Lamont - Christmas Update 2010

Lamont’s Christmas update 2010

At the end of a challenging year, we are all doing well.



Berlin

January: Rick and I managed to go on a wonderful overseas trip in between my various health treatments. We spent time with Stuart and Cherie in Seoul and visited various parts of Germany, Spain and France. We enjoyed the experience very much and saw many fascinating places in the freezing cold! We expected it to be really cold in Berlin.. and it was. We weren't expecting it to snow in Madrid though!

Toledo, Spain

Barcelona, Spain

February: I had my second operation to do with the cancer treatment/prevention. All went well.

March to December: We were able to attend several family celebrations in Sydney as well as a special holiday in Victoria , even though I didn't feel all that great. I have experienced many side effects of the preventative medication I am on. I need to take this for five years! I was pleased to be able to teach at times, but had to learn to adjust to the need for extended periods of rest. Now, over a year on, I think the side effects are lessening and I am feeling hopeful that the next year won’t be as hard.

We celebrated a 21st, two engagements and a wedding. Stuart and Cherie also came home for a weeks' visit in August.

Rick had full-time work for the first six months, then about 2 days a week since July. He has just had an interview for another 6 month contract that starts in January. It would be a good Christmas present if he gets the job! He has looked after me very well over the past year, for which I am grateful. It must be difficult for those who have cancer or similar health problems and have no one close to look after them.

Cameron continues to work at Dept of Health and Ageing. He has been thinking that he might need a new challenge in 2011. He also had a month’s holiday in Europe, where he spent time in London, Paris, Florence and Rome. He went with his friend, Ben from Uni days. Rick and Cameron have been busy renovating the kitchen in Cameron’s townhouse. Hard to believe he has lived there for nearly three years!

Stuart and Cherie have spent the last two years in Seoul. They are enjoying what will most probably be their last few months there. Their exciting news is that Cherie is having a baby ! Due in late April.

So we will be grandparents!!

Cherie is well and if all goes to plan, they will be arriving home to live permanently, (initially with us), in February. This all depends on whether Cherie is granted a visa in time!

If the granting of the visa is delayed beyond February, they will remain in Seoul to have the baby and we will hopefully visit them in April/May.

Another good Christmas present for all of us would be news of the Visa!

We will be home on Christmas Day this year.

Traditionally we travel to Sydney on Christmas Day, to meet up with my family in time for dinner. This year we are staying home. While we will miss the fun of being with the family and celebrating Christmas dinner together in Sydney, we are looking forward to staying in Canberra and experiencing a few different things this year. We will see some of my extended family at a gathering in Camden two days after Christmas.

Thursday Christmas Lunch

I am privileged to know such a great group of women. We had a lovely Christmas lunch together on Thursday.

December check-ups

Time again for some health checks. One to check for any signs of lymphoedema, one to see the breast surgeon and one to diagnose my ongoing problem with vertigo ( over two months now). All good results. My vertigo was diagnosed as benign and brought on by certain head movements. I have special "dizzy" exercises to do and it will hopefully disappear altogether! It has lessened in the last couple of weeks.

School finished on December 9. I enjoyed the end of year dinner with the staff and even managed to join in the dancing without getting dizzy!

We also went to the special Christmas party at church, which was very enjoyable.

This week I've been really on holidays, with no thought of school ringing me to work. I've been resting and reading a lot, hoping to feel like a healthy person soon! I have seen improvement in the last month, which is very encouraging.

Below:
Just some older photos I thought I'd add! Nothing really to do with the blog entry. I'm just thinking about Stuart and Cherie. Cherie is half way through her pregnancy now and is feeling very well. They are waiting patiently for the visa so that they can move here in February.


Cameron, Cherie and Stuart back in 2008.

Amy, Stuart, Andrew, Elizabeth, Philip, Jenny, Janelle, John & Cameron Lamont, taken at Josh's wedding in Tassie. We caught up with Amy last week when she was in Canberra for a conference.

Stuart's graduation.... 2007.

Emma and Marc's Engagement Party

Saturday, November 27 : Cameron, Richard and I travelled to Sydney for Emma and Marc's Engagement party. It was a very happy celebration. A brunch with plenty of delicious food, and we caught up with family and friends.

Wedding Anniversary

Today Richard and I celebrated our wedding anniversary. We were married on this day, 33 years ago. Tonight we had a pleasant and tasty dinner at a Thai Restaurant.

We both worked today. Richard started a fifteen day contract on Wednesday this week. With his other part time work, he'll be busy until just before Christmas. I had three days' work at school this week. I am feeling much better and managing work pretty well.

