Life comes in waves. First are the playdate and sleepover days. It seems to take forever for the next wave, the 18th’s and 21st’s to come along. Then the wedding invitations start to trickle in, before becoming an avalanche in a few years’ time. Babies start arriving and the playdates start all over again.

By then, we’re probably hearing from our parents or grandparents that they’re going to more and more funerals; another wave. There’s the other milestone birthdays, too. Thirty, forty, fifty, …

There is one stage that I hadn’t anticipated and it’s hit me like a sledgehammer the last week or so. Unfortunately, a few friends and acquaintances (too many) are being diagnosed with cancer. Of course, that was me a few years back. But I was an isolated case in my social circle. I’m becoming not so isolated, which saddens me.

Like the other life stages, there’s not much we can do to side step this one. We need to deal with it as best we can. It’s made all the more difficult because there’s often young family involved.

So focus on your happy milestones people, for they will pass. But keep an eye on the future, too. As difficult as the present may seem, the next stage will eventually roll on and bring with it new, hopefully happier, times.

Image by Dimitry B

Last visit to my haemo in September I wasn’t able to get any results.  It seems Medicare are tightening their belt and decided that they will only pay for the leukaemia marker test every three months.  I’d seen a different doctor the time before and he’d ordered the test a month early, so it wasn’t processed.

End result:  my September consultation was a bit of a waste of time for all concerned, although it was good to have a chat with my haemo and find out what’s happening in the world of CML.

The following week I dutifully trotted off to pathology to have the test redone and settled back for a month’s wait for the result.

Yesterday afternoon the result finally came in and it was FANTASTIC news.  It seems after dawdling along for a while the drugs have well and truly kicked in and my leukaemia levels are now very, very low.  It’s still there – that’s the nature of this drug treatment.  The CML rarely goes away completely, but when things are working as they should, the disease is controlled at a very low level.  Which I’ve finally reached after about 3 1/2 years.

So I’m a happy little vegemite.  Probably lucky for my doctor that I wasn’t in his office when I got the news or I might have jumped up and planted one on him.

Now to decide how to celebrate …

Photo by tarotastic

After a long time thinking about it, I was recently able to swing childcare, school and location so I could enrol in a yoga class.  I knew some of the benefits of yoga and they seemed to fit well with what I wanted from a health perspective.  My yoga teacher has been doing classes for over 30 years, so she’s been able to reveal many more advantages that I hadn’t even considered.

I’m so glad I made the effort to juggle things and get involved – it’s been a good fit for me in more ways that I had imagined.  This list is really the tip of the iceberg, but contains some of the benefits that I’ve either sought out or experienced.

1. Weight reduction

The improvement in metabolism, muscle tone and function of the internal organs can assist a great deal with weight reduction.  In addition, yoga can help with a positive mindset so important in losing weight.

2. Respiratory system

Yoga focuses very much on controlled breathing and correct breathing technique.  I was surprised how different correct breathing felt (although I wasn’t aware I was doing it wrong!) and how much better I felt by filling my lungs completely.

3.  Circulation

Through correct breathing and internal massage nutrients and oxygen are carried efficiently throughout the body.

4.  Pain and stress management

Again through deep breathing and focus pain and stress are more easily managed.  I found during my last bone marrow biopsy that by using the techniques I had learned at yoga, I was much calmer (no shakes) and while the pain was still there it wasn’t as intense as usual.

5.  Improved posture

Correct alignment is all important in the various poses.  In addition raising the awareness of posture, yoga strengthens the various muscles and ligaments to enable a better posture.

6.  Bone strength

Many poses are weight bearing (your own weight) and therefore assist in maintaining bone density and strength.

7.  Improved memory and focus

Another advantage of breathing correctly is more oxygen to the brain, helping concentration and memory.

8.  Immunity

The movement and internal massage of yoga create an improved lymphatic system which in turn increases the effectiveness of the immune system.  The regular use of a neti pot also helps keep bugs at bay.

9.  Improved joint function

The gentle exercise of muscles and ligaments keeps joints flexible and moving freely.

10.  A feeling of calm

Meditation is an important part of traditional yoga.  In addition to dedicated time to focus inwardly, working through some of the poses leaves a feeling of calmness and wellbeing.

For me the decision to vaccinate our kids was a no brainer. I’m a numbers person. When I looked at the chances of suffering side effects from immunisations compared with the chances of complications arising from the various viruses we were trying to quash, the vaccine always won out. I’m not going to go into advocacy mode here, aside from stating my own choice and briefly outlining the reasons. As parents, the decisions we make for the little people we’re responsible for are very personal.

So what’s this all about then?

Cinderella spent what should have been her second week at school home with chicken pox.  She had a very happy weekend complaining occasionally of being itchy.  As she sometimes suffers from heat rash, and it was a hot weekend I naturally assumed that’s what was causing her discomfort.  I packed her off to school on Monday, warned her teacher that she might be a bit itchy and to call me if it got bad, then made my way home without another thought about it.

By the time she got home from school the telltale spots had erupted on her tummy so it was off to the doctor for us.

But she’s been immunised!

The doctor confirmed the diagnosis of chicken pox and ordered Cinderella to stay home from school until the spots had dried up.  Second week of Prep!  Can you believe it?

And yes, even though your child has been immunised, they may still be affected by the relevant virus, albeit in a much milder way.  I’d read about it at the time of the immunisations, but not considered it since.  Cinderella hadn’t been unwell apart from her mild itchiness.  As it turned out, she only got spots on her tummy.  They were small and didn’t trouble her at all, but it wasn’t until Saturday (five full days after the spots erupted) that she was classed as noncontagious.

The Moral of the Story

It always pays to be safe and get a proper diagnosis.  I very nearly didn’t take Cinderella to the doctor.  Because she’d been immunised and wasn’t unwell I didn’t consider chicken pox as the culprit until a couple of the spots began to look a bit “gooey”. We could easily have infected her class at school, swimming, dancing…you get the idea.

More information

For more information about childhood vaccines, have a chat with your Maternal and Child Health Nurse, GP or take a look here.

Here I am on the sunny side of a lingering virus.  I know I’m on the mend because I’m actually beginning to formulate some posts in my mind.  I’m beginning to feel like writing again.  In case you hadn’t noticed, posting here hasn’t been high on my to do list of late

It’s been around 2 1/2 years since I was diagnosed with CML.  Most of the time I feel like I’m an old hand at it.  I know what to expect.  I know how things work.  Well, it turns out I’m not as experienced as I think.  It’s only sunk in over the last couple of days that while I don’t get sick very often, it now takes me a lot longer to get over whatever lurgy it is that has beset me.

I’ve been putting off going to the doctor because each day I’ve been feeling a “little” better, and besides they can’t do much for a virus anyway.  Yesterday after yet another flare up I succumbed and was started on a course of antibiotics.  And what a difference it has made.  I honestly didn’t know how crappy I was feeling until I started feeling better.

The only down side is I’m also beginning to see all the things that need catching up on around the place.  I haven’t had much energy for mucking around with the kids, housework (blegh), projects…  So my afternoon job is to sit down and get a bit of a to do list happening.

The morale of the story: Remember to look after yourself properly, particularly if you are suffering from a chronic illness.  Although you (I) mightn’t like to admit you’re (I’m) not as resilient as days gone by, and early intervention will save a lot of time and effort in the long run.