Elizabeth November 16th, 2009

Last week, for the first time in my life, I was treated for skin cancer.

About three years ago I noticed a strange bump on my forearm. Growing up in Queensland, the skin cancer capital of the world, I knew better than to ignore any changes in my skin. The first GP I saw told me not to worry, telling me that it was most likely a blocked pore.

The general advice that you hear is to visit your doctor if a bump, lump or mark changes – especially if it changes colour. My bump evolved several times during those three years, but it was only two weeks ago that a doctor took it seriously. So seriously, in fact, that I was immediately referred to a specialist for its removal.

Last Thursday I lay on the bed in the doctor’s room and concentrated very hard on the corner of the ceiling above my head. To my left, the doctor administered a local anaesthetic and carved the malignant cells out of my arm. While there wasn’t any real pain during the procedure, I did have to experience all the other sensations that went with it – the tugging of my skin against the stitches, the sensation of blood dripping down my arm. It wasn’t my favourite way to spend an afternoon.

My intention is not to gross you out. I guess I just want to explain how this little “bump” I had lived with for so long was suddenly being described as a “lesion”, and how quickly my doctors acted to cut it out of my body before it could do any further damage. All the what ifs suddenly came to the forefront of my mind.

As I was saying, I wasn’t really planning to blog about it because nobody likes pictures of medical procedures. But one day after my little operation, I received this email:

Dear Elizabeth,

Hope you’re well

I’m writing to see whether you would be interested in supporting the latest summer campaign from Cancer Council Australia, which this year is all about helping teens to understand the dangers of excessive sunbaking.

The message is simple: there’s no healthy way to tan.

But before you say ‘not another anti-tanning campaign’, you need to check out our snazzy new web application… It’s called ‘Sunsation’ and it works like this: teens upload a photo of themselves to the application, then sit back and watch as a ‘healthy glow’ develops. But at the same time as they are admiring the bronze glow, they start to notice a spot developing on their face. Within seconds it has turned into a large and nasty looking melanoma. Attached is a teaser to show you how it might work.

Suddenly a tan doesn’t seem so hot!

Sunsation is part of this year’s National Skin Cancer Action Week campaign (November 15-22), and I’m hoping that you might be able to help us by giving us a shout-out on your website, or by running the Sunsation banner (which we can have re-sized to suit your specs if need be).

Attached is a media release which will give you a bit more information about National Skin Cancer Week and what else we’ll be doing (including a large installation at Bondi)

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you think you might be able to help!

Cheers,
Emma

I decided that serendipity was at play when I received this email, and that it was important to write about my experience. I am a person who has never actively sunbaked, but growing up in Cairns and Brisbane made sun exposure unavoidable. It is quite off-putting to think about how many times I went snorkelling out on the reef without reapplying sunscreen as often as I should, wearing nothing more than a bikini.

This is a picture of my dressed arm. If you don’t mind a bit of blood and guts, you can click here to see the wound in all its glory (WARNING: it’s not very beautiful).

National Skin Cancer Action Week raises awareness of skin cancer and sun protection issues at the start of the summer season. Hosted by the Cancer Council in conjunction with the Australasian College of Dermatologists, it runs from November 15-21 and involves a number of educational and promotional initiatives.

‘Don’t be a victim’ campaign

Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach became a massive ‘crime scene’ on Sunday, 15 November (start of National Skin Cancer Action Week) in a new Cancer Council campaign that graphically depicts the dangers of tanning.

Startled beachgoers were greeted by the sight of 1700 towels stretched across the sand, each emblazoned with a ‘crime scene’ chalk outline of a ‘victim’. The towels are a graphic representation of the 1700 Australians who die each year from skin cancer.

These aerial shots of the “crime scene” were especially effective (click to fullview):

Sunsation – Sun Tan Simulator

Are you curious to see how you would look with a tan?

Click the image below to open the Sunsation Sun Tan Simulator in a new window. This clever little web app allows you to upload a photo of yourself and see your tan develop. At the same time, you’ll see a spot form and gradually become a melanoma.

The message is clear – skin cancer is real, and it can kill. Treatment isn’t always as simple as cutting out the affected area – it can often spread throughout the body and do irreversible damage.

