Time for an update, perhaps?

As my lovely Bretto has pointed out, I haven't blogged for quite some time. So here I am, a little over a year later. And what has changed? Quite a bit, actually.

I am now completely medication-free! Off the Effexor and all the nasty side effects that came with it. I'm a much happier person now. There are still moments, of course, but that happens to everyone, right?

I'm also officially half-way through my graduate diploma. I'm going very slowly, only one class a semester, but I'm getting there. Dan took me out for lunch to celebrate the day I got my results.

I also risked my life when I contracted pneumonia. Well, at the time I didn't know you could die from it! I was informed of that after I was on the mend. but I survived :)

But the most exciting thing to happen in the past twelve months? I got married!

Fifteen

It's been an absolute eternity since I last wrote. So many things going on, but something has happened that has compelled me to write to the two people who are following my blog :)

Yesterday, after a rather difficult session with the psychologist, I was aimlessly wandering around the stores at the shopping centre, trying to find the will to get in the car to drive home. While I was in Emerald earlier in the year, Taylor Swift's new song, Love Song, was played ad nauseum on the radio - to the point where I was hearing it about six times a day - and I got sick of it pretty quickly. Since coming home, I don't listen to the radio much. All of a sudden, the song popped into my head, and I decided to buy the CD.

While driving home, I listened to the CD. And it wasn't Love Story that got my attention. It was a gorgeous little song called "Fifteen". Oh, my, goodness. I'm on the downhill to 30, but I remember 15, and I remember all the emotions Taylor talks about, and it brought so many memories to mind. Not all of them good, but it's our past, good or bad, that makes us the people we are today.

I've got regrets. I've done stupid things. I've hurt people. But it's part of growing - physically and emotionally - as a human. Everyone does it. But changing my past would change the person I am right now. It bugs me when people get up on their high horse and condemn others for having a dubious past or something. You know what they say about people in glass houses...*

But life is good too! I've met an amazing man, and I'm grateful every day that he's in my life. He takes care of me, even gets up at 6.30 every morning that I stay at his place, just to make my oatmeal with chocolate soy milk and a glass of juice, because he knows I drink tea too slowly to get it finshed before I have to go to work. He lets me sleep on the couch when I crash out after a big day at work, and wakes me up to go to the shower. He puts me to bed, and if he's going to watch TV or read, he waits until I've fallen asleep before he gets up. He did send me off to meet his parents by myself, but everyone has a flaw somewhere... ;o)

(* Apparently they say they shouldn't throw stones, but personally, I think that people in glass houses should probably get changed in the basement!)

Progress

I just can't believe how much difference a couple of months can make...

I'm doing really well with my therapy. I've got my fourth visit next week, and I'm finding it so beneficial. Lynette is a fantastic person, and she lets me talk about anything and everything, even if it's not related to my therapy!

I'm still having regular checkups with my doctor as well. He's happy that this medication is better for me. The last one made me sick 24/7. I've had a few side effects on these ones too, but nothing serious. Food tastes weird sometimes, which is a rare side effect, but it doesn't worry me. The doc checks my blood pressure every visit, because apparently these can increase it, but I seem to have gone the other way, and have low pressure!

I'm he happiest I've been in years. Of course I still have my moments, but everyone does. Just because I've got these issues, doesn't mean that medication and therapy is going to make me perma-happy, that's just not realistic. It's still hard at times - I went to a friend's dad's funeral last week, and I'm having work issues, but that can happen to anyone.

Onward and upward!

Hectic

No matter how hard we try, life often gets hard. It's no different for me. I've been learning not to try and take life three or four days at a time, so now I'm trying to slow the pace a bit, and take control of what I can. So I've taken a study break for the semester, which is doing me wonders.

I've been having some pretty full on panic attacks and stuff, so definitely feeling the pressure. Work has changed since one of my workmates left, and I was given his job. I'm enjoying the challenge, but it's definitely been a boots-and-all experience!

I had some difficulty admitting that I wasn't coping, but now I have, and I'm on the mend. With the help of my fantastic family and friends, I know I'll get through anything life can throw at me. I don't know why it took me so long to ask for help!

Life doesn't end when things get tough. If anything, life is going to get harder if you just ignore problems in the hope that they'll go away. There's nothing wrong with asking for a bit of help when things get beyond you. You're not doing anyone any favours, especially yourself, if you just suffer in silence.

Does any of this sound like you? Don't leave it too long, or you just might end up with bigger problems, just like I almost did.

Beginning again...

I'm at the start of a new stage of life... I'm not ready to go into details yet, but rest assured I'm doing fine. Actually, I don't know if anyone even reads this, so I may well be talking to myself!

Victorian bushfires

The news has been absolutely inundated with stories of survival, and of sadness. There are so many ways you can support the survivors of this devastation, so please, even if it's just one thing, check out some of these links to see how you can help...

http://www.donateblood.com.au/ - the Australian Red Cross Blood Service's website. Book a bunk and donate blood. It doesn't even take an hour out of your day, it costs nothing and it can save so many lives. I donate blood every three months.

http://www.vinnies.org.au/ - St Vincent de Paul Society of Australia's website. Find out about donating clothes, food and money.

http://www.yahoo7.com.au/sunrise - Channel 7's breakfast program's website. Heaps and heaps of information about donating clothes, money, accommodation and breaking news about the fires

http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/ - Victorian Country Fire Authority's website. The site is regularly updated. Apparently it's crashed several times, so they've asked if we can only check this site out if you need immediate information that isn't available on news websites

http://www.salvos.org.au/ - The Salvation Army's website. Another website that you can use to find out about donations

1800 727 077 - If you're concerned about friends or family, or if you want friends or family to know you're okay, give the Red Cross a call

1800 240 667 - The Victorian Bushfire Hotline will give you information about status of towns affected by the fires and information like school closures

180 22 11 - People affected by the bushfires are entitled to government assistance, so give them a call

If you want to make a cash donation, there are a couple of options. National Australia Bank is taking donations. You can call 1800 811 700, or make a direct transfer from your bank account to: NAB account BSB 082001 a/c 860046797

The other option is Bendigo Bank. Call 1300 366 666 or check out the website http://www.bendigobank.com.au/. Or you can call 137 258 (menu option 2)

If you're a firefighter, you're desperately needed. Contact your local fire station or the Rural Fire Brigade to find out how you can help.

As of an hour or so ago, 131 people have been confirmed perished in the fires. The disaster is being reported around the world, and thank you to my friends overseas who have contacted me to make sure my family and I are okay. We're absolutely fine and in Queensland, quite a distance from the fires. It is now officially Australia's worst buhfires in history, surpassing 1983's Ash Wednesday fires.

Please, please, please... Australia, do anything and everything you can to help.

***EDIT***EDIT***EDIT***EDIT***EDIT***EDIT***EDIT***EDIT***EDIT***

So far over $10 million has been raised. Coles (a grocery store in Australia) will also be donating Friday's profits to the Bushfire Appeal. Apparently there is more than enough clothing, etc. The best way to help now is to donate money. And of course, the Red Cross will always welcome more blood donors. Keep going, Australia!

Just a little rant...

You know, it really bug me when people tell me huge lies. I understand little white ones. Everyone does that at some point in their lives. "Oh, no, that shirt looks great!" or, "I'm putting that cheque in the mail right now." But big ones, uh-uh. And when your lies then implicate a completely innocent party... a party that doesn't even know they're involved... grrr... I feel desperately sorry for this innocent party. They've just made a huge decision and have absolutely no idea what it could mean for them down the track.

PS. A change is as good as a holiday, apparently,hence the new layout...