiredness.

Seems I have had an uncommon reaction to the Radioactive Ablation that occurred in February 2013 where by my blood count sunk.   This is being monitored a bit more closely and my blood count has risen in the last test, so I'm very happy with that.  The tiredness remains, but I have great faith that this will pass in time.

Apart from the two women I spent a few nights in hospital with, and have had no contact with since, and one guy from work who now works in Western Australia, I don't know anyone else who has been thru this process.  That may well explain why I have had so many people read this blog.  I'm guessing we are out there, but we have no way of connecting.    The United States has a Thyroid Cancer Survivers Group, but here ... nothing.   Even the Cancer Council of NSW has just a single page on Thyroid Cancer.  Yet when I was waiting for the Radioactive Ablation I waited nearly 8 months as they only do one person a week at the John Hunter.  So at least 52 people a year are treated this way in this region.

So what exactly does the thyroid gland do?  Well I had no idea, but apparently it makes makes two hormones called thyroxine and triiodothronine, but known simply as T4 and T3.  These hormones  are essential for every cell in the body to function normally and are delivered thru the blood stream.  Thus the drugs must be taken daily to do what the gland did before it ended up in a jar!

Lack of a thyroid gland has otherwise meant little change to me.  For the first 18 weeks or so I needed to keep the wound covered when outdoors to avoid dust and dirt and sunlight.  For that I used a variety of coloured silk scarves. Since then I have had to use sunblock daily to protect the scar and now two years on the scar is barely visible.   Also, I can no longer be either a blood or organ donor. Being a malignant cancer it has already escaped into my blood stream and will pop up somewhere else in my body.  That might happen tomorrow or it might not happen for a few years, but the Doctors have assured me it will happen.  So no sharing my blood products with anyone!!

If Medicare didn't exist in Australia the nuclear scans, biopsies, operations, radioactive ablation,  follow up tests and ongoing drugs would have made treatment for me highly unlikely.  Two injections I had in early 2013 cost over $1000 each!!  Luckily Medicare picked up that tab!!

Should you find yourself on the cusp of this diagnosis fear not.  There are great doctors out there, I know because I met a LOT of them.  Success rates are high as are treatment standards here.  Don't self diagnose, or google diagnose.  I tried it and I thought I had tonsillitis!   I did ask my doctor to take some photos of my specific cancer, but he declined.  He did say if I wanted to see the surgery there were examples on You Tube.  I watched them, but I did want to see my own lump!

If you are squeamish look no further.  Selfies follow, one for each op!

I chickened out!

After careful consideration and much budgeting and financial analysis I have decided I won't be getting chooks.  It was not that the fact that it would take 87 months of regular egg purchasing expenditure to even break even.  It was more the fact that I don't think I could really touch them!!!  They do need their wings clipped and they do attract vermin.  They do get lice and fleas and they do need care and attention that I really don't think I am up for.   They need to be kept clean and have fresh food and water daily...and I don't really have the time and energy for that when I can simply walk into the fruito and buy free range eggs.  It would be fair to say I chickened out!!

I decided that I would rather spend more time growing veggies that dealing with feathers.  I know that those who truly love chookies won't "get" me.  I know that those who are bird phobic will!!  I'm not bird phobic, not like my sister, but I don't really want to deal with them.  I don't want to risk having a fox or dog have a free meal and I don't want to deal with them when they depart this fine earth.

I sold the coop on Gumtree.  It took exactly 8 minutes from hitting the "submit" button to the first phone call.  In fact I wasn't even sure I had placed the advert correctly and was still refreshing and searching for the advert when the phone rang.  Her name was Julie and she had both Bantams and Reds.  She drove down from Mailtand, so the coop was gone from my yard in under an hour from the advert being placed.  Further, I sold it and recouped my outlay and delivery charges in total.  When considering the pros and cons of chooks verses no chooks it came to me that I would rather turn the yard over to more veg than any kind of livestock.  I felt my forte was veg not meat.  So the decision was made that I should sell the coop and invest those funds into my veggies.   So that is what  I did.

