Auckland update for Thankful Thursday!

This week has been a step learning curve for us all. We have learned many things, most of which we would all have preferred to leave out of our knowledge areas, but the staff of Ward 83, the High Dependency Unit, have been wonderful. In one of those two degrees of separation scenarios that we often joke about in New Zealand, the normal ward manager for the unit, who is currently doing a years research in the hospital,is the sister of my own work colleague at polytech and she has also been a fantastic source of answers for our questions.

Today has been hard for us all. As the initial shock wears off, the numbness goes too, and many more tears have been shed. The older girls have both been in to visit Mum. Very hard for them.

On a positive note, the speech therapist got Jaz to sing Twinkle Twinkle and a couple of other songs, although she cannot use her voice to speak. She can mouth numbers and form some words, and we can detect amusement, irritation and resignation like facial expressions, but much of it is fleeting and replaced by drowsiness. She can manage a hug for Mark and the girls, and pucker for a kiss. She even managed to kick Mark with her "immobile" leg and has moved her right arm. Little steps. We are aware that it will be a long, slow recovery. Whatever the biopsy shows, she will need a shunt inserted to prevent fluid pressure building up.

Leaving here on Sunday will be hard. Other family members will be flying north to help for a few weeks. People here are offering more help and I am sure things will be fine. Hard, but support systems will ensure things carry on and the family are not left alone.

It has been good to be here. Hot, wet, humid, crowded, tiring, scary, weird, sad.... but better than worrying from Christchurch.

No more pictures today...the ipad wont let me lol, but it has been fantastic to amuse Phoebe while we spend time at the hospital!

Sad to be away from home tonight as there is a coroners pre inquest meeting about Arch's death tomorrow morning and I wanted to go with the children, but hopefully I can get to the main inquest in Ashburton later in February. Another unresolved grief.

We miss Poppy too. Seems ages since we saw her, but she is being beautifully looked after by my friend and I am not worried about her.

Thank you for all your messages. They are very much appreciated.

Mark will be updating Jaz's blog tonight... do visit to learn more.
http://treacytravels.blogspot.com

Good night
fi

Auckland update for Thankful Thursday!

This week has been a step learning curve for us all. We have learned many things, most of which we would all have preferred to leave out of our knowledge areas, but the staff of Ward 83, the High Dependency Unit, have been wonderful. In one of those two degrees of separation scenarios that we often joke about in New Zealand, the normal ward manager for the unit, who is currently doing a years research in the hospital,is the sister of my own work colleague at polytech and she has also been a fantastic source of answers for our questions.

Today has been hard for us all. As the initial shock wears off, the numbness goes too, and many more tears have been shed. The older girls have both been in to visit Mum. Very hard for them.

On a positive note, the speech therapist got Jaz to sing Twinkle Twinkle and a couple of other songs, although she cannot use her voice to speak. She can mouth numbers and form some words, and we can detect amusement, irritation and resignation like facial expressions, but much of it is fleeting and replaced by drowsiness. She can manage a hug for Mark and the girls, and pucker for a kiss. She even managed to kick Mark with her "immobile" leg and has moved her right arm. Little steps. We are aware that it will be a long, slow recovery. Whatever the biopsy shows, she will need a shunt inserted to prevent fluid pressure building up.

Leaving here on Sunday will be hard. Other family members will be flying north to help for a few weeks. People here are offering more help and I am sure things will be fine. Hard, but support systems will ensure things carry on and the family are not left alone.

It has been good to be here. Hot, wet, humid, crowded, tiring, scary, weird, sad.... but better than worrying from Christchurch.

No more pictures today...the ipad wont let me lol, but it has been fantastic to amuse Phoebe while we spend time at the hospital!

Sad to be away from home tonight as there is a coroners pre inquest meeting about Arch's death tomorrow morning and I wanted to go with the children, but hopefully I can get to the main inquest in Ashburton later in February. Another unresolved grief.

We miss Poppy too. Seems ages since we saw her, but she is being beautifully looked after by my friend and I am not worried about her.

Thank you for all your messages. They are very much appreciated.

Mark will be updating Jaz's blog tonight... do visit to learn more.
http://treacytravels.blogspot.com

Good night
fi

Auckland surgery update - Sunday

After hearing on Tuesday that Jaz, Phoebe's Mum, was finally having her unwelcome brain mass removed on Monday, we booked flights, left Poppy with a friend, and came north to take over the children for a few days. My daughter flew home from three weeks in Thailand on Thursday, so she can house sit with my son; we celebrated my father's birthday Friday night, and arrived up here on a bumpy, rollicking flight yesterday. Hardened aftershock survivors we might be, but the flight was not pleasant at all.

We have arrived to torrential rain, http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4571700/Roads-close-as-heavens-open
( and thanks GB for this rain radar pic...)
http://rotowhenua2.blogspot.com/2011/01/says-it-all-really.html

but so far, the house has not slid down the hill, we made it out the slippy driveway, just, and now the rain has eased a little. At lunchtime Jaz and Mark left for the pre-op checks in Auckland hospital, staying overnight for the early start for the first-on-the-list surgery tomorrow....so the "distractions" from my previous post were to make the parting a tiny bit easier for Jaz and the girls... shopping at the mall, new toys, ice creams and watching "Tangled" have worked for the first three hours.... and now Phoebe is asleep.

