Sunday, March 28, 2010

Surfing Alpaca

My sister saw this in the Melbourne Herald Sun.
Don't you just love it.

Record highest selling alpaca on record. $US675,000

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Congratulations Alpacalandgoed

Annika
Montora far right
Montoya far right
Annika
Black onyx

Judge Tim Hey.
Annika,first price Black female Intermediate + color champ black!
Dakota,2"price intermediate white female
Xanadu(cria Lady Titicata-Czar) 2" price Junior female
Black Onyx 2 "place black adult male
Firaworks 3 " place grey adult male
Sucre 2" place brown adult male
Montoya 1 " place fawn senior male ,he spoke to all the the audients how good he was for seven years old fine crimp and micron!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Our First Grandchild

Click to play this Smilebox scrapbook: Jesse
I must admit, he makes life worth living.
Only 6 weeks yesterday, born on my birthday, 3 weeks early.
He has been a delight.






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Another scrapbook design by Smilebox

Flesh eating disease or Cellulitis? PT3

It was a shock to hear this spoken to me, and the urgency of the situation was apparant, arriving at Dandenong Hospital, they rushed me to an area, where three surgeons all dressed up in the operating gear.
The theatre is ready says another coming into the room.
All surgeons looked studied my leg, and discussed in their medical terms, went off and had a meeting.
They came back about 10 mins later to explain, that at this stage they will not operate, but will see if the leg responds to another type of treatment.
Still question marks, but in their opinion most likely one of the worst cases of cellulitis they have seen, but they were keeping their minds open.
What a relief.
It is said that i had caught a staph infection, in the fluid that had pooled in my legs, because of the heart not being able to pump the blood up.
They start debriding the "sluff", which is scraping as much off as they can, as they wanted to see how far down under all the skin levels this infection was, as if it hits the bone, again, the question of my leg becomes no option.
No matter how many pain killers i was on, it did not prepare me for the debridding.
4 and a half weeks go past, with many specialist, infectious disease experts, wounds experts, even the experts that dealt with the black saturday fire burns victims, were there trying out different type of wound bandaging, and theories, as this was not responding to any treatment at all.
Meanwhile, i had acute renal failure, and was loosing blood, so in total 6 blood transfusions, and iron transfusions, and a mountain of other things, as each day a new drama exposed itself.
Finally, a lady plastic surgeon, came in, with a new thoery, which kept my leg, satuated, for three days, with complete different type of wound dressings, and it started to turn around.
Meanwhile, a new baby in the household, my daughter needed me at home, my husband was exhausted, working, looking after the farm, and then driving 2 hours each way each day to visit me.
I could not take any more, i said to the doctors i have to get home i cannot stay any longer, my family needs me.
Only if i can get hospital in the home, can i go home, this took another 3 days to organise, and only that the wound was now starting, very slowly show signs of improvement, could i go home finally.
I did not realise though, when i came home, i thought i would be like i was before i got sick, but there has been more recouperating since.
Thanks to the brilliant staff at Casey and Dandenong hospital.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

