1 Year 2 Months

 Our lovely Ossian came back to stay with us at the beginning of March and is still waiting on word from immigration as to wether they will grant his 2 year visa or not. It has been fantastic having him here. He fits well with the family and very much a part of it. He will be greatly missed when he picks up his journey and continues his travels wherever they take him. He is a beautiful soul to spend time with and a blessing to have in our home.

At the end of March, Kim and I went on the Google+ #thewalkdownunder in Brisbane. We met some truly lovely people, amazing photographers and had a beautiful day. I managed my first post op trip(s) on the water with no problems. Much cause for joy and celebration! Thank you for the nifty new camera strap too! After that we went to Kim’s brothers 50^th (still in my G+ t-shirt).

We met up with Tony again for a sunset shoot, followed by a trip into the city to take photos of the various building lit up blue for Autism Awareness. We tried to meet up again for a sunrise shoot but ended up a bit separated, did the festival of Sails at Redcliffe and then another sunrise the following morning at the Gold Coast.

It has been a great and inspiring thing to be a part of. Really very much looking forward to the next photo walk at the end of this month and catching up with these fantastic people again.

I have recently heard back from the people I applied for the job with and they have given it to another lady who applied internally. Fair enough too, she is already working in the company so less training to do! They did tell me that I interviewed very well and they’d like me to reapply for another position coming up in mid May. I Have actually applied for another job with the same company a few hours after that conversation as well as having my name down for a traineeship with them and I will keep my eyes open for this other job coming up in May if none of the previous pan out.

I have signed up for a 5km run/walk for the Kim Walters Think Pink Think Choices Program. (Choices) is a free community service regardless of where treatment has been undertaken offering support for women and men diagnosed with breast cancer and women diagnosed with gynaecological cancers and their families. http://www.uchealth.com.au/choices/

You can help me to raise funds to help men and women diagnosed with cancers continue to receive multi- disciplinary holistic care through the Wesley Hospital Choices Program. This one I am doing for Aunty Elaine who was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. My fundraising page is here http://www.mycause.com.au/Walkingthewalkforcancer

I have also undertaken another mammoth task of personal importance. The Charles Wanstall Apex Lodge provides accommodation for regional patients undergoing cancer treatment in Brisbane. The Charles Wanstall Apex Lodge in Brisbane is desperately seeking donations of hanging prints, pictures and paintings of either landscapes or rural settings to brighten up our units for their guests. They are in need of around 100 framed pictures, any sizes up to 700mm x 700mm or about that size, and donors are asked to please attach their names and a little message to accompany their donation.

My parents spent time staying in places like The Charles Wanstall Lodge when I was a teenager and my Dad had to come to Brisbane from Toowoomba for treatment. I've spent a lot of time in hospitals with my parents while they were having cancer treatment and more recently while I was having treatment and know what it is to stare at blank walls.

Yesterday I delivered 30 prints to the lodge. It was a combination of images from +Tony Porter , my Father and I. I spoke with Allan who was thrilled to receive them and explained that they have no funding to brighten up the rooms for patients and their families. I also got to talk to some of the patients there. It was a hugely emotional experience for me but I will do it again in next week when I have some more $$ and prints framed.

Please consider donating some of your own incredible artwork if you can. To make a donation, please email allanpuckridge@cancerqld.org.au.

I have also felt the need to start writing things down. I feel like I need to better document this post surgery journey and then things that have happened along the way. There have been a HUGE bunch of things I have overcome so far and it’s very easy to lose track of it all.

That’s all for now I guess, if I remember more I’ll make a new post. Have a fantastic day and make the most of what you have.

1 year and 1 month

Today marks 13 months since I had brain surgery. It feels like yesterday and like a million years ago all at the same time. This month has seen a lot of new things for me.

