Thursday, January 24, 2008
Heath Ledger
As fan, and as a young Australian of a similar age to actor Heath Ledger, I was shocked and very sad to hear of his death. Assuming accidental death by overdose or adverse reaction to a drug (which is jumping the gun a bit given the coroner's report isn't conclusive yet), it's also a frightenning reminder of how dangerous over the counter drugs can be.
I first saw Heath Ledger in Two Hands - a great Australian movie (see it if you get a chance, it's shot in my old stomping ground - the Cross), then fell in love with him in 10 Things (a favourite for me because of the sisterly relationship in it). I've avidly followed his career since then and have a heap of respect for his acting. It's so sad to see such a talented young man die with so much still to live for.
RIP Heath. I'll miss your smile and presence gracing the silver screen.
Labels: death, heath ledger
Posted by Ellie at 9:54 PM
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Good doctor, bad doctor
I'm sure I've harped on before about the importance of having a good doctor. Even if you're a relatively healthy person, a good general practitioner is a must. I have seen a number of different doctors since I move cities almost 4 years ago. While I was a healthy person (ie before CFS), I never really worried about the quality of the GP I was seeing for the minor health problems that inevitably crop up occasionally.
All that changed when I had glandular fever and later chronic fatigue syndrome. The doctor I was seeing at the time has turned out in hindsight to have been a bad doctor. I ditched her after she sent me to a psychologist because she thought I was depressed when I was not recovering from chronic fatigue syndrome. She also never bothered to investigate why I suddenly became iron deficient after having glandular fever, brushing off my concerned remarks about the fact I had never been iron deficient before, despite going through a 2 year phase of not eating red meat. And one day, before I had realised I had chronic fatigue syndrome, she brushed of my suggestion that my tiredness etc might be caused by food intolerances or coeliac disease, saying "Oh, no, that's very unlikely".
And now I am furious, because I saw my new, wonderful, inquisitive GP yesterday because I have been having unusual abdomenal aches, and she was shocked that no one had bothered to investigate why I was iron deficient, and also raised the possibility of coeliac disease being a potential cause for the anemia and possibly other things. So, I'm off to have a suite of tests and then we'll see what we see, but I tell you what, if it turns out I have coeliac, I swear I'm going to throw a brick through the window of that previous doctor. Well, not really, but I feel like doing it already.
Get yourself a good doctor. And if your doctor isn't inquisitive, get rid of them even if they haven't proved themselve to be bad yet.
Labels: CFS, chronic fatigue syndrome, doctors
Posted by Ellie at 10:29 AM
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Memes
I like the word meme. And I like the concept - ideas that float about in the common consciousness. I recently had a meme experience after a friend introduced me to the concept of lactose-free dairy milk. He's lactose-intolerant and this is his preferred milk substitute, as I discovered over a cup of coffee. After that cup of coffee, I have encountered lactose free milk several times in the last couple of months - in a cafe advertisement, at a friend's place in the fridge, in discussion with another lactose-intolerant friend... Too many times for it to seem a coincidence seeing I had never previously heard of lactose free milk, despite having been friends with lactose-intolerant people for years.Anyway, I'm not sure the following technically classes as a meme, but lilwatchergirl tagged me with it and it looks like fun. I'm not going to pass it on, but for any readers who want a crack at it anyway, here are the rules:
1-Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog
2-Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird
3-Tag 6 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs
4- Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
So... Seven Facts about me...
1) If you see me with long delicate nails, yes, they are real. I've always grown and painted my nails.
2) I am an avid reader and can finish a sizable book in a day or two in between other tasks.
3) I love home grown vegetable but am not a green thumb so I rely on someone else in the house to grow them.
4) I have lived in 3 of Australia's major cities and have never lived overseas (abroad for those who don't have to go over seas to get to another country).
5) When preparing food, I cut up chicken with a sharp knife and a fork.
6) I have performed at both the Sydney Opera House and the Melbourne Cricket Ground, despite not being a performer by trade or hobby.
7) I have pet frogs.
Labels: Memes