In recognition of National Skin Cancer Action Week, now is as good a time as any to be reminded of the “Slip, Slop, Slap” campaign that we Aussie kids all grew up with!

And most of all? If you’re worried about any sort of change in your skin, get it checked out. Persevere if you’re unhappy with your doctor’s response. Get familiar with your skin’s condition, so that you will notice any developments.

It’s too important to put off.

• Australia , Current Affairs , Health & Fitness
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Elizabeth November 8th, 2009

Couch to 5K is part of my 101 Things in 1001 Days challenge.

I have a confession to make.

Today I really did not want to go for a run. I was feeling dehydrated (thanks for the heatwave, Melbourne!), and the sudden explosion of pollen in the air had transformed me into a walking snot factory for the day. To say that I was feeling unmotivated is an understatement.

Thank God for new shoes, and my inability to resist them!

I had imagined that my new running shoes might transform my running experience into something angelic and cloud-like, perhaps increasing my stride threefold with their trampolinesque properties. I mean, they can’t charge a couple of hundred dollars for shoes that don’t possess superpowers, right?

Right!

So I threw on some lycra, laced up my new shoes, and blew my nose a few hundred times. Despite the heat, and despite the severe respiratory distress, I was determined to glide through the streets of Melbourne with the finesse of a seasoned runner. A seasoned runner, that is, with new shoes.

Maybe I should have bought the $300 shoes.

I mean, all things considered I did pretty well. To have run 25 minutes (again!) without walking, and while I was feeling less than physically fantastic, is a pretty huge sign that I am improving. Remember when all C25K asked of me was 60 second bursts of jogging? Those 60 second runs represented the absolute limit of my capabilities six weeks ago, so to be running for 25 minutes is nothing less than incredible. I think it’s important to look at the big picture occasionally, because it provides much-needed perspective.

Having said that, last week’s 25-minute run felt so much better than today’s. I felt more fatigued this time, lost a lot more sweat, and yet felt as though I was travelling so much slower. I still managed to cover 4km in that time, so I think I’m on track to achieve 5km in Week 9 without too much trouble.

While running this afternoon I thought back over some of the little lessons I’ve learned since beginning this thing. I know I wrote some of these down in the past, but here are some new tips that might help other runners at this stage of the program:

• My Couch to 5K iphone app continues to be a major motivator when I run. However, here’s a new tip! When you reach the end of Week 6, and you’re down to single running sessions, switch your phone to mute. Your music will continue to play, and the app will buzz in your hand when it is time to start and time to stop. Muting the phone prevents the audio prompt from telling you when you hit the halfway point, which is a major advantage in my case! There’s nothing worse than thinking that you’re on the home stretch, only to find out that you have another 12 minutes to go.
• Belly breathing is something that I have always done naturally, perhaps because of my background as a singer. It is the opposite of shallow breathing, and necessitates the use of your diaphragm. Last week I had some excrutiating stitches that I now attribute directly to my breathing. I think I was trying to improve my posture by keeping my belly in, and it resulted in spasms in my diaphragm. Google it, it’s apparently a common rookie mistake!
• Don’t forget: the first half is ALWAYS so much worse than the second half of any run. Get into a good rhythm, breathe, and remind yourself that the rhythm will come and the discomfort will lessen. And at the end of it all, you’ll be one session closer to Week 9!

Is anyone else out there still doing this thing? Tell me how you’re going!

• 101 in 1001 , C25K , Health & Fitness , Running
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Elizabeth November 1st, 2009

Last time I wrote about Couch to 5k was about a week ago, and I had just completed Week 5 with a bang. That post was written after my first 20-min run which, despite my concerns, was not a fatal experience.

And then I had to go and jinx myself with the final sentence:

“My greatest hope is that my body remains injury-free, and continues to adapt to this foreign sensation!”

Well… way to go, me! I’m sure you can guess what happened next.

