tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31284221750217154502024-03-14T09:48:00.303-07:00three cheersJudith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.comBlogger194125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128422175021715450.post-64223279985091046262016-02-21T03:18:00.003-08:002016-02-21T03:18:44.263-08:00A new blog for travels in 2016Check it out at http://judithclark.blogspot.my <br />
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For this trip I am using the blog I set up when I went to New York. Enjoy - don't forget to bookmark!Judith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128422175021715450.post-39457103400641770382015-02-14T17:26:00.001-08:002015-02-14T17:26:24.960-08:00Back in Port<div style="text-align: center;">
So, back to real time. A job application, and research for travels in France. Which way will it go?</div>
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For this month, February, I'm staying in Jan's townhouse in Port Macquarie with Sasha the poodle. I'm in a great location, not far from the beach. I can hear the surf at night. </div>
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I'm loving walking the dog morning and evening. There's a coastal walk along to the next beach, Flynn's Beach, where there's a surf school in the mornings. Or I can walk around the headland past the local little little beach (below) to the imaginatively named Town Beach where there is usually a bunch of people surfing at least one of the two breaks. </div>
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Judith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128422175021715450.post-64876596357858297692015-02-14T17:03:00.000-08:002015-02-14T17:03:03.394-08:00Road trip/s <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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From New Zealand, Port Macquarie on the map seemed like a good place. Not as hot as Brisbane, good rainfall, within striking distance of Sydney. Not too big, not too small. "Good fishing", everyone would say. At Margaret and Keith's in Hamilton I met Jan and Francois, who lived there. "It has a great arts and cultural centre", they told me. Yep.<br />
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So when the time came to move on from Cairns I put word out and yes, Jan did need a house sitter in December, and also in February. An opportunity to try out the town, see what it would be like to live there. Next stop, Port Macquarie.<br />
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Packed up the car again (doesn't take long), off south. This time with Jess the bear for company -- thanks, Annie Jean! </div>
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Six and half hours from Brisbane. </div>
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The weeks before Christmas I stayed at Jan and Francois' canal-side house. On Christmas Day there was a pod of about seven dolphins, cruising by with gentle splashes. House-sitting duties included becoming the slave of a black toy poodle called Sasha who reminded me relentlessly about walks twice a day. I set too, finding the best places to have my daily coffee; and took up reading the Sydney Morning Herald every day (failing at the cryptic crossword).<br />
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Matt rode up from Sydney just after Christmas. Yes, on his bicycle. Here he is at the lighthouse at the well-names Lighthouse Beach.<br />
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So began an epic road trip - Port to Melbourne, exploring the beaches and small places along the way, including a drive around the Hunter Valley. </div>
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New Year's Eve we were in Sydney (local fireworks only), and we spent a couple of days at Thredbo. Matt rode up to Kosciusko. </div>
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I stayed in an apartment in East Melbourne and pretended to be a Brunswick local, sipping soy flat whites at pop-up garage cafes. </div>
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I revisited the lovely people at the Peter Macallum Centre, and went through the usual stuff - camera up the nose, finger down the throat, all good fun. Nothing unexpected there, and so life continues. Yay! The streets of Melbourne have never looked so good.</div>
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Back on the road again. just me and Jess-the-bear-not-a-rabbit this time. I drove back to Port via the coast, stopping off at many of the smaller country towns just a bit inland, and camping along the way, even a couple of nights of car sleeping. Yes, there are still service stations with free hot showers. </div>
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I indulged at Readings in Hawthorn on the morning of departure and along with my coffee bought a talking book to ease the byways, The Rosie Project. </div>
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And so, back again in the small town of Port Macquarie. And an enthusiastic welcome from Sasha. </div>
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Judith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128422175021715450.post-58803562758626466222015-01-27T20:29:00.000-08:002015-01-27T20:29:28.905-08:00Next stop - MudgeereebaFrom Buderim it is a short hop to the Gold Coast where my brother lives. I stopped in Brisbane on the way down, and paid more for parking than I usually spend in any one day.<br />
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This from Neil and Di's garden.<br />
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Before Christmas we had a girlie weekend at Woody Point, back in Brisbane. Suzie hosted Janet, Helen and I for the weekend and fed us like VIPs, which we are of course. <br />
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And I made a short trip down to Murwillumbah and met up with Felicity at the <b><a href="http://artgallery.tweed.nsw.gov.au/" target="_blank">Tweed Regional Gallery</a></b>. The view from the gallery cafe is delightful.<br />
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There was a special installation that was spreading around at least three rooms, all made from cardboard. This is the In-Habit Project, which<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"considers the idea of ‘place’; and addresses themes of
journey and diaspora; settlement and resettlement; home and land;
plight and displacement. Using the process of collecting and collaborating to express ideas
of migration, family and memory, the artists work with the community
