YuM PuD!

So here we are on the 10th day of January… the 10th day of a New Year. We have been so busy at work that I honestly feel as though the New Year was several weeks ago! Not a mere 1.5 weeks ago!
The New Year hasn’t made a massive impact on me as yet, however is it safe to say the year is nowhere near over?

One thing I am proud of this year is making a homemade dish for the first time ever…. successfully! One of my favourite foods is YuM ChA! And traditionally when we go out to have it, we like to end it with either Mango Pancakes or Mango Pudding. Notice a trend here? LoL
As we have found a fantastic local restaurant right here in the Illawarra that does YuM ChA on weekends only Jasbelle Restaurant has made us VERY happy locals. However as their menu is limited no matter how divine their dishes are, they unfortunately do not make either of these dessert dishes. So instead of missing out, I thought I’d give it a try. And I successfully made Mango Pudding! It was so simple to make & so devilishly awesome to eat! I do believe it is the first time I’ve ever heard my fiance make a “noise” when placing a spoonful of food into his mouth!

So here is the Recipe I followed:

Mango Pudding

2 Mango
1/3 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Coconut Milk (replace some or all with cream or skim/full milk)
3 Teaspoon Gelatin

*Remove all Flesh from Mango.
*Place into Food Processor (or equivelant) & pulse briefly a few times.
*Place water into saucepan & bring to light boil.
*Whisk in Gelatin until dissolved.
*Add to water mixture the Sugar & whisk until dissolved.
*Add this mixture to Mango in Food Processor.
*Add Milk then pulse briefly 2 or 3 times.
*Pour into ramikins for individual serves.
*Chill in fridge for no less than 2 hours, the longer the better.
*Enjoy!

Couldn’t be easier?! Please give it a try for yourself!

Leave me a message to let me know your thoughts xx

Olli's Christmas Message

So it has been a very long time since I last posted & typical story.. life just keeps getting in the way! Haha.

We have some goals set for this year which are financially going to hurt us, but are necessary for the better of our future.
Dean has surgery due around the beginning of March in which we need a few thousand dollars for. Then once he has recovered, we are back on the Infertility train. We will be attempting our first try of IVF, using PICSI. We are needing to pay up front roughly $9000.00 of which we will get a fair whack of that back from both Medicare & our Health Fund. But it’s finding the money to begin with that is going to be the struggle.

On a brighter note, I am now working at My Baby Warehouse in Wollongong. I have been wanting this job since we moved to the Illawarra & applied for a position in the store a few times. I am a Casual employee, however I m getting plenty of work.

We have 3 birds as pets now in our household. Each of them I will blog about at a later date. Olli however, is pictured above wishing everyone a Very Merry Christmas 2011!

As it’s now the first week of 2012 & indeed almost smack bang in the middle of Summer in Australia…. however the season has only just raised it’s head! We have the aircon on today & leading up till now, this Summer season of 2011 was very slow & quite cool. The New Year has brought the warmer weather. We have a good position where our house is situated, which brings the sea breeze in the afternoon & dies down enough to enjoy sitting outside during & after dinner in our outdoor area.

I wish everyone a safe New Year & hope that 2012 brings lots of fun & excitement to all of you.

I have always been a bit skeptical of those that say we are in control of our lives.
I do believe we can help path the way.. with the choices we make every day & the manner in which we conduct ourselves. However I am always being reminded of how much out of control & how insignificant we are in this massive universe of ours.

I am having a bad moment.. a small amount of time that is wearing me down. With a few things going on at the moment I just feel like curling up & disappearing.

I know I will be fine. I know my inner strength will eventually get me through this. that is the way I will be pathing my way through. I just wish it could be easier. The journey I am on right now is a bumpy & rocky one that has been moving slowly for a few years now. We have had many emotional turns along the way, many highs & a helluva lot of lows! Not knowing what lays at the end is the scary part. Let’s hope it is a good ending.

A good friend of mine from my High School days has a sister who has just undergone Gastric Banding Surgery today.

I’d like to wish her a very speedy recovery & remind her to take it slow & don’t expect too much immediately, that way she will surprise herself & be very proud of what she has gone through & accomplished. Do not allow anyone to make you feel any negativity or guilt. This has been YOUR journey, not theirs.

I’m always here for a chat if needed.

Stay safe Belinda, get well soon!

Dean has been wanting to go & see Captain America for some time. So tonight we are off to see it together. I have no idea whether it is going to be to my liking or not, but if it means some alone time with my man then I’m sure it’ll rock!