Last Monday I began Week 6 feeling fantastic. I was looking forward to a much easier session than the one before it, with three runs (5, 8 and 5 minutes) and two 3-minute walks in between them. It should have been an easy 25 minutes, but a few minutes in I was feeling terrible. I suddenly felt lethargic, my legs felt like lead and I had to concentrate really hard on putting one foot in front of the other.

I finished the session, but by the time I got home I was miserable. My neck felt a little out, and I was dripping with sweat for the first time since beginning the program. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me, but rather than let it psych me out I decided to put it behind me and just get a good night’s rest.

The next morning I couldn’t turn my head to the left. Like Zoolander, I had ceased to be an ambi-turner.

In hindsight, I’m pretty sure that I came down with some sort of bug last week. I felt a bit “off” for a few days, slept really hard every night, and woke up each morning not feeling refreshed. My theory is that I held my body differently during my run to compensate for the sudden fatigue, which led to some sort of pinched nerve in my neck. I kept it in check with anti-inflammatories and a wheat pack for about 5 days until it was mostly back to normal.

The hardest part was accepting that I would have to take some time off running. Obviously it would have been pretty stupid to compound the problem by pushing through it, so I decided to take a week off.

Today I re-started Week 6. Once again, I found this particular session pretty difficult, but that can almost definitely be attributed to the fact that I took a break. It was nowhere near as hard as it was a week ago, which sort of confirms my theory that I was fighting off some sort of bug last week.

I guess the most interesting part of this experience was the way I coped with not running. It’s become such a big part of my life now, even though I’m still a beginner, that it was noticeably absent from my routine last week. There was a small degree of anxiety over how well I would pick it up again this week, but mostly I just missed hitting the streets and feeling healthy. I really look forward to the stage where I can run for 20 minutes without any apprehension, just for that feeling, a few times a week. That’s freedom right there – using your own body to cover a stack of ground, and feeling even better on the other side of it.

My medium-term goal is to reach that place. In the short-term I still have a month of C25K to finish, but if all goes well I can wrap this baby up by the end of November!

(That wasn’t an invitation, jinx gods.)

• 101 in 1001 , C25K , Health & Fitness , Running
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Elizabeth October 25th, 2009

This is easily the funniest thing I’ve seen on YouTube in weeks…

• Funny Stuff , Health & Fitness , Videos
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Elizabeth October 25th, 2009

Yesterday I finished Week 5 of the Couch to 5K (C25K) – a nine week interval training program that promises to have you running for 30 minutes, or 5k, by the end.

Last week’s program had me pretty worried, so I thought it might be worthwhile writing something short about the way it turned out for me. There must be other people out there who are googling the hell out of C25K to see how others are handling it – so here is another person’s account!

Week 5 is traditionally the week when most people drop out of C25K, for reasons I completely understand. On paper it looks unachievable to the beginning runner, as it sets a goal that is far beyond anything we’ve had to achieve up until that point. Here’s what I mean:

Week 5, Day 1: Three 5-minute runs, with 3-minute walks in between.
Week 5, Day 2: Two 8-minute runs, with one 5-minute walk in the middle.
Week 5, Day 3: Run for 20 minutes with no walking.

At this stage in the program the longest interval we’ve ever had to run without walking is 8 minutes. How was I ever going to run for more than double this time?

I didn’t actually believe that I could do the 20-minute run. In truth, I never feel completely physically spent after each running segment in my sessions, but I have come to rely on those short “rest” periods of walking to prepare my lungs for the next burst of punishment. The prospect of cutting out the walks completely scared the crap out of me!

All I can say is that I attempted it with the best possible attitude I could muster. I assured myself that if I didn’t make it this time, it was okay to try it again until I met the goal. I reminded myself that plenty of other people repeat entire weeks until they are ready to move on with the program, and that it was okay to be one of them.

I fired up the music, started my C25K app, and turned the screen of my iphone off. I decided to forget about the clock, and just run.

20 minutes later I stopped!

I won’t lie – there were times when I wanted to walk. I didn’t get any of that euphoria that I wrote about on Monday, and that made every step a little bit harder. However, I don’t think that it was any more difficult than the first time I ran for 5 minutes, or 8 minutes – or even the first time I ran for 90 seconds! I remain amazed at the way that my body continually adapts to the new challenges I put in front of it.