to construct small houses using recycled cardboard and found
materials. These houses contribute to a growing community of
dwellings installed on scaffolding within the gallery, resembling a
sprawling construction site continuously evolving and always in
transition."</span></blockquote>
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But the highlight of this visit, other than seeing Felicity again, was the <b><a href="http://artgallery.tweed.nsw.gov.au/MargaretOlleyArtCentre" target="_blank">Margaret Olley Art Centre</a>.</b><br />
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The <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.3999996185303px; line-height: 18.7199993133545px; text-align: justify;">MOAC celebrates the career, life and legacy of its namesake, Margaret Olley – Australia’s most celebrated painter of still life and interiors. </span><br />
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<img alt="Yellow Room" src="http://artgallery.tweed.nsw.gov.au/Images/Gallery/TRAG/MOAC/TSC05659_Yellow_Room.jpg" /><br />
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I had a Margaret Olley print on my wall in my house in Cairns, and there was the jug of cornflowers featured in that print, sitting on the kitchen windowsill just as I had so often imagined. This is an exhibition I could revisit again and again.<br />
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But a few days later it was off on the next road trip, a short one this time - a 6-hour hop down the coast to Port Macquarie, with a breakfast stop in Byron Bay.<br />
<br />Judith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128422175021715450.post-30995511850858255782015-01-27T19:59:00.002-08:002015-01-27T19:59:51.868-08:00BuderimThis is a bit of a retrospective review of my travels down the east coast. From Cairns I took 3 days to reach Buderim which is on the Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane. I practised camping, and apart from realising on the first night that I had forgotten to buy a pump for the lilo (luckily the camping ground at Home Hill had very thick, springy grass and I slept comfortably without it) all went well. At Home Hill I paid $10 for a campsite, entry to the municipal pool, AND a Magnum icecream. At Noosa the campsite was $32. An expensive hot shower, that one.<br />
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So to the next house sit. Deb and John were away and I spent a week at their mansion.<br />
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Not just a pool, but a sewing room, and permission to use the machine! I made a couple of cool dresses and a skirt.<br />
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Last time I was staying at Deb's I could hardly walk around the block. This time I was able to walk much further afield. I missed the jacarandas but the flame trees were resplendent, shading the streets and making it very pleasant to walk into the town for coffee. Buderim may be small but it has four bookshops and a great selection of cafes.<br />
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I discovered a block in Buderim designated as Food Street. All the kerbs have been given over to vegetables and fruit trees. Sweet corn, bananas, limes, zucchini, sweet potatoes and more. The produce gets shared between the residents. There was a stand of sunflowers that was attracting the birds which seemed fearless.<br />
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<br />Judith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128422175021715450.post-15888052716992079942014-12-03T13:21:00.003-08:002014-12-03T13:21:50.206-08:00How to leave Cairns?I lived in Cairns for nearly 15 years, and in so many ways it was the perfect place to live. I remember back then when I accepted a job in Ballarat saying to friends, how can you possibly leave Cairns? John Metcalfe (who is still there, living in the same house and riding his old bike) said, it's easy to leave - you just drive to the big fish, and you keep going. And that's what I did last week.<br />
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The Big Fish is the marlin that used to be at the southern gateway. These days it marks a shopping centre that has quadrupled in size from out days of living up the road - we used to have a game when Matt was in a carseat in the back in his nappies, I'd have to look the other way and he'd shout out 'I see wish worse!' (I see the fish first).<br />
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Farewell Trinity Beach - no more moonlight swims now that stinger season has arrived. </div>
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Off on a 2000km drive south....</div>
Judith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128422175021715450.post-23622107856392611552014-12-01T13:11:00.000-08:002014-12-01T13:11:31.522-08:00Rusty's Markets in CairnsThe Friday and Saturday markets at Rusty's Bazaar are still going strong. The noise and the smells take me back to any southeast asian market, but the people and the produce are distinctly Cairns. Some of the atmosphere of old has disappeared, but its still a great experience. Just for old times I had to combine my visits with a coffee and cake at what we always called Paris Croissants, now the Swiss Cake and Coffee Shop. Not much has changed here except it is not Terry and Sally behind the counter any more.<br />
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Probably the main change in the markets is that there is a stronger PNG and Islands presence. Otherwise there are still the Italian farmers from the tablelands, Cambodian families and local organic foodie artisans.<br />
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Can't you smell the mangoes, coriander, basil, vanilla coffee and incense?Judith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128422175021715450.post-50517936458445795302014-10-27T17:34:00.000-07:002014-10-27T17:34:17.721-07:00Tropical gardenJust some more photos from the garden today.<br />
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The big mango tree at the driveway is loaded with baby green mangos. That is a very steep driveway actually. Scale can be deceptive when used to plants like the birds nest fern as seen in NZ, maybe the size of a dinner plate, this one has grown to the size of a kid's paddling pool.<br />
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Yesterday there was a dead baby black snake just by the car. It had been freshly killed, in fact while I was having breakfast because it wan't there when I came back from my walk. I'd love to know how it died. Is there a nest of them? Since I have been here there have been three snakeskins - all of them outside my bedroom - yes, there are screens on all the windows. This would be a python maybe 2 metres in length.<br />
