The doctor called with the results and all looks normal (including liver enzymes??). This means it was probably neither a virus nor appendicitis. He says it may have been a partial bowel obstruction that resolved from my 36 hour fluid fast. If I am not better on Monday I am going to go back but meanwhile am trying to sip applesauce and see if that is OK. I'm supposed to remain alert for signs of appendicitis even though its unlikely now.
I feel better having eaten a bland chicken soup with mushy carrots for dinner.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Update on me
The doctor took an X-ray to rule out a bowel obstruction. It looked fine. I may have appendicitis or an intestinal virus.
He is not sure.
I will hear the results of bloodwork this evening. Still sipping gatorade and chicken stock. I am starving.
He is not sure.
I will hear the results of bloodwork this evening. Still sipping gatorade and chicken stock. I am starving.
I'm sick
Sorry for all the silence - email, phone, blog. I have been feeling really lousy since Tuesday night. After two days spent largely on the couch moaning and sleeping I have figured out that I am fine as long as I don't eat anything except clear fluids otherwise I have awful intestinal cramping that lasts 5 hours. Ugh.
I am going to the doctor today. This afternoon was the first appointment I could get because doctors are fully booked seeing people who fear they have swine flu. Double ugh.
To reflect Wren's mood (cheerful and enjoying an excess of Sesame Street on TV) here are some pictures taken on Monday walking to the park when we were enjoying the spring weather:
I am going to the doctor today. This afternoon was the first appointment I could get because doctors are fully booked seeing people who fear they have swine flu. Double ugh.
To reflect Wren's mood (cheerful and enjoying an excess of Sesame Street on TV) here are some pictures taken on Monday walking to the park when we were enjoying the spring weather:
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Geographical confusion
Wren is very muddled about geography. While reading bedtime books Wren said: "I love this big book. Lets take it to America."
"We live in America, right here" I said.
"No," said Wren. "This is Mummy's house. This is round the block!"
"Its in America," I insisted.
"No," said Wren.
"Well, where does granny live?" I asked.
"Granny lives in Australia." He replied
"Ah!" I said, "you know it!
"Yes...Its in America!" added Wren.
Um.
Walking around the block Wren was avidly watching the tall trees for .... koala. "There koala in that one?" he asked, peering up a tall cedar. "No," I explained. "There are NO koala in all of America." "At Granny's house?" he checked. "Yes," I agreed. "In America" he concluded. "Nope." I said. "Far far away."
He is sure Granny is a short distance away and will reappear at any moment. He is less concerned about Roy although he was taken by the idea that Roy (Mum's dog) was "sad" and "want to find Wren."
"We live in America, right here" I said.
"No," said Wren. "This is Mummy's house. This is round the block!"
"Its in America," I insisted.
"No," said Wren.
"Well, where does granny live?" I asked.
"Granny lives in Australia." He replied
"Ah!" I said, "you know it!
"Yes...Its in America!" added Wren.
Um.
Walking around the block Wren was avidly watching the tall trees for .... koala. "There koala in that one?" he asked, peering up a tall cedar. "No," I explained. "There are NO koala in all of America." "At Granny's house?" he checked. "Yes," I agreed. "In America" he concluded. "Nope." I said. "Far far away."
He is sure Granny is a short distance away and will reappear at any moment. He is less concerned about Roy although he was taken by the idea that Roy (Mum's dog) was "sad" and "want to find Wren."
The cat has diabetes
Well, the fat cat was just diagnosed with diabetes. She is to be put on a twice daily insulin injection and blood sugar monitoring. I am to report to the vet at noon for a demonstration on "the shop cat" wherafter I head to Costco for our first fatcat insulin prescription. It is expected to cost around $80 and last 1-3 months depending on how much insulin is required to regulate our cat.
I have considered doing dietary changes only and letting her decline slowly and then die young. OK, there will be cat people out there who are appalled but frankly I do not have a huge amount of sympathy for the advanced treatment of (most) pets. BUT we have decided to try this out and see how much and how complex is the treatment.
While at the vet I sat next to a dog undergoing chemo. He has a monthly CBC before his monthly chemo. I have no words.