What Has Happened? PT2

Lying in Hospital, it all makes sense to the doctors.
The damaged lungs from Peru, have lost a third each of their capacity, and have scars, and are not functioning well enough to provide enough oxygen to the heart.
The Right side of the heart fails, i have fluid around the heart, and lungs, as the heart cannot pump it enough.
A couple of weeks prior to this, i had been commenting on how my feet and ankles were swelling up, and were very painful, un beknown to me, this is a sign.The doctors blame the warfarin, which actually saved me this time, but the warfarin, has made my blood too thin, and the heart is not strong enough to pump the blood up.
I am in Casey Hospital in Berwick, a new hospital, not far from home.
I do not feel well.
I feel horrible, and i point out the swelling in my feet to the registrar.
She feels my left leg, she said your leg is warm.
The next day, my leg is getting hotter.
but i am too sick to worry about this, they are stablising my blood pressure and temperature.
The next day, my leg is burning, and is the brightest red you could imagine, from the knee down to the ankle.
It now has swallen about 3 times the size it used to be.It is so painful, i am on the highest painkillers they could give me.
My leg was cooking from the inside out, and before long the skin is now shiny, then starts blistering.
It is so painful, i cannot move, i cannot walk, and i still feel bad.
The next day, this horrible yellow growth looks like it is on my leg, what is it, it seems to be covering my leg as you look. (picture above can give you an idea, this picture is what it was like when it had started to improve, and when i left hospital.)
What is this thing, it now covers my whole lower leg, it is burning, so much, it is explained to me, my leg is cooking itself from the inside out.
The specialists are called in, and a number of drugs are ordered, and after 3 more days, when this horrible growth looking thing is getting thicker, and blistering itself, more drugs are ordered.
Then, the doctor comes to me, around 2 pm, and explains to me, that they are unsure of what i have.
It has been suggested that it is cellulitis, but it is not responding to all the normal drugs, or treatment.
It also has been hinted that this could be the flesh eating disease, and that i will be moved to a larger city hospital, for the plastic surgeons to view it.
They said if confirmed they have to cut everything out, and more around, possibly loose my leg, it is a very fast eating disease, and at the worst, i would have 48 hrs, and with that, they raced me, to have a couple of cat scans, as the ambulance men wait for me to take me to the bigger city hospital.

Where have I been? PT1

Life is always full of surprises.
What do i say, Working long hours, high stressful job, and something has to give.
Your body does not go any longer.
No warning.
It stops.
Actuslly the morning of my attack, i said to my husband, actually, i am feeling the best i have for a long while, and within 2 hours, Life changes around.
No warning.
The giddiness i have been experiencing for weeks, is now so giddy, i cannot focus properly.
A man comes to buy a future stud male, i am trying my hardest to stay focused, and to hold the male, and explain the quality of the male. I am holding the male, most of our alpacas are very easy to hold, but this day, the male was standing still for me, but i could not focus, and took all my might.
Giddiness is getting worse, and all of a sudden i am freezing cold.
This keeps asking me questions, i know i am answering, but i really do not know what i am saying.
Yes, he wants the male, now the paperwork.
Another friend, Jenny calls in with another lady, Tiffany, and he said i will go now, i said i would send him the paperwork and then he said can you put him in the trailer.
His trailer was probably 300 metres away, i asked him could he drive the trailer to the yards, as he drives out he would have to go to this point anyway.
He was hesitant, i said to him, i could not walk him over to his trailer, please could you drive the trailer over, alright he said.
I looked at Jenny in the Kitchen making herself a coffee, i walked over and asked her to help me, i said to her i feel strange.
She helped me place the male in the trailer.
One of my favourites, The Illusionist.
He is beautiful, and will do the man well.
That was Jan 19th, 11.30am, i walk into the Kitchen.
the giddiness is worse, i am shivering, so much my teeth are chattering, it was about 36 degrees outside.
I said i am so thirsty, and i skull down a drink, ( i am not one to skull, i usually just sip), i said i am still thirsty, and i am shivering so much i put the heater on.
Jenny said i do not like the look of you.
Go to the doctor.
I said i will be alright, do not worry.
If Jenny did call in, i would not have got help, and i was told i would not be writting this blog now.
ELyse was alerted, she was helping her father.
She comes in ...get into the car,
No I am alright.
Get into the car.
i got into the car.
next thing we are at a doctors place, but i am so cold, i ma shivering so much, almost like a double shiver.
My head, it is so giddy.
We sit and wait for a doctor, as my doctor was too busy to see us.
I have never been to this doctor before.
I walk in, he puts the blood pressure machine on.
240/140
Body demp 41.3.
I am shaking, and jolting, and i do not know.
Next thing i am on a table in the next room, and some ambulance men are there, and they are very nice, and i had things on me.
I do not know what is happening.
For Elyse, it is the Peruvian nightmre all over again.
She goes out to ring her father to come straight away, the doctor said she is having wither a heart attack, or one of the clots (gained in Peru ), is moving, she must get to a hospital straight away.
Elyse walks back into the room, and only my hand bag is there, where is her mum?
This is the second time now, she has got me help in a nick of time.
This poor girl, so much on her shoulders.