SueC

It has been a rough few days. 2nd DD had a miscarriage due to a massive fibroid (5 inches by 4 inches by 5.5 inches high). The miscarriage caused the fibroid to haemorrhage - for 4 weeks. After an afternoon in ER she was admitted overnight and given an iron transfusion. she is home now and very weak. there is still a possibility of needing a blood transfusion. Going forward, the registrar that she had to deal with was more interested in telling her that she would probably need a hysterectomy, than finding options. I have suggested that she get a second opinion, but to do that she has to wait for 6 weeks to see the local specialist and then wait while they make decisions before getting referred to a bigger hospital. so need prayer that the fibroid will shrink and that it will be able to be removed by surgery, and that after surgery she will still be able to have a family. DD is 28 and newly married.

I had hoped that the MrsS spies might have made the trek to spy on the gathering again? those reports were far more interesting!

and it is put clocks forward one hour this Sunday for those in the land down under

awww - she will survive and grow and you will discover the beautiful young lady that you have created. from a mother who has seen 4 daughters leave home, the last one is 11 hours drive from home and intends to move to the other end of the country next year to a city I don't think I could ever visit as it is just too hot for me. Love them lots pray lots and enjoy some time with just 2 of you at home

Thanks for your lovely comments - I am noticing far more "well I forgot" - I need to stop and step back from getting upset about things and make sure more reminders are put in place for things that need to happen. On a nice note, the neighbours were getting their shrubbery trimmed this week, and the man doing it found a very small baby deer sleeping under a bush. he was able to pat it, no fear from Bambi at all. We knew the doe would take her very new baby down the back fence but didn't realise she was parking it while she did other things!

welcome back - often wondered how you were going

Thank you! it was a bit of a fizzer - DH totally forgot, and doesn't understand why 2 days later I am not impressed. but another year breathing is always good! I do wonder if the forgetting is part of the deterioration of the cancer. Dr reckons that he should be very sickly and coughing up blood by now, instead he walks down steep tracks to see waterfalls etc. However Ii am starting to notice that he is slowing down so we will be happy that he was here for my birthday this year, because next time I have a birthday we don't know how he will be.

If I want to make a long post, I prepare it in a word document then copy and paste - can't lose it that way

Thank you so much for all you do in getting the newsletter out! It really is appreciated

For years I had problems, but I have it mostly under control now. Cotton undies were a way of life, used the powders, air dried after a shower, lotions, you name it. When I started working full time, I had to get a grip and find something that would also eliminate the odour that always hung around the yeast infection. I went to the chemist and asked them what they had, got told to use a tinea cream, been there done that and it didn't work, so no thanks, this time the assistant listened and got me a stronger tinea cream. this one is OTC only, it is not on the shelves. It can only be used for a week at a time and then you need to use the usual tinea cream, but after a couple of rotations between the creams, I got relief. I still occasionally have a small break out, straight onto the strong stuff for a week, one week of the usual strength and I am fine. It has changed my life! Sorry the name probably wont help you but the product contains Miconazole nitrate 2% w/w and Hydrocortizone 1% w/w

2 years ago, I told myself I wanted to plan to come to the next gathering, and here it is and I still cant. I have to plan my next leave around my Mum's 80th birthday in NZ. ok - maybe in 2016?

Hi Mt Rider! I have been keeping busy at work and took up patchwork and quilting last year which has been fun Hubby had a good report from oncology at Christmas, still on 6 month check ups but not the aggressiveness they thought might be happening. Youngest daughter (17) left home - she has moved to the capital for a year to do a Cert IV in Community Development, then that will take her central north part of the country to do a BA Humanities & Community Development. Grandson is too far away and moving even further away but at 7 months he is crawling and climbing and a happy little man. But I have been wanting to do more canning, so starting to position myself with the right jars etc. Life is pretty good at the moment!

There are a few sites here in Oz that deal with canning. this one I have just discovered recently and watching it to see how it goes, she is also on facebook, but more interestingly she does classes in the Perth area. Is that any where near where you are? http://www.foodpreserving.org/ Mad Millie is a NZ company that is branching out into Australia, I ordered some jars through her site and had delivery in about 3 days. Her system uses the single use lids and rings similar to the Ball Mason jars. I wanted this system as the Fowlers system are too bulky for the pressure canner. http://www.madmillie.com/ But as far as a forum that works - I stick with MrsS for all the reasons you said!

The last of the family has arrived, Christmas Eve dinner has been enjoyed and we are about to go out and look at the Christmas lights around town. Baby is asleep, workers have finally finished, we are ready for Christmas! So from our house to yours we wish you a very merry Christmas and pray that 2014 will be a year of awesome adventures!

