Quick Visits

David and Liz

Last Friday night it was great to have David join us for dinner. We had Rebecca and PJ over as well so we had a great time sharing news. David had eight meetings that day so he was exhausted. He left us around 11.00pm to catch a 1.00am flight back to Singapore.

We thought David’s two day flying visit was stressful for him but now we are expecting Liz from N.Y. for just three days!! Arriving Sunday morning and leaving Wednesday morning. She will be back to her family for Thanksgiving. They intend going away to a horse riding place with the Galvins for Thanksgiving.

A little bit of Paris in NY

Kids in New York 

I have been so impressed with all the activities the Buchanan and Joyce kids have been doing, Hannah and Sarah particularly so. I wonder how they are going to like returning to their more conservative all girls school next year after cheer leading and winning swim team fun!

I hear elementary school is also going well. Would love to hear on Facetime what you are enjoying and what’s different to Balmain.

Brain Power

The on-going side effects of the chemo had been really debilitating and there seemed to be no real relief strategies. There is some research that vitamins B1 and B12 can help a bit in some cases but there is not much more suggested. The cancer team all shrug their shoulders and give sympathy but not much more.

When I was in Singapore in October Kate took me to an osteopath in the same clinic where she goes. He was French, cute and gave me an incredible 45 minute foot massage along the nerve endings etc. He suggested I see an osteopath in Melbourne. I asked the oncologist what he thought and he casually said he thought some people got some relief from acupuncture so couldn’t hurt.

Nick, the osteopath that Erich and I go to, was away doing service work in India when we got back so I couldn’t get an appointment until last week. He also gave my feet a great massage and manipulative exercises. He suggested a book that he had just read on pain and the brain. It has a summary of all the latest research, in lay terms, into the connection between brain and pain. A lot of this research work has been done in Adelaide. It was my life line. I got it on audio and listened attentively. When I finished my whole outlook and strategy plan had changed. It has helped enormously.

“On its release the Explain Pain concept was considered ground-breaking and it is still proving to be a phenomenal force in the move to better understand, manage and prevent chronic pain. Explain Pain resources aim to give clinicians and people in pain the power to challenge pain and to consider new models for viewing what happens during pain. Once they have learnt about the processes involved they can follow a scientific route to recovery.”

The book is on Amazon but the audio version I bought from Neuro Orthopaedic Institute (NOI)

Je parle français…

I sat my first French exam in 50 years last week. I smiled when I read Liz’s post about how she felt having breakfast with the principal. It was kind of the same – the whole thing took me back to school exams and the feeling in the pit of the stomach, having a complete mental blank for a moment and so on. There were four part – reading, writing, listening and speaking.

In some ways it was funny. I was there as a student with two examiners but part of me was also judging them as a principal judges her staff and how they perform with their students. One of the examiners had very encouraging body language whereas the other was much more the other way. Anyway I think I passed – in true French bureaucratic style won’t know for sure for weeks.

I have already started working for the next level which is in March. They are held on the same day twice  a year all around the world, As standardised as humanly possible.

Paris Follow-Up

The French handmade leather handbags that Charlotte and Sarah designed in Paris have finally arrived. I have them sent here as I knew the lass in Paris had to be honest on declaration about the cost. I was concerned that there would be duty to be paid and didn’t want that hassle in NY or Singapore. We were able to send Sarah her via her dad. Charlotte’s hopefully will go to her via her mum next week.

I am working on how comments on this particular word press style work. You can see the comments if you click on the word ‘comments’ at the bottom of the blog. They stay hidden until it is clicked.

Oh yes I finally launched my podcast – it would be great to get some reviews from family on iTunes. Yes you can comment on the Blog- it won’t come up instantly as I get to edit spam out but it will be viewable fairly quickly.