Saturday 29 December 2018

2019 in review

How things have changed in 2018!
I started the year with only sporadic doula gigs for work. I was poor and bored, my mobility was terrible but I was spending most of my time at home anyway so didn't quite realise how much I had lost.

On the very first Saturday night of 2018 I attended a birth and I remember it took me an awfully long time to walk from the car park to birth suite. It was then that I decided I needed to do something about improving my mobility.

That first babe of the year was the first successful VBAC I had attended, a sign of things to come, maybe.

I attended my second successful VBAC in April, a marathon birth but oh so worth it. I gained very valuable experience that day, seeing the very best and worst of human behaviour and ending with an exultant new mum.

Around this time I set in motion the process of getting some AFOs. The long wait for multiple appointments and funding approval stretched for months. In the meantime there were a couple of funerals, I gave my my first eulogy and received a very welcome job offer.

The AFOs duly arrived. Suddenly I was walking better and had a little bit of money to spend, my life was broadening. Maybe because I was pushing my body more than it was accustomed to or maybe just a coincidence, my long term knee problems struck hard and fast. It brought a frustrating end to my new freedom so I called a local physio and got myself down there.

Young physio Dave put me on an intensive program to get strength and flexibility back in my recalcitrant joint and when I progressed enough he started me riding an exercise bike for aerobic fitness. I haven't ridden a bike without terrible discomfort for a long time, 15 years or more. I'm not sure how much improvement I can expect but while I can pay for it I will continue to carve out tiny gains.

In among all of this, my husband and son both left the household, one son became engaged and both boys completed their studies (although both have expressed interest in post grad study) so my household of mum, dad and four students has become mum, two students and one job seeker.

I expect 2019 to bring further changes as I change my mindset from married to single, with all the legal/ financial/ logistical issues involved.


31 comments:

  1. This has been one stressful year for you. Keep at it. You've been making good changes. I wish you the best for 2019.

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    1. Thanks Red! And very kind of you not pointing out my silly mistake

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  2. This has been a VERY full year (on both sides of the good/bad equation). Hooray for carving out health gains and I hope that health and happiness move in with you on a permanent basis.

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  3. 2019 in review? Surely not.
    If it's a preview, it just looks like more of 2018??
    I'm expecting some kind of different thing happening in 2019.
    Now is this review or preview?
    A totally confused and pedantic
    Alphie
    PS. To punish me for being too clever by
    half, google has turned off spell check and it's taken me 15 minutes to get to the end of this comment...

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    1. Oh my gosh, I'm an idiot

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    2. No. I don't think so. I just think it's a combination of your anticipation of world domination and being shot of 2018.
      And I'm just putting it out here now that I do not want to see you use those words 'I am an idiot' ever during 2019.
      Right? Because you're not...even people with world domination in their sights get it wrong sometimes.;)
      Now I'm off to wreak havoc in another comment box. And after that I will attempt to leave an intelligent comment on another blog about the book I read this year that had the greatest impact one.
      That ought to be good for a laugh...
      Alphie

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    3. I'm going to leave this post with the wrong year because the comments make more sense.
      And yes, world domination combined with getting shot of this year is an excellent explanation.

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  4. All the very best for 2019, Kylie!
    All bloggers are time travellers!!
    Sx

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    1. Thank you Ms Scarlet! I hope you also have a fabulous year!

      yay for time travel!

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  5. I enjoyed, if that is the right word, this post but I would have enjoyed it even more if I knew what VBAC and AFO mean. HVAC I know (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) and UFO I know (unidentified flying object) but neither VBAC nor AFO. I suppose I could Google it (now there's a verb) but I prefer to have you enlighten me personally.

    I didn't know you were a doula. Good on you!

    2018 wasn't all bad; it's the year we became cyberfriends! Since I am beyond threescore and ten by nearly eight, I consider that a good thing.

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    1. G'day Mr Brague!
      I wondered if I should explain the acronyms but then I thought you all had probably seen them before!
      VBAC is the notoriously difficult to achieve vaginal birth after caesarean.
      Fort a brief mmoment I read HVAC as home birth after caesarean and then I remembered that would be a HBAC. Who knows where we could go wrong with acronyms, right?

