Results {finally}

I've been so busy lately!! Studying for the past two weeks and also finishing assignments and this week I've also been busy even though I'm on holidays so I'm sorry I haven't posted the results from my blastocysts test.

So anyway onto the results, as you all (should) know I was re-treated for blastocyst after being treated the first time and again testing positive!! I then had to wait four weeks to get re-tested and I got the results back...um...almost 3 weeks ago, like Tuesday the 8th of November, I've been busy and maybe just a bit lazy too:)

But I'm NEGATIVE!! That means I no longer have blasto!! However it is not unlikely to get a false negative so I will be re-re-tested in a week or so (4 from getting the results back).

I wasn't as excited as I thought I would have been but it's pretty good news!! I'm still recovering from the many doses of very strong antibiotics I've had, but aside from that I'm feeling pretty good. I've been pretty exhausted these past few weeks but I don't think that's because I'm sick, I've also had a head cold that been going around and then I gave it to my mum and it turned our to be whopping cough!! She's better now and there are no more colds in this house!!

I've had quite a few side affects from the antibiotics and now have something else that is being treated. So in other words in treating my blasto it caused something else which now has to be treated, it's kind of like a vicious cycle. But I'm slowly getting a little better each and every day!!

It was also 1 year and 1 month since I got sick last Sunday which I didn't realise until just then..oops!! Its not that important, just a number that is sometimes upsetting.

Anyway I hope everyone is having a good week, I'll update you all on my holidays soon.

Charlotte;)

School's out!!

I finished school last Friday(25-11-11)!!

I have now officially finished year 9!! It feels so good to be able to say that. After 9 exams and 2 assignments I'm finally finished. However I'm kind of scared as I am now going into year 10!! I can't believe it, I think year 10 is going to be so hard.

My holidays have been fantastic so far, I've already done so much and loved every second of it, I so badly needed these holidays and I was so tired on Friday.

I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays or enjoy the ones they may have!

Charlotte;)

Paint Chip Door Decoration {Tutorial}

Every time I go to the hardware store I pick up a few paint chips, you know the little pieces of paper/cardboard that is coloured the colour of that paint. They are free and you can use them for so many different projects.

Here is my current stash:

I was looking at my door frame the other day and thought how bland it was. I wanted to do something to brighten it up a bit that didn't cost anything and this is what I thought of. Decorating it with flowers punched out of paint chips!!

From this:                                                                                           To this:

And no the wall colour doesn't change when you do this project, I just didn't take a picture of my door before I put the flowers on so I took one of my brothers instead which is the same size, just his walls are not pink!!

To decorate your door you'll need:

-Paint chips

-Blue tack or glue

-Flower puncher

-Glitter Glue (optional)

This is the punch I used.

   

Chose the colours you want your flowers to be, I chose pinks.    

And then start cutting an equal amount of flowers from each colour (you could also do all the same colour too). I used about 175 flowers.

Then put a tiny bit of blue tack or glue onto each flower and glue/stick it to the door frame. I used blue tack so that when I get sick of them I can pull them all off and the paint won't come off with them as well.

I spaced mine about 3cm apart and alternated sides each time but you could have them further apart or closer together and in a straight line. Whatever you like.

You could also add a glitter glue centre, I did this to a few but I couldn't tell a difference unless I was really close to the flowers, so I stopped.

 I also did not do all the way down the side of the door frame closest to the wall as you can't see this when the door is open and I hardly ever shut my door.

See, no one will ever notice. You could also do all the way around if you like as well.

And you're finished!! A quick, cheap and affective project!!

And here's another project I've done with paint chips, magnetic pegs.

To hold my papers on my whiteboard.

They have a strip of magnet on the back but are just wooden clothes pegs.

 

I've also got one blue tacked to my wall above my desk to hold my daily timetable.

If anyone would like a tutorial for these just leave me a comment and I'll do one soon.