The key, I guess, is making sure that you pace yourself. I kept a good steady pace throughout the entire 20 minutes, but this time I didn’t go out of my way to choose lots of hilly streets or force myself to extend my stride. The challenge of running for 20 minutes was enough, I saw no need to overachieve.

I covered 3.2km yesterday, which included a 4-minute cool-down walk. Tim commented that I didn’t seem out of breath when I got home, and it’s true – my recovery time was pretty much contained to those 4 minutes. My biggest challenge during the run was to manage my asthma, as I have become quite reliant on my inhaler halfway through my sessions. I couldn’t have used my inhaler without stopping momentarily yesterday, so I managed it with my pace instead.

So – with Week 5 out of the way I have one month of running to go. I am bracing myself for some fairly big challenges over the coming week, including four 25-minute runs, three 28-minute runs, and finally three 30-minute runs. My greatest hope is that my body remains injury-free, and continues to adapt to this foreign sensation!

• 101 in 1001 , C25K , Health & Fitness , Running
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Elizabeth October 19th, 2009

So, the weirdest thing just happened.

This afternoon I got home from work feeling exhausted. My entire day was spent putting out metaphorical fires at work, in preparation for a major event that my office is running tomorrow. And since I will be out of the office tomorrow to set up for this event, I also had to get a bunch of tomorrow’s work done too.

Today was Run Day. I could have done it tomorrow, except for the fact that I’ll be tied up at work until about midnight and there won’t be an opportunity. So when I got home I reluctantly put my shoes on and ran in the direction of a nearby pharmacy, figuring I could kill two birds and get a prescription filled.

Today’s program was three 5-minute runs, with a couple of short walks to break them up. Even though I took the scenic route and chose a couple of little hills, I found myself close to the pharmacy halfway through my second run. I decided to run far beyond my original destination and cover some new ground rather than just running in circles to make up the time.

By the time I finished my third run I was at the pharmacy door, and I was completely spent. I’d made sure that my last minute or so was a really strong pace to make the most of my session. The five minutes I spent waiting for my prescription was a very welcome relief.

My heart rate was still nice and high when I left the store, so I thought I’d give it a little extra time. No clock, no set pace – just an opportunity to jog along the backstreets and keep my heart rate nice and lively. I thought I might stretch it out a couple of minutes longer, just for a bonus.

I ran from that store all the way to my front gate, door to door.

Google Maps tells me that this last little “bonus” was 1.5km, and at my jogging pace it took about 10 minutes. Something weird happened where I wasn’t in any pain or discomfort anymore, and I didn’t need to stop for anything! I didn’t even pause to cross roads – just kept jogging until a break in traffic opened up. I know how insignificant this must seem to anybody who has ever been able to run… but this is a completely new experience for me!

This has taught me so much about the role my mind plays when it comes to exercise. I believe – without a doubt – that I could not have covered that much ground if I had been conscious of time. It’s strange how I kept setting myself new goals along the way home, only to find that I didn’t need to stop once I reached them.

So, runners? I get it now. I really, really get it.

And I want more.

• 101 in 1001 , C25K , Health & Fitness , Life , Running
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Elizabeth October 18th, 2009

Part of my 101 Things in 1001 Days challenge.

I’ve spent my entire life telling anybody who would listen, “I can’t run”.

I have always been able to walk and swim long distances, usually stopping out of boredom rather than exhaustion. Growing up I played a lot of netball and touch footy, and was a fit and healthy teenager. I remember attempting a regular morning jog during those years and quitting out of frustration.

My asthma has to have played an enormous role in shaping this belief. There have been periods throughout my life where it has been difficult to get enough air into my lungs when I wasn’t exercising, and there’s probably no form of exercise that relies on lung capacity more than running. I remember that swimming was a fantastic sport for me because the rhythm of the strokes helped me to regulate my breathing. It all just flowed.

The time has come to challenge more of myself. Yeah, running is hard. At the moment it is not the most natural feeling for me to deliberately provoke my lungs into war. And yet, along with the right medication, this is exactly the best way to prevent my asthma from running my life any longer.