Well.. it’s been forever & a day since I last left a blog here. I have been looking at this site blankly for some time. Trying to find the encouragement has been hard. But today we embarked upon another part of our journey, so I saw it fit to use that as the good ole excuse to get back on here & get typing.

Over the past months, many things have happened. We have moved residence. My Sister In Law moved to her own home. Dad In Law moved over from Western Australia. I’ve finally changed jobs!
No doubt many of these topics I could write hours on. Someday, maybe I will. For now.. i’ll keep with the update.

My spare time is spent daydreaming LoL. I have spent time making cakes several months ago for workmates Birthdays & even though I know I am not very talented in the creative & ideas department, I found myself really enjoying this expensive hobby.
I have been researching into buying an Airbrushing system and a icing printer. I was almost ready to make my purchase for a Kopykake Airmaster system, until today.

We finally went to our first fertility appointment in over 2 years. This time much closer to home. We met Dr David Greening. He is a wonderfully jovial man with what seems to be a good kind & caring nature. We felt extremely comforted by his mannerism & it reminded us much like Prof. John Eden & our first meeting with him.
Dean & I were very happy with our outcome today, which wasn’t much to be honest with you. But as it was an initial consult, we left feeling like we have some direction. We have some tests to repeat for him & hopefully by the end of September at our next visit we might have some clear answers & indication of where to next.
It isn’t that we didn’t get the help like this before, in fact it isn’t dissimilar from where we were approx. 3 years ago. But as time has passed & age has grown on us a little more, we ultimately don’t have a lot of “breathing room” left, so to speak. The results we discussed today, although brief were good news to say the least. So hopefully from here we can only move on & into better places.

I will try to continue to blog more often as I once did. I kinda miss it to be honest! The motivation just doesn’t strike me as much as it once did & the drive just hasn’t been there. Excuses? I say YES!

Ok. It realy has been some time since I blogged regarding my surgery. I have now had my surgery & am 4 days past operation day. I will try to document each day as I remember it:

Thursday 6th May 2010 – Day Of Surgery. I arrived at St George Private at just before 7.30am. I wasn’t feeling all that nervous, just anxious to get all of this over & done with. I was admitted at Reception & after a few minutes, was escorted through to Day Of Surgery. Here Dean & I sat & waited with other patients. Throughout this time, patients were having their pre-op checks done, some were receiving visits from Dr’s & then escorted to a bed. I was told a couple of times that I had a little wait ahead of me due to 2 patients before me. I managed to get my pre-op check done around 10.00am then Dean decided to head off at 10.30, which was the time he was due to move the vehicle, with us believeing that even though there was a wait, I would be heading in shortly myself. I waited for what felt like quite some time. Finally a nurse offerred me to come & hop into a bed as I was the only person left in the waiting area. Here I changed into a gown & climbed into bed with a warmed blanket to have a small nanna nap. Finally some hours later, Dean came around the corner of the curtain with Mum T, followed shortly after by Lynda &  Little Nanna (mum). This was a very pleasant surprise! They stayed with me for maybe about an hour, before finally someone came along to escort me to the holding area outisde of the Operating theatre. I had a nice send off with the nurses waving to me & telling me how much they liked my name along with my family waving me down the corridor.
Finally I am in the holding area at what must have been about 2pm. I met a nurse who used to live a few streets away from home in Flinders & had a nice chat with another patient in a bed beside me. I watched 3 groups of patients get wheeled into theatre in the time I spent yet again waiting. Then finally my time had come! My Aneathetist came & got my canula ready then shortly after I was wheeled into theatre. This was 3.30pm. I moved from my bed onto the operating table(!) & began to relax. As I started feeling drowsy, I made a note to say out loud to those around me that I appreciated all of their help in surgery today & that their assistance was going to make a difference to my life. A tear or two later I was out to it.
When I awoke, I remember feeling extremely groggy & very very thirsty! Afterall I hadn’t had anything in my system since 10pm the night before when I had a drink. I felt terrible, but not as sick as I normally would have. I had severe pain in my left shoulder which was obviously from the gas inside me during surgery. I can remember a few conversations during this time but what I remember most is hearing words like “She is still terribly drowsy”, “She is responding even though she is not opening her eyes”, “Had to repair a Hiatius Hernia” & finally when I opened my eyes to see 3 people standing around my feet discussing how I was & a male voice saying “Is she responding at all to anything? Can she lift her head?” At which I lifted my head & nodded to them. I heard a few giggles then remember being told I was finally going to my room after staying a little longer than normal in recovery.
I can briefly recall some of the journey to my room, as I kept trying to open my eyes to see where I was & if I could see Dean. As I got closer to my room I can remembering the sound of Dean’s voice finally coming to me & I felt relieved to know he was there. Also I recognised the voice of my brother Dave. I can remember Dean holding my left hand then I remember moving into the room. My Niece Lilly was nearby as well as her voice became clearer to me. Then once the bed was settled into the room, a nurse asked everyone to wait outside while I had a quick wash. This was a very pleasant thing actually. All she did was mainly clean up the “paint” as she called it & allowed me to wash my face as best I could. She straightened up my gown, tucked me in & was finished. All I felt like I wanted to do was go to sleep & sleep it all off. I was hot & sweaty & the oxygen mask was giving me the shits. Eventually a nurse came & swapped it for a nasal tube. I don’t remember sleeping with this later in the night so I think when I took ot off to walk to the bathroom early hours of the morning, it never returned LOL.
I requested some ice just so I could wet my lips. My mouth was so dry I couldnt even handle the idea of slipping a piece of ice inside my mouth. I just wanted the moisture.
It was nice having my family around me, I tried my best to join in conversation & listened to a lot that was being said. I just could not be bothered lifting my arms to hold hands let alone open my eyes. I felt so exhausted. Eventually it was time for everyone to leave & I had some good naps which helped wear off the anaesthetic. My Left Shoulder continued to give me grief but other than that, I was feeling pretty good, just tired. Lilly was realy good, asking questions, holding my hand, rubbing ice on my lips. Harmony seemed very distant. I think Lilly handled the unknown & the fear well. I believe the fear gripped Harmony & she just didn’t know any better way to deal with it. I can understand this as when I visit people in hospital, I can get quite emotional about what I see, even though I know everything is ok. The raw emotion just gets to me. I tried my best to involve myself with speaking to both girls, in particular Harmony as I didn’t want her to be scared. I don’t know if it helped, however I have not heard from them since I came home. I am very appreciative that they came to see me however. I also love the gift they left for me xxxx
I got up during the night with a nurse to attempt a trip to the toilet. That went ok, but because my room was extremely warm, I broke into a cold sweat then felt nauseated. I went straight back to bed & was given some maxalon for the nausea & a shot in my leg which stung like hell for pain relief. This I was asked if i’d had morphene before. So i’m not too sure what that shot was. however I soon drifted off to sleep with a vomit bag clutched tightly in my fist. I slept on & off for a few hours, then felt a little more alert. I put the tv on knowing full well it was very early in the morning. WWE Raw was on! Go figure! I looked at it, rolled over, turned it off then went back to sleep. I slept well until getting hot with the sun shining on the window, so I sat up, put the tv on again & went for a wonder through the room on my own. I knew I was feeling well as the nasusea had disapeared & I was getting fidgety. Finally breakfast arrived & I was so excited! I had an ornage jelly (which i’m lucky if I had 3 small spoonfuls), apple juice & a black tea. APPLE JUICE!!!!!!!!!!! Boy did I enjoy that! I was also now having water. After breakfast I was even more fidgety. I tried to relax in bed but kept getting up & walking around every few minutes or so. I was wanting Dean. There was nothing I could do but wait. I did try to watch some tv & perhaps try to nap a little more, that wasn’t going to happen however.
Finally Dean arrived! My Man! I missed him so much & felt so bad about my lack of response the night before. I also wanted to make sure my nieces were ok with what they saw the night before.
Dean settled in beside me & I felt the warmth of our love. It helped pass a few hours before lunch arrived (pureed soup, yoghurt & lemon coridal) & the anticipation of  the Dr coming to visit, which he told Dean before I arrived back at the room that he would be in around 1pm.
As soon as the Dr arrived, he left LOL. Everything went to plan, he was very happy, explained about the Haitus Hernia being repaired & said he would see me in a week, but for now, I could decide myself wether I went home or stayed. You can guess exactly what happened next! Within the hour we were packed, dressed & in the car heading home. Recovery was just beginning.

Saturday 8th May 2010:-  Not sleeping so well overnight. Got up a couple of times to walk around as I am feeling some discomfort in my chest. Obviously this is the repaired Hiatus Hernia. My Left shoulder is still giving me some grief however mostly I am feeling ok. I am having pureed liquids to a watery consistency as well as jelly, custard & yoghurt. I make sure these melt in my mouth before I swallow them. It feels very strange to have such small quantity of food going in me however.