 Now, go and start collecting paint chips, you'll have plenty of fun and let me know the projects you do!!

Charlotte;)

Blastocysts Update

I thought I'd give you all a general update and total history of my Blasto.

I was tested around January this year for Blasto and it came back positive, I was treated with Flagyl, the normal antibiotic that is given when Blasto is detected. This was my second dose as I had already had one dose about November last year as the doctors had no idea what was wrong but thought they would just give it to me in case. I was never re-tested for Blasto until about July when I went to a Naturopath.

After being tested at the Naturopath and it coming back positive again we had the option to go to my GP and get treated or have herbs from the Naturopath. Mum chose the GP option and I was given a double dose of Flagyl this time. This time and the previous 2 times I never had any side affects and these tablets did nothing. Mum asked for me to be re-tested after finishing the Flagyl and again it came back positive.

My mum then found a clinic in Sydney who have successfully treated Blasto before. She spoke to a lady from their who gave us the name of a doctor in Brisbane. Mum tracked that doctor down and I went to see him. He gave me a script for the Centre for Digestive Disease first protocol and I started them.

These tablets made me so very sick, I was nauseas, I had achey bones, my stomach pains were terrible and I was just so sick. I had 2 weeks off school and finished that course. This was August.

I then waited the required 4 weeks and was re-tested, I found out in the last week of term 3, in the middle of exams that I was still positive.

After finishing this first set of tablets I felt so much better, I could eat some foods containing gluten that I wouldn't have been able to before, day to day my pains were a little better and overall I felt a little better however my pains were still there and I could not continue to live like that.

I then started the second protocol from the Centre for Digestive Diseases in the school holidays thinking they too would make me terribly sick. They did not have any effect on me until I had finished them. We think this is because I started this lot of tablets a lot healthier than I did the first time. My nausea severely increased and still has not gone back to the normal amount I have and I felt really tired. I still have not fully recovered to how I was feeling before this second set of tablets however Im feeling pretty good.

I sent away the sample to be re-tested yesterday and should get the results back this week. If I'm still positive I have an appointment with a doctor in Sydney in January to discuss further treatments and if it's negative I'll be re-tested to make sure it is not a false negative.

And that is my little journey with Blastocysts, if you have any questions please leave me a comment.

Charlotte;)

Mish Mash

• This week feels like it has gone on forever
• Yesterday I went to a Caritas Leadership day which was quite insightful, we looked at people from all over the world who are living in extreme poverty, it was very sad too but I had a good time and leant a few things
• Today we had our 85th anniversary photo at school which means a plane flies over the school and everyone is standing on the oval in a formation of the number 85, it was meant to happen yesterday but everyone sat on the oval for almost 2 hours and the plane never came!! I wasn't their but apparently it was very hot and boring
• I spent yesterday afternoon with my cousins N and A, A is in prep and his primary school is attached to my school so his dad, my uncle, picked us up after school, then we picked up N from child care and went back to their place for a swim, afternoon tea and a play. My dad picked me up about 6:30pm on his way home from work. I had a great time and they are both so adorable!!
• I got a distinction on a science Competition I did this year and got an award on assembly
• Tomorrow is the year 12's last day as they are on exam block next week, they have 'muck up day' and I've been told they have got a lot install for us!! I'm really excited as this time last year I was in hospital so this is all new to me
• We also have a special 'house group lunch' tomorrow to farewell the year 12's, last year on a break from the hospital I quickly popped in for about 20 minutes to farewell the year 12's so this is new too
• I have exams in like 2 weeks, I'm very nervous and I'm starting to study
• E's birthday is next week and I've got no idea what I'm getting her, she keeps saying that she doesn't want anything which only makes it harder
• My home ec pyjama pants are coming along nicely, all I've got to do is finish the hem and I'm done, I'll share pictures when they are done
• I got re-tested today for Blatso, I won't know the results until next week but I'm hopeful

How has your week been??

Charlotte;)