As per my previous post, no tumour on my leg *happy dance*. No more physiotherapy for the time being, I am left to my own devices for that until further notice :) I did have my story showcased at (b)human. If you don't know it, want to know more etc. it is over here "Julia's Story"

This weekend is the Twilight Running festival! I am so excited. I am so incredibly overjoyed to be ABLE to do this. I received a new running singlet and a note of thanks in the mail from "Cure Cancer" for fundraising. I couldn't have done it without your help so Thank you all!

Today it seems that we have enough people to form our team for the relay for life as well! I am also totally overjoyed about that. My mother used to do relay for life every year before her lung cancer. She used to Run the Daffodil Ball for the local hospital as well. Its a really big deal for me to be able to do this for her, for my dad and other family members and friends who have won, lost the battle or are still fighting.

I went for a job interview the other week. I haven't heard back from them yet but time will tell. They were lovely people. I had a number of victories that day. I celebrate all the little milestones as they are each important and signs of my improving health and my healing post op. Firstly I didn't get motion sickness on the train going in for the interview. Before surgery it would have been a very big problem for me. I also walked around the city without having a panic attack. I had one a few weeks after I got home from hospital so I was a little concerned that it was going to be a permanent thing but it looks like it isn't :) We went to a bookshop on the way home from the interview and the floor was uneven with hideous fine striped carpet which looked like it was moving every time I moved my head/eyes. I felt like I was going to have a seizure so I left the shop and managed to avoid it. They don't seem like very big things but for me they are.

I don't know where I would be without the support of my family. My husband has been an incredible rock through it all and my youngest son has been amazing.

Marvellous March

Yesterday was our granddaughters 3rd birthday. It was a lovely morning spent with her and watching her play with her little friends at Hippo's. I have to say I was feeling a little old having a 3 year old granddaughter!

In other news, I had my leg scan done and there was nothing to biopsy so no leg tumour! Ecstatically happy about that especially with the Twilight Running Festival 2 weeks away! I was not looking forward to the possibility of doing that with stitches in my leg! Sponsor me for the Twilight run here

Things are really picking up. Last week I put my resume in for a job and was called back in under two hours. Very exciting and scary. Now to wait for the second call back to arrange interviews etc. I'm really looking forward to it. It really is a whole new world for me now. So much has changed and so many opportunities are now open. We went out and bought clothes and shoes so that I'll have work clothes again. It was all a bit surreal and odd but we got there in the end.

I have been asked to write my story to be showcased on a website. It has taken a while to get started and is probably the hardest thing I have written in a very long time. I think I have it finished now. No doubt there will be things I have missed out or skipped or forgotten but there isn't a lot I can do about that right now. I've written what I could remember as best I could and that will have to do, I can't really do better right now.

I have finished with physiotherapy for the time being as well! I have improved out of sight and unless I have a bit of a stumble/back slide (which I'm actively avoiding) I don't need to go back. Very very happy. My Physiotherapist is a fantastic guy and wonderful at his job but I really hope not to need to see him a gain any time soon. I am going to continue with my brain training at least until my subscription runs out. It has been incredibly helpful. I'll be picking up some second hand secondary text books and working my way through those as I can as well. The only way to try and fix what is broken and put back what is missing is to try and learn it again I think.

Today was a wonderful day, I got back in contact with a long lost friend. I can't wait to catch up properly. It's been a long time between drink as they say.

Reasons to be Pretty

1 Year Brainaversary

WOW.

Today (February 16th) a year ago I was going into surgery to have a tumour removed from the middle of my brain. As I was being prepared for surgery I was told I would be having a full craniotomy. I would be losing a heap of hair and have a wicked huge scar on my head. When I woke up many hours later I had a tiny scar and tiny amount of hair gone and had endoscopic surgery. It saved my life. Without that surgery I had been given 6 months to a year at the most to live.  I did have a big bleed during surgery, it did some damage but I am still here, still alive and doing better every single day.

These things change your perspective. The little things that you thought were oh so very important before, just don't matter.

It's been an amazing year, its been challenging, frightening at times and yet it is possibly the best year I have had in a very long time. I have been working very hard to recover physically, mentally and emotionally. I have learned a lot about the brain and how it "heals" and the funny things it does when it thinks its under threat.

