Adhesions, that's what the Reg said it was. It started about 4pm on Tuesday, abdominal pains that worsened over the next few hours. By 7pm I realised it was the same thing that I had had in the South Island which was only relieved by a trip to the doctor for Buscopan and Tramadol injections. So off we went into Matamata. By now I was in agony. The GP was very, nice and after taking a brief history gave me some intravenous Buscopan (an anti spasmodic), the effect was dramatic to say the least and the pain disappeared totally, instantly. With Buscopan tablets and instructions to go to ED if the pains returned, it was back home and off to bed. The early night we had promised ourselves (I had worked a 14 hour day on Monday and the night before neither of us had slept well) wasn't as early as we had hoped but by 10.30pm they were all asleep. I say 'they' because I wasn't, the pain was coming back. I had taken more Buscopan and Tramadol but it wasn't helping. The timeline becomes a bit blurred from here on but Eric took H and A to R+R's (he had phoned and warned them earlier in the evening that this may happen) and we went to Hamilton. By now I was vomiting and shaking violently but by the time we arrived the pain had subsided. ED was amazingly quiet and I was seen and processed within 3-4 hours (that's seriously quick for Waikato ED!). I had the option of going home and only drinking, "only if you insist", or being admitted. I opted for the latter. Firstly, Eric had an exam the next (same!) day and I was worried that I'd have him back up again in a few hours of the pain came back, and secondly, quite franky I was scared of getting into that much pain again and having a 40 minute drive to the hospital to access pain relief. Anyway, I was admitted at 2.30am, had a drip and IV fluids overnight, was allowed to drink in the morning and after tolerating lunch was discharged. Eric wrote his exam on 2 and half hours sleep! I'm now fine but the abdomen has been somewhat tender this week. The X-Rays etc showed a partial bowel obstruction which obviously cleared itself. It's all related to previous surgery. The reassurance of the Reg 'this self-resolves 90% of the time' was tempered with 'you can guarantee this will happen again'. Remind me NEVER to run out of Buscopan tablets!!
In ED Eric commented that I hadn't bought my camera. Why? I asked. 'Well you take photographs of eveything for blog and could take a piccie of you here' !! Thank you Darling!
Some photos, and filling the blog gaps
Eric attempted to dag our sheep in late August. He borrowed Richards dad's hand shearing kit but it didn't work too well. I think it was a combination of the blades being a bit blunt, Eric's inexperience and the unit didn't match the power supply well. I took these.
'Now you put these round what Daddy?' (docking rings for those of you who don't know what she's holding)
Fidgets turn.
'What us?' - Fidget and Feral
New calves arrive-28th August
Alice and Fidget
I mentioned in my 'partial blog', more photo's there incidently (including ones of piglets - just scroll down), that we attended Harriette's class's Winter Feast recently. They have been studying everything medieval and this culminated in a feast for all the parents. It also doubled as a fund raising exercise for there up and coming camp to Wellington (Yes Trish I may be going so we can catch up then). The 37 children in the class (Yes >37), dressed up, danced, performed, served and taught some of the audience how to to some of the dances. It was a very pleasant evening and they all worked very hard. The teacher was amazing, he did all the cooking and kept a very low profile, allowing the children to conduct the evening. they were also marked on the project and Harriette scored very well. The photos aren't brilliant (and my battery ran out) but these should give you a feel for the evening.
Back to Cedar Lodge, this is just to assure you that the slotting goes on! Eric culled our chooks and these ones lost out.
We did eat one but this led us to the conclusion that if we want to eat our chickens then they have to be less that 3 years old!!!!! Well we knew that didn't we! I have just refered to Eric before writing the last bit. E,H and A are in the kitchen cooking-E (Helen and Phil are coming for supper tonight) and eating breakfast-H and A (it's only 10am!). Eric said the chooks were scrawny. 'What like you 2' says Harriette??? 'Harriette I don't think you could call your mother or I scrawny' To which my delightful daughter replies 'No I mean old and tough'
This is what we get up at 6.30am to do each morning...
The weather. We have had some fabulous warm weather, weeks of it, and the sixth driest winter since records began. However since getting the paddocks limed we have wanted some rain to wash the grass. The cows don't like it chalk flavoured. Well the rain has arrived - with a vengence! Unusally it has come in (huge) showers. Here when it starts it usually doesn't stop for 3 days. Anyway, it's fabulous and I can stop irrigating my veg plot, which looked like this this morning...
Saddle, Alices calf club calf from the first year, and No 3 went to market a week ago. Saddle moo-ed, incessantly, and we are not sad to see him go. Neither was Alice, she banks $500 profit, after deductions for hay, drench, calf milk etc. We get almost nothing as we gave Harriette $500 in payment for Freckles as we don't want her sold. This is the girls spending money for the UK - whenever we get there!!!!
The goosers are definately laying, 8 eggs at the last count, getting close is now too dangerous!! They obviously consider the sheep a big threat (despite the fact Eric has electric fenced them off) as whenever they come close there is an enormous kerfuffle down there.
That's the animals, now the children! Alice got 100% in her basic facts test this week for the first time and Harriette got a distinction in her Austalian exams in Writing, coming in the top 2% in the country (2 marks under the highest NZ score). She also passed her grade one piano exams a fortnight ago. Harriette's behaviour has improved somewhat, I think we have computer usage tackled, and she is proving quite witty at times. Alice is much the same, little Miss Angry of Matamata - Boy can she fly off the handle. I can't think where she gets it from!!!
I didn't get the job I went for. It was 20 hours/week covering maternity leave for 12 months in the Public Health Unit. The interview went well and my plan was that IMAC would second me. However, when I then thought about fitting in my job to 1 and half days a week until Xmas as I am on this CAT course I began to wonder about the sense of having applied. When the guy phoned me with their descision I can honestly say I was saying to myself 'please don't offer me the job'. The ego was a bit dented but the sucessful person had a Masters in Public Health and had worked in a PHU before. I can't compete with that. The course is going well so far, very practically based and not terribly acaedemic, which makes a nice change. I think it is going to be really helpful and I am already hugely rethinking the way I teach.
Eric is seriously stressed/exhausted. He has had 2 exams this week, has not been sleeping well and has assignments due regularly over the next month or 2. He has also been covering his colleague, Steve, who is on leave this week and every time he has skipped a lecture to do some studying, the phone has gone and he has had to go and shift bulls on a road or pick up a dog. On top of this he got his exam timetable this week. He wanted his exams spread over a couple weeks at the end of the timetable giving him some time to study. Needless to say they are almost one day after the next and right at the start.
Well this blog has taken me about 3 hours to do and I have an assignment to get in for Monday. Thank heavans it's raining so I can't get distracted outside.
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