Today I took a trip with sister and mother to Masters Homewares at Rutherford.  On entering the store the greeter offered mum a catalogue and there, right on the front page, was the Hills Adda Garden 320's for a mere $49 a bed.   Even more amazing they were the same profile as the 9 beds I already have.  One reason why I had not expanded the garden earlier was that I couldn't find any more beds with the same profile.  Hills produce two types of raised veggie beds with the same dimensions... but they have different profiles.  Mine are the curvy wavy ones, the others are very square and sharp.  So I really needed to get the curvy ones.  I couldn't bear it if they didn't match!!!

So now I have 3 more beds to construct, 3 more loads of soil to shovel and 3 more spaces to include in my crop rotation book.  And I couldn't be happier.  To celebrate I picked some delicious carrots and chillies this afternoon and made a big vat of slow cooked curry.  I can't wait for spring when I can put those new beds into high production mode.  Oh, and there will be less mowing.  That makes life a little easier!

Iron , not ironing!

Back to see the Doc again today. Still have a problem with iron, or rather the lack of it. I had the usual test last thursday and got the call to come on it. Everything we good, or explainable, except the iron. There is some issue with my blood glucose levels, but the blame there can rest squarely on the shoulders of the Easter Bunny! Everything else is good ... except iron.

Whilst not being a rabid carnivore I always thought I ate enough red meat as I haven't really had an issue with low iron before the Thyroid Cancer.  Even after the partial and total thyroidectomy there was no hint that I was anaemic. In fact I was amazed at how well I felt after all three operations. None of the dozens of blood tests I had back then showed any issue.  That was back in August 2012.    Since the Radioactive Ablation in February 2013 there has been a consistent problem with energy, or rather the lack of it, depleted iron levels and a low blood count. Beginning September 2013 the Doc started to hunt for the answer and since then I have had every test known to man to isolate the issue. I have been tested for pretty much every kind of cancer and they have all come back with reasonable results, but with nothing to flag an iron issue. 

As part of that ongoing investigation I was referred to a gastric specialist in January.  In February he, amongst other things, implanted a camera in my stomach while I was under general anaesthetic to rule out bleeding ulcers or coeliac disease as a reason the the iron problems. Again everything came back normal and whilst normal is a good thing it doesn't help when I can't lift my head off the pillow or walk any distance without having to rest and recover.  The gastro bloke reckoned I wasn't consuming enough red meat and so he gave instructions as to how much red meat I needed to consume before the next round of tests.   I have now undertaken a "meat feast" where I have had red meat at least once a day, every day and am also taking iron supplements.   Those results caused the call in from the Doc today. Yes, the numbers have improved a little, but I am still way off "normal". 

The effects of the iron deficiency are becoming a real issue. Gone are the days of an afternoon spent mowing. I can now do about 10 minutes without having to stop and rest.   So if the iron issue isn't a new cancer, coeliac disease, bleeding ulcers, or lack of consumption what is causing the problem??? I asked if it was from being made Radioactive and so Doc is now turning his mind to that as a cause. 

 
Thyroid cancer does affect a lot of people, but it is not high profile and as such there is little information available on the net in Australia about it. If you were to search the Australian Cancer Council website you would struggle to find anything more than a passing reference to Thyroid Cancer. Searching worldwide does glean a little more information and today I think I hit pay dirt with a couple of lines on an America Thyroid Cancer Survivors website. The following words were buried in a link about Radioactive Ablation under the title "Other potential side effects of RAI" (RAI being the acronym the americans use for Radioactive Ablation). Anyway it said... "Temporary or permanent decreases in blood cell counts can also occur. " YIPEE!!!! Finally a possible reason the lack of iron. Today one of the things Doc said was that my blood count was finally on the rise. So hopefully with some further research by the qualified one ( I rate my Doc, he rocks)  there might be an answer coming.   He is also trying to organise a transfusion for me of chemically manufactured iron (as opposed to a blood product).  This might take some weeks or even months to arrange, but the process has begun.  

