Hospital Stay

A few weeks back we were doing the latest round of hospital living. My mum went in for more brain surgery to remove her reoccurred GBM tumor.

Over this three week period many items were purchased and/or packed to make her life on the inside more enjoyable. So in the spirit of helping others, here is what she found useful. I have also included tips regarding accommodation and food. Please note, this list is likely to vary from person to person, ailment to ailment:

Pyjamas that are stylish and don't look too much like pjs. You want something your loved one can wear during the day, visit the hospital cafe in and feel fairly respectable. CottonOn Body and Myer have great options. Make sure you have several pairs, include dressing gowns and socks. You will need enough to keep your patient stocked up while you do a laundry run.

Air diffusers such as the Dusk ones. They really make a stay more comfortable by keeping gross hospital smells to a minimum.

Audiobooks. Due to my mum's condition she found reading too hard but enjoyed having audiobooks, especially humorous ones.

Favourite toiletries including a luxurious hand cream. Any little treat turns into a big one when being prodded and hooked up to various devices. You can also give your loved one foot and hand rubs.

Pictures of people and things they love.
Noise cancellation earphones. Mum used these all the time not only to watch or listen to entertainment but also just to cancel out the beeps, groans and constant noise of a hospital ward.

Note pad and paper. To write down any questions they might have for doctors, lists, or random scribbles.

A nice throw for the bed. Much more homely and comfortable than the standard hospital corners.

A vase for all those flowers that get sent.
Pillows from home. As my mum often had to sleep sitting upright she found great comfort in having her favourite pillows from home. Don't forget to bring some extra pillow slips so they can be regularly washed (especially if you have a healing head incision on your hands).

Helpful tips for the carer:

If you have to travel interstate to care for your loved one, consider hiring an apartment instead of a hotel room. If you are staying near Royal North Shore in Sydney let me know and I can send you a great recommendation right in the St Leonards' Forum. Apartments are so much better because you have a home base including a kitchen to prepare meals, a washing machine and several bedrooms. As a family unit you can stay connected while having your own space. Try for somewhere walking distance to the hospital, public transport and a grocery store.

Shift work. With all of us having work and family commitments, our family took turns being in Sydney and coming back to Canberra. It is a long slog and the load has to be shared.

Find the best places for healthy meals close by. You will soon get sick of hospital cafe food and so will your loved one. Again, if staying near Royal North Shore let me know and I can tell you some of them. I can also let you know about a great Thai massage place too!


Hopefully the above helps in some small way. Over the last year I have had lots of time in hospitals so if you are ever after more advice or support just drop me a line, happy to help. Also, don't be afraid to comment with some of your own tips!!

Book Review: And the Mountains Echoed

And the Mountains Echoed is the third novel from one of my all time favourite authors Khaled Hosseini.

Straight up, Hosseini is gifted and the man can write. Making the ugly shine like jewels. For example, when a character is describing his dementia diagnosis:

They tell me I must wade into waters, where I will soon drown. Before I march in, I leave this on the shore for you. I pray you find it, sister, so you will know what was in my heart as I went under.

Hosseini's ability to write has never been in doubt but I am sorry to say some misgivings have crept in with his latest effort. In all fairness this is still a good read, but when your other two works are masterpieces it is difficult to keep outdoing yourself. 

The downfall with this book is Hosseini's attempts to include too many tales that somewhat intertwine. This leaves some of the most intriguing characters and story lines not fully developed, allowing tad boring scenarios to take up valuable page space. This left me frustrated and I put And the Mountains Echoed down for a few months. However, this was not entirely Hosseini's fault. With a sick toddler, lack of sleep and other pressures of life, I just didn't have the mental energy to read.

I am glad I pursued with this book which, as with all Hosseini's work, has me thinking and visualising long after the last page has turned. It is by no means a disaster and I do recommend you give it a go over summer. The pinnacle events in the book will leave you heartbroken and touched. If you do, please let me know what you think, because I'm unsure if I'm just being too harsh!

My dear sister-in-law Miss T gifted me The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton for my birthday last week. I'm looking forward to reading this Man Booker Prize winner but might take me awhile due to its length! 

