Even more ramblings
G'day all!
Well what an interesting week it has been so far.
Yesterday DH was ok with the world and all was good. My seroma was deflated and felt ok.
Today DH was lonely cos his work is in the middle of a restructure and also his group are going on a trip and everyone was running around like headless chooks. Except Nathan. And I couldn't get our hot water service relit after it went out, so I had no hot water and was very unhappy indeed about that! But our elderly neighbour came to the rescue - he is the chap who engineered the original ones of these hot water heaters. After I had spent hours trying to get the blasted thing going, he got it first try. Grrr. It obviously doesn't like a woman's touch. DId I mention that it was less than 10C as well? And my seroma re-inflated at an incredible rate - it feels like I've got half a lemon inside my armpit skin. I have to go back to get it looked at again. It is uncomfortable at either end of the scar too and I really don't want it to either burst the thing or get infected from being drained. I've had it since Saturday, when I started doing more advanced exercises to stop frozen shoulder and lymphoedema, and I'm already over it. There is no treatment for it apart from occasionally draining it and waiting for it to go away. I bet if men suffered this problem, they would work out why it occurs and how to prevent it or at least manage it. (Men actually do get seromas but not too many have to have axillary clearance so they don't get them in their armpits.) If it was "waterbed chest" after mastectomy I reckon I could tolerate it more easily cos at least it would be like having boobs rather than something that makes you hold your arm on a funny angle cos there's a big squishy uncomfortable thing in the way.
Life wasn't meant to be easy, as one of our Prime Ministers famously said.
Do I have any new pics for you? My bad! oK, I just edited some. They are pics of my city from last Sunday. Weather wasn't the best - you shoulda seen how black it looked for quite a bit of the day!
(The Elizabeth Street clock tower on Flinders St Station)
Have I any knitting or spinning to show you?
My bad!
I've been distracted. I went for a good long walk today and didn't feel totally knackered after it. OK, the walk was to the local shops via my chiro, but that is 2km round trip and whilst my stride was getting shorter and shorter as I got closer to home, I didn't keel over. That is a victory in my books! (But I did forget to buy the eggs that were the main reason for going. DOH! Maybe I haven't gotten over chemo brain yet. Or maybe this is just me!)
(the east end of Melbourne's CBD)
This weekend I'm going up to Sydney by bus/train to see DH. He is lonely. I am lonely too, even though I have LOTS to occupy me. I'm used to having him around. He's used to having me around. After so much togetherness, it is weird to not have him here. But we'll find a way to cope, even if it involves running up a huge phone bill. We can't use voice over IP at present or video conferencing or anything cos he doesn't have internet at the place he is staying. He has to wait until he gets mobile internet via work. That will take a few more days.
I think the most unsettling thing is not knowing how often we'll see each other. DH has to settle in to a new job (and a new city), I have to learn how to cope with everything here. (I admit to contemplating giving the chooks away - they are an added complication that I don't know I can cope with at present, especially since they are not doing what we got them for. If they were good laying hens, I'd be like eh, they are fine but nope they aren't laying and they are digging up stuff I like....) If things go well, we might be doing the one of us travels every second weekend. But we might not too. Or DH might spend a couple of weeks here, working, every month or two. But all is in flux. I'm a little over flux.
So I'll have to stay in the moment, not worry about the future much cos it will get here sooner or later (sooner in my experience!). I can look forward to a long bus and train trip, and I can hope this stupid seroma stops being so excitable.
anon!
Well what an interesting week it has been so far.
Yesterday DH was ok with the world and all was good. My seroma was deflated and felt ok.