Sunday 9th May 2010:- Feeling a lot of discomfort today, in particular in my chest. To the point that it even hurts to take a deep breath. However I am soldiering on. Not much else I can do LOL.
Mothers Day today. Dean, Lynda, myself, Mum T & Little Nanna went to the beach at Shellharbour & sat by the water for lunch. I had an Orange Juice. The mums & Dean enjoyed a Seafood Platter & Lynda had something else as she doesn’t eat seafood. We stayed afterwards for a short while & enjoyed the day as it was. TWe went to Woolies to do a little shop then came home. The mums did their presents & enjoyed the attention they deserved.

Monday 10th May 2010:- Today. I slept realy well last night. Still woke up numerous times but was able to get comfy again & drift back into slumber. Got up around 8.30am. Feeling the same discomfort in my chest & the pain in the left shoulder is noticable but not as bad. I am noticing bruising around my surgery wounds & the skin is getting itchy all around them. I have 5 wounds. 4 in a line around my tummy & 1 higher up, which I think is the Filling Port. I have showered with the help of my mummy(!) & am just resting as usual. I venture downstairs for a drink every now & again but mainly so I don’t get too bored LOL. Facebook has become a closer friend to me than it used to be, however I know I have a long week of recovery ahead.

I haven’t updated for a few days, things have been steady with meals however emotionally I have been a little everywhere. I haven’t had too many negative feelings, which is fantastic. We have had so many things going on in our household.

So basically, it is the night before surgery. I am about to attempt sleep for the night as I am being admitted to St George Private at 7.30am. We will be leaving here roughly a few minutes before 6am. I am excited & a little nervous. But mostly I am feeling positive about how I will feel in the future. I am also looking forward to tasting real FOOD again LOL

I will post again after the op, perhaps in the hospital bed itself, as apparently there is internet access.

Ciaos for now xxxx

Yes, I know I have skipped a day…. Sorry! Was a shit day all up, however I made it through the day at work & don’t have a great deal to mention for Friday. So here is the breakdown:

Breakfast: Vanilla shake, Berrocca.

Lunch: Optifast Choc Bar & Benefibre.

Dinner: 2 cups of thick veg soup (zucchini, carrot, beans, broccoli, cauliflower, Garlic & Ginger) & 1 Optifast Berry Crunch Bar.

So as for today……
Had a nice sleep in & a quiet morning. Then Mum, Mum in law, Dean & myself went shopping at Stocklands  Shellharbour. Mum & I had haircuts, then continued on with a little retail therapy. Bought some new clothes for mum. Lay-byed a new Tshirt & Nightie for myself. Went to the food court so the others could have lunch (which I suffered through for the first time in this journey) then purchased seafood for tonight’s dinner.
We came home to relax & watch the V8s on tele & were shocked at the incident that occurred at Ipswich Raceway where a Mini hurtled into the crowd injurying 2.
Dean & I began preparing the meal for the household – Shallow-Fried Spice Coated Squid & Fresh Prawns with oven cooked homecut chips & Salad. Lynda doesn’t eat seafood so I coated strips of chicken thigh fillet in Chinese Five Spice & Cornflour. Apparently these were all nice, however of course I ate my 2 cups of salad without too much complaint(!) & hoped that the rest of the family enjoyed theirs.
After dinner we went upstairs where Dean, Mum & myself relaxed in the lounge watching Avatar for the first time. OMG! We were so blown away by it & loved every minute! I even asked Dean at the end if we could watch it yet again LOL. We can totally understand what all the hype was about it, though we never realy expected it not to be exciting.  We do however regret not going to see it at the cinema. Now I am ready to settle down for the night before spending time housecleaning tomorrow in preparation for next Thursday. Only a few days to go now!!!!

Today:
Breakfast: Strawberry shake.

Lunch: Optifast Choc Bar & Benefibre.

Dinner: 2 cups salad (Baby Spinach Leaves, Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumber, Green Capsicum, Alfalfa Sprouts with soy sauce) & 1 Optifast Choc Bar.

Not much to write about today. Except that it is 1 week today till my surgery, so I am on the (queue song) final countdown now.

Breakfast: Choc shake, Berrocca.

Lunch: Optifast Berry Crunch Bar.

Dinner: 2 cups of steamed veg (zucchini, carrot, beans, broccoli & cauliflower) & 1 Optifast Choc Bar. 1 hour later Benefibre.