Cath Sheard Art

Tag: Tony

  • As 2017 ends

    As 2017 ends I can look back on a busy year with some unusual highs and lows even by our standards. Here are some of the things that stand out, from both sides of the ledger, in no particular order:

    • Losing my voice due to medical misadventure
    • Library conference, which was awesome
    • Getting down to goal weight, then 10kg below that!
    • Flying to Auckland for a shopping weekend with my sister, Ailsa
    • Spending time in ICU due to medical misadventure
    • Getting my voice back after about 7 months
    • Tony didn’t need surgery this year – fantastic!
    • Discovering I didn’t have a stroke but do have a spinal issue
    • Faith got settled on new heart & Cushing’s medication and is doing well

    I don’t have major goals for 2018, in many way it’s just more of the same, but perhaps a bit more refined. So, my aims are:

    1. Painting more
    2. Doing art/craft regularly
    3. Stay at goal weight while eating a little more normally
    4. Drinking 1200 mls a day, every day
    5. Walking 4,000 steps minimum, every day
    6. Connecting with people who feed my soul, through snail mail and Twitter
    7. Making sure I am a positive influence in the world

    That’s it – nothing too dramatic and no rocket science. Just a happy, balanced, quiet life. I wish you all peace, joy and a magical 2018.

     

     

     

  • Progress update Dec ’16

    Last time I blogged about my weight loss surgery I had been in Base Hospital, and was feeling better. Hmm. This last week I have been back in Base after developing a blockage, partly due to dehydration. It was two days of drama but all good again now. I have new meds and a determination to drink despite the nausea. The nurses and surgeons I saw were fantastic; patient and prepared to really explain things to me. I’ll say this though – it took 24 hours to go through two Emergency Departments to a ward and, oh my god, I was exhausted!

    I’m on leave for the next two weeks and am hoping to rest and spend some quality time with Tony. He’s done a great job of caring for me, yet again, and it’s past time we had some fun. I hope the sun shines…

    face-dec-16 

  • Starting to resurface

    I sort of can’t believe it’s two months since I updated my blog – that tells you just how sick I have been because I love social media. I’ve hardly Tweeted either really. Here’s the short version.

    Last time I blogged I’d been off work for three weeks and thought I was coming right. Umm, no! I’ve had almost 7 weeks off work, been in Base Hospital and generally felt totally lousy and bone tired. None of this is the surgeon’s fault, it’s just been cumulative problems due to the surgery and a bad reaction to some of the drugs. They think it could be another couple of months before I feel really better because it’s been so rough.

    My sister Ailsa ended up going back to the surgeon in Wellington with me for a checkup then staying with us for over a week nursing me – thanks Ailsa. Tony has been his usual patient self – for once it’s me getting the nursing. I now know what he did for his patients for all those years on the ambulance!

    Anyway, I’m still very tired, but gradually getting there. The up side is that I have lost around 35kg so far, so past the half way mark now. Here’s a recent photo:

    me-november 

  • In my art journal

    While I was doing the #colourmepositive challenge, I used my art journal to stamp off extra paint etc; I ended up with a bright floral background so used watered down gesso to knock the bottom half back a bit. I stamped my new Dyan Reaveley stamps, Lulu and Winston, onto card, coloured them with Distress Markers and cut them out. The quote is about Tony and I…

    odd couple

  • Grateful

    This is the last page, done this morning, in the journal I started when Tony went to Waikato Hospital on the 19th of January. Life is not normal in the sense of being the same as it was – seemingly simple things like a hot shower still exhaust Tony – but life is slowly settling into a new normal. We’re very fortunate and very grateful.

    grateful