Positive (side) effects

 

My extended blog-absence was precipitated by my contracting a bug from work.  I'll spare you the gory details (believe me, you should thank me for that much), but it was a bug called norovirus - which basically induces the most severe, undignified form of gastro you can imagine.  My mother came to check on me after my first night of agony and was horrified with the condition in which she found me.  I admit, I don't think I've ever been so ill - and the fever was in full swing by that stage.  While she wouldn't admit it at the time, she was really scared (and I won't lie, I looked remarkably like a corpse) so when she couldn't convince me to go to the hospital, she ended up staying the night to make sure I would be ok.  What a trooper my darling Mum is.  One of the worst parts of the whole experience was the complete inability to hold anything down - fluid, food, drugs... which meant that everything else went pretty haywire for a while there.  I am so grateful now for the ability to be able to swallow, retain and absorb my usual meds that keep me functional.  Something so simple, but it makes all the difference to ones quality of life!

Anyway, the silver lining to the norovirus - trust me when I say I had to find one, because there wasn't much about the experience that was in any way pleasant - was that the fluid retention of almost 8 months of steroid therapy got eliminated in pretty dramatic fashion.  While there is still some residual fluid that's calling my knees home, the oedema and swollen ankles are gone.  Vanished.  Kaput.  At my 'lightest' during my ordeal, I was 14kg under my pre-virus weight.  Yes, you read that right.  FOURTEEN KILOS.  I'm now about 8kg lighter, now I have been able to stomach small amounts of food and fluids (mostly in the form of icy poles).  It's been a bit over a week since it all began and only tonight can I say I feel relatively normal.  There's still some residual nausea which I'm guessing will take a little while to leave, but at least now I am eating food again.  Granted it's pretty plain and boring (still too scared to eat anything dairy or rich) but it's food!

Speaking of food, I'm such a Masterchef Australia tragic.  I adore the show, the people, the food - but being the proud Tasmanian I am, my absolute favourite this year was Ben.  Ben finished in 5th place this year, with his best mate Andy taking out the title - and I have to say, all bias aside, they came across as two of the most genuine blokes on television.  The kinds of guys you want to have a beer with at the pub, or kick a footy around with at the park, or take home to your Mum.  I was so thrilled when Andy was announced as the 2012 winner last night - truly a win for the nice guys, and the food he served up was spectacular.  I really look forward to having the opportunity to eat at their restaurant (rumour has it that the boys, along with fellow contestant Kylie, are going to be running a pop-up restaurant in Tassie soon... I hope I get the chance to go!) and see what they do next.  Ben's success is such a win for my home state, because he's a passionate about being Tasmanian and living here as I am, and I know he'll promote the state, our wonderful food and our clean air far and wide.

Ben outside the Callington Mill in Oatlands, Tasmania