Almost 6 weeks ago I had a ganglion cyst removed from my wrist. I tried to do a fair bit of research before hand into recovery times, but there was little I could find. Most gave a rough estimate of 2-6 weeks. I figured it would be a simple procedure and I would be up and running, or at least using my wrist, in no time.

Er… Well let’s start at the beginning. Before I had the ganglion removed I didn’t have a lot of pain. I did have a fair bit of discomfort however and it stopped me from doing things I wanted to do, like push ups and tricep dips and other exercises that required me to extend my wrist. And that annoyed me. From early December I wore the secksay brace, which I blogged about previously. But the brace really restricted things, like riding Xena Queen, the Suzuki GS500 wonderbike!

I figured I would be in the group that had things sorted in 2 weeks. I saw the surgeon after a week and she said things were looking good, but suggested I not use it for around 4-5 weeks to let it recover fully and not give it any excuse to reoccur. I wasn’t happy, but I agreed.

And I went to Brisbane for work. And I wasn’t using my wrist, but even if I wanted to I couldn’t have. See I got this giant lump where the cyst had been. Caught up with friends down there, one of whom works as an Occupatinal Therapist with wrists and scars. She suggested lots of massage over the scar and binding it to keep pressure on it and hopefully reduce the swelling. A few days later, just as I was preparing to come home, I decided to ring the surgeon. She saw me later in the week and, well, was a little concerned.

I was sent for an ultrasound to check the cyst was not back. She surmised that where the cyst had been had been filled with fluid, either as a haematoma or as a return of the cyst. I didn’t want to believe that it could be back, let alone back so soon. So I dug out ye trusty olde wrist brace and put it on again. And I made an appointment to see a friend up here who is an OT who specialises in hands and stuff.

This was the best thing I have done for the recovery. I have been weekly and had ultrasound and laser therapy and dipped my hand and wrist into hot wax. Almost as good as a beauty parlour! And my OT gives great massages too, even if they do hurt a bit! I have done my homework each day as required and there has been some improvement. My OT even gave me a vibrator to use one it. Er… well it is a small massager, but the label says vibrator and it makes me snigger and will ensure my blog gets blocked in more places! And it is awesome- it makes my skin wobble and ripple and stuff.

I saw my surgeon on Friday and she is happy with my progress. She says that the ultrasound didn’t show a defined mass, so it is probably a haematoma that is getting rid of gunk, gunk being my medical term of choice! I have a little more movement in my wrist than I did, but not as much as the other wrist. The doc said that I should speak to my OT regarding returning to exercise with the hand/wrist/arm. She also said that I would be able to ride my bike around the block, but not up the Kurranda Range for a while! Tried to get her out on the weekend, but the battery charger hadn’t worked. May have to just go grab a carton of milk at some stage, just to go for a spin!

So advice for others- don’t expect to be up and running in 2 weeks. I think this is rather rare. Whilst my haematoma may be a little on the more unusual side, the advice to not use my wrist for 5-6 weeks post op is probably sage. And make sure you go see an OT!

I find myself on the second day of March, not only contemplating where February went, but also where did this exhaustion come from. I am suspecting that being away/on leave/out of the country for December means that it is someone’s karmic ideal that I should experience the December most people have over and over again for a few months.

A while ago I decided I was never going to apologise for not blogging, but I do figure I need to check in every week or so at least, if only to keep my mind at ease. My mind has been doing some crazy things the last month- and not all crazy bad! A lot has been crazy good great!

I am wondering if this sense of flying time and losing track of days, weeks and months is because of my conscious decision to live in the present. My work diary is all but full until Easter, with weekend and evening work- the joys of a big project that comes around every few years. But it’s all good. As long as I maintain this living in the present and don’t try and get too far ahead of myself I am doing really well. I am in a good head space and am coping with lots of things better than I have done in ages.

And I have things to share here too:

• The dammed wrist (bloody ganglion cyst surgery!)
• The lack of Gym
• Couch to 25km programme
• The week of birthdays (Happy Birthday to Mr 9 for last Sunday and Miss 12 for Thursday!)
• Money (FebuSave is so last month or something!)

Plus my February foodie photos! So there may be a few more posts soon. But I am to going to promise anything, nor am I going to make excuses, however I will let you know that my blog has been blocked by the work blocker thingy because it contains adult themes! That did make me laugh!

This is my third year of ruminating on Valentines Day on this blog. I think I’ve come to a state of acceptance. I am trying not to take an ‘If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em’ attitude, however I fear this is creeping in!