Hoping to feel quite normal again sometime soon.  

This may well have been the cause of the iron issues.  Not really the case of what doesn't kill us makes us stronger!!!

Moving house, not unlike moving mountains!

My sister has sold up the house she build over 20 years ago and so, as you do when someone else wants to move in, you pack up all your possessions and move on.  Her problems commenced when her house sold the day it went on the market to the first people who saw it and she wasn't able to find a house she liked!  So instead of moving from one home directly into another she moved in HERE with her youngest son AND cat AND dog!!!

Now I don't have an issue with that, in fact I think it might have been my idea,  but where do you put 20 years of accumulated "stuff".  The garage here is full, the garden shed, similar, so we have had to move her "stuff" into a storage unit.  6x3m is the largest we could get...... and it filled very quickly.  The nephew understands the concept of Tetris and maximising every spare millimetre, so he worked his magic moving the boxed material.  Even so that space filled early on the day we were moving the big stuff, the furniture.  So back we went and signed up for unit number 2.  They had no more 6x3's, but I didn't think we would need that.  We were offered 3x1.5m, 3x3m or a rare drive in 3x4m.  I chose the 3x4 thinking that drive in would make it easy and the spare space would be a bonus.  Ha!  There is no spare space!  The 3x4m was filled in two deliveries and that included stacking bookcases on top of bookcases!!!

Since that filled I have now received 5 ute fulls of "extras" here at home.  Mostly outdoor furniture, garden tools, outdoor umbrellas, pots and more pots.

The good news is sister has found a house she does like and the wheels are in motion for a super speedy settlement.  So in about 6 weeks (although I am hoping for 4 weeks)  the whole process will be reversed.  Truckload after truckload of furniture and boxes will be taken OUT of the storage unit and into the new home.  The new house is nice.  The gardens need some loving, but I might acquire the rear yard for more veggies! The house will hold MOST of what she owns, but I am lead to believe that there will be a rationalisation of goods.  She will have a dedicated sewing room too. YAH!  So no more sewing machine on the dining table.

Moving house is stressful and expensive, but when the dust has settled she will have a beautiful home.

Watch out for the "Operation Rationalisation" coming to Gumtree, eBay and a garage sale soon!  Who needs a pogo stick and some stilts?

Now these photos come from a phone and were shot in almost total darkness as they were snapped as we were doing a quick drop off this morning.   I'll substitute better shots when I can.

Update:  added 2 pics from the second unit, the hi rise!

What to pack? First Aid for campers.

Super excited about the new camping trailer, even though it won't arrive until August.  I've been listing and collecting things I think I need to pack for the first of many weekends away.  Crockery, cutlery, stemware, pots and pans, cooking utensils and bedding are all easily gathered together as I seem to have a multitude of EVERYTHING here.

Each car has a small emergency first aid kit, but I did want a dedicated one for the trailer.  I've looked at some commercial kits, but none seem to be suitable for my needs.  So I decided to assemble my own.   Once again the net supplies great information so I made a bit of a list and again found I already had the majority of the contents on hand.   So far my first aid kit is fairly extensive with creams for burns, antiseptics, itches, a tube of Paw Paw and a bottle of Aloe Vera which are both good for just about everything.  Plasters, non adhesive wound dressings and tape are for any broken skin with scissors, bandages and butterfly adhesives for more serious hurts.  Also packed are latex gloves, safety pins, antiseptic wipes and a digital thermometer.   Drugs included are antibiotics, antihistamines, rehydration tablets and the usual suspects... neurophen, aspirin and codeine.   The drugs I take to replace my mankey cancerous thyroid need to be refrigerated so they will be kept separate, but an esky will work just fine.  I have one esky, but might purchase a second smaller version for the drugs.

