December Catch up *editited in March*

December 2010 catch up blog!


I had a fairly good December for all the catastrophes that came in the months before it. It did however start the month with a pretty nasty fall, after I dodged our aging senile cat. I transferred all my weight onto my bad leg, so i would not run into her, however my leg gave way and I accidentally kicked the cat accross the room as I went flying head first into the tiles. I ended up with lots of scrapes and bruises, a nasty bump to my left eye and side of my cheek and forhead, a very sore right knee, and a jarred left hip! Luckily the cat was fine! I had had another cortisone injection into my hip in the very beginning of the month, which allowed me to have a night out with some of my newer friends and get through christmas and new year. Andrea, Hayley and I have all met in person before, even though we all originally met each other off twitter. Hayley and I have become extremely good friends over the last 18 months and have become very close as we share a similar issue with pain (check out Hayleys blog here ). This night out with her and Andrea (This was our second time hanging out with Andrea) was incredibly fun and we met her at Felix bar in St Kilda for a night of drinks, a bite to eat and Wednesday night comedy. Here’s a few pictures from a very enjoyable night. I hope to do it again soon.

Andrea, myself and Hayley at Felix Bar in Stkilda

Hayley playing around after a few drinks

Hayley and I

Christmas time


I managed to get through Christmas down in Geelong at my Cousins house. It’s a 35+ year tradition, that every year we trek down there for the day, have a big lunch with the family, sleep, pass out our KK gifts and head home about dinner time. This year was so lovely, as many other years are. One of my cousins had come home from London where she has been living for quite a few years now, so it was lovely to see her. Us “kids” all have a good laugh at the expense of our parents and grandparent/great uncle as they age, making under the table jokes and somehow turning things round so that they sound like some sort of sexual innuendo! Its crazy but always a lot of fun. I always have a good laugh with the Notini’s.

My Cousins Suzy and John Paul

Christmas Tree!!!

and here is my brother Scott... Pondering the thought of christmas (NOT)

NYE


Finally to cap off December, I was invited to Hayley’s house for NYE. She only had a small number of friends over, but it was lovely to just chill, chat & air our grievances (as opposed to making resolutions). As the clock struck 12, and we screamed happy New Year, we ran out the front to find the nearby fireworks. As we stood at the corner, we looked around to see many of her neighbours doing the same. I remember standing on the corner of her street and seeing in the distance, what looked like what was about to become a nudie run. I saw it coming. Both of them, as the two boys ran past us and stopped under the streetlight. It was incredibly funny, and I think we all had a good laugh at their expense. I had much fun, until *some of Hayley’s other guests became a bit “overwhelmed” with there alcohol intake. As being the 'sober' person of the group, I sent everyone to bed once it started to get messy.




** Ive been requested by one of the individuals at this small NYE party to edit out my last part of the NYE adventures (Even though i had previously posted this blog peice a long time ago). It's really not something i wanted to do, however out of respect, i've deleted my telling of a story which WAS the highlight of MY night.**





This latest post brings me to 2011, and now that I’ve caught you up with all my drama, and I have read all of yours, ill soon blog again with more recent happenings in my Chronic Life.



Take care, and don’t slip!
Xx Jen

friend envy

Hi,
Wow two blog posts in one night. No, I hope to make this short and sweet. A friend of mine, who I’ve commented on before, was the one who influenced me to start a blog of my own. As she continues her Journey through chronic pain, she continues to write in a way which I’m amazed at. I wish I was able to say the things she does in her own blog, as often I feel almost exactly the same way.

Last night she posted a heartfelt entry, in which I would like to take a few words of what she said, so I can express a similar feeling. I'd most of all like to speak about envy and jealousy.

I often wonder if my friends (who I care deeply about) know the full extent of what I’m going through. Chronic pain in any shape is more debilitating than just the physical effects. It affects me emotionally and mentally as well. Quite a while ago in this recent series of my life, I hit an emotional wall very early in the sequence of events in which I was more than ready to give up. I simply couldn’t fight anymore. The more pain I was in, the more I cried. I couldn’t take the constant battle of life, the simplest of tasks such as showering and going to the toilet was so incredibly difficult. The fact is I’m ALWAYS in pain. I take around 20 pain killers a day. My head is a maze of cotton wool. My life now resolves around a small portion yet critical part of my body. The hip is such a detailed, complicated structure compared to a knee or ankle, not that those body parts can’t cause the same amount of pain. However when surgery is involved, there are many more muscles to cut through before you can get to the structure that is a ball and socket.
Many of you know that I have a hip problem but to be more specific I suffer from chronic pain which has come from the length of time that this injury has affected my body. I suffer from nerve damage which has meant I have lost a third of the strength that my leg could expel, and finally I have a constant mechanical problem of the hip joint which is what has lead me into this journey. I hope that this explanation helps you understand a bit clearer why I am this way. Chronic pain is a lonely experience that has become my personal battle. Because of this I want to not be forgotten, and a far memory, because you are all in my heart, everyday.

This friend I talked about earlier perfectly penned a post weeks ago about ‘friend envy’. This is exactly what I have. I loved to see the pictures of parties and clubs you had gone to, I loved to hear about what happened and who said what to whom. However I miss that I could not join you. I hate that my life evolves around my health and hip problem, but I love that you ask how I am. I hate that all I have to really talk about is my hip, and I’m sure you’re sick of it too. I thank you for continuing to invite me to events, although I generally have to decline, I thank you for visiting me when I’m in hospital, but hate that I’m home alone.

Although I did not intend for that to sound like the poem out of ‘10 things I hate about you’ it’s all true. I admit that I’m jealous that you can live a fairly carefree life, complete your goals and further your life and yet don’t have to worry about the consequences apart from maybe the hangover you might suffer. I don’t know if you have other consequences from this joy you get out of life, however one day I’d like to join you, and hope that you accept that although I am envious, I would like to be free from what’s holding me back. But I am proud of your achievements and happy you reach your goals, but I miss that I don’t get to share those times with you. I love catching up with you, because I thank you that you care enough to make the effort, especially when I can’t return the favour.

Although I took more words from Hayley’s post than I meant to, it’s because it’s true. You can read Hayley’s post about friend envy Here . We lead very similar yet extremely different lives. I hope I haven’t spoken too harshly, or made you feel things you shouldn’t; I just wanted to express my feelings in the only way I know how. I hope the words came out clear, as this haze in my head never disapears.
I thank you once more for reading this and you comments are most appreciated (you don’t need an account to post a comment).

Love and all that matters,
Jen Xxo