Frost is concerned that kitty is sick. Wren was very worried that we had to go to the kitty doctor and much preferred when I used the word "vet". I used the word "ethical" with Frost in reference to the question of what amount of money to spend on a pet's health versus donation of money to a human or other cause. He took a while thinking about it and had some good questions. His solution was to spend half your spare money on the pet and half on your own needs or in the case of helping starving people elsewhere versus computer games he felt that he could have half the number of games and help half the people.
I told Wren he had to have a bath after his late nap / vet visit / gardening and he said "Why bath?" [weeping]
I told him he needed a bath to get clean. He asked "why need I clean it?"
It is a good question too.
The cat is hiding because it senses my murderous intent.
I have considered doing dietary changes only and letting her decline slowly and then die young. OK, there will be cat people out there who are appalled but frankly I do not have a huge amount of sympathy for the advanced treatment of (most) pets. BUT we have decided to try this out and see how much and how complex is the treatment.
While at the vet I sat next to a dog undergoing chemo. He has a monthly CBC before his monthly chemo. I have no words.
Frost is concerned that kitty is sick. Wren was very worried that we had to go to the kitty doctor and much preferred when I used the word "vet". I used the word "ethical" with Frost in reference to the question of what amount of money to spend on a pet's health versus donation of money to a human or other cause. He took a while thinking about it and had some good questions. His solution was to spend half your spare money on the pet and half on your own needs or in the case of helping starving people elsewhere versus computer games he felt that he could have half the number of games and help half the people.
I told Wren he had to have a bath after his late nap / vet visit / gardening and he said "Why bath?" [weeping]
I told him he needed a bath to get clean. He asked "why need I clean it?"
It is a good question too.
The cat is hiding because it senses my murderous intent.
Happy birthday, diabetic cat.
Its ten past 5 and Wren is asleep on the couch. I took him for a drive to fetch our cat from the vet and he fell asleep in the car on the way home. I poked and prodded and carried him in from the car but he refused to wake up so I plonked him on the couch and turned on Bones and he is still sleeping. I guess my plan to stop his daily naptime in exchange for better nighttime sleep is premature.
Anyway, it seems the cat may have diabetes. When we returned home she seemed a bit unwell and had a strange low-slung swagger to her back legs. The vet is waiting on blood test results. Our mail hold which should have stopped on Saturday is still in effect (due to some postal service glitch) so I have seen no mail yet AND IT IS JOSH's BIRTHDAY and the icecream cake is freezing a hole in my pocket (well, my imagination) because Josh is home later from work than expected.
We are still jet lagged and very overdue with blog posts. They are lining up in my mind as I go to sleep.
Today, Wren and I did gardening and mowed the lawn.
On the way home from the vet Frost made a geek joke:
Frost: Shannon, why can Father Christmas breathe anywhere?
Me: I don't know.
Frost: Because he says HO HO HO....
Me: I don't get it.
Frost: Hydrogen = H, Oxygen = O - he always says OXYGEN!
I thought this quite funny. We debated whether he could really SAY "ho" underwater.
Anyway, it seems the cat may have diabetes. When we returned home she seemed a bit unwell and had a strange low-slung swagger to her back legs. The vet is waiting on blood test results. Our mail hold which should have stopped on Saturday is still in effect (due to some postal service glitch) so I have seen no mail yet AND IT IS JOSH's BIRTHDAY and the icecream cake is freezing a hole in my pocket (well, my imagination) because Josh is home later from work than expected.
We are still jet lagged and very overdue with blog posts. They are lining up in my mind as I go to sleep.
Today, Wren and I did gardening and mowed the lawn.
On the way home from the vet Frost made a geek joke:
Frost: Shannon, why can Father Christmas breathe anywhere?
Me: I don't know.
Frost: Because he says HO HO HO....
Me: I don't get it.
Frost: Hydrogen = H, Oxygen = O - he always says OXYGEN!
I thought this quite funny. We debated whether he could really SAY "ho" underwater.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Home
Its a day late and a timezone or two out of whack but WE ARE HOME. Wren slept till 9am yesterday and 8am today and I woke him out of deep slumber both times. Don't ask what time Frost went to bed.
