I'm out there!

I’ve been home for 2 months, after 6.5 in PA Hospital. I was counting on my brain, but it was in my real “at home” time that issued me with a derivable, accessed fetter which was in my wrong direction. I fought it, but in the long end I finally saw it. I ended up with an ABISO carer, Clare, who worked passionately to make sure I was getting explicatory results. So far there is no end, but I’ve become a smiley.

At the end of 6.5 weeks in BIRU, I chose to leave early – an extra 2 weeks before they said for me. My guests were needing to leave from my home, and I couldn’t leave my dogs on their own – or in a kennel. I was uncomfortable with my verbal discussion with someone in BIRU. I wouldn’t argue, I had to leave. I’m sure they could see how I would (might) ensue with unachievable targets. Under normal irreverence there wouldn’t be any – many – bad results. With me, unable to speak let alone think ahead of myself, I sat with tears in my eyes, often, getting around my goals. I was not allowed to drive for at least 6 months, so I started in the bus.

At first I found out that I had only one bus to get me into town. Pretty good! But soon I found too many kids on the bus when I chose to go earlier. Most kids, to get off in Ipswich Road at Moorooka, didn’t seem to have any consideration about older people, and would sit down themselves without letting older workers sit. They were loud, and I found wishing myself some earplugs in my handbag. Silly me, I have forgotten them often.

Sometime in the week there was another person on the bus who decided to have a yelling match with the driver. That’s not me! I found myself asking her to shut up. Funny, she did.

At some time I decided to try the bus to Garden City, because that seemed pretty good to me, until I got on the bus. Everyone went so many roads, and I hadn’t realised until the first trip that this particular bus was going down the back streets of Mt Gravatt or Wishart somewhere unidentified, somewhere totally unnecessarily. I changed my trips after that first time.

Going to Garden City was one extra to get me to Sunnybank Hills to the bank and post office. I could see that I was taking around an hour bus to getting there, and if I needed to go on to the doctor in Algester Road it would take me just a little bit more. But I needed to stop at Sunnybank Hills at least once a week, because otherwise my mail would become a problem. And it was another hour bus – or two of them - to get back home.

Bussing into the city allowed me to get off at Cultural Centre, and a couple of times I used this to go to the SLQ. I have worked it out in the last 2 months – I’m not often going there.  Why? Because I can’t get anything from SLQ. I have belonged to QWC for the last couple of years, but they seem to accept the members who can pay for anything – and give less to anyone who can’t pay.  For the next few months I can’t pay, so it’s easiest not to go there. Sad. For me, I am volunteering at BWF in September. Hopefully it will let me be.

Right now there is no help from Australian government.  I recently went to Centrelink for an interview over my medical. I can tell anyone that I can possibly work again, but I can’t fill in any jobs with the GDip OHS which I completed last year. I’ve lost WHS, and I am not happy to deal with any work place. I was extremely upset at the Centrelink interviewer, who hadn’t realised I was Kiwi, even though I lived here for 9 years. Apparently a Newstart, which he was originally offering me, was dropped when he found out I was Kiwi.  I am still convinced that I have been here for 9 years, next year I can become a citizen by RRV, so I am waiting… there have to, surely, be some kindness in government lackness. I think I’m an “only” – they can’t put me off.

Every Friday afternoon I scheduled with Speech Pathology and Occupational Therapist at PA. I felt pretty good that PA pays for taxis for me, except when the drivers are not citizens it makes it pretty hard for me to either understand or to make myself understood. I can’t say anything, because I don’t want to understand any more than where my house is and how much each docket PA pays for.  I know, when I move, that I won’t have taxis from north shore. I don’t regret it, but I do, seriously, regret not being able to meet the SP and OT therapists.

Why am I mentioned north shore?  Well, I’m moving there in 2 weeks. Woody Point, actually.  My daughter found it, I haven’t yet seen it, but I’ve seen the map and the wee cottage is only 500m in either direction from the beaches which go all the round Woody Point.  I am drizzling, I know it. It’s my time to somewhere else which I, hopefully, will really like. My present home was close to my previous employment, taken in reciprocals from my ex-husband, yet I know I truly dislike it.  I am so happy with Woody Point – in 2 weeks!

I’d met up with people from specific MeetUp groups since around February 2013, and in the last 3 months, since I was in PA for my aneurysm, I have seen people who are absolutely magic to keep me varied and happy. Thanks so much to Es, Karina, Jackie, Mitch, Anne, Debs, Loz, Prue, Taylor and many others who have helped me out, and I’m so grateful to all my Kiwi friends. Very recently Jackie blurbed me with a magical FB post, where I was identified as “competent, eloquent and committed”. That was amazing to my head, and I know I need to work to win over myself.  This end of year, while I’m still recovering, I will be helping at BWF, speaking at International Women’s Liberation summit, helping at a local animal scene, helping out at TEDxSouthbank, and meeting up – not MeetUp - with whoever I can!

See you in my future.