I am not exaggerating when I say that the Couch to 5k program pulled me out of a largely sedentary Winter. For six months I ate delicious pastas, curries, stews, rice and potatoes and loved every second of it. What I didn’t love was the extra couple of kilos at the end of it!

So when I began this 9-week running course a few weeks ago I think I must have started with a fitness level of zero. No-one is more surprised than I to find how much I am enjoying it!

Yesterday I finished my fourth week, which means I’ll hit the half-way point of the program in a few days time. The satisfaction that I feel after each session is indescribable, and I find that I am even looking forward to my evening run. I’m really quite astounded to be feeling so relaxed and “in control” about something that I have always been scared of!

Here are a few things I have learned in the first month of the program:

• It doesn’t matter how cold it is, how much it is raining, how tired I am or how crappy my day was. Three minutes after putting on my shoes and leaving the house, I will be as “into it” as I am on a good day.
• I need to LOVE the music I listen to while I run. This is not the time to try out an album that is “just okay” – the music I choose can really make or break the quality of my session.
• The first half of my session will always be harder than the second half. I don’t know why, but it’s true.
• I feel far greater satisfaction running all the way around a small park than halfway around a large park.
• The first time I have to do a longer run as part of my program I choose a brand new direction and set of streets. It gives me the advantage of something new to look at, and prevents me from recognising a landmark from a shorter run. Basically, it’s about keeping myself distracted and in denial!
• I often find that I have to pace myself during a longer run, and don’t run as naturally as I would like. Now, after finishing every session, I give it one last sprint. I can’t even describe how good that feels.

I apologise for evangelizing on the subject of running all of a sudden, but I really am astounded at the difference I have seen in myself in such a short time – in my stamina, my attitude and my body. I’ve been treating my body like crap for years, and I suppose it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it is responding so well to a little tough love.

According to internet experts most people quit in Week 5. It’s easy to see why, given that by Friday I will supposedly be running 20 minutes with no walking! I admit to being a little bit intimidated by the prospect of running for this length of time, but it has helped a great deal to read the stories of other people who have done the program. I can’t deny that this has been done successfully by people who face bigger hurdles than me, especially in terms of weight, age and attitude. I think I just need to accept that it’s going to suck, it’s going to hurt, but it’s well within my ability to see it through.

And if I can’t do it on the first attempt? I’ll try, try again. It sounds like many people end up repeating a week of the program until they are ready to move on, and that sounds like the most sensible approach. My focus is on remaining injury-free, increasing my stamina and making it through to the end of Week 9 (in however many weeks it takes!).

Wish me luck…

• 101 in 1001 , C25K , Health & Fitness
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Elizabeth October 4th, 2009

Note to self: Riding 25km on your bike is great. Good for you! However, since you haven’t ridden in a YEAR, maybe we could have started with something smaller?

I’m just going to come out and say it: I have a very sore, bruised arse.

It’s not even the exercise that has ruined my body today – it’s the bloody bike seat! Any cyclists out there who can recommend a brand or style of seat? I really need to replace mine, and I don’t know anything about this stuff.

Anyway, I took my camera along for the ride and took a few shots. Enjoy.

• Health & Fitness , Life , Melbourne , Photo Posts
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Elizabeth October 4th, 2009

Later this week I’ll be writing about my progress with the Couch to 5k running program, but in the meantime I wanted to tell everyone about this iPhone app. It is one of the main reasons why this challenge has been a pleasure to commit to, rather than a battle!

The Couch to 5k app works on the iPhone or iTouch, and gives you audio cues during your workout. Start playing your music before launching the app, and the audio cues will be heard right over the top. This makes it possible to forget about your watch and simply concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other.

I know that there are other C25K apps out there, but this is the only one I have tried. I chose it based on its high user reviews, and haven’t found any reason to look for a better alternative. In fact, short of running my sessions for me I’m not sure what else it could do better!

Well worth a try if you have an iPhone. If not, try googling for podcasts that do a similar job.

Last week I took myself to Albert Park Lake for one of my sessions, which involved dodging the poo of a couple of hundred black swans. They were beautiful to watch though, especially the little newborn cygnets!