More later. I am enjoying being home and hoping to catch up with you all.
More later. I am enjoying being home and hoping to catch up with you all.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Roo Bar 4WD
Here are the kids on the front of the folks' 4WD. This was taken on Kangaroo Island. The kangaroo bar is the big silver thing and the lights are extra bright. Its a diesel engine and can travel for 1000km without needing gas because it has two tanks.
When Pelicans (do not really) Attack!!!
At the jetty in Kingscote, KI, the kids were impressed to see a flock of pelicans close to the jetty. The pelicans are fed by local fishermen and were sitting on the rocky wharf with a sense of anticipation and entitlement. As you can see from this picture, they are VERY large birds. Every morning as we walked on the beach a small flock of pelicans would fly across the water. The sea was very calm and the pelicans flew so low that their bellies skimmed the water.
Frost was excited to see how close he could get to a pelican (why do I keep typing 'penguin'?)
Creeping....
"Hey, I see you with my beady eye....."
CRAAAAAK!!!!!
No Frost, do not do it!!!! Come back!!!!
Frost was excited to see how close he could get to a pelican (why do I keep typing 'penguin'?)
Creeping....
"Hey, I see you with my beady eye....."
CRAAAAAK!!!!!
No Frost, do not do it!!!! Come back!!!!
The first time a pelican CRAAAKed at him Frost leapt back but since the pelican didn't actually ATTACK him he rather enjoyed being the provocateur. Wren became anxious as Mum and I told Frost to stop bothering the pelicans and told Frost to stop and come back!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Signs of the Times
We are back in Adelaide after a 4 day trip to Kangaroo Island. I am so overwhelmingly behind in my writing that I am going to digress with a post about some signs I have collected along the way and hope you glean some vacation stories along the way.
Children Don't Bounce
While at Port Julia we noticed these street signs which caused some confusion in the non-Australian members of the family. The sign says "SLOW DOWN, CHILDREN DONT BONCE". Frost says that the sign is written in Australian and means Children Dont Bounce rather than "don't bounce" because the apostrophe is missing. He says he doesn't know what DONT means but it must be Australian for something.
Joshua is puzzled. He thinks that it is an edict against bouncing games like ball games. Perhaps they are risky in the road?
Iconic Wildlife Signs
Most tourist shops have copies of the Australian road signs urging you to watch out for native animals. Here are Frost and Wren beside a sign on Kangaroo Island warning drivers to watch for Echidnas on the road. Another reminds you that kangaroo, echidna and goannas are around. While driving on KI we saw many dead wallabies and possums on the roads and a fair number of dead crows, killed while eating carrion. We also went driving at night with the headlights on full-beam. Mum has a 4WD she has taken outback so it is equipt with extra headlights and a roo-bar to avoid and minimize damage from roo collisions. We drove very slowly and saw a number of wallabies on the roadside as well as a possum in a tree.
Big Machinery is Dangerous
As we were leaving Port Julia we saw a remarkable trench digging machine. It is for digging deep narrow trenches for cables and utilities in the rocky compact earth which is like concrete in places. It is not hard to believe that this is a dangerous machine to operate but I still enjoyed the graphic illustration of the danger (below). It warns MOVING DIGGING TEETH WILL KILL YOU OR CUT OFF ARM OR LEG. STAY AWAY. Wren was very interested in the machine, calling it "big digger".
The Ligurian Bee
Kangaroo Island is home to the last outpost for the pure Ligurian bee - a species of Italian bee imported many years ago and remaining in its 'pure' form. We visited a bee farm on KI and bought some honey mead. This sign is the door to the toilet at the bee farm. When i took this picture I could hear Frost singing to himself from within. Unlike the US, everyone has signage to the TOILET displayed prominently and you stand out if you ask for "the bathroom".
Signs of Drought
We toured around KI with Natasha (my best friend in Australia) and her partner Douglas. To give Wren a stretch we stopped at Duck Pond - advertised in this sign as a billabong oasis for wildlife, facing issues of recent salination. When we visited the prolonged drought which has hit the region bringing at least 3 winters of low rainfall has left the billabong almost dry. We saw one koala in a high river redgum and some gallahs but the only patch of water gave off a fetid stench and did not seem to be the oasis it once was. Here you see Frost at the billabong (waterhole) that was.