MIML™ has gone as far as asking me what I want, assuming that I am caught up in the consumer nightmare that is the international day of lerve!

So I am in a bind! I would love to be spoilt! Some of the ideas he threw around are tempting- like ink work, however I think that I would prefer it to be a general gift for no reason, not one caught up in a specific day. Which really makes no sense! I accept gifts at Christmas, even though it is not necessarily a day I ‘celebrate’ in the traditional religious sense. Then again I suppose Valentine’s Day has little to do with the saint for whom the day is commemorating.

So perhaps I just be greedy and ask for something. Not sure what- yes I love jewellery and flowers and technology and even chocolates, but perhaps just something totally random and unexpected? Perhaps just some more shows of affection or we use it as a time to plan events ahead that are going to grow our relationship- like regular movie nights, perhaps a list of DVDs we need to watch together or committing to learn a new language together or something!

And yet I am mindful of the cynical me of 2 years ago. Mindful of those without a MITL™ or WITL™. And that perhaps brings me to my biggest revelation- it is not what others think about you, but what you think of yourself. Perhaps I will use part of the day to reflect on things I like about myself. It can be hard to accept compliments, but I am constantly receiving them from the gorgeous MIML™. Yes, I am lovely and beautiful and sexy and all the things he says. Even though I sometimes doubt it, I know he believes it and I am growing to believe it myself.

So the plan is to make it a day that doesn’t get caught up in the commercialism and accept that positive attitudes towards oneself are warranted.

Ok… so the googling for a suitable theme may not have worked. Yes, I know… The theme I put up yesterday was borked. Very borked. It didn’t let anyone leave comments and, well, I didn’t know how to fix it so I did the whole thrown my hands in the air, which in turn hurt my wrist so I spent a long time searching for a suitable alternative.

I actually put up 11 other themes before this one. One of them is pretty awesome and allows for all sorts of customisation, but I’m not ready to go there yet! Another was a little funky, but had some weird glitch in the side bar and tried to put this stupid bullet line thingy next to everything and looked really weird!

So I stuck with a classic style look for the time being. I might try and alter some of it at some stage, but don’t hold your breath!

This humble little blog turns 2 today. As we enter the terrible 2s I figured a change wouldn’t be a bad idea so I threw a theme together googled ‘funky free wordpress themes that would suit my blog’ or something and got this. It aint too bad.

I will admit it has some glitch on the column to the right that shows it has valid XHTML & CSS stuff! If someone could help me remove it that would be swell!

And I am still typing singlehanded like. Well kinda. My wrist hurts. I have overdone it so need to stop now. Next time I’ll bake a cake, unless you want to bake one for me?

But do you like my purdies?

January

Originally uploaded by fifikins

Yes, this year’s project! I have eaten very well this month!

I am finding the difference between this project and the twitter365 project of last year is that this year I am taking more photos and finding it hard to choose which one to post at times!

I am typing this one handed. I was starting to admire all those guys who mange to type single handed, until MIML™ pointed out that most of them just type ‘yes’ and ‘ooh’ and ‘oooh yeah’ and ‘woooooooow’ and ‘more tit’ and the like!

I had my ganglion cyst removed yesterday. It was probably the best general anaesthetic I have ever had- no nausea at all afterwards. I complained about the pain and was given pethidine. That drug rocks. Let’s just say it gave me the warm fuzzies.

So much I want to say, but it is hard with this limited typing. I looked for recovery stories on ganglion cyst removal and cam across not a lot, so I hope that I can share a bit so that people in the future having it done can see that it is not all the horror stories that are around at present- pain after 7 years, 8 weeks healing etc etc etc.

So far so good. The back of my hand is numb and the wrist hurts when I try and use it. I know it will be better when I can get back to pushups and boxing!

I have a heap of stuff people have given me to watch over the next week, but other suggestions would be appreciated too! I think Hero’s was on top of the list and True Blood or something.

@scarletwords’s Peanut Butter Cup cookies

Originally uploaded by fifikins

Yep, perhaps a picture does tell a thousand words! Well a blog post can!

Remember those chain letters you got as a child… choose 3 friends and pass it on? Well I feel this is kinda like a blog version! The amazing Scarletwords got it from Married/Single Parent and now you can get it from me! But make sure you tell these two wonderful bakers that you baked it! Oh and then blog it and link it back or something. Or not! You choose!

[edit: Oh and I don't plan on eating them all! I was going to take them to a South African Braai (barbecue) tomorrow but the braai has been cancelled so we are taking them to the mental health crisis team who have to work.]