• 101 in 1001 , C25K , Health & Fitness , iPhone , Running
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Elizabeth February 19th, 2009

I recently came across an incredible new diet, and can’t stop telling people about it. It really has changed my life, so I wanted to share it with my readers.

This is a specially formulated diet for women to help deal with the stress that builds throughout the day.

You will notice instant results!

BREAKFAST
1 Grapefruit
1 slice wholemeal toast
1 cup skimmed milk

LUNCH
1 small portion lean, steamed chicken with a cup of spinach
1 cup herbal tea
1 biscuit

AFTERNOON TEA
The rest of the biscuits from the packet
1 tub of Gino Ginelli ice cream with chocolate topping

DINNER
4 bottles of wine (red or white)
2 loaves garlic bread
1 family size Supreme pizza
3 chocolate bars

LATE NIGHT SNACK
1 whole cheesecake (eaten directly from the freezer)

Don’t forget, “stressed” spelled backwards is “desserts”. Coincidence? Not likely.

• Food , Funny Stuff , Health & Fitness
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Elizabeth November 4th, 2008

I’ve been reviewing my 101 Things in 1001 Days list today, and trying to figure out how I can speed things along a bit. I’m happy with my progress so far, but I am aware that there are some larger-scale challenges on that list that remain untackled. I really want to make a dent in it this month.

So I have identified some of the items that I can cross off entirely by the end of the month, with a little planning.

001 Weight loss goal #1 (50%)
The goal here is to lose 50% of the excess weight that I am carrying. I was doing really (really!) well at this in the first half of the year, and then Winter set in. Winter and Carbs. I’m pretty sure that I can finally knock this one over this month, but it’s going to take some really hard work. And if it turns out to be too ambitious, at least it will happen the month after.

022 List 101 things that make me happy
A list to refer to when I’m feeling blah. I’m a pretty happy person, so I’m not sure why it’s taking me so long to finish this off. I think it’s hard to list some of it without sounding dumb!

036 Visit 5 different Melbourne markets
I just need to find one more! Shouldn’t be hard in a city like this.

065 Improve my photography workflow
I have set up Lightroom to handle my photo library, and it is delicious. Now I just need to set up all my Photoshop shortcuts and actions, and I can consider this item complete.

082 Post a photo/day for one month
Already started! I’m really enjoying digging through my archives for old gems, so this task is an easy one.

The true strength of my list is the number of “work in progress” items that I have on the go. I need to remember to invest in the larger projects so that they are easier to tackle in the future, so here are some ideas for how I might do that this month.

005 Learn 15 new vegetarian recipes (2/15)
In truth, I’ve been cooking with less meat lately and have probably already covered this item. The true aim of this task was to set out to learn new recipes, so I’m not going to cheat!

008 Learn to cook a recipe from 30 different countries (0/30)
How can it be that I haven’t started a challenge this fun yet? I need to think ahead, and get more creative!

030 Learn to identify 5 new constellations (1/5)
Easy! I have Google and clear skies. Might tackle one tonight.

038 Visit 10 local art galleries (1/10)
It would not surprise me if there was one walking distance from where I work. I’m going to get proactive about finding out.

Visit 25 new restaurants (6/25)
I expect to tackle this one solidly when our family comes to stay at Christmas, but there’s no reason why I can’t start now. We eat out a few times a month, we just need to start venturing beyond our usual haunts.

060 Get rid of 101 material items (0/101)
I have an enormous eBay pile that is begging to be re-homed. It all needs to go before Christmas, so there’s no reason to put this off.

Obviously I won’t tackle every one of these tasks, but it’s helpful to see them all in one place and know that any of them are possible. I’m sure that blogging here every day will help me to refer back to this list and report on my progress, so it will be interesting to see where I stand at the end of the month!

Another goal: to write up the completed tasks that I haven’t yet blogged about! I got a little bit behind a couple of months ago, and I would like to start December on top of things. At least I have some backup ideas for when I don’t know what to blog about!

Here are a few other bloggers who are participating in NaBloPoMo. Go and show them your support!