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I see quite a few of the beautiful iridescent blue Ulysses butterflies flashing by. This is not as stunning as the Ulysses, but was obligingly still.<br />
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The butterfly matches these day lilies.<br />
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A bare twig in a pot has burst out into brilliant colour in the last week.<br />
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Another example of something that in another climate would be an indoor plant.<br />
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Judith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128422175021715450.post-61240130641306711002014-10-08T17:38:00.003-07:002014-10-08T17:38:59.491-07:00Garden tourThis morning a bit of a tour for you, of the garden that Frances Boyd has created at their home in Freshwater. I am really enjoying staying here while they are in Madrid. Watering is a chore that I am only too happy to do. Their block is high up the hill (though there are two blocks higher up, one was cleared last week ready for building soon). So here is the view from the verandah.<br />
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Last night there was smoke from bushfires burning over on the other side of the inlet, hence the pink sky.<br />
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This morning it is lovely and clear and I can see the Coral Sea. That's Earl Hill in the background, at Trinity Beach.<br />
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The canefields across this area are set to be changed dramatically if the <a href="http://aquiscasino.com/" target="_blank">Aquis development </a>goes ahead. A Chinese developer has well-developed plans for a hotel-casino complex that is said to cost $8 trillion. It would impact significantly on this view, creating 8 hotels and 2 casinos, theatres and an aquarium.<br />
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But back to the garden....<br />
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Bromeliads. Lots of them. Growing up palm trees and in pots, clinging to rocks and branches.<br />
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Beautiful and bizarre plants. Frances has lots of Tillandsia, too, more on these air plants later. Moving on to the gingers. A bare patch of hillside has burst out with pink flowers in the last few weeks.<br />
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This is a native turmeric, brought back from Cape York by Ian, and now happily thriving here. I recognised it from one of the exquisite paintings in the current exhibition at the <a href="http://www.cairnsregionalgallery.com.au/" target="_blank">Regional Gallery</a>. It is a wonderful exhibition called <a href="http://www.cairnsregionalgallery.com.au/exhibition206.pdf" target="_blank">Capturing Flora: A passion for the Exotick</a>.<br />
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And this is a ginger flower. You can buy these from a stall at Rusty's market, along with equally huge and colourful heliconias. You need to have HUGE vases when you live in Cairns. Frances has red heliconias, they are just coming out, I picked some this morning for the kitchen bench. Though when you look out onto such a lovely garden, you don't really need flowers inside.<br />
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The other flower that has just emerged is the amaryllis. These cheer up my day - how could they not?<br />
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The garden is mostly foliage actually, but I am having trouble getting good photos. So here's another plant that is flowering at the moment. And there are paw paws, but I found I need to be quick to beat the birds or bats. </div>
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Judith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128422175021715450.post-67365145768481981692014-10-01T04:16:00.000-07:002014-10-01T04:16:15.456-07:00With the Lynches in Cairns<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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These photos are all taken on my phone, and I have not worked out how to get the most out of it. Anyway, here are Eva and Annie Jean on the boardwalk at the Botanic Gardens in Cairns.<br />
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In my last post I had a photo of Rachel and the girls at the zoo in Auckland. A couple of weeks later here we are again, this time exploring Cairns. They had booked a holiday to Port Douglas before I knew I was going to be here. So I have a lovely time taking them to a few of my favorite places.<br />
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The pelicans on the saltwater lake at the Gardens were a great hit with the girls.<br />
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I joined the holiday-makers on their reef trip. This was my first visit to Low Isles, off Port Douglas. Quicksilver do a great job and we were lucky with the weather.<br />
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That's the Quicksilver boat at anchor. They run a little shuttle to and from the island and provide glass bottom boat trips for those who can't go snorkelling. Judith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128422175021715450.post-53773957433090869002014-09-14T21:49:00.002-07:002014-09-14T21:49:45.552-07:00The Last Post (from kiwiland)For the last few weeks I have been living at Uncle Dennis' place in Auckland. House sitting is very relaxing and I have done much less than I thought I would.<br />
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Lovely house to live in. I used to come and stay here when I was a teenager and I am very fond if it. That's one of Dennis's paintings, my favorite.<br />
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I have thoroughly researched the coffee shops on the North Shore and found the best vegan soups at Wise Cicada in Newmarket. Other than that, not much to write about. I went to the Auckland Zoo with Rachel and the girls.<br />
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And now the next adventure - Cairns tomorrow, more house sitting.Judith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128422175021715450.post-42683058618398488462014-08-30T19:03:00.001-07:002014-08-30T19:04:22.602-07:00EndingsIt happened suddenly. One day I was slim and lithe, the next day I caught myself in the bathroom mirror and realised I was looking not slim, but malnourished. Strong words to self. Too Scrawny! Too Wrinkly! Too Flappy! Far too Old Lady!<br />
