Uh Oh, Here I Go Again

 I woke up at 3.30 am this morning, with a very dry sore throat, and feeling very nauseous. I got up and took some Paracetamol, and something for the nausea. I was supposed to have blood test today, but don't feel well enough to go out. I am home under the Hospital In The Home scheme. This means a Nurse/Doctor will call me each day to check in on me. I told them this morning that I am not well and don't feel well enough to go out. They are ok with that and hopefully I feel better and can have the bloods done tomorrow. They need to check my Haemaglobin levels, as they were too low while I was in the hospital. They think it may be due to having had Covid. if my levels are still low I will need to have a blood transfusion. I'm also back to feeling extremely tired again. A friend came to visit me while I was in hospital a couple f weeks ago. Lovely to see her as she lives  hours North of here. She wasn't well at the time, and when she went home she did a Covid test, and it was positive. She waited TWO WEEKS before telling me she had Covid. She knows my immune system is very poor, but she never said a thing. I feel really disappointed and somewhat annoyed with her. It's sad when things like this happen, it's left me feeling that I cannot trust people/friends anymore. We've been friends since we were 10. Just feeling annoyed right now. But...I have made another card last night! 

This is Penelope with her aunt, Esme! As the sentiment says, they are 'out in the elements' looking at the Moon! (As Witches do!) This card measures 3 1/4 by 5 inches, once again done on water colour card. I've used another one of the Ravens. Nothing compares to standing on a hill at mid night, staring up at the full moon! Of course, if one of those Witches was me, I'd have my camera hoping to spot a UFO...!  Thanks for dropping by! have  SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

"Penelope" #2

 

Here's another version of "Penelope". I made this card using water colour card, as I did in my previous post. It's about the same size as well. I've also used 'Specter', the Raven, as well as Mini Rune the cat.  I've used similar stamps to create with and added some water drops as I did on the other "Penelope" card. This one has turned out a bit more 'messy' than I intended, the background is quite 'busy'. But I am having fun and it feels good to be able to sit and create for awhile. I still can't stand for very long, due to weight loss and being unwell for weeks, and am having issues preparing proper meals.  Before I left the hospital I asked about getting help to either prepare meals, or where I could purchase nourishing meals from. Well that didn't work at all. English was not the nurses first language, and she did not understand what I was asking. She came back with a note saying to buy food to cook, online from a local store. I tried to explain to her how much weight I had lost, and how standing for too long was not easy for me, but she didn't understand and wasn't interested. I kept insisting I needed help and was not leaving until it was sorted. Eventually she left and came back with 3 frozen meals. I wasn't happy but could see I wasn't going to be offered any help, so I left and came home. I heated one of the meals when I got home. It was revolting and inedible. Ditto for the second on I tried to eat yesterday. To feed someone who has lost so much weight and been so unwell for the last month, food that is tasteless and has no nutritional value what so ever is pretty darn shocking if you ask me. I have since ordered some frozen meals that are prepared by professional chefs. They arrive either later today or tomorrow. They're not cheap and I really hope they taste great. From what I read online, they seem to be quite popular and are nutritious. Yes I could have ordered frozen meals from my local supermarket, but having tried them before I know they don't have much nutritional value, and they make me sick. The good news is I was weighed before I left the hospital and have put on 4.5 kg in weight. So I have another almost 4 kg to go to be back to my normal weight of 48 kg. I have very little muscle tone at the moment, and I'm hoping I can re-gain all the weight I lost. Feeling annoyed and disappointed with my own Doctor, who did nothing about my weight loss. I saw him twice at that time and he said nothing about my weight. Not having scales at home, I wasn't aware how much weight I'd lost. When they weighed me in hospital 3 weeks ago and said I was 42 kg I almost collapsed. I asked her to check again in case she mis-read the numbers. She hadn't. Since coming home I'm with a scheme called Hospital in the Home. (HITH) This means  each day for the next week, a doctor or nurse from the hospital call me to check I'm doing ok, or if I have any new symptoms. I have blood tests done tomorrow and from there a doctor will assess me. There was an issue with my Haemoglobin levels being too low, and possibly needing a blood transfusion.  This is what they are checking for tomorrow. I just had the nurse call me from HITH and I mentioned to her about meal preparation and how the hospital was not helpful. She's going to look into it and agree'd that I should have had more help. Has anyone had  CT scan before? I had one while I was in hospital recently. I'd had an abdominal x-ray done which had come back with some anomaly which needed sorting out. A Doctor came in and said I needed an urgent CT scan because she thinks I have a twisted bowel. And if that was the case, I was going to  be rushed off to another hospital immediately to have surgery that night! She was not a doctor I had seen before, and stressed the hell out of me. She was convinced I had a twisted bowel and MUST have the CT scan immediately. She said I would have dye injected into my veins, would feel hot for a short time, and would feel like I had pee'd my pants! She said I would go into this doughnut shaped thing when they did the scan. My panic button went off because with my primary health issues, any stress, shock can send my body into a crisis. (I will explain about that in another post.) I refused to have the scan, not knowing if I was allergic to the dye, not having had it before, and told the Doctor about my Primary health condition, and how stress/shock affects me. (I have no control over it). Long story short the scan was put on  hold, but she still pressured me, which ended up with me almost having a panic attack because she was so abrupt in her delivery of what she was TELLING me I HAD to have done URGENTLY. Eventually she changed her approach and after I spoke with my nurse, I said I would have the CT scan done, even though I was very anxious and concerned I may need urgent surgery. The scan took about 8 minutes from go to whoa, and I was taken back to my room. Dinner came and I never saw that Dr again. Next morning another DR came in and said my bowel was NOT twisted, and the anomaly on the x-ray was due to...flatulence...a bunch of stuck farts!! So much for her being convinced I had a twisted bowel. But I 'knew' my bowel wasn't twisted. I let that Doctor know that her abrupt approach didn't sit well with me and how it had made me feel. I also mentioned that she might want to change her approach in her delivery of what tests/scans she wanted her patients to have. Rushing into their room and just dumping it on them does not always work, and is not being mindful of your patients, who are unwell and may be vulnerable. It sure as heck doesn't work for me!  Ok, so that's it for me today! Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

