Aussie Readers discussion

Carmel wrote: "Ha David, I just realised I typed "crap in a wall", sorry everyone I did mean "crack in the wall", ha I should read what I type before sending, LOL"

I'm sure it gave everyone a laugh, Carmel! I know it did me....:)

Me too! :D

This group is now rock'n. It's taken me all morning to catch up with all the posts I missed over the weekend. :D

You're a good sport Carmel :) I realised when i was typing my earlier response that you must have been thinking of crack and gap and your brain just blended the two for you ... crap. (btw I am the Queen of typo blunders so you will catch me out quite often!)

A dugite is a brown snake found in WA, also quite venemous.
Jill

Bluesky wrote: " (btw I am the Queen of typo blunders so you will catch me out quite often!)..."

Still can't beat The Book Suppository! That typo will go down in history!:D

Ouch!!! lol

We have lashed out and purchased a new laptop. We had to, the kids couldn't do their homework -- and I missed having it a lot. Hopefully the hubbie will have everything up and running by the time I get home this evening. :D

Gail "cyborg" wrote: "We have lashed out and purchased a new laptop. We had to, the kids couldn't do their homework -- and I missed having it a lot. Hopefully the hubbie will have everything up and running by the time I..."

That reminds me of something funny. I was working in Birth Suite last night and one room/patient I was allocated was set up like an IT Superstore! They had brought an iPhone, iTouch and a huge laptop in with them. Even their older child who they had invited in to watch the birth had a Nintendo DS. It really made me laugh that we can't even get away from our internet/computer addictions even at this most 'sacred' of times! LOL

That's a bit sad really...it wasn't like that when my kids were born, which doesn't seem that long ago.
::sigh::

Carmel wrote: "Cyberbaby!!!"

We have a cartoon pinned up at work. A mother is looking at her young son with a pained air and answers his question with, "No you weren't downloaded, you were born!".

Mandy wrote: "Carmel wrote: "Cyberbaby!!!"

We have a cartoon pinned up at work. A mother is looking at her young son with a pained air and answers his question with, "No you weren't downloaded, you were born!"."

That is a good one.

I'll confess that when I was in hospital I took my laptop with me - but I wasn't having a baby just a few blood transfusions

Tracey wrote: "I'll confess that when I was in hospital I took my laptop with me - but I wasn't having a baby just a few blood transfusions"

I think that is fair enough too. It's a bit different having a baby. Is all well with you?

Gail "cyborg" wrote: "We have lashed out and purchased a new laptop. We had to, the kids couldn't do their homework -- and I missed having it a lot. Hopefully the hubbie will have everything up and running by the time I..."

Congrats Gail...you will be back on top in no time!!! :)

Tracey wrote: "I'll confess that when I was in hospital I took my laptop with me - but I wasn't having a baby just a few blood transfusions"

Lots of people take their computers to hospital with them these days. It's actually a great idea. Especially for those who have chronic conditions and need regular hospitalisations. I also hope you're feeling better Tracey!:)

::sound of crickets::

Sorry guys it's taken me so long to respond - I'm out of hospital, briefly but will have to go back for more blood transfusions. The problem is chronic anaemia and very low iron count [actually they can't find any but they said there must be some as I haven't keeled over]. The biggest problem is they can't figure out why I have virtually no haemoglobin or iron - they can't find a bleed anywhere so the doc's are puzzled. Which makes me prize guinea pig for them. My problem is that I get very tired and have bad dizzy spells, so no driving, or too much exercise - stuff like that. About all I can do when I'm awake is write so I'm working like a demon when I'm awake to get the final book, Slade's Destiny finished.

I really appreciate everyone's concern - it's great to have support both here at home from family and friends and from my online friends as well. I'm trying to keep positive and most of keep my sense of humour - I keep telling the doc's it must be vampires but they don't seem to find that funny????

Cheers,
Trace

Carmel wrote: "Thinking of you Tracey:)Must be a vampire or big bloody mozzies!!
Cheers"

Now that's what I like to hear - not these long-faced doc's who are always offering me a cuppa - not that I mind the coffee but I hate it when doctors are nice, it always means bad news

Ohhh, definitely jealous Carmel!! Have an awesome time, love MacLaren Vale..have a wonderful family get together..:)

Carmel wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Ohhh, definitely jealous Carmel!! Have an awesome time, love MacLaren Vale..have a wonderful family get together..:)"

Thanks Brenda, it will be fantastic. We nearly lost my dad la..."