I am a kiwi living in Australia, so probably closer to a British accent than Aussie accent. definitely not American!

Hi! I have been working hard, and when I get home have no energy. After appendicitis in March, a wedding inn the north of Australia in June, we had a quick trip to meet the newest addition to the family in July (Samuel 7lb 11) then I got a nasty cold that has left me with a lingering cough. But still here and pop in and read a little most weeks. Youngest has one exam and is finished school - that is scary, she is talking of uni in Darwin. so next year will be different!

97% Northeast Judging by how you talk you are probably from north Jersey, New York City, Connecticut or Rhode Island. Chances are, if you are from New York City (and not those other places) people would probably be able to tell if they actually heard you speak. not bad for someone who has never been to the USA

We have had a roller coaster 12 months! August DD3 got married, February, discovered that DH had lesions in the lung that were growing, June DD2 got married. June 2nd CT scan for DH, more lesions, GP said time to do the things you have been putting off. Not quite the news we wanted. July 19th first Grandchild - Samuel Grant B... 7lb 11oz and gave his Mum a hard time. Hoping the next 12 months are a little easier! Gardening - not happening this year, we are above a highway on the crest of a hill so all the trucks pump out a lot of diesel fumes. after 25 years our time as parents of school students is coming to an end. Our youngest has one more term of studies, then study break and final exams. that will be different, she is talking about moving to the city, so it will be a quieter household too.

DH's appointment today probably wasn't what we really expected. The 2 areas they wanted to watch were a lesion (tumor) plus a lymph node. The scan has showed the lymph one is static but still there, and the lesion has gone from 8mm to 12mm. Plus there are 2 more lesions, which means one in the outside pleura, one central and one near the centre of his chest / lung plus the lymph one in the rear of the lungs/chest area. To remove would probably mean removing the middle lobe of his lung. That is IF they considered it a viable option and they probably cant get to the one in the lymph area. so we are on the wait and see again. There will be a review of his scans by the oncology department in Coffs in 3 weeks plus consultation with the RPA (Sydney hospital). if they decide there is anything we can do they will get back to us. In the the mean time, another scan in 6 months. So no panic, he is well, just got to watch the growing thingys. But it does mean that the disease is progressing. We are going to take each oncology visit as it comes and deal with things when and if they happen. The good news is - we had a fantastic time in Cairns with our daughter before her wedding and came for a baby shower for the other DD. We are going to be grandparents! All the family is planning on being home for Christmas. So a good year for happy times!

I am so glad your house was saved, but at the same time so sad that you lost your Christmas things, On the bright side, you have room for lots more Christmas decorations!

The risk time was 5 - 7 days post surgery. This is the time the surgeon said he would not be surprised if I came back because of infection. No infection! so happy to be passed that. I am off all painkillers now but still on antibiotics. I saw the GP and he is happy with my progress but was very surprised that it took them 1.5 days to operate considering the condition I was in when I saw him. So now resting lots and will be back to work on Monday. Thanks for all you prayers, concerns and kind thoughts..

resting today - after phoning the hospital and telling them what I thought. It turned out that both drugs they prescribed I was allergic too. Plus they sent a report to my Dr telling how wonderful I was doing. I asked why they would tell my Dr that my diet was doing well when I still have no appetite and have eaten about a 1/2 cup of rice pudding or custard for each meal, why would they tell my DR my bowels were working well, when I had not had any movement and how could they report my mobility was great when I was struggling to get out of bed under my own steam. I was very unimpressed. thanks for all your thoughts and prayers - hopefully now I have the right drugs things will start to improve.

Our plans were simple, Friday night drive 5 hours north to large city so we could shop for outfits for DD's wedding in June. Sunday afternoon drive home again and all back at work on Monday. reality - drove to city in torrential rain. Saturday - great results in the shopping expedition. Sunday drove one hour and felt under the weather so got hubby to drive. another 1.5 hours and I was feeling extremely ill, fever, sweats, nausea, about to faint, and massive pain. Told DH I thought he should find out where he could take me to get medical attention. back 30 mins and spent most of the next 3 hours in ER to be told it was probably kidney stones, here is a strong painkiller, get your self home. Monday went to see my GP, after pressing on my abdomen and waiting for me to crawl off the roof it was a trip to hospital - apparently I had a perforated and gangrenous appendix. Finally got home tonight and the hospital generously gave a Dr's certificate for time off work - from Monday to tomorrow. - oh and that was after they gave me px for a drug I am allergic to. I will go back to the Dr for follow up treatment.

thinking of you at this time and sending hugs your way. (((())))

sad to say but too true for many church goers.