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And it was because of the feeding tube, ironically. That dangling appendage has finally come out, but the procedure for having it removed wasn't much fun. I had a gastroscopy, which involves having a pipe put down your throat so a camera can go down into the gut to check that the end of the tube hasn't got embedded or anything. I think the doctor was hoping to cut the tube and remove the button that holds it inside the stomach by pulling it up and out the same way that his camera went in. I strongly suspect he hadn't accounted for the effects of seven weeks of radiation to the throat, which meant that a) my mouth doesn't open very far these days and b) my throat is now about as wide as a panadol capsule for a significant distance. I opted for sedation during the procedure. I remember clearly they tried to put a thing into my mouth to hold it open, and had to hunt for the pediatric version because I couldn't open wide enough. Enough said re what came next, but the last thing I can remember is fighting frantically to get that stuff out of my mouth, while they tried to hold my hands still.<br />
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When I woke up he came around to tell me the button got left inside. He said it would pass through in a few days and hopefully it has. As pleased as I am to be free of the tube, for whatever reason the whole procedure knocked me back and I spent most of the next few days dozing on the sofa, scoffing cherry-flavoured pamol (baby panadol) every few hours for a sore throat and not caring for food at all. Plus every time my jaw moved, there was this crunchy noise in one ear - most annoying.<br />
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My energy is picking up again now and the crunch has disappeared. Adventures with Food is pretty well back on track. Cottage pie last night was a great success. Yoghurt is still a failure. It tastes awful and goes claggy. Pear and pistachio choclolate cake with whipped cream - hell yes. Ice cream, mmmwh, not really. But goes down in a milkshake or an iced coffee when there are not many other options. Bring it on.<br />
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Word of the day is trissmus. That's what it called when you hold three fingers together and try to put them in your mouth and they don't fit. Though that does seem like it would be a bit of stretch under the best of circumstances. My trissmus thing is much better than it was, so I expect it will continue to improve. Foot in mouth again in no time.<br />
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This should be pretty much the end of my cancer story, apart from ongoing adventures with food. I got let off lightly. Hope you all wore your daffodils on Friday.<br />
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And it is also the end of my life in Rotorua. I'm all packed up and on the move again.<br />
<br />Judith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128422175021715450.post-20082943362432132422014-08-09T22:54:00.001-07:002014-08-09T22:54:05.945-07:00More about foodWhat to eat? I need to plan ahead and make an effort, though lately I'll admit I have gone back to topping up with good old bottles of hospital Ensure. I'm on a countdown now for a move back to Australia and trying to empty the store cupboards rather than spending money at the supermarket. I have significant stocks of the prescription food supplies and seeing as I have to wait another couple of weeks to get the feeding tube removed, I might as well use them.<br />
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Yes, selling up and moving on. Again. This time I am being really ruthless with what I'm getting rid of. Loads of stuff is going to the local hospice shop. Anyone want to buy a lovely little house with all-day sun and lake views? I'm sad to be leaving the house, but looking forward to getting back into a well-paid job. And that is not going to happen in Rotorua. <br />
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Back to the food adventures. I made a lentil and tomato soup and found the tomatoes too acidic. Stingy on throat and tongue. A bit of googling and experimenting saved it all from going to the birds - I added some baking soda, some roasted pumpkin and lots of coconut milk, and it ended up quite edible.<br />
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Helen suggested homemade baked beans with a poached egg on top, and that was another success. Red kidney beans with added carrots and celery. Flavoured with mustard, worchester sauce and maple syrup.<br />
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My carrot and cashew soup was actually quite nice too. In addition to using cashew cream to thicken, I roasted some extra cashews for extra flavour.<br />
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Your suggestions are welcome. The trick is getting enough protein, although my green smoothies help with that because of the added protein powder. I need the energy to help with this sorting, clearing and cleaning. Hard work!<br />
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<br />Judith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128422175021715450.post-39432938083947759062014-08-03T16:47:00.000-07:002014-08-03T16:47:06.161-07:00Adventures with foodSome food adventures are happy ones, but many end up with a trip to the compost bin or casting morsels to the birds. My weight is at an all time low so I have widened the vegan diet to get more calories. An omelette ended up in the bin, it was too dry to get down. A bit like (I imagine) trying to eat the bill, remembering those days at restaurants when there was such a thing as a bill. Likewise the bowl of mashed potatoes with sardines - a good idea thanks Di, but it didn't work. Ice cream was a real failure. It makes my mouth slimy and my teeth furry, and if you can imagine both happening at once you can guess it it's just not nice. And I don't like sweet things any more.<br />
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But when I have a success it is a cause for great excitement. Yesterday I made a chinese dropped egg soup, and not only finished it but enjoyed the experience. And I have rediscovered tomatoes. The first time I tried, they stung my throat, but now I find I can eat them comfortably, yay. Maybe chopped tomatoes in an omelette would work. French onion soup is good. Mild dahl has become my regular evening meal.<br />