'Penelope"

 

This is Penelope, one of the new Witch stamps from Lavinia Stamps. My new stamps arrived about a week ago and this is the first I have used any of them. I made this card yesterday. I used a scrap piece if water colour card and used a brayer to colour the background. (Soft Cygnet Elements ink, and a bit of Russet Orange, also Elements ink). I Then stamped Penelope and her 2 cats Mini Rune and Mini Jinx. I added the hill and then the moon. I used an LS stamp to stamp the circle of stars around the moon. I can't recall the name of the stamp as it's not on the package. Leave me a comment if you want to know which stamp it is and I will reply. I flicked on some water drops, added some sparkle and some gold glitter, then found some LS stickers for the words. The card measures 2 1/4 x just over 3 inches in size. This was great fun to create, and I'm totally happy with how it turned out. I added some yellow to Penelope's lamp and also a bit around the inside of the moon. You can't really see the little bit of sparkle but it's there. There is another stamp of Penelope, and I hope to create another min card with her. I'm a bit tired, but I'm ok. It's nice to be able to make a cup od tea when I want one, and not have to wait for someone to make it for me. I didn't sleep too well last night, it was so quiet! I had gotten used to hearing beeps and alarms going off! Hopefully I sleep better tonight. Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUSNSHINE day! Always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

It's Been A Journey...

 Well here's some good news...I am HOME!! I was discharged this morning. I had another Covid test early this morning,  and it came back negative! Unknown to me I'd had it for about 10 days. I had no symptoms except for being ultra tired and needing to go back to bed and sleep during the day. I am so grateful that I am ok, as I have a very compromised immune system and had been cautioned about getting Covid. This is why I self isolated when there were outbreaks. It wasn't fun being at home and not being allowed to leave the house.I was lucky though, I had several people All strangers except one) who happily did all my shopping for me, and dropped it in to me. I then paid them online. It was all based on trust. I trusted them and they trusted me. It taught me a lot about people, people who were literally strangers. There are some awesome people out there for sure.  It's great to be home! Romeo was so happy to see me, he wanted lots of pats and cuddles...and food! In return he gave me lots of kisses and cuddles! It was a surprise to be told I can go home this morning, I wasn't expecting that at all. I had a lovely sunny room with two big windows overlooking one of the wards below. Tonight, or to be exact, at 2 am in the morning we here in NZ put our clocks back an hour, as we go on to Daylight Savings. Luckily all my clocks etc automatically change, I don't need to do anything. I really don't feel lie waking up at 2 am to change the clocks! I need my sleep! Instead of hearing beeps and alarms going off, I can hear birds chirping and children laughing. Ok that's it for now. Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

Oh Bummer.

I've just tested positive for Covid. First time I've had it. No real symptoms except for being very tired at times. I'm on meds for Covid having a compromised immune system. I had a CT scan as they were concerned my bowel was twisted. It isn't so that's good news. Turns out it was a bit of flatulence, aka farts!! Omg I'm having a time of it. I will be here a few more days while they sort a couple of things out. I have to be home before Thursday as Sarah, Wookies mom and family are going away and they are feeding Romeo for me. I don't have anyone else who can feed him. Fingers crossed! Andrea, thank you for your comment you left me. Not sure if it published but if not I will sort it ehen I get home-thank you! I start on the Covid meds soon. I've done well not getting Covid until now. I had to isolate many timeshare home when it first hit. Thankfully they have medications i can take for it now. I have a bunch of NEW Lavinia Stamps and stencils and I almost bought them with me just to look at@ Would have kept mu brain busy! Oh welk, they'll be waiting for ne when I get home. I hope Romeo hasn't played with them and made a card for Wookie! I've had dinner and a lovely cup of tea, and it's dark now. We go off Daylight Saving Saturday at 2 am. I hope I remember to change the clock back an hour or I'll ge on the wrong time, lol! My Haemaglobin levels have dropped, and I may need a blood transfusion. They will check my bloods again tomorrow and will know what to do then. I think I'm falling apart! Ok that's all for now. Thanks for dropping in! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

Oh No!