Have a great time Carmel!! Sounds like a perfect weekend.:)

I can't believe we have 908 group members as of today! It's so amazing how much the group has grown in just 3 months. Huge thanks to all the group members and in particular our local Aussie authors who contribute so much advice and discussion to this group. I would love to see us reach 1,000 members by 31st December so feel free to recommend the group to your friends if you think they'd be interested.

We have some upcoming plans for the rest of 2010 and 2011. There will be celebrations planned for Xmas and Australia Day. We will be starting some book reading challenges, and we will also start a thread for 'roving reporters' to post live from the various literary festivals around the country during 2011 (volunteers welcome!). Remember that suggestions are always welcome so if you've got a great idea for the group let us know.:)

Carmel wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Ohhh, definitely jealous Carmel!! Have an awesome time, love MacLaren Vale..have a wonderful family get together..:)"

Thanks Brenda, it will be fantastic. We nearly lost my dad la..."

Mmmm!! Sounds delish..thanks...we used to visit there when the kids were small, have lunch at a little pub in the area, and the kids would have a ball running around, while we relaxed with a wine or two!
Will be such a lovely catch up weekend for the family, enjoy Carmel! :)

Sorry to hear about your medical mystery, Tracey. I'll be interested to hear what it turns out to be as I've had something similar, though not as chronic as your condition seems to be. Some years ago it was discovered my iron levels were extremely low and two doctors I saw couldn't figure out why. When I had my kids I never had a problem with iron and my diet wasn't lacking. Now I must take a supplement to keep levels at the lower end of the normal range - it seems my body takes it up very slowly. Funnily enough, neither doctor I saw seemed overly concerned with finding the cause. Given that everything happens for a reason, I wanted, and still do want, to know.

Carmel wrote: "Well I have 4 days off now and am heading home to Adelaide (frm Vic) for the old man's 80th birthday. Should be a fun weekend with nearly all of my 10 siblings heading home with nephews & nieces al..."

Does that mean you are going to be off line for 4 days? We are sure going to miss your bubbly presence.

Yes, have a wonderful reunion Carmel, all the best eh!

Sounds like you're in for a great time, Carmel, look forward to hearing all about it. This certainly is a great group of people. It's fantastic to have so many Aussies(and friends) here, I always feel at home when I pop in, and there's always a great discussion going on. Yesterday I was reading the David Hicks thread and I just thought what a wonderful, thoughtful bunch of people.

Now, Tracey. This iron deficiency thing. I suffer too. I try to pace myself, getting things done in the morning before I get too tired. I recently read a book called Running on Empty: Hypothyroidism
It's about hypothyroidism, and apparently people with low thyroid levels sometimes have trouble with iron absorption. It's an Australian book and I would recommend you read it. One thing it points out is that thyroid levels may show up as ok but there can still be a problem, and there are a number of different tests that can be done. I read the book and identified with so many things...even little things like slow growing hair and brittle nails..I was going to find a local expert, then I broke my arm and couldn't drive so I thought I'll just cope with one lot of medical issues at a time. Low iron also affects your brain power, and I constantly forget things, like taking my iron tablets, which doesn't help. Anyway, read the book, it may strike a chord.

I'm aso sorry to hear about your mystery illness or cause of your illness, Tracy. It sounds so debilitating for you. You'll be glad when they find the cause of it and can treat you. thinking of you. Laurel

Apologies if I am telling you something you already know, but some Drs don't tell people to up their vitamin C intake to improve the absorbtion of iron. There is a fabulous powder available called Ester C which is easy on the stomach - also great for boosting the immune system :)

@ Carmel - hope you have a fabulous family reunion. I too come from a large family, although not as big as yours sounds, but we love getting together.