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Old habits stick around, and I often have the urge to just snack on something, not because I'm hungry necessarily. The only thing that I have found so far that works is chia pudding. Just chia seeds soaked in whatever nut milk I have on the go with a bit of vanilla or cinnamon.<br />
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Hopefully new habits are forming.<br />
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Green smoothies fill me up. Fresh silverbeet leaves, kiwi fruit, banana, protein powder, coconut water, spirulina, flax seed oil and a few frozen berries.<br />
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Life without saliva is hard, but I'm sure I'll adjust to it. Sips of water with food doesn't come naturally but over time I guess it just becomes the new normal. Likewise with tastes and mouth feel - it is what it is.<br />
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Down in the garden the japonica is flowering. It is a welcome reminder that spring is not far off.<br />
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<br />Judith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128422175021715450.post-89788243160805550562014-07-24T15:08:00.000-07:002014-07-24T15:08:11.556-07:00Back on trackI had my three-month PET scan a fortnight ago and have been trying hard to not think about the results. Yesterday I went back to to the big house on the hill in Hamilton for the first time since treatment finished. I had to wait nearly an hour before being called in to see Prof. Dr Vitz was there too. He said Your scan was clear. I must have looked like I was about to kiss him because the next thing he said (quickly) was, you didn't know? As if surprised that I was hearing this for the first time.<br />
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Prof poked around in my mouth to look down my throat and ran his fingers over my neck and pronounced me to be be just fine. Dr Vitz reminded me that recovery would probably continue for up to a year. But "No, your saliva won't come back. I told you that at the beginning", like, do these people just not listen? Well, we do, but we don't like what we hear and we hope that we will be different and that won't happen to us.<br />
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They agreed that my feeding tube could come out and someone went to get Jo who specialises in such jobs. This is probably the only time that a nearly 60 year old hears the words "You have a very taut stomach" and the response is dismay. Jo said, you'll have an oooh aaaah moment and it will be all over. Then she tugged on the tube. I went OOOOOH AAAAAAAAAAH! and she stopped. Before having another tug <b>OOOOH AAAAAAAHHHH ****!!* </b>I went. It's bleeding, she said.<b> </b>Hmmmm, she said. You must have strong stomach muscles, she said.<br />
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Damn those yoga classes! So now I have a booking with the gastroscropy unit for it to be removed from the inside. But that's OK - only a few more weeks and I'll be back into the hot pools. Nothing can dampen my spirits now that my prognosis is excellent and I can get my life back on track.<br />
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Maybe a holiday first? Somewhere where I can get plenty of soups and smoothies, because there is little else I eat with no saliva.Judith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128422175021715450.post-33783984847029879962014-07-15T15:15:00.001-07:002014-07-15T15:15:48.494-07:00Winter walkAfter days of alternately lashing and drizzling rain it was lovely to have some sun. So nice not to be cooped up indoors at work on a day like this. Here are some photos from my walk, along the Lake Okareka boardwalk. Lake Okareka is only a 10-minute drive from home.<br />
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Canadian geese, honking and grazing in the wetlands</div>
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Too nice a day not to just stop for a while and enjoy the sun. Beautiful benches for resting along the way.</div>
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Lovely rural scene, rich with the smell of the silage these beasts are enjoying.</div>
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Home stretch. It is so good to have some energy returning.</div>
Judith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128422175021715450.post-23303890455714724062014-07-06T17:02:00.001-07:002014-07-06T17:02:30.261-07:00Out and aboutJo Hunt has just been appointed manager of the public library at Opotoki. Jo and I would have talked about this library when we worked together in Cairns - I hate to say it, that was at least 20 years ago. I dropped in for a visit last week. Her appointment has been a big item in the local news as you can see <b><a href="http://www.odc.govt.nz/news/changing-of-the-guard-at-opotiki-district-library/" target="_blank">here</a>.</b> I'm hoping the challenges of her new job won't keep her from continuing to make a batch of tofu now and again, tofu being one of the things I can actually eat at the moment. And fresh tofu is a joy in itself as I have discovered when she has brought a batch over to Rotorua. Jo blogs about her tofu making over at<a href="http://tofujo.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"> http://tofujo.wordpress.com/</a>.<br />
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The view that hits you when you come over the hill from Whakatane never ceases to delight. All along Ohope Beach and across the sea to the blue hills of East Cape (I have borrowed this photo).<br />
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Over lunch at the wonderful Two Fish Cafe, Jo showed me the plans for a major refurbishment of the library building. Major personal development too! I was able to eat almost all of a lovely spinach filo quiche, just like a real person. Not exactly vegan. But at the moment I need to eat what I can without going to extremes.<br />
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Afterwards I wandered down the road to the <b><a href="http://opotikimuseum.org.nz/" target="_blank">Opotoki Museum</a></b>. Past the local theatre and Hiona-St Stephen's church...and a pair of kids riding bareback on a shaggy feisty horse.<br />