Here I am back in hospital again. Dehydrated and not well. It's not where I want to be, but it's where I need to be at the moment. I came in last night and haven't had any sleep, so I'm feeling tired. I've had all kinds of tests and don't want to see another needle. But I know they need to put a line in so they can give fluids. I won't be crafting for awhile, but I just wanted to update onvwhats happening with me at the moment. If you believe in prayer, feel free to pray for me and my health. I would appreciate that. I'm  missing Romeo so much. Thanks for dropping by. Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

A Little Bit Of Crafting!

 

Above is a photo I took of Daisy, the Hospital cat, that I took when I was in hospital recently. She has the run of the hospital, and visits patients. She often sleeps on their bed, and spends time in the Maternity ward making sure the new mums and babies are all ok. She visited the ward I was in and I took a couple of photos of her. She's a real treasure and likes to spend time in one of the offices curled up on a chair. When I called her, she came running down the hallway meowing! After a pat and cuddle he wandered off.

I haven't touched my stamps for ages due to being unwell. I'm still recovering at home, and having lost a lot of weight, I am now trying to build up my muscles and put the weight back on. I lost 6 kg (13.4 lb) which wasn't intentional and was way too much for me to lose. I've had issues being able to stand/walk, due to being so weak. But I'm slowly getting my strength back. I do have some new stamps/dies which I will post here as time goes by. While I was in hospital my kidneys stopped working I was so dehydrated. Everything is fine now, thankfully. While I was in hospital there was a nurse/doctor strike for 2 days. They had managed to put a line in my arm, but had to wait for the Doctor to sign the form so I could be given the  3 bags of fluid which had been ordered. Unfortunately because of the strike, there was only one doctor available at that time and he was really busy with two patients in Resus. Then I was moved to a ward, and they still couldn't find the doctor to approve the fluids. This went on for 2 days, and because I was vomiting I wasn't able to eat or drink. Long story short, by the time the doctor signed the papers, and they tried to get the IV fluids going, the IV had become blocked and they couldn't clear it. They tried to find another vein but  my veins had disappeared due to being so dehydrated. Both my arms were covered in bruises, and I was sick of being stabbed with needles. They got the Ultra Sound machine to find a vein, but each time they found one, it wasn't suitable. It was a nightmare, and then they told me my Kidneys had stopped working. They gave me something to stop me vomiting, and it worked well eventually. Then I was able to eat and I started to drink. For some weird reason I craved ice! Once I was drinking small amounts my Kidneys started to work again, which was great! I had a message from a close friend who lives 4 hours North of me, and we don't often get to see each other. Her youngest daughter (who  lives her in Auckland, not far from the hospital I was in) said that she was in Auckland as her daughter wasn't well. She asked me what I was up to and I told her I was in hospital. Ten minutes later she arrived for a visit! That was great and cheered me up. We've been friends since we were ten years old and used to go roller skating together. 

She stayed for several hours which was nice. I asked for a walker so I could get to the ta room to make myself a cup of tea. It felt weird walking after being in bed for 8 days and being so weak. Luckily the tea room was only a few steps away from my room. 

The next day I saw the Kidney Specialist who said he was sure my kidneys were working again, and would I like to go home?! Of course I said yes! I sent my friend a text and told her the good news. She said she would come and drive me home, which she did. By then I'd been in hospital nine days. Way too long, usually I'm in and out in 2 days. However, this time I had an infection and a high Temperature. I  had Campylobacter - food poisoning from some chicken I had eaten. (Chicken is now off the menu!) It wasn't pleasant and I had to have a 5 day course of Antibiotics. Most people don't need the Antibiotics, but because of my existing medial issues, I had to have them. It took the hospital a few days to properly check why I had such a high temperature due to a lot of the staff being on strike. They did their best with the skeleton staff they had, and I am grateful to them for all their help. The meals were great, and I have no complaints about the food there. So yeah, it's been a journey and I am SO happy to be home! Poor Romeo was overjoyed to see me, and he follows me to bed and sleeps tucked up against my chest each night! I felt terrible being away from him for 9 days, but I really had no choice. I needed medical help. 

So I am slowly getting back into crafting, I don't have a lot of energy, and still find standing and walking a challenge. I also get tired quickly, so I try to pace myself. Luckily I sleep ok at night. 

Thank you for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

Health Issues.

I'm just dropping in to let you know that I have been in hospital for nine days, with a serious infection and kidney issue.  I am now back home. I've lost 6 kg which is way too  much. It happened over a few weeks, and I am very weak and have trouble standing up and/or walking. I have to keep sitting down. I was seriously dehydrated and ended up with my kidneys not working too well. I get tired quickly and spend a lot of time resting. I don't think I will be creating anything for awhile. It's a long story. 

Some good news though, Ebay have fully refunded me for the stamps/dies and missing embossing folder, so that's great. Thanks for dropping by, have a SUNSHINE day! Always be your authentic self and shine bright each and every day!