@ Jenny - I'll definitely let you know if I find out anything concrete but doc's can be notoriously uninterested if women are low in iron

@ Jan - off to get the book now as I identified with the slow growing hair and brittle nails you mentioned. I've also ventured the possibility with my doc's that it may be stress related. I cared for my Mum for 15 years while she was sick and the last year was particularly difficult, then spent the past two and a half years in a very toxic and mentally/emotionally abusive relationship, one of my uncles died suddenly of lung cancer and my biological father killed himself - all this in the space of three years. I can't help but think stress is playing a part in all of this but of course there's no test or magic cure for stress unfortunately :)

I think you would be right off the scale on any of the usual measures of stress...illnesses, deaths, relationship breakups...even if it's a bad relationship and you know that you're better off out of it, sometimes your feelings take a while to adjust...and you've really had grief upon grief upon grief! Hey! You're doing well just to tread water! In a few years from now you'll be able to look back and see that things have improved, but for the moment, hang in there, pat yourself on the back for every step forward, and be very, very kind to yourself at all times. Never say 'stupid idiot' to yourself. Instead say 'Come on Darling, you can do this!' Yes! Sometimes we have to be our own perfectly kind parent...warm, encouraging, but firm. And try to get a good sleep..very important for low energy levels...and eat lots of fruit and veges...as much raw, fresh as possible...also good for energy levels. Don't change suddenly to a raw food diet, you might upset your stomach, but try to gradually increase raw foods each day. Good luck!

Poor Tracey! What a rough time you've had. Stress can do terrible things to our bodies. I second everything that Jan has said. Very good advice. Look after yourself sweetheart! ♥ ♥ ♥

And good luck from me also Tracey..you poor thing, you have had a very rough trot! Surround yourself with lots of love and caring friends, and you will get through this. Everything Jan, and Mandy says, I completely re-iterate...Take care Tracey, and know we are all thinking of you...xox

Bluesky wrote: "Apologies if I am telling you something you already know, but some Drs don't tell people to up their vitamin C intake to improve the absorbtion of iron. There is a fabulous powder available called..."
I swear by Ester C especially when I've got a feeling of a cold coming along..People think I say ecstasy though..lol I've taken Ester C in a tablet form for years now! ^_^

Laura wrote: "People think I say ecstasy though..lol..."

LOL, oh you would certainly get a buzz out of that Laura. Not that I would know personally.

Gail "cyborg" wrote: "Laura wrote: "People think I say ecstasy though..lol..."

LOL, oh you would certainly get a buzz out of that Laura. Not that I would know personally."

hahaha..indeed..i hear it killing off the baddies in my system so I hear/feel their fighting and it makes me buzz lol

Thanks Brenda, Mandy and Jan, I really appreciate your kind thoughts. I'm extremely fortunate though as I have a wonderfully loving and supportive family plus fantastic friends who are all pitching in to help me through this. And I've got a great GP who's willing to think outside the box with regards to treatment. At the moment all I'm concentrating on is working on getting better, taking care of myself and gradually increasing my strength. I'm going to take some time out to destress and put my life back on track. That's part of my redecorating project - something exciting to look forward to to help deal with all the stress, plus I'm seeing a counsellor once a week to work through all the issues.

I swear by Ester C especially when I've got a feeling of a cold coming along..People think I say ecstasy though..lol I've taken Ester C in a tablet form for years now! ^_^ ROFLMAO

Tracey and Jan - can I join the club? I've had iron deficiency diagnosed some months ago. I'm having an endoscopy on Wednesday to check out my insides. I do have a hiatus hernia and maybe it's misbehaving.

Only thing I'm sure of is I'm tired all the time and don't feel well. And the Dr doesn't want to check my iron levels by blood test again until 6 months after the first lot.

Whoever said G.Ps don't seem to be overly concerned about low iron levels in women is darned right. I've only been given one course of iron tabs. (Bluesky, thanks, but we take Vit C regularly.) Also we live in a country town and get a new G.P. every two years if we're lucky, and between times - also if we're lucky! - locums who are around only briefly. But returning to the first sentence of this paragraph - I always go to the doc with my husband because he's deaf, hearing aids and all, and might not hear something important. Thing is, if he says he has a pain in the tummy our current G.P. gets him up on the couch with his shirt off to feel it properly. If I say I have a pain in the tummy, I get a poke in the middle with his finger and told to keep an eye on it!