This really is the beginning of the rest of my life. I have a future now that I never dared to dream of having. I have sent off for information to start study again and I'll (hopefully ) start a traineeship in June. I am excited and inspired and very much looking forward to being more and more involved in life.

Next month (13 months post op) My husband an I are going to be taking part in the Twilight running festival here in Brisbane to raise funds for cancer research. My littlest brother and I are also putting together a team for Relay for Life (24 hour relay) in November also to raise funds for cancer research. I am overjoyed to now be ABLE to do these things and I love doing them.

I have a lot of people to thank For their help support and love along this journey. My family first and foremost for living with me with this beast in my head for eight years and through the last year in recovery. My beautiful friends who have been so gentle with me in my recovery. I can not begin to describe just how very much you have each helped and how very much of an impact it has had on my life.

There is just SO much running through my head this morning! I can't seem to grab the end of any one thread to nail it down :) I suspect it's going to be a big day of reflection.

Birthdays and Brainiversaries

I have just had my birthday the day before my 11 month Brainiversary. My Dad's birthday is the day before mine so we have for many years shared the celebration. When I was little we used to share a cake, half pink half blue.

This year I asked for a treadmill so that I can get back on my feet and not have to worry so much about getting caught out in the heat in summer or the cold in winter. I did get one and managed to find and identical one (I didn’t know I was getting one) for my Dad the day before. So now my Dad and I have matching treadmills! Dad has had a chest infection for a few years and consequently lost a lot of his basic fitness. This way he can rebuild it in his own time and not have to worry about running out of steam and being a long way from home or trying to keep up with anyone else. My wonderful husband organised for my family to come and visit and spent the day making amazing delicious diabetic friendly food. I cannot thank him enough. He also brought home some beautiful carnations for me.

As I mentioned it is also my 11 month Brainiversary. I have continued to work hard physically as well as mentally and fell like I am very much closer to being "Me" again. My husband commented yesterday that I have my sense of humour back and that I am standing up for myself more and not falling apart as soon as something is not "routine". I am adjusting to things and making plans! My Physiotherapist tis thrilled with my recent progress and attitude improvement. I'm very excited to have signed up for the Twilight running festival in March. I didn't think that I'd be doing this at 13 months post op but I am! The Festival is to raise money to find a cure for cancer. It’s an issue close to my heart so I thought it would be a good place to start. I am also hoping to do the relay for life in November.

Next month will be 12 months post op. I have decided to have a party to celebrate. I had thought to have one when I got home from surgery but I was far too tired and unwell to cope with a party or big groups of people. I'm not sure how I will manage with a big group of people next month but at least they will be family and friends and understand if I need time out. This has been an incredible journey. There are still some surprises, things I haven’t mentioned and have held on to since before surgery, but they give me even more reason to enjoy my life and love every minute that I have.
Life does not always work out the way we expect it to or the way we plan, some times it’s for the best. I am on a new journey of finding the best me I can be in my new brain. This year I will start doing some the things I put off for years due to my illness. The first will be climbing the Story Bridge. I also plan to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Auckland Bridge, for now though I'll settle for the Story Bridge.
There are always things in life sent to challenge us; it is up to us how we respond to them. You can bemoan your woes or you can look for the opportunity in them. Stay safe, stay healthy and happy.
Julia 

http://twilightrunningfestival2012.gofundraise.com.au/page/RobertsonJL <-- donation page

Please help make a difference

Dear friends,

Please check out my fundraising page: http://gotaf.socialtwist.com/redirect?l=2qyaz

I'm trying to make a difference for a great cause that is close to my heart.

I have created a fundraising page through GoFundraise to help support this cause and raise some much needed funds.

I would greatly appreciate your support by making a donation to through my web page. You can also leave personal messages and get involved yourself. 

Together we can make a difference.

Thank you for your help!

http://gotaf.socialtwist.com/redirect?l=2qyaz