Our thoughts are with Jaz as she prepares for a huge and scary week. At least we can try to take some of the worry off her shoulders but I know leaving the girls today was particularly hard... mother's everywhere will relate to that I know. Tears and hugs.
You can read about her journey on her own blog. Start here and work back.. http://treacytravels.blogspot.com/2011/01/see-you-soon.html
I will of course try to keep you posted regularly.
xx

Auckland surgery update - Sunday

After hearing on Tuesday that Jaz, Phoebe's Mum, was finally having her unwelcome brain mass removed on Monday, we booked flights, left Poppy with a friend, and came north to take over the children for a few days. My daughter flew home from three weeks in Thailand on Thursday, so she can house sit with my son; we celebrated my father's birthday Friday night, and arrived up here on a bumpy, rollicking flight yesterday. Hardened aftershock survivors we might be, but the flight was not pleasant at all.

We have arrived to torrential rain, http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4571700/Roads-close-as-heavens-open
( and thanks GB for this rain radar pic...)
http://rotowhenua2.blogspot.com/2011/01/says-it-all-really.html

but so far, the house has not slid down the hill, we made it out the slippy driveway, just, and now the rain has eased a little. At lunchtime Jaz and Mark left for the pre-op checks in Auckland hospital, staying overnight for the early start for the first-on-the-list surgery tomorrow....so the "distractions" from my previous post were to make the parting a tiny bit easier for Jaz and the girls... shopping at the mall, new toys, ice creams and watching "Tangled" have worked for the first three hours.... and now Phoebe is asleep.

Our thoughts are with Jaz as she prepares for a huge and scary week. At least we can try to take some of the worry off her shoulders but I know leaving the girls today was particularly hard... mother's everywhere will relate to that I know. Tears and hugs.
You can read about her journey on her own blog. Start here and work back.. http://treacytravels.blogspot.com/2011/01/see-you-soon.html
I will of course try to keep you posted regularly.
xx

Je reviens

Sorry. The urge to write has not been strong lately. It is now 6 weeks since the accident... things still seem overwhelming, particularly the paperwork and red tape, and there are still times when I find it difficult to focus on what I am doing, or even to care if i do it.. There are so many questions still unanswered, and perhaps that is how they will remain. We just don't know. I think the nightmares have been the worst part...but these too will pass.... and the weird feeling of being in a dream.

We have had school holidays here recently - mid winter and dreary weather.  However, we had already been booked to visit Auckland and see the family and then attend a conference, so we had a sunny week in the big smoke with the girls .

It was warm and sunny and we had six days of lovely weather - and wait for it - NO RAIN - which is pretty rare in Auckland.
We did lots of beaches....

and shopping and ice cream....

 We did the volcano at Devonport

All in all - a welcome break and a lovely time..
Thanks to everyone for all your lovely messages... the flowers were wonderful too...

xx

Je reviens

Sorry. The urge to write has not been strong lately. It is now 6 weeks since the accident... things still seem overwhelming, particularly the paperwork and red tape, and there are still times when I find it difficult to focus on what I am doing, or even to care if i do it.. There are so many questions still unanswered, and perhaps that is how they will remain. We just don't know. I think the nightmares have been the worst part...but these too will pass.... and the weird feeling of being in a dream.

We have had school holidays here recently - mid winter and dreary weather.  However, we had already been booked to visit Auckland and see the family and then attend a conference, so we had a sunny week in the big smoke with the girls .

It was warm and sunny and we had six days of lovely weather - and wait for it - NO RAIN - which is pretty rare in Auckland.
We did lots of beaches....

and shopping and ice cream....

 We did the volcano at Devonport

All in all - a welcome break and a lovely time..
Thanks to everyone for all your lovely messages... the flowers were wonderful too...

xx

Birthday get together

I haven;t done a real blog post in a while, and I started this one and never got back to finishing it... so just for a change, here is a family update.

Recently, we had a family dinner to celebrate my son's 22nd birthday - been a while since we have all been in the same country to do this.

 

 

 

 

Not long after this, Phoebe's Mum passed through on a girls weekend... a rare treat for her, so we took her out to Clearwater Golf Resort for breakfast on the lake... it was a perfect Canterbury Morning.

We have also managed Sparks in the Park - great seats near the front too! Was a perfect warm night with thousands of people ....they used a crane to bring the piano on stage while the fireworks went - note the harness and helmet he had to wear!

We have had some great weather - barbecues, but as yet, no engagement party - slackers eh!


Phoebe's family are still exploring the Auckland area - they have settled in, despite their house they are renting being on the market and open homes being held most weekends -  but the girls are enjoying school...

They have won some awards! Well done to them both...

and Phoebe - well - the photos say it all :)

for more pix just go to: http://treacytravels.blogspot.com/

Looking forward to seeing them all again when we go up in July :)

Birthday get together

I haven;t done a real blog post in a while, and I started this one and never got back to finishing it... so just for a change, here is a family update.

Recently, we had a family dinner to celebrate my son's 22nd birthday - been a while since we have all been in the same country to do this.

 

 

 

 

Not long after this, Phoebe's Mum passed through on a girls weekend... a rare treat for her, so we took her out to Clearwater Golf Resort for breakfast on the lake... it was a perfect Canterbury Morning.

We have also managed Sparks in the Park - great seats near the front too! Was a perfect warm night with thousands of people ....they used a crane to bring the piano on stage while the fireworks went - note the harness and helmet he had to wear!

We have had some great weather - barbecues, but as yet, no engagement party - slackers eh!


Phoebe's family are still exploring the Auckland area - they have settled in, despite their house they are renting being on the market and open homes being held most weekends -  but the girls are enjoying school...

They have won some awards! Well done to them both...

and Phoebe - well - the photos say it all :)

for more pix just go to: http://treacytravels.blogspot.com/

Looking forward to seeing them all again when we go up in July :)