the fifo wife

So husband left for his buck’s week on Tuesday so of course we had B2 come down with headaches and fever on Monday, the day before husband left. So as husband flew over head at 11 am Tuesday bound for the Gold Coast and all that frivolous glorious fun those headaches and fever in B2 turned to headaches, fever and vomiting. Cool. I can do vomiting. Whets a little bodily fluid on my shoes, I have had worse. B2 stayed unwell until where I am sure in some secret conversation he had with B1; in which I was not included B1 complained of being unwell not believing him I sent him to school. Half way through the shopping I get a call from school…Debbie can you come collect B1 from school he has a headache and a fever. Of course he does I say.

I collect him and commence the medical routine we have established. Mattress on the lounge room floor, TV, towels and bucket. Everything ready. It’s about this time that husband calls me. He has just ridden the push, the plough whatever the hell it was called to tell me he was having a whale of a time. Great I tell him. I am happy for you. I am however not feeling the love for him right now.

Now here comes part of my dilemma  as a FIFO wife or just mother and wife plain and simple and its one I’m sure one you at some point can all relate to if not don’t send me a emails telling me I’m a bad mother that is already a given at this point in time. So I have no one else to call on to look after my B1 so do I cancel all activities for the other children? Do loose almost $50.00 in non refundable fee’s? Do my other kids miss out because of my life style decision because I have no one else to take care of my baby? I decided to go ahead and so I dose my B1 up on panadol and commenced the rounds of craft, swimming lessons, and netball and hip hop dance classes; all the while insuring he stays more than a fair distance from the crowd if not in the car. We transport a towel and discreetly a bucket with us at every stop. He is doing well in fact I start to think he is coming well but the frowns I’m getting is making me want to give them the bird but I don’t because that goes against my good mannered nature.

What a fool I am.

We get home. His temperature sores. Of all the kids that that are going to be sick this one is going to be the worst all ways has been. I send him to the shower to cool him down and as I hang the washing the other two come out screaming that their brother is vomiting in the shower. So I say push it down the drain…the young girl staying with us look at me like Im the most revolting thing ever. In fact I’m not sure she showered last night…I bleached it I promised.

Cut a long story about my sick kids short…which I am guess you really don’t need to hear about…I spent the night rubbing his back trying to get his temperature down..a 41 degree temp is not unusual for him. Scary but true. As I said he will always be the worst and I have been turned away from enough emergency rooms to learn how to deal with them.

So this morning I am tired. Husband calls me at 5 am why aren’t you up he says because b1 is sick. Oh he says and then goes on to tell me about his fabulous day planned. Baby I say him I’m tired. I have to go to sleep. Right he hangs up like I have told him Dream World is closed today.

The point of this? Why does crap never happen when I go away? Why do the kids never ever get sick when I leave? Why is that a cat 5 cyclone doesn’t hit when I go away for the weekend? Why doesn’t the dog go down with a tick when I’m away? Why doesn’t the clutch on the car go and he is left with three kids in the country where public transport doesn’t exist when I leave? Why?  Is it karma? Its Murphy’s law because I scrub the house to an inch of its bearers, insure the bills are paid and meals are made? Is it Karma because when I do go away for the night that I wish that secretly my children may become a little smidgen of unwell? Not terribly sick but enough that the washing machine is in continuous cycle of cleaning sheets and towels. Unwell enough that sleep becomes allusive, vomit is your new scent and having a little crap on your shoe is not from a mess the dogs have made.

Why? Is it the way? Seriously it doesn’t even happen when its home. So when I say to him when he is at work that I am tired from being up all night with a sick boy because for whatever freaking reason said boy doesn’t wake to vomit and so I fear choking which results in me having no sleep. He can’t understand because he has never seen it? Just like he has never seen me change a tyre, remove a felled tree or prepare for a cat five cyclone? Seriously tell me why…oh wait don’t…I do not have the time because B3 the last of the children has just vomited all over his shoes.

So tell me do you find everything goes to crap when husband goes away?

Xx Deb

 

Imagine having your child having a disease with no known treatment or cure. A disease so rare that they know so little that they as a medical profession can’t answer your questions. A condition that does nt get front page news and so it does not get funding or research. So they those you look to are unable to tell you what to expect or how to ease your child’s suffering. You are literally scrambling helpless in the dark.

There would be no word that could describe your helplessness.

So today the 28^th of February is Rare Disease Day.

Rare Diseases are defined as a condition, syndrome or disorder that affects 1 in 10 000 people or less (The Australian Therapeutic Goods Authority).