Today DH was lonely cos his work is in the middle of a restructure and also his group are going on a trip and everyone was running around like headless chooks. Except Nathan. And I couldn't get our hot water service relit after it went out, so I had no hot water and was very unhappy indeed about that! But our elderly neighbour came to the rescue - he is the chap who engineered the original ones of these hot water heaters. After I had spent hours trying to get the blasted thing going, he got it first try. Grrr. It obviously doesn't like a woman's touch. DId I mention that it was less than 10C as well? And my seroma re-inflated at an incredible rate - it feels like I've got half a lemon inside my armpit skin. I have to go back to get it looked at again. It is uncomfortable at either end of the scar too and I really don't want it to either burst the thing or get infected from being drained. I've had it since Saturday, when I started doing more advanced exercises to stop frozen shoulder and lymphoedema, and I'm already over it. There is no treatment for it apart from occasionally draining it and waiting for it to go away. I bet if men suffered this problem, they would work out why it occurs and how to prevent it or at least manage it. (Men actually do get seromas but not too many have to have axillary clearance so they don't get them in their armpits.) If it was "waterbed chest" after mastectomy I reckon I could tolerate it more easily cos at least it would be like having boobs rather than something that makes you hold your arm on a funny angle cos there's a big squishy uncomfortable thing in the way.
Life wasn't meant to be easy, as one of our Prime Ministers famously said.
Do I have any new pics for you? My bad! oK, I just edited some. They are pics of my city from last Sunday. Weather wasn't the best - you shoulda seen how black it looked for quite a bit of the day!
(The Elizabeth Street clock tower on Flinders St Station)
Have I any knitting or spinning to show you?
My bad!
I've been distracted. I went for a good long walk today and didn't feel totally knackered after it. OK, the walk was to the local shops via my chiro, but that is 2km round trip and whilst my stride was getting shorter and shorter as I got closer to home, I didn't keel over. That is a victory in my books! (But I did forget to buy the eggs that were the main reason for going. DOH! Maybe I haven't gotten over chemo brain yet. Or maybe this is just me!)
(the east end of Melbourne's CBD)
This weekend I'm going up to Sydney by bus/train to see DH. He is lonely. I am lonely too, even though I have LOTS to occupy me. I'm used to having him around. He's used to having me around. After so much togetherness, it is weird to not have him here. But we'll find a way to cope, even if it involves running up a huge phone bill. We can't use voice over IP at present or video conferencing or anything cos he doesn't have internet at the place he is staying. He has to wait until he gets mobile internet via work. That will take a few more days.
I think the most unsettling thing is not knowing how often we'll see each other. DH has to settle in to a new job (and a new city), I have to learn how to cope with everything here. (I admit to contemplating giving the chooks away - they are an added complication that I don't know I can cope with at present, especially since they are not doing what we got them for. If they were good laying hens, I'd be like eh, they are fine but nope they aren't laying and they are digging up stuff I like....) If things go well, we might be doing the one of us travels every second weekend. But we might not too. Or DH might spend a couple of weeks here, working, every month or two. But all is in flux. I'm a little over flux.
So I'll have to stay in the moment, not worry about the future much cos it will get here sooner or later (sooner in my experience!). I can look forward to a long bus and train trip, and I can hope this stupid seroma stops being so excitable.
anon!
You are so right about the 'if men had it' theory. I totally agree. Bah humbug to things being in flux. Things are like that here at the moment too, and I hate it. I am glad you have hot water and a kind neighbour. Happy trip!!
ReplyDeleteOne good thing about the bus/train trips: you'll have lots of time for knitting. Or reading. Have you got a Kindle? It's really saved my sanity on those transPacific flights...
ReplyDeleteAh the "If men had it" theory. We all think they would have greater motivation to do stuff if it happened to them. Maybe we just need to inspire the next generation of young women to be more proactionary. I use the phrase often or my other favourite is "must have been made by a man" for stuff that doesn't work they way it "should" for some reason or is badly designed from a woman's point of view. Ah but what would we do if we didn't have these things to contemplate, we might actually come up with other stuff that they would like less :-)
ReplyDeleteHoping that everything settles down with Sydney and Melbourne and a healthy balance is achieved for both of you.