I'm not sure what else I might need, so the first few trips will be very close to home.   Facebook offers some good info and I joined a Caravanning and Camping Groups which seems very friendly and helpful.  

It will, no doubt,  take a few journeys before I get fully organised and know what I need and what is excessive, but surely that is part of the fun of it.   I like the idea of GLAMPING.  That little bit of luxury.  Perhaps a candleabra, recliner, maybe a spa?  Ok, maybe a bit excessive for a 6x4 camping trailer, but I will be pursing the more comfortable end of the camping spectrum.

So what am I missing here?  What else do I need to make my first aid kit complete?  Any ideas, tips or tricks  most welcome.

Light Sussex or Welsummers? Choosing chooks!

Well I took one step closer to self sufficiently sunday morning.  I bought a chicken coop!  I hadn't planned to buy a coop although I have been tossing up whether to just continue to buy eggs at the fruito or go all out and "grow my own".   I hadn't made a firm decision but was wavering towards the fruito option!!   This indecision has been about 12 months in the making, with me going backwards and forwards between being a producer or just being a consumer.  Whilst I saw the benefits as far as recycling vegetable scraps and bug control in the veggie patch goes, I just couldn't see myself being a chook wrangler!  

I've never had chooks before,  never touched a chook and whilst I don't endure the same bird fear my sister has, I'm just not fussed on them.  I'm not a big consumer of eggy deggs either .  The Old Cheese on the other hand IS a big egg consumer but she too has lead a chook free lifestyle for her 84 years.  Then a couple of mates stuck their two bobs worth in and both commented on how good it would be to have a few chookies in the yard,  espousing the benefits of the feathered egg producer.  I was still hesitant but when I found a super cheap coop for sale locally I was hooked.

So with coop selected and collected the big question is what breed of chookie to keep.  The coop will hold 4 in comfort, but I was only planning to have 2 chooks.  The dude I bought the coop off suggested Isa Browns. Said they lay every day.   I like the look of the Light Sussex and the Welsummer has been suggested as a good producer of large brown eggs.  2 chooks should give me 10-14 eggs a week thru the warmer months and less thru winter.  That is PLENTY for myself and the Old Cheese.  Sister will reap the excess.  I had not realised how many breeds there were until I surfed the net last night  and found page after page of chookies to choose from!  All have their pros and cons and some are definitely prettier than others!  But how do I decide?   And WHERE does one obtain a pair of chookies???

I'm getting my head around the lingo "Point of Lay", "Pullets" and "Coccidiosis".  I know I need to buy at about 18-20 weeks to ensure they are layers and I need to buy from someone reputable so they come to me wormed and vaccinated.   But I still have no idea where that person or place is!   Apparently different breeds have different attributes.  So many things to consider... broodiness, aggressiveness, frequency or laying, hard feather, soft feather, egg size and colour.  I have read how some breeds will tear apart your veggie patch and that the last thing I want!    Who would have thought choosing a chook would be such a minefield!!!

The breed names bear little or no resemblance to any of their attributes.   The Silver Laced Wyandotte is a very pretty bird, but maybe a bit showy, but its name gives me no idea about its temperament or attributes!    I do like the look of the Light Sussex and the Welsummer, but the Isa Brown is "reliable" said the seller of the coop.  I could also consider the black Australorp and the New Hampshire.  The Frizzle and Silkies are out though.  They are all show and no go! It would make my decision much easier if their breed names reflected their egg producing potential!

I haven't even considered the equipment needed to feed and water them.  Do they get leg bands? How do I fox proof the yard and poor Old Pilchy the cat. I know he is scared of them! One came in the yard once and the old boy was quivering in his flea collar.

I wonder if there is a chicken chooser app somewhere that could help me with this all important decision.   All suggestions gratefully received!

And here it is, the coop,  a little slice of chookie heaven in my backyard!