Thinking a lot about Stuart and Cherie, in Seoul at the moment. We are keeping an eye on the news and hoping tensions die down very soon. They are waiting on news of the visa so they can come home in February. Cherie is well and is now 18 weeks' pregnant. All is well with the baby too.

Cameron is well and seems to be enjoying himself. The three of us are travelling to Sydney for niece Emma and Marc's engagment party tomorrow.

Sydney Choir visit - Nov13 &14

Birds enjoying the bird bath at Lugarno


Sydney Town Hall : MCAA Concert on Sunday Nov 14

Mum, Dad and I went to see Richard in the 300-voice male choir concert in the Sydney Town Hall. There were choirs from NSW, ACT and even one from Wellington,New Zealand taking part. It was an entertaining concert.


Concert rehearsal


The choirs on stage. Some may be able to pick out Roy towards the middle. Also Warren is towards the front. Richard took the shot.



Richard, as president of his choir, was asked to walk on stage with all the other representatives, at the conclusion of the concert, to accept a trophy. He bowed and we clapped!

Lovely Spring Day

It's Saturday and it is a very pleasant Spring day.




We've had dozens of very large white camellias in the garden. The larger ones have all bloomed and now the smaller buds are taking their turn. This is one of the small ones. I should have taken some photos in the last couple of weeks!

I've had a good week and am happy to say that my health is indeed improving. It's been many, many months since I felt this well.

I am taking it easy after successfully working for two days in a row! This is something I haven't been able to do for a couple of months.
Thanks to a friend, I was able to find out that taking an antihistamine helps with the side effects of the Arimidex ( cancer medication that I have to be on for five years). I've been experimenting for the last week. I have found that it's taken away a lot of the awful grogginess I was experiencing and has also helped with after effects of the vertigo which I've been dealing with for the past 6 weeks or so. The GP has OK-ayed it, so I am giving it a go.

The other side effects of Arimidex eg joint aches , hot flushes, broken sleep etc are still with me, but they are largely manageable. I still am waiting to have my hearing and balance checked out, in case the two recent bouts of vertigo ( Oct 9 and 19) are an indication of some other condition, rather than a side effect of the medication.
Just over a year after my first surgery, I can say that I am doing reasonably well.

Sarah & Kevin's Engagement party

On Sunday 24th October, we celebrated Sarah and Kevin's Engagement at a lovely brunch with a house full of people. Despite the very rainy day, everyone had a great time. Paul had organised an amazing system of tarps to shelter most of the backyard and keep the many guests dry!






It was also great to catch up with old friends

Avril's Party

In September we celebrated Avril's 21st with family and her friends.







Deirdre and Sarah busy in the kitchen.

School Camp

I was invited as an extra teacher on an overnight camp. I was happy to have been asked and I enjoyed the time. I managed the camp well despite feeling a bit achey from the medication and having the expected broken night's sleep.

Tom and Angela's visit

One day a huge house on wheels arrived at our place! It was Tom and Angela, dropping in on their way north. They'd been to many places in NT, SA and Vic. It was good to see them.


Angela cooked us a lovely dinner in their luxurious mobile home. It's the first time I'd had dinner on the road outside our house.
They stayed overnight on the street!

Nowra visit in October

It's been a month since I wrote. I've been feeling fairly ordinary ( to use a cricket commentator's term) for months now. I am hoping that the side effects of the treatment will settle down in the months ahead. It seems that they are due mainly to the drug I am on. The joint aches are lessening and the very bad back pain has finally gone. Currently I've been having bouts of vertigo, which is very uncomfortable but not serious.
It's a year ago, this week, since I had my breast cancer operation. I am impatient to feel well again.

In between health problems, we've managed to enjoy some times away. In early October we spent a lovely couple of day with our dear friends , Richard and Jenny, in Nowra. They really spoilt us!



Richard and Richard went whale watching off Huskisson and actually saw a baby whale close up, and plenty of dolphins. The movies are better than the still shots!







Dodge relaxing....

More fun at Floriade

Bev and I entered the flower basket competition at Floriade yesterday. We had fun but I didn't do such a good job of arranging my flower basket. Don't think I'll win! We brought our finished baskets home to hang and admire!

Floriade 2010

Rick and I visited Floriade on Wednesday 29 Sept. The wind of the previous days had disappeared so it was a pleasant, cool but sunny day. It was not crowded and we enjoyed the walk.










We walked back to the car along the lake.