It’s ‘Straya Day’ tomorrow. The day commemorates the British setting foot on Australian soil. The ‘discovery‘ was a few days earlier, the settlement a few years later.

It is a weird date to celebrate a nation to begin with. ANZAC Day would be not much better. Perhaps Melbourne Cup Day would be the best date, but I can’t see Melbournians losing a public holiday, nor Sydney-siders celebrating a Melbourne holiday!

But we have the date set. Whilst we celebrate our nation on ANZAC Day, Australia Day, Grand Final Day and numerous other sporting event days, apparently we need another day to take pride in our country.

But what is pride? Really it is deep pleasure or satisfaction. And yes, as an Aussie I have this. I am proud to be Australian. I love living here and I am glad of the opportunities I have. I enjoy my sport. I like seeing Australians do well on the international sporting arena.

I love the way Australia is a multicultural nation. In this town I can eat Indian cuisine prepared by Indian immigrants, Sushi prepared by Japanese immigrants, Yum Cha by Cantonese immigrants and pizza made by 15 year old school kids earning $8 per hour Italians (if you know where to go!). There are Asian grocers who offer advice about cooking different varieties of rice and suggest different spices for a curry mix.

If I happen to end up at the local hospital I will be treated by medical professionals who have trained all over the world and now call Australia home. And I know from MIML™ the rigorous testing they have been through to gain registration in Australia!

In my work I visit workplaces that embrace and celebrate Indigenous culture and history and share it with locals and visitors alike. As a tourist destination we welcome people from all over the world and show them what our corner of Australia has to offer. It takes pride to do this- imagine trying to show visitors something if you thought it was crapola!

But when does pride turn to conceit? Conceit is excessive pride. A self-obsession. I have tried to have this talk with Miss almost 12 today. She wanted to buy an ‘outfit’ to wear to an Australia Day Braai we are going to, yes a barbecue with other South African immigrants. I tried to argue she has plenty of clothes. She believes that they are not Australian. Apparently Australian clothes are either green and gold or emblazoned with Australian Flags or the Southern Cross. When I pointed out that most of these clothes were made offshore, she again debated that  Australia Day was about being Australian.

Her arguments amaze me. I think her final point that she “had studied Australian History at least 10 terms” (that she could remember) and therefore knew so much more than I possibly could worried me the most. I know the curriculum she has studied. I have seen her work. I have spoken with her teachers. The SOSE syllabus is heavily weighted on citizenship and civics and what living in a multicultural society means, and yet these kids (her friends share similar ideas) have been on holiday for almost 2 months and the marketing dollar has won them over.

Because really, that is what it is. The Christmas decorations come down and whilst the Easter Eggs are rolled out other space is filled with Australia Day merchandise before the Valentines Day stuff appears. I think that is what I find most baffling and veers Australia Day from a day of pride to a day of conceit is the merchandise marketing. Wear the flag. Paint it on your body. Fly the flag from your car. Rave about what a brilliant place Australia is to live in. Celebrate. Party. Drink. Make it an extra long weekend and be an Aussie.

Not sure what people do the other 364 days of the year. Perhaps they are the days they think about improving the situation of our Indigenous brothers and sisters, they think of ways of making Indian students feel welcome, they think of buying local products to help provide Australian jobs, they think of the things needed to be done to help make sure global warming is slowed to protect our ‘place.’ That must be it.

Nope, not my grandma, or my great aunt, or my year 2 teacher, but a cyclone. And one that is heading straight for us.

This week marks 7 years since we moved to Cairns. I think we are fortunate that this is only our second cyclone, the first being Larry. The difference here though is that Larry hit Innisfail 100km away and Olga looks like she is heading straight for Cairns.

At the moment it is only a category 2 cyclone, but it looks like she might intensify into a 3. Steve was a Category 2 and the damage bill to North Queensland was estimated to be $20M.

It’s scary, but exciting at the same time. I believe we are prepared. I will put the trampoline under the deck downstairs in the morning and possibly turn the table over on the deck and take the chairs inside. I have taken in the buckets and things in the back yard so they don’t end up in Townsville or Brisbane!

I’ll try and tweet through it! It depends how long the battery on my phone holds. I have charged the camera so will take photos if I can. Insurance is paid up. I hope I don’t have to claim.

Perhaps all I need now is sleep. I’ll try it and hope it comes!

Oh… and a pretty picture for you…

See- looks like it might hit the deck… Or else we will be flooded out!

[edit: I don't actually think that circle is the cyclone itself, but it looks purdy!]