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<br />Judith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128422175021715450.post-17416750795461159102014-06-29T19:39:00.001-07:002014-06-29T19:39:44.874-07:00Green is goodI went to an event run by the Aratika Trust, a local organisation that supports people with a cancer diagnosis. The first day was for anyone wanting to improve health and the second day was about the importance of eating well when you have a cancer diagnosis. Local doctor Britte Noske made a convincing case for sticking to a plant-based, mostly raw diet in order to starve tumour cells of the energy they need.<br />
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The star of the nutrition weekend was Aleisha Wyllie, author of a cookbook called <b><a href="http://lifeisgreatcookbook.com/" target="_blank">Life is Great.</a></b> She describes herself as a passionate foodie who loves having fun in the kitchen transforming traditional recipes into healthy wholefood creations. A couple of the things we made and then ate for lunch<br />
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<li>felafel - made by blending together chickpeas, steamed kumara and undressed coleslaw with a dash of curry powder and garam masala</li>
<li>broccoli cream - blitzed raw broccoli, avocado, red onion, celery, mushrooms and sprouts</li>
<li>carrot cakes - made in food processor with all raw ingredients; carrot of course, with red pepper, turmeric, garlic, tahini, sprouts and sunflower seeds; squished into muffin moulds to make cakes</li>
<li>quinoa salad - dressed with apple cider vinegar and flaxseed oil</li>
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I couldn't help picturing the faces of Eva and Annie if I turned up bearing "carrot cakes" and produced Aleisha's version. </div>
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Each day we made a juice and also several different green smoothies. Aleisha showed us how easy it is to make our own sauerkraut. Sauerkraut packs all the nutrients and phytochemicals that make a cabbage a superfood and the fermentation process adds heaps of probiotics. </div>
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In those two days I had more vegetables and fruit than I have had in total over the last three months, not that is saying much as I have been pretty much living on Ensure. Lots of things still hurt my throat, most things still taste bland and make my mouth go furry, and I just can't swallow anything dry; but I am getting more of an appetite. I have been making vegetable soups thickened with nut milks.<br />
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Can't say I don't wish I could still enjoy a ham toasted sandwich though. </div>
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Judith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128422175021715450.post-55884914571177181032014-06-15T17:00:00.004-07:002014-06-15T17:00:57.339-07:00Quietly improvingIt's good to be home again. From the sofa by the fire I enjoy watching the swans and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_scaup" target="_blank">scaup</a>s out on the lake, and with sun streaming in it is a good place to doze off. I still get tired, but I'm able to do a lot more. My throat has settled down, and I'm not coughing/spitting all the time. There's still a feeling like pins-and-needles in my tongue but at least it is moving around properly again so I can talk easily just like before. The new normal is a mouth without saliva, and that brings it's issues but I'm not complaining! It's easier to live with than the mucus. And that's enough detail - the point is I am feeling pretty good and getting out and about.<br />
<br />
The reading feast is continuing, but I confess I gave up on the The Luminaries. I don't think I can blame chemo brain, much as I'd like to, I think I just found there wasn't enough reward to care enough to keep up with the complicated threads of the narrative. <br />
<br />
Food is a funny thing. I lost my appetite completely. To maintain weight I need at least 5 bottles of the "Complete, Balanced Nutrition" that I get on prescription by the carton. I have found you can feel hungry without having any desire to eat. Hunger means time to pour another bottle down the tube (and try not to smell it, yuk). Now that I can swallow without pain I am starting to eat again, but I'm having to work hard at creating enthusiasm for food. The only thing I crave is a long drink of cool fresh water. I can only do a sip at a time and it is all flat and furry and just doesn't have the satisfaction factor any more. So next time you fill a glass at the tap and drain a glass of refreshing, quenching, lovely water, take a moment to be thankful and to enjoy it fully.<br />
<br />
I'm enrolled on a nutrition workshop this weekend, so maybe I'll get some inspiration that will help with getting my appetite back again.<br />
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A recent evening walk by the lake at twilight<br />
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<br />Judith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128422175021715450.post-36465380342733221742014-05-04T18:20:00.000-07:002014-05-04T18:20:01.396-07:00R&R, and R, and R and R and R....Four weeks out, and there are signs of improvement. Apparently the radiation goes on working for up to six weeks, not sure if that is true, but hopefully any remaining cancer cells are continuing to die.<br />
<br />
I am getting out and about but still fall asleep in the chair when I sit around for a while. The Buderim Barefoot Doctor has given me some traditional Chinese herbs, a dark and smelly concoction that I suspect is far easier to put down the tube than it would be to drink.<br />
<br />
And I have retired, again. Who knows how long it will be before I am fit to go back to work, so it seemed only fair to resign from the Library, especially as Council is doing a big restructure this year. Time for me to focus on getting better, then who knows? Something completely different would be nice, and maybe somewhere completely different too, in time.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile I am travelling through books. Iceland, Mumbai, New York, Las Vegas, London. You can probably guess a few of the titles. The Goldfinch - a wild read, wonderful. Shantaram - one I didn't find time for before I went to Mumbai though I did go to Leopold's and had read much about it. Burial Rites - and Hannah Kent was on TV yesterday talking at the Adelaide Writer's festival. Kate Atkinson's Life after Life. And now Deb has produced a copy of The Luminaries so I guess that's next.<br />
