Fabulous Fibre Art Works

I have just been browsing the fibre art that goes up for auction on the 27th November, in aid of a very worthy cause. Some of Australia's most fabulous and best known fibre artists and quilters are participants.

I wish I had the funds to bid for one or three....

They are all lovely! Go check them out, and if you can, bid for one at the auction.






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Update

Thank you everyone for your patience, and for your continued prayers and concerns.

I am back home for now, with things up north pretty much the same as when I went up there. The doctors thought Dad would be gone by the end of that first weekend, but no, he is still hanging in there, 4 weeks later.
He can walk to the ensuite with a walker and a nurse's assistance, but can't walk back, and needs to be turned in bed, as he can't do that himself. Some days he is alert and feeling ok, other days, he is sick and sleeps most of the time. He is on constant (low dose) morphine and is allowed extra when the pain gets too much.
It's the sort of situation where he could suddenly be gone tomorrow, or he could still be here in 2 months time!

Poor Mum is totally exhausted, and has finally admitted that she can't make it in to the hospital every day, so is prepared to have a day off once a week. She has been trooping backwards and forwards for 6 weekes now, and all this whilst taking chemotherapy tablets.

At least while I was there, I was able to give my sister a break from the daily trips, and also to look after Mum and make sure she was resting and eating properly. I wish I could have stayed with her longer, but nearly 4 weeks was all I could manage, with DDs wedding coming up on the 27th of this month, and still so much to do!

I will go back up after the wedding (once I have done the BAS statement - the ATO does not allow compassionate late lodgement).

As soon as I catch up with a few things, I will post reports about the wedding preparations. Less than 2 weeks to go and so much still to be done!!! Life is just so crazy at the moment!

...Lindi

Thank you Everyone

Dad is still hanging in there, even though the Doctors expected him to be gone last weekend. Our main concern is for Mum, as she is on chemo tablets at the moment and tires very quickly.
Naturally, she still wants to spend the day, every day, at the hospital. We are watching her closely and trying to work our way between the fine balance of her physical needs and her emotional needs.
Very tiring for all...

Thank you all so very much for your kind thoughts, concerns and prayers. I only get access to the internet every 3 to 4 days, but it means so much to me to read your comments, and know that there are so many friends out there who care.

I love you all for being part of my life, and being there for me. Thank you.

*****

Flying off again...

I don't know when I'll get a chance to check emails and blogs, for a while. Dad was readmitted to Palliative care a week ago, and I have just had word that the Doctors don't expect him to last much longer. I am flying up on the first available flight tomorrow, until I don't know when.

Dad being as tough as he is, he could yet prove them wrong, and we have already said our goodbyes, but I really want - I really need - to be there. For myself. And for Mum.

Funny how when I am there with him, I can let him go and understand that he wants to go. And I'm OK with that. There are still tears, but laughter as well.

But when I am home here, there is no laughter and no feeling of wanting to let go. He's my Dad! I can't imagine the world without him. The tears are all pain. And I hurt, even as I am writing this.

So I need to be there, for him, for me, for my emotional sanity.

Please remember us in your prayers - that we all find the strength we need to face this.

Hugs to you all, and thanks for your support.

...Lindi x

Prostate Cancer

Why am I so passionate about this?

Well, did you know that each year in Australia, close to 3000 men die of prostate cancer - equal to the number of women who die from breast cancer annually. One in 9 men in Australia will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime.

Early, curable prostate cancer may not have symptoms. While younger men are less likely to be diagnosed with it, they are more likely to die prematurely from it.

Around 18,700 new cases are diagnosed in Australia every year.
Last year my Dad was one of those diagnosed, but by the time it was discovered, the cancer was already in his bones. He is currently undergoing chemotherapy, and is doing OK, but if it had been diagnosed earlier, treatment might have prevented it reaching his bones.

So encourage all the men over 45 in your life, to get their little prick!
(For overseas readers: in Australia, the campaign for PSA testing uses the slogan "get a little prick".)
What does the little prick do?
It is simply a blood test to show the PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) levels in the blood. Levels that are too high are an early indicator of prostate cancer. Having a DRE (digital reactal examination) is not enough!

We all know what men are like when it comes to their health, so it's up to us females to encourage/drag/insist/push/decline sex/go on strike/etc until our men get tested. They owe it to their families.
And if they're wimps, point out that we women have to put up with worse for our Pap tests and mammograms.
By the way, when was your last Pap Test or Mammogram?

http://www.prostate.org.au/index.php

MOVEMBER

October was breast cancer month, and now we have MOVEMBER!
Movember is the month where we think about prostate cancer and depression (especially in men). The fund raiser for the 2 great beneficiaries (the Prostate cancer Foundation of Australia and Beyond Blue) is a brilliant idea. Grow a moustache (mo) for November and get people to sponsor you...
You can read more at the Movember web site and the web sites for the beneficiaries.

http://www.movember.com/au/home for Movember

http://www.prostate.org.au/ for Prostate Cancer

http://www.beyondblue.org.au/index.aspx for Beyond Blue

If you would like to sponsor a mo grower, but don't know anyone, you could sponsor Michael, if you like. His mo grower number is 91927.
Or you could sponsor my DH Wayne. His number is 147807.
Just go to the movember web site and use your credit card.

Breast and Ovarian Cancer

Regular readers know that my Mum has cancer. What some don't know, is that she first had breast cancer in 1998 and had a mastectomy. 8 years later (April 2006) she developed 2 lumps under her scar and further investigation revealed that she had developed metastasis (secondary cancer) on her ribs and in her bones, namely ribs and spine. She had radiotherapy to help hold her own and reduce the pain. Late last year, she developed another secondary in a lung. This was reduced with chemotherapy. This year, she developed another tumour closing around her duodenum. She is currently having chemo for that.

I'm telling you this, not as a sob story (many others are worse off), but so you understand my passion and commitment to alerting people about breast cancer and the importance of mammagrams, breast examinations and knowledge of breast cancer.

(I'm also passionate about prostate cancer, but I'll leave that for another post.)

So imagine my delight on discovering this site: www.nbcc.org.au It's the National Breast Cancer Centre site. They also cover ovarian cancer.

I urge you all to check it out! You can do a risk factor test, read about issues, download PDF files, and order free pamphlets. You can also make a donation.

Please refer others to the site, not just women, but men too. The more we all understand and are aware, the more lives we can save!