Which, by the way, is a trend I've noticed in recent years. The G.Ps don't touch you or examine you, they go by what you tell them. Heavens above, we aren't the medical professionals!

Tracey, it seems at least you are being treated with some degree of respect. You'll be in my prayers, just the same. And if you'd prefer us to be light on the sympathy and strong on the humour - maybe you ought to carry garlic and a pointed stake around on the off chance it is a vampire! And a small container of Aerogard for the mozzies...

Jan, your comments and book rec on hypothyroidism are very interesting! My thyroid levels are supposed to be OK too, but I've had a red neck (get it, redneck?) for many years, so looks like that is also worth investigation. I wake up tired (well, I'm old) but can find a bit of necessary strength in the morning most of the time. However in the afternoons and evenings I'm quite drained.

Hope that ruddy endoscopy finds something definite!

Best of health to all of us!

Monya (aka Mary) Clayton

Monya, I don't know how isolated your town is, but I would encourage you to ask around and find a reputable Dr in a neighbouring town or the city and organise a long appointment for a second opinion. If you can find yourself a good Dr then the travel is worth it. I'm a country girl too so I know all about long road trips! If you have a hospital in your town, perhaps you could ask the nursing staff or Pathology/Radiology technicians there who they go to see?
Jill
ps Ester C knocks normal Vit C out of the stratoshphere, even high strength Vit C! I take it like Laura does, as a preventative if I think I am coming down with something.

Hi Monya! Join in! We all have to support eachother here. Did you know you can buy iron tablets at a chemist without prescription? Also try increasing green leafy veges (esp. raw)and dates, parsley and almonds are also said to be good sources of iron.
Thanks for the vitamin C reminder, Bluesky.

Bluesky wrote: "Monya, I don't know how isolated your town is, but I would encourage you to ask around and find a reputable Dr in a neighbouring town or the city and organise a long appointment for a second opinio..."

Bluesky - thanks so much for the kind answer. It's actually only 50kms (30 miles) to nearest towns either way. One with population 10,000 the other 90,000. Our town had 800 inhabitants when we arrived 13 years ago and now has 1200.

Hospital here mostly serves as a nursing home, and a stopover until the ambulance can take one to bigger base hosp. No pathology/radiology and precious few registered nurses. But I'll be seeing the locum tomorrow about something else - old age would be great if it weren't for the health problems! - and I'll mention it to him/her. I expect he/she will say wait for the endoscopy results and for the regular GP to get back from his holidays. (We have a severe shortage of doctors and nurses in Queensland).

I'd happily travel to Toowoomba for a good doc, but hubby insists on coming with me when I drive and he has to sit on his painful prostate! For which something will also have to be done. Specialist last week had all his time taken up by a couple of old gentlemen, one of whom is local and we know to be a mutlti-millionaire, and practically threw us out after 10 mins.

Looks like I'll have to look into Ester C! I sure could use some energy.

So sorry to whinge, I'm mostly a reasonably happy person.

Jan wrote: "Hi Monya! Join in! We all have to support each other here. Did you know you can buy iron tablets at a chemist without prescription? Also try increasing green leafy veges (esp. raw)and dates, parsley..."

Jan - bless your heart too for helping. Heavens yes, I know I can buy iron tablets, but what if they put my blood count up and the next test shows it's fine? What a conundrum. And we do have a healthy diet - hubby's diabetic.

Doesn't it get your goat when you see people who you know eat the 'wrong' things and are healthy as horses? Like the previous generation. Don't know how old you are, but they were big on fat, flour, salt and sugar. In my youth there was a 'dripping tin' in which the cooking fat was kept and re-used. Mum put salt in all the cooking and bicarbonate in beans. And sugar on rockmelon and paw-paw. She lived to be 89! And I swear the reason it wasn't longer was because she stopped moving around and watched TV all day. And my oldest friend's mother, similar habits, lived to be 99! Of course, they also exercised more. Like washing by hand (shudder) and walking most places.

But thank you again for having the kindness to reply to my complaints! And do take care of yourself.

Does it get my goat? Are you kidding? Especially when you see those people on tv being shown what they're actually eating...all that fried stuff....and what they should eat...whole grain bread and fruit and veges...and I'm not eating all that rubbish, and I am eating all the good stuff, and exercising at least four hours a week, and yet I've still gained 20 kilos in the nine years since my 45th birthday. My mother only lived to 67, and she didn't even start gaining weight until her sixties. So I have to be careful!

