Thursday 9 March 2017

The good news and the bad news

Firstly the good news as we always prefer good news to bad news don't we? The recent rain has really had an impact on the purple African Daisy that I grew from a cutting I brought back from Mt.Isa. My friend Barb wanted a cutting and I have been trying to get one to take so I have planted another one today and hopefully this one will grow. The plant is looking a lot more healthy for some reason. Perhaps it doesn't like the town water. I did find out its name as my daughter remembered it  and told me and it had a Biblical ring to it ...like Jerusalem or Mt.Zion or something like that but I have forgotten once again but whatever its name it is very pretty. So Barb, hang in there :-)



Well it isn't quite this colour as I did a bit of editing ....just because. 




 THIS is what it actually looks like. I would love to put it in the ground but the chooks would dig it up in five minutes. I think they will have to go as they are too destructive and the chook pen isn't happening at the moment. I have lost a lot of my calendulas that I use for infusing for soapmaking and I am not happy about that.

Another thing I am not happy about is the fact that I have to go back to the skin clinic tomorrow and have more sliced out of my nose :-( The receptionist there rang me very late on Monday afternoon and said that the doctor wanted to see me again to discuss further treatment as the results showed I had an unusual skin cancer. Just as she said that the phone went dead and I mean really dead. There was no ring tone .....nothing! So I tried to ring back on my Optus mobile in case it was a Telstra problem but still couldn't get through. Apparently they are with iiNet and the whole Queensland network was out until 7pm. I gave up trying to get through and spent the rest of the night searching online for publications on 'Getting your affairs in order' which really opens up a can of worms as you can imagine so I then looked up a few funeral places as I knew when our mum died that we had a government publication from somewhere about what to do about organising finances etc. prior to death and so on. Not that I was being negative or anything. LOL! I still didn't find the publication though.

A search online for unusual types of skin cancer brought up Basal Cell Carcinomas, Squamous Cell Carcinomas and Melanoma. Well I was hoping it wasn't Melanoma but the invasive Squamous Cell Carcinoma didn't sound too good either as I had watched a few RPA episodes and one of patients had that. I also hoped that it wasn't the BCC on my nose that was the problem rather the one on my back.

Long story short it was my nose and the doctor wants to go deeper tomorrow to make sure she gets it all and if she doesn't then it will require plastic surgery which will be interesting considering as we have no medical cover and are on a pension. It is a bit of a BCC and Squamous Cell Carninoma hence the 'unusual' title. Anyway, I would appreciate it if those of you who pray could keep me in mind as I am feeling like a bit of a wuss at the thought of having another lot of needles put into my already sore wound as the local anaesthetic needles were the worst part of the procedure. However, I have some friends who have undergone surgery and chemo who have gone through much worse so I will be keeping them in mind when the needles go in.



 To distract myself and also to use up the tamarillos that were falling to the ground from the tree that grew up in the compost heap I made a version of Indian Spiced Tamarillo Chutney that I made a while back. This time though I replaced the 1 cup sugar with 1 1/2 cups dextrose to see how it would turn out and it is actually quite nice.  I can see some bubbles in the photo which I didn't notice before but I am a bit rusty in the preserving department since giving up sugar and forgot that you need to get rid of them. You can find the recipe using sugar here if you have some tamarillos growing at your place or try the dextrose version which won't last all that long of course so will have to be kept in the fridge and eaten within a couple of weeks which won't be a problem around here.

So once again I would appreciate your prayers for tomorrow. I will end up once again looking like something out of the Elephant Man movie as a huge dressing is put on my nose which has to stay on for two days and then I will start getting a black eye again and if I go out I get strange looks as I presume that  people wonder if I have been in a DV dispute so it is easier to stay home and stare at the wall and listen to the ringing in my ears.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone. 







45 comments:

  1. Oh, that's no good! I hope the procedure is quick and heals well. My dear old mum has a squamous cc on her cheek but at her age (86), we are leaving it at the moment and reviewing in 6 months. She would not tolerate surgery well at her age and she has dementia also. Hers is a slow growing one, so the report on the biopsy said.
    Best wishes to you,

    Cheers - Joolz xx

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    1. That's great that your mum's is a slow growing one, Joolz. My mum had something on her nose also that needed to be taken off but she died before that happened thankfully. It gets much harder for older people to go through this kind of surgery.

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  2. All the very best for tomorrow, Chel. Better to have it all gone than to leave any behind. I hope it heals quickly for you. Meg:)

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    1. Yes I know, Meg. It is just the thought of digging down deeper that gets me. I asked the doc how far she could go with that. LOL!

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  3. Will be thinking and praying tomorrow.

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    1. Thanks heaps, earthmotherwithin. I would really appreciate that. The appointment is at 2pm.

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  4. Oh those daisies just look gorgeous, hanging in....

    Chel, praying my head off here. xxxxx

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    1. Thanks Barb. I might try putting the plant into the ground and put a wire 'cage' around it but knowing the chooks they will try to knock it over or scratch underneath. Grrrr!

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  5. hope it all goes well for you tomorrow Nannachel, & fast recovery too!
    those daisies are beautiful! i have African daisies here too, white, pale purple & dark purple, they cross pollinate that's how i ended up with the pale purple; would love more colours but they are a scraggly bunch always needing to be pruned but they bush up beautifully & give you more flowers next time
    best wishes for tomorrow
    ***p.s. you can always do some crochet or knitting while you wait for healing
    thanx for sharing

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    1. Selina, that reminds me that we used to have a pink and white one. We must have lost it during the drought when we stopped watering flowering plants. It was really hardy.