Some prevalent statistics about Rare Disease include:

• There are more than 8000 known rare diseases
• 80% rare diseases affect children and most begin in childhood and continue throughout life
• Although each disease is rare collectively they affect up to 10% of the population
• Neurological and intellectual disabilities occur in about half of all cases regardless of disease type and lead to loss of independence and opportunities.
• Obtaining a diagnosis is often difficult and delayed and most have no cures

 

One of our lovely readers Lynda child suffers from Glutaric Aciduria Type 2 . It is a rare disorder so rare they are unsure of its true numbers. What they have discovered through limited funding and research is that is an inherited disorder that interferes with the body’s ability to break down proteins and fats to produce energy. Incompletely processed proteins and fats can build up in the body and cause the blood and tissues to become too acidic which if not constantly monitored can mean death.

Imagine dealing with that on a daily basis.

In Lynda’s words ‘families and carers of children with rare diseases experience significant psychological stress due to social isolation, unemployment, diagnostic delays, lack of information and difficulty accessing appropriate health care.

The rare disease patient is the orphan of the health system, often without diagnosis, without treatment, without research and therefore, without reason to hope’

Place yourself in those shoes for just a minute.

So how can you help Lynda and others in her position, her child’s position?

Head to Rare Disease Australia Face book page or register your support it’s that simple.

xx Deb

 

Information with thanks:

* information regarding http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/glutaric-acidemia-type-ii

** Rare Disease Day

***Image with thanks to the abc

These are some rare images taken at Penn Station 1943 at the height of the second world war. Taken by LIFE’s Alfred Eisenstaedt they capture true good byes. Candid images of what unknown good byes look like. Some of these boys and men may have returned others not. These men and women are true hero’s.

I am a massive fan of photography. In particular life photography capturing moments in time for ever candid real life moments. So as part of a new series I’m divulging my love of the art on to you. I hope you enjoy these moments as much as I do.

 

xx Deb

*images via Wall Breakers

Pad Thai.

Pad Thai is my FAVOURITE meal in the world absolute favourite and each time we go to the city its the thing I order for lunch. I have only made it home successfully a couple of times and usually it was bland but I found this recipe and yum! It looks like a lot of ingredients but its not and its really quick to make once you have everything laid out in front of you which is the key to any fast cooking~ thank you Jamie Oliver~ its done in no time. Some of the ingredients are optional and some you can use substitutes for and often like to add prawns and some tofu to mine.

 

What you will need:

300g flat rice noodles
2-3 tbsp fish sauce or light soy sauce, to taste
3 tbsp tamarind paste (or 4 tbsp lime juice, if you can’t find tamarind- available in the asian food section at the supermarket)
2 tbsp palm or brown sugar
4 tbsp groundnut oil (or any oil you have on hand I used vegetable)
400g skinless boneless chicken, breast and/or thigh meat, sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 shallots, finely sliced
1 tbsp Thai dried shrimp (optional)
2 tsp mild red chilli powder
3 eggs, lightly beaten
150g fresh bean sprouts
75g unsalted roasted
Peanuts, chopped
Small handful coriander, chopped
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges, to serve

How to:

1. Cover the noodles with just-boiled water and set aside for 10 minutes. Mix the fish or soy sauce with the tamarind paste and palm sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Heat a large wok, until it is smoking hot. Add three tablespoons of oil. Tip in the chicken pieces, frying and stirring for three minutes, or until the pieces turn golden. Add the garlic and stir-fry with the chicken for a few seconds. Follow with the sliced shallots, dried shrimp (if using) and chilli powder. Stir and heat through for a few seconds.

3. Drain the soaked noodles and toss well with the ingredients in the wok. Stir-fry for one to two minutes – the noodles will start to soften and change texture.

4. Push everything over to one side of the wok. Add the remaining oil to the cleared area and crack the eggs on to it to form an omelette. When the eggs have set, cut into small chunks with your wooden spoon or spatula and stir in with the noodles.

5. Add the tamarind and sugar mixture to the wok, folding it in to coat everything evenly. If the noodles are still too firm for your liking, splash a little water over to help them cook. Add two thirds of the bean sprouts and sprinkle with half the chopped peanuts. Taste and add a little more fish sauce or sugar, if you like.

6.  Stir and, when the vegetables are beginning to wilt, transfer to a serving dish and shower with the remaining chopped peanuts, coriander and spring onions. Serve with lime wedges.