Jan wrote: "Does it get my goat? Are you kidding? Especially when you see those people on tv being shown what they're actually eating...all that fried stuff....and what they should eat...whole grain bread and ..."

Looks like genes have a lot to do with it, Jan! Or maybe not. In fact, we don't have to turn out like our mums at all. Just enjoy our tucker and stop worrying about it.

Sometimes I wonder about weight gain. I ate normally, and when I was 32 and weighed about 62 kg. Then I had an operation. I didn't eat any differently afterward but I put on just under 20 kilos in the next 3 months! And I had a huge old house, 4 kids and was helping hubby run a business.

In those days when you were overweight, doctors used to treat you like you spent all day in front of the T.V. eating cream cakes. But someone said to me later on that the anaesthetic, or the fact of having surgery, seemed to lower people's metabolic rate. Say this to a doctor and they laugh. Mention it to nurses and they all nod their heads in agreement! So, have you had any surgery the last few years?

At least, now I'm old (69), I've lost a lot of appetite and weigh 18 kilos less than I did 10 years ago. Dropped a size in knickers and had to buy new ones! And a lot of my older clothes just hang on me.

Something will happen for you too. Our forties and fifties seem a bad time for women for weight problems. Maybe it's menopause!

Take care, Jan, but don't fret about it. At least we're still kicking. Mother Nature isn't much interested in us after we've had kids, but we're a lot better off than our predecessors. I've also had a doctor say to me I was fortunate, because women have on averyage a longer life span than men. (I swear he was jealous.) I shot right back, "Only in the last hundred years, when we stopped dying in childbirth and of childbed infections!" Gosh, very few women got to forty, let alone past it.

Which is one reason Queen Liz the First lived to 69. She never married or had kids. And they reckon some of her rattier behaviour was because she went through menopause in a day and age when hardly anyone ever made it that far!

Keep your chin up! And don't worry if there's more than one of them. Grow old disgracefully.

Monya wrote: "Keep your chin up! And don't worry if there's more than one of them. Grow old disgracefully..."

Monya you're really funny! Thanks for posting your pearls of wisdom and 'life tips' here.:D

Thanks to all for kind thoughts and prayers - Monya you're definitely in mine. I've already had the endoscopy and gastroscopy and they found nothing. They gave me iron tablets which made me sick as a dog. Two blood transfusions later and my red cells went from 58 to 62 then dropped down to 35. When they leave me alone I seem to get marginally better but the minute they start poking and prodding I seem to get worse. My GP laughed about it with me the other day and said I'm the focus of much water-cooler gossip because I'm such a puzzle. lol

Keep looking for a good doc who will take you seriously Monya because low Iron is actually quite serious - so they tell me but also fairly common in women which is why they don't take it seriously. If it wasn't for my red cell count I don't think I'd be getting anywhere near the attention I am but without red cells I could keel over and they might get sued so they're being proactive with me :)

Oh and although I've only just turned 40 I still plan on growing old disgracefully - I've had a thoroughly well-spent youth and intend to do the same for the next 40 years. Life can be too short to take it seriously ;)

A new employee started in our office this week. OMG she likes to read. I'm not a freak after all.

(I come in here to talk to all of you so I feel less freaky and alone)

No particular story this time. I just felt like a change and Mandy wasn't happy when I gave her a nice nick name, this time I gave her a fun bad boy image. (Then made her smelly.)

edit: I love the version with Dustin Hoffman too.

Gail "cyborg" wrote: "A new employee started in our office this week. OMG she likes to read. I'm not a freak after all.

(I come in here to talk to all of you so I feel less freaky and alone)"
I remember when I started a new job and everyone was into reading..I almost fell out of my chair..lol Sadly, that was only a contract job. GR is fantastic place to chat about book.

Ha Laura I am a total GR addict. I really don't understand people who think reading is a waste of time.

Heck no...Good place to discover new books that you never knew existed.

*Phew* I've been doing some chasing up on a book...I think I'll never pre-order books again. Something always go wrong and this is the second time :/