      AFO is ankle-foot orthoses (what might once have been called a caliper) It compensates a little for the disorder I have which is called CMT (Charcot Marie Tooth)

      I've been a doula for six years and I'm good at the doula part but took a while on the selling part. After being interviewed about 40 times and failing to secure most of those clients I might have nailed it now. I have signed the last four on the spot :)

      I like that we are cyber friends and the bonus is you are the same age as my dad so I will always know what age you are turning (although you will have to alert me to the correct day)



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  6. You've had a rough year but with some good things that will carry forward into the new one. And yes, move it or lose it is key to maintaining as much mobility as possible.

    I admire your attitude and enjoy your sense of humour and always-sensible posts, kylie. Wishing you so much good in the year to come -- so very much.

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    1. thank you jenny_o! I'll send the flattery fee to your account!
      seriously though, your words mean a lot and I hope you have a wonderful year! Maybe you can conquer your travel problems and get to see your daughter? or maybe you will become a skype expert? I'm sure you will find your favourite place to connect and find joy

      xo

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  7. Well I'm glad that RWP (aka Bob, Robert, Mr Brague) asked the question about HVAC. I don't recall reading that before in your posts although presumably I have. I certainty remembered what AFO was because I do recall those posts. We all have years like that Kylie. If it's any consolation mine was well over a decade ago (cancer, heart attack, loss of partner, death of a child, ran out of money) and the years since have been just about the best of my life. May your gods be kind to you. PS I'm convinced that being positive helps.

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    1. Any one of those things that happened to you are more than horrible. I'm glad you made it through and I suspect your positive attitude was what saved you .

      I wish you lots more wonderful years.

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  8. You have shown remarkable grit and endurance. I don't see why things can't simply get better and better in the coming year. All the best.

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    1. I think it's my turn to have a great year!

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  9. You're tough Kylie and will come out the other end even better/tougher. Sometimes it seems like there is no light at the end of the tunnel, or sometimes you're afraid it just might be a freight train coming your way, but you will make it and you will be even better for it. All the best for 2019. Anna

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    1. Thanks Anna! Have you seen Hannah Gadsby on netflix? I just watched today and she talks about being in her prime at forty and no-one will f*** with her. It resonated 😊

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    2. I will check it out. Sounds like my kind of woman!

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  10. Wow, what a stressful year you've had. I hope that all of your challenges are now behind you and 2019 brings you nothing but progress and happiness!

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    1. The mobility stuff will be with me forever but I can work to be the best possible version of cripple 😊

      I'm looking forward to an interesting year.

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  11. That was quite a challenging year, especially with the health problems and your husband and son leaving. You seem to be getting to grips with the health issues, but the end of your marriage will need some big adjustments. I hope things will go better for you in 2019.

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    1. My son was going to leave someday so it was a shock at the time but not ultimately a big deal.
      The husband, well he's not been a happy chap so it may be a good thing....

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  12. Wow Kylie, a year of challenges but you are a survivor. Adjustment is difficult when there are other challenges and recoveries (emotional, financial, physical) are not easy. Live long and prosper in the year ahead.

    XO
    WWW

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  13. Thank you WWW. What do they say? When life is easy, wonder where the train us? Or maybe I just say that 😊😊

    My best wishes to you for 2019.

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  14. You certainly went through a lot of challenging stuff in 2018 Kylie. Let's hope that you have some nice long periods of plain sailing in 2019. Happy New Year!

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  15. I expect this year will have its challenges Neil but a bit of plain sailing would be welcome.

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  16. I agree - it IS your turn to have a great year! Is there a pool near you...do you swim at all? Easy on the joints is the point I'm trying to make. I spend a fair bit of time with an activity group called Huff n' Puff (lovely name right?) and boy do we huff and puff! It helps keep me mobile though I do feel it in my muscles the next day. I wonder if there is anything in your area for "older" folks?

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    1. Huff n Puff, i like it!

      I huff n puff with Dave although I doubt he'd appreciate me saying that :)

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