Update
We had to take Wren to the doctor today to examine a cut on his head. He was running away from me in the garden to avoid diaper change when he tripped over the garden hose and fell forward onto a low garden wall. He split his forhead and had a large egg so we took him to see a local doctor. They cleaned it up and took a look at it and said it didn't need to be taped but we should watch him for concussion.
Of course I have been neurotic all evening. It was hard to judge 'normal behaviour' because he was so exhausted after missing nap this afternoon (another story).
Josh and I had a great day - lunch out with Wren and some local shopping for delicious cheese. We made porcini risotto tonight. Frost went to tennis camp at a local Tennis Club this morning and enjoyed it a great deal. He goes again tomorrow morning.
Children Don't Bounce
While at Port Julia we noticed these street signs which caused some confusion in the non-Australian members of the family. The sign says "SLOW DOWN, CHILDREN DONT BONCE". Frost says that the sign is written in Australian and means Children Dont Bounce rather than "don't bounce" because the apostrophe is missing. He says he doesn't know what DONT means but it must be Australian for something.
Joshua is puzzled. He thinks that it is an edict against bouncing games like ball games. Perhaps they are risky in the road?
Iconic Wildlife SignsMost tourist shops have copies of the Australian road signs urging you to watch out for native animals. Here are Frost and Wren beside a sign on Kangaroo Island warning drivers to watch for Echidnas on the road. Another reminds you that kangaroo, echidna and goannas are around. While driving on KI we saw many dead wallabies and possums on the roads and a fair number of dead crows, killed while eating carrion. We also went driving at night with the headlights on full-beam. Mum has a 4WD she has taken outback so it is equipt with extra headlights and a roo-bar to avoid and minimize damage from roo collisions. We drove very slowly and saw a number of wallabies on the roadside as well as a possum in a tree.
Big Machinery is Dangerous
As we were leaving Port Julia we saw a remarkable trench digging machine. It is for digging deep narrow trenches for cables and utilities in the rocky compact earth which is like concrete in places. It is not hard to believe that this is a dangerous machine to operate but I still enjoyed the graphic illustration of the danger (below). It warns MOVING DIGGING TEETH WILL KILL YOU OR CUT OFF ARM OR LEG. STAY AWAY. Wren was very interested in the machine, calling it "big digger".
The Ligurian Bee
Kangaroo Island is home to the last outpost for the pure Ligurian bee - a species of Italian bee imported many years ago and remaining in its 'pure' form. We visited a bee farm on KI and bought some honey mead. This sign is the door to the toilet at the bee farm. When i took this picture I could hear Frost singing to himself from within. Unlike the US, everyone has signage to the TOILET displayed prominently and you stand out if you ask for "the bathroom".
Signs of Drought
We toured around KI with Natasha (my best friend in Australia) and her partner Douglas. To give Wren a stretch we stopped at Duck Pond - advertised in this sign as a billabong oasis for wildlife, facing issues of recent salination. When we visited the prolonged drought which has hit the region bringing at least 3 winters of low rainfall has left the billabong almost dry. We saw one koala in a high river redgum and some gallahs but the only patch of water gave off a fetid stench and did not seem to be the oasis it once was. Here you see Frost at the billabong (waterhole) that was.
Update
We had to take Wren to the doctor today to examine a cut on his head. He was running away from me in the garden to avoid diaper change when he tripped over the garden hose and fell forward onto a low garden wall. He split his forhead and had a large egg so we took him to see a local doctor. They cleaned it up and took a look at it and said it didn't need to be taped but we should watch him for concussion.
Of course I have been neurotic all evening. It was hard to judge 'normal behaviour' because he was so exhausted after missing nap this afternoon (another story).
Josh and I had a great day - lunch out with Wren and some local shopping for delicious cheese. We made porcini risotto tonight. Frost went to tennis camp at a local Tennis Club this morning and enjoyed it a great deal. He goes again tomorrow morning.
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