Antithete
Bread and Cheese
Cherry Blossom Adventures
Holly

• 101 in 1001 , Health & Fitness , Life , Melbourne , Website news
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Elizabeth September 30th, 2008

I mentioned last week that blood supplies for the Australian Red Cross are critically low. Today I spotted this article in The Age which confirms that the problem is getting serious.

If you are eligible to give blood, now is the perfect time to do so. Take a friend, spend 10 minutes in a relaxing chair and enjoy the free food and drink afterwards!

Red Cross plea for blood donors

The Australian Red Cross Blood Service is urgently calling for new blood donors to come forward after supplies dropped off over winter.

Demand for blood across the country is placing extreme pressure on already low blood stocks, particularly group O negative, the service warned today.

“This demand means that hospitals urgently need more blood to continue life saving treatment for a wide range of conditions,” a statement said.

“Blood stocks have not been able to recover from the effect of winter coughs and colds on regular donors to a level that would usually be provided to hospitals, despite the generous support from existing donors and some recent new donors.”

The services said one in 30 people donate blood in Australia, and yet one in three Australians will need blood at some point in their lives.

The Australian Red Cross Blood Service is also encouraging existing donors who may not have donated for sometime to come back and make another life-saving donation.

To make a donation appointment or to check your eligibility to donate, call 131495 or visit www.donateblood.com.au

• Current Affairs , Health & Fitness
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Elizabeth September 25th, 2008

Part of my 101 Things in 1001 Days challenge.

It’s one of those things that we just expect to be there for us, but only a very small proportion (1 in 30) of people actually give blood. Yet sooner or later, one in three of us will need it.

Today I gave blood for the first time. It is something I have wanted to do for quite a long time, but in the past I’ve always been turned away because I was asthmatic. Even though my asthma isn’t serious, they weren’t comfortable with me donating if I had taken Ventolin that day as sometimes donating blood can trigger an attack.

I know my asthma, and so today I took a firm approach in my interview. I told them that I take Ventolin every day after I brush my teeth (toothpaste tends to aggravate things for me), and that I manage my symptoms reliably. I assured her that I felt no different today than I do on any other day, and that Ventolin is now just a part of my routine.

That’s all the nurse needed to hear. She checked my blood pressure, pricked my finger to check my iron (it was super) and made sure I’d had enough to eat and drink that day. Then it was over to the chair, a quick needle prick and a relaxing six minutes while I filled the bag with 500mL of blood. Easy.

Once we were done, Tim and I sat in the refreshments area and helped ourselves to cheese & biscuits, fruitcake, drinks and lollies. How good is that?

If you have ever thought about donating blood, but have never gotten around to it, I hope you’ll consider locking in a time. The Australian Red Cross website says that their blood levels are dangerously low right now, so it’s the perfect time to make a commitment. You can find out if you’re eligible to give blood by doing their online quiz.

I found some interesting information on their site about the way blood is used. Like most people, I guess, I had assumed that the majority of donated blood went to accident victims and surgical patients (I blame TV).

HOW TO DONATE BLOOD

If you are in Australia, you can call 13 14 95 to make an appointment, or visit the Red Cross Blood Service at www.donateblood.com.au.

If you are in the USA, you can see a list of your local Red Cross regions at www.givelife.org.

If you have information about donating blood in your country, leave the details here in a comment and I’ll add them to this post. I’d also love to hear stories from anybody who has donated blood, or been a recipient!

• 101 in 1001 , Health & Fitness , Life
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Elizabeth July 2nd, 2008

It is day two of my New Financial Year Resolution diet, and it sucks. I am craving all sorts of stuff that I wasn’t even eating last month, simply because I’m not allowed to have it this month.

I am acutely aware of how dumb that is.

So you can imagine my relief when I found my soulmate on YouTube today, thanks to Dooce…

• Funny Stuff , Health & Fitness
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Elizabeth July 1st, 2008

There’s something inspiring about a new month, and I like making resolutions (even if they don’t last forever!). Here are my goals for July:

1. Take my multivitamin and asthma medication every day
2. Lose 3kg
3. Find a new job

I’ll be pretty happy with myself if I can achieve all three!

• Health & Fitness , Life
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