Serve on its own! Yum.

I was a little behind yesterday in everything. Truth was I so tired I felt drunk; I was not however drunk but I do have a tendency to say things like I was or were. And typically when I’m tired drunk I say and do things that I wouldn’t normally say or do. For instance I apparently promised my children a surprise of some sort from Sydney town. Like I had the time to tramp into town; after attending two fairs, each 40 minutes apart to fossick through Myers or some other over priced Sydney store? Why would I do that? Tired Drunk.

Then my husband tells me I also promised him a little something? He rattled off that I promised him something as repayment for his renewing my Qantas club membership? Ah no that’s just called loving your wife so she doesn’t hyperventilate in the cleanest corner she could find and I don’t recall promising any such surprise but you know close your eyes and get on with it. In terms of surprises men are usually easily fixed.

The kids they are not so easily fixed but I did my best and qued for Krispy Crèmes for what seemed like hours and then the carted them round Sydney’s over crowded T2 and then into a jam packed Jetstar flight however my inconvenience was obviously was not enough for my cherubs as they woke me extra early yesterday morning to ask where their presents where slightly disgusted despite the fact that the worlds best doughnuts where sitting waiting for them on the kitchen bench. My present to you I said to B1 trying to make it sound equally exciting as it was not is I’m going to let you have a doughnut for breakfast. It didn’t cut the mustard.

Oh well.

So these things are what ran through my head last week, yesterday and today and are as varied as the sites I saw over the weekend.; this my few things for Feb 26th 2013.

1. My trip to Sydney was super quick so I decided to stay at one of the airport hotels. I stayed at the Mercure Airport. It is undergoing refurbishment but the staffs were sensational, breakfast was fantastic, the rooms were lovely and it had a pillow menu need I say more. It was perfect for a quick trip. Need a room and location is not an issue head there. True a pillow menu and bacon sandwiches are all good reasons to flock there

2. It was wonderful to see that buyers and wholesalers are seeing the value in vintage and re purposed furniture. A thing with a story and a heritance value is much nicer to have in your home. Thank goodness is all I can say.

3. The fashions of the fair are one of my favourite parts apart from the shopping. From a girl in boots with her dressed hoiked up in her knickers to a girl in heels so high it’s a wonder she didn’t have a bloody nose.

4. I loved my trip to the city as quick as it was right up until I was asked for change by a heavily pregnant girl. Who was clearly a girl and who was clearly off her tree on something? I said no I’m sorry and she went about her business of picking up cigarette butts and talking to herself. It was then reality dawned on me then that feeling of WTF is wrong with you girl can’t you see and now all I can think of is that baby and just hope and pray like hell that she the mother wakes up or she finds someone who can help her too.

5. My husband leaves for the gold coast for his brother’s buck’s week today. They wanted to go somewhere and do something rather than piddle it up a wall in a 12 hour period. I am so pleased to see them go together. It’s what I have wanted my husband and his brothers to do for years. However GC don’t say I didn’t warn you they will be the ones wearing their best pluggers and Jackie how singlets..All for your comedic viewing pleasure. Im so happy for him right now.

6. I have a baby home sick with me today. Fever and headaches. This B baby never gets sick so I’m bracing for something flu like.

7. A really piece of useless knowledge well for some it may not be useless but in North Korea women can only wear 18 different styles of haircuts. Only haircuts sanctioned by the government can be worn. Number 12 please? Head here for a look see. I can not see a mullet do there at all..

8. Were you a teenage girl of the 90’s? I was head here for a few reminders of what was cool back then..

9. So the latest beauty treatment is to set fire to yourself..well not you..you pay someone to do it. Of course it originates in China those crazy little cats and has been around since the Qing dynasty. It’s meant to help re-channel and aid in healing and is also touted as having rejuvenating qualities and has been used to treat over 100 ailments. I think..I could be wrong; I’m still reeling from the idea you allow someone to set you on fire and it can be applied any where including the cervix. Yes that’s right. However there are ten taboo’s and should you be among them then this little treatment is not for you; Cloudy sky and raining, pregnant women, cancer, mind confused, heart disease, severe diabetes, renal insufficiency, high blood pressure (systolic 170+), skin disease, or menstruation. Head here for more details if you really want to.

10. Want to mix up your craft session then head here..Please be warned this is not your average sharpener and don’t ask me how I found it..It’s just my job to share these things..

So tell me my sweets what are you up to today? Beauty treatment or two? Or perhaps you’re in the market for a new sharpener.

xx Deb