Have you read And The Mountains Echoed? What books are on your summer reading pile?

Sunshine State of Mind...

The weather has been scorching, Christmas is just around the corner which adds up to one thing = our annual two weeks break with the in laws in Queensland, specifically South-East Queensland.

A psychic told me once that Queensland would be a special place for me. That it held a bunch of women who would become my family and it will be my second home. At the time, I was a 21 year old girl who loved nothing more than going to gigs, alternative fashion and frequenting cafes. Nah, I thought, she has got me all wrong, I'm going to end up in trendy Melbourne! Well turns out she at least got one thing right, as I did marry a Queenslander who has two sisters and a mum (plus a dad and other relos I adore). Dr Love is the only member of his family that has left the Sunshine state and you can see why everyone else has stayed, pretty hard to give up such a nice lifestyle.

We are blessed with both worlds - fantastic careers and friends in Canberra but the ability to spend time north of the border X 2 a few times a year. So here are just some of the things I love about South East Queensland:

Beaches
Where the land meets the sea is the biggest draw card of this sunburnt state. Dr Love is from Ipswich, which is on the west border of Brisbane. So we either go south to the Gold Coast or north to the Sunishine Coast. We usually choose the latter, which is the opposite direction of schoolies and bad boob jobs. Not that I'm anti Goldy - Green Mount is Dr Love's fav surfing spot, the Goldy has all the theme parks, super malls and Surfers does have its own glitzy style but the Sunshine Coast is more chilled which is more of our vibe*

Maloolaba is my favourite beach because it has the right mix of everything - gorgeous beach, hottie life savers, yummy food and some shops but no snobbiness like its cousin Noosa.

The more I travel the world the more convinced I am we have the best beaches. They are crystal clean with comfy white sand, not polluted water with rocks everywhere. While I love the paradise that is Borocay of the Phillipinnes and the seaside charm of the Greek islands, if you want warm surf, QLD is the place to go.

Queenslanders
Not the people**, but the houses. My dream house is a Queenslander with a massive wrap around verandah. They possess so much charm and character. From the large, regal ones to the cute colorful cottage style, I love them. My love of Queensland arcticher extends to the traditional pubs and shops in old parts of Brisbane and Ipswich. So easy breezy. Totally dig it.

Brisbane
I adore this river city even though I haven't spent as much time as I would like in it. My few visits has left me an impression of a city more laid back than Sydney, less pretentious than Melbourne and full of charm.

Seafood
Enough said really.

Sunshine Coast Hinterlands
Just stunning and so lush. Perfect place to enjoy a weekend.

Wet and Wild
Heaven on Earth. I mean business when I visit - must wear a rashie and compete with the kiddies in the long lines. Word of advice - go in groups of two unless you want to share close proximity aka floating device with a stranger.


Disclaimer: I wrote most of this in December. It is now January and we are in the middle of floods and stuck inside - this also happens a lot in the 'Sunshine State' ;)


* Helps that the in laws share a holiday home three minutes walk from Wutulla beach. Three brothers built this home over 25 years ago and will be selling it next year *sob*.
** The people are grinners as well :)

New Universe

It is somewhat appropriate that it has been awhile since my last post as a new universe is created in a millisecond yet takes time to evolve.

My new universe came into existence with the big bang that is my son L. It is also serendipitous that the name of my blog address is 'afterlcomes' . When I picked this phrase it was a play on the alphabet and one of my nicknames M. But now, I realise after my little L came into my life the new M is emerging. M for Mother. The better version of me, now a Capital M.

No words can give justice to the wonders of any universe but perhaps my future posts will try. In the meantime here is some other people's attempts through words and images:

Birth

I did it drug free, not sure if I will again as L got stuck and it got torturous but I never have felt stronger and remind myself everyday - I did that, I can do anything!



Support

Depicts my experience beautifully x

New Aesthetic 

This is how I choose to think about my new body


Yummy Mummy

Keeping me stylin' at Stylista Mama


New World

Agree with the above except for number four. Heels are torture, I'm a flats girl like Rose . 

Gotta go but will be posting a lot more again, I hope!

See ya,

M x