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<br />Judith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128422175021715450.post-65464334556238828442014-04-14T14:08:00.000-07:002014-04-14T14:08:56.253-07:00Banana benderQueensland again. Waking to a mad riff of kookaburra cacophony and the rattle of palm leaves. Rain that pours like a waterfall across the world. Cyclone reports take over the news.<br />
<br />
Deb and John have given me a luxury guest bedroom and freedom to sleep as much as I want (today that means dozing on and off for most of the day). They say it takes two weeks after radiotherapy finishes before you start to see signs of improvement. It is a week today and already I am sleeping better at night.<br />
<br />
I'm reading Barbara Kingslover's Flight Behaviour. As much as it is the story of Dellarobia, an Appalachian farmer's wife with two small children and a head full of hopes and dreams, it is the story of the Monarch butterfly, known locally as King Billies. I want to turn my whole garden over to swan plants next summer.<br />
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I also read Fiona Kidman's latest novel which tells the story of Jean Batten, who was the first woman to fly from England to New Zealand. Both author and subject have connection to Rotorua and Dame Fiona used the Rotorua<br />
Library heritage collections while researching Jean's life. The book, The Infinite Air, is well worth reading.<br />
<br />
And for something completely different, I also recommend a book by Jennifer Dubois , A Partial History of Lost Causes. There is a good review in the NY Times here. Oprah called it a brainy book, which kind off damns it, but it has a great story line as well as intelligence, so that's ok. Irina's father dies of Huntington's and gene testing confirms that she has the same fate. Aleksandr is a Russian chess champion who is campaigning for the presidential election against Putin. Their lives are linked by a letter written by Irina's father and Irina goes to St Petersburg and becomes involved in the campaign.<br />
<br />
I am using my tablet and not having much success with getting images or links into this post. Sorry.Judith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128422175021715450.post-24944481966974160272014-04-02T00:17:00.000-07:002014-04-02T00:17:26.120-07:00Counting downOnly four more radiations to go now. Tuesday next week is the last zap, then I'll be thrown out of the nest to fend for myself. Me and my mask get to go home. Though what I will do with the mask I'm not sure - a ritual bonfire would seem to be the most appropriate. I saw Barry taking his away. He had been admitted to the hospital in his last week and he'd been brought down from the ward in a wheelchair. I imagine him incorporating his mask into a fabulous artwork once he gets his strength back.<br />
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I got a new contraption to take home with me today - a humidifier. The nurses 'found' one for me to borrow. I won't be able to take it to Australia with me next week though. Hopefully Queensland humidity will be as kind to me.<br />
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The humidifier is Fisher & Paykel Healthcare innovation.I have had it on all afternoon and other than making me a bit too warm, it is really comfortable. The first thing I did was sleep for an hour or so. I imagine I'll really appreciate it during the night. I means I'm attached to a small machine and a drip stand. The tubes in my nostrils feed in warm moist air. It is not obvious that you can hire one easily so I am lucky that I have use of one of only two machines that the hospital lends out. Those nurses have been so good to me. They also 'found' me a supply of an effective 2-pack mouthwash that is no longer funded by Pharmac (in their wisdom). It is really good stuff and has helped me get through the second round of chemo with no new mouth sores other than one large blister that came and went without too much pain. So all in all I'm in really good shape.<br />
<br />
I'm looking forward to getting home on Friday.Last weekend I stayed with Margaret and Keith here in Hamilton. Deborah flies in to Rotorua on Saturday. Ha, she gets to take care of the housework that will need attention after two weeks, then we'll come back to Hamilton for two days, and on Friday next week I'll fly to Brisbane with her and stay in Buderim for as long as it takes to feel like being on being on my own again. At the moment it feels reassuring to be around others.<br />
<br />
You would think that having 7 weeks to focus on nothing but one's own health would plenty of time to reflect on what changes need to be made to get on with a fulfilling life after cancer. Yet I am no closer to having any real plans. I am grateful that the Council is able to hold my position for me. I can go back to work whenever I am ready, and for whatever hours I am capable of, to a point.<br />
<br />
I am thinking that one of the changes I will make is to stop eating so much animal fat. Not a very profound change I know. I'm leaning towards a vegan diet, nothing extreme but just avoiding processed foods and fats as far as I reasonably can. (Who knows how long it will be before I can even eat at all, given that at the moment the only thing I can manage is porridge.) It will be 3 months before I have any idea about whether treatment has worked, but I feel very optimistic. Maybe life just stays in holding pattern until then, the focus being on keeping the mouth and throat healthy and rebuilding some stamina and strength. I have always made plans, but right now I seem to be OK with just letting each day unfold in its own time and watching clouds roll across the sky.<br />
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<br />Judith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128422175021715450.post-82867951231108506602014-03-26T00:04:00.002-07:002014-03-26T00:04:25.615-07:00Not much happening in cancer-land (or maybe lots)Bit of a stir at the Cancer Lodge this morning. The local Lions major fund raiser for the Lodge is the launch of the Balloons over Waikato festival. They organised a bus, ring-side seating by the Lake, and hot chocolates for patients and their friends; a demonstration to the public of the real services they provide to support people from around the region through their treatment. Rather than going on parade I opted for a spot on the sofa at the Lodge with a good view of the Lake and was ready to blog the event live, except this is about all that happened.<br />