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  6. Good luck tomorrow. I will be thinking of you, and saying a prayer.

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  7. Thank you GC. I would really appreciate that.

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    1. Happy to read that it went well.I hope you get completely better soon.

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  8. Chel I found that taking two Panadeine Forte about half an hour beforehand made the needles much less painful. Had the same thing and know the feeling of apprehension. Shall say a prayer for you.
    Cheers Karen.

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    1. Thank you for that tip, Karen. I think I might have to have a script for Panadeine Forte but at least I can take some Paracetemol. The doctor said last week when she did the first surgery to have Paracetemol not Aspirin afterwards but this time I will take some beforehand.,

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  9. I'll keep you in my thoughts. Hope it goes well.

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    1. Thanks Sarah. I will be glad when it is over.

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    1. Thanks Liz. Perhaps I should make some tallow soap to take my mind off it. LOL! Only problem is I haven't got any tallow at present. A trip to the butcher and some smelly work in the kitchen should fix that :-)

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  11. Oh dear... I'm thinking of you and hope the procedure goes smoothly. Bug hugs to you XX

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  12. We're paying for childhoods spent in the sun without protection (in my case). I hope it goes well for you tomorrow. Chel.
    Valerie

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    1. That's for sure, Valerie. Most of the people I see at the skin clinic are our age.

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  13. You're in my thoughts & prayers, hope it all goes well today. XO

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    1. Thanks Karen. Not long to go now before the torture starts :-)

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  14. Nana Chel will be praying for you. I have two BCC's that have to come out of my upper chest. I know the gut wrenching feeling when you have already had one procedure and you are told that the Dr didn't have wide enough margins, so they have to remove more. Hang in there and be kind to yourself. Much love Jane.

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    1. Jane at least the doctor won't have to cut the skin much as she is hoing in through the cut she made last week. She just has to go deeper this time not wider.

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  15. Catching this a day later, Chel, but you're in my prayers. It's a good plan to have things to do, as being calm and happy, increases the immune systems ability to recover and repair damage. Think positive, breathe deeply and empty your mind of worry.

    My recommendation is to eat lots of quality, home made bone broth. It helps to mend cartilage and tissue. Take care. :)

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    1. Thanks for that tip, Chris. That's a very sensible thing to do.

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  16. Reading this a day late Chel as we drove up here to Cairns yesterday. Thinking of you and hope it isn't any where as bad as you think it will be. Hope you have some good books to read for a couple of days and receive lots of TLC.

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  17. Pauline, I hope you enjoy Cairns. It should be cooling down a little at this time of year. I have just come home from the torture session :-) It wasn't quite so bad as last time as I dosed myself up with Panadol beforehand. I should get the results on Monday.

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  18. Hi Chel, just got your email now, so hoping all went well today and you are not too sore and tender.
    I have just finished reading "the longest ride' by Nicholas Sparks, author of 'The Notebook', nice easy engaging stories, see what the library has, also talking books are a gret idea if you are stuck at home.

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    1. Margaret, I don't think I will go out until I can take this big dressing off after 48 hours although by then I will have a black eye so it is hard to know which is worse. I wanted to go to the Farmers Markets today but didn't want to walk around in the sun. I need to buy a hat with a bigger brim than the one I currently have.

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  19. Hope all went well, make sure you rest up now.

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    1. Thanks Deb, the worse part was the needles for the local and I did jump a couple of times this time as I guess they were put into a wound which was already tender. I am bracing myself for the results just in case more work needs to be done.

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  20. All our love to you Nanna Chel from us here. A day at a time hey.

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    1. Thanks Mr.HM. All prayers would be most appreciated.

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  21. Dearest Chel, what a traumatic time you're having. It's a horrible thing to go through, but I'm sure you would be thankful that we are living in one of the most medically advanced countries in the world, with a great health care system. My eldest sister recently went through the same thing as you, on her nose, called back twice to go deeper, skin grafts etc, and as she is on a part pension with no health cover, she hasn't paid a cent for any of it. I do hope you will be feeling a bit better in a couple of days or so, as this kind of thing would really take a lot out of you. Plenty of years left to "get your affairs in order". :) XX Much love, and healing thoughts to you dear friend.

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  22. Sally, as the kind of skin cancer I have is rare and is very invasive the doctor doesn't want me to wait to be seen through the public system as it would take too long so I will have to pay whatever Medicare doesn't cover if the latest test shows there is still some cancer there. It is a mix of Basal Cell carcinoma and Squamous Cell carcinoma so is quite unusual apparently.

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  23. Trust you to have the rare kind. No ordinary run of the mill cancer for you. Im just catching up on missed posts and see what i've missed out on. All the excitement is over and i missed an opportunity to stir you up and make you laugh. So some photos of black eyes would be good. You will get more sympathy if there is lots of bruising, trust me.

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  24. Ha ha, Lynda.I am sure a black eye isn't too far away as it gets worse as the swelling starts. Going through this two weeks in a row is getting to be a bit of a habit and I hope this is the last lot of it.

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  25. I am reading this so late but I will keep you in my prayers Chel. Hope it turns out well. -mrsmeagre

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  26. That's worrying Chel. I hope you are okay :( Mimi xxx

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