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It was a fizzer. A passing front brought a wind sheer factor that it made it too dangerous for any of the balloons to get off the ground. One balloon in the form of a giant birthday cake was inflated but just wobbled and tottered before collapsing back to ground.<br />
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The other event of the day was also a bit of a fizzer, but in the best way. One bit of plumbing was removed - I had the PICC line in my arm taken out. This signals the end of the chemotherapy so it is really a milestone to celebrate. I was spared another round of the 5-day chemo drug and only had one infusion that took about 30 minutes, and now it is all done. I am so pleased about it. And I'll be able to enjoy a proper shower again, not having to fuss about keeping that arm as dry as possible. My mouth is a bit of a mess, but the only thing I can do is to keep up hourly mouthwashes, alternating products throughout the day. I need to keep a checklist of what I have had and when. In between I have taken up cloud-watching. So much for all the things I was going to knit/read/watch/listen to. Walks to the shops and the lake have become shuffles around the perimeters of the Lodge. And why are there not fold-down seats in lifts?<br />
<br />
For an outrageously tender and raw read, I recommend Australian prize-winning author Carrie Tiffany's <a href="http://thestellaprize.com.au/the-stella-prize/2013-2/winner-2013/" target="_blank">Mateship with Birds</a>.<br />
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Very raunchy birds, kookaburras, but which is the driver, sex or family? And what a beautiful cover.Judith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128422175021715450.post-5936235675631524482014-03-18T20:22:00.000-07:002014-03-18T20:22:35.946-07:00QuicksilverSue Kedgley, a stirrer from way back, had an article in the paper yesterday <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11221360" target="_blank">Time to swallow hard truth on mercury.</a> She suggests it is time we ask the government to ban mercury amalgam fillings. Whether mercury in fillings is a danger to health is controversial but there is no doubt that mercury is poisonous. Once removed, old fillings are considered toxic waste.<br />
<br />
Before I started treatment I saw a retired doctor who offers infusions of high-dose Vitamin C. He was a little too strange for me and he didn't actually offer me an infusion although on the public holiday when I saw him there were several women in the waiting room hooked up to drips, all looking fairly perky and happy. He did give me a lecture on the health risks associated with my mouth full of old fillings. He said that there has been the biggest cover-up ever on the dangers of these fillings - similar to tobacco company claims that smoking doesn't cause cancer - and that the scale of class-action lawsuits that will result when the truth comes out will far exceed anything that the tobacco companies faced. Whether he is right or not, the message I got was that he believed my particular cancer to be a direct result of all those fillings, most done by the school dental nurses in the 1960s.<br />
<br />
The only good thing about having to go the dental nurse was that she'd always send me home with a small box of quicksilver, liquid metallic mercury. It gobbed into perfect spheres that wobbled and rolled when poked, and if poked hard enough, broke into lots of smaller balls that shot out in all directions and on meeting up, gobbed back together into bigger and bigger balls until there was just one again. I played with it endlessly - poking and prodding, probably never washing hands afterwards and most likely losing bits in my bed or on the carpet. Does anyone else remember playing with quicksilver? According to wikipedia, quicksilver is not easily absorbed by the skin nor by ingestion. So maybe it wasn't all that criminal to send kids away with a box of mercury to play with.<br />
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As for the fillings themselves, too late to worry about them.<br />
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Still, I agree with Sue Kedgley, it is time NZ took a stand and banned amalgam fillings. Of course they'll say it will force costs of dental care to soar ever higher, but we have to shift expenditure from health treatment to health promotion and disease prevention.Judith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128422175021715450.post-8207540154849180042014-03-12T20:20:00.002-07:002014-03-12T20:20:44.914-07:00What I'm readingFirst a new word. Bolus. You never use it in your whole life and suddenly it is a major part of your day in two different contexts.<br />
<br />
I have two of them that are fitted each day on the radiation table. One is a bit of moulded thin plastic that is taped to my neck so it it sits in precise position under the mask, the other one is taped to the outside of the mask. Me, them and the tattoo on my chest are lined up using lasers so the eight blasts of radiation are delivered to the exact same spot each time. The bolus (two them, what would that be, boli?) works to bring the beams closer to the surface of the skin.<br />
<br />
Yesterday when the tape was peeled off gently, it took a patch of skin with it. I was sent around to the nurses and given a tube of honey to dab on the raw area. It is doing fine. Just sticky.<br />
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The other use of this word is as in bolus feeding. That is when you manually administer the 'food' (Fortisip it is) using a syringe to pour the feed down the tube. Which I try to do every 2 hours.<br />
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Just so you know.<br />
<br />
I finished reading a book which I probably could have done without at the moment. I left kind old Major Pettigrew behind in Rotorua this week, so took up this by Evie Wyld. All the birds, singing.<br />
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The setting is a remote sheep farm on some windswept and desolate English island. Jake keeps to herself, running the farm with Dog, but things are getting strange, as in sheep being violently slaughtered and unwelcome presences that are malicious, senseless and threatening. Gradually the back-story of Jake's early life in the dusty heat of north-west Australia is revealed. The book is dark and at times terrifying, but it ends with a sense that even the worst scars heal in time. It is a good book, she's a very talented writer. I just feel pleased that I can get on to seeing dear Major Pettigrew build his friendship with the wise Mrs Ali.Judith Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220526028415545460noreply@blogger.com0