Every year I get vaccinated against the flu. Being a healthcare worker and also an asthmatic it is really important that I don't get the dreaded flu so I make it a point to get the jab. In recent years Dr's have been increasingly reluctant to give me the jab as I have more and more allergies: Latex, chicken feathers, and penicillin. Last year a had a slight reaction to the flu jab, so this year I was admitted into the emergency department of the hospital where I work and into Resus! How embarrassing, all for the flu jab. Anyway before I had the jab I had steroids and antihistamines to help prevent me have a reaction.

So jab went the nurse and I got itchy, not too bad, just my mouth, ears, face, head, chest, back, arms legs. No rash though just itchy. I went back to work after a few hours still itchy and took a mega dose of antihistamines when I got home and went to bed. Saturday the itching was less but I started getting a little tight in the chest and needed more ventolin than usual. Sunday, well the shortness of breath got worse and by Sunday night I really considered that I needed to go back to the emergency department, but being a head strong (read stupid) asthmatic I stayed home sucking on ventolin until I could breathe with reasonable ease.

Monday I went to work and got increasingly short of breath throughout the day, by lunchtime I could only talk in one and two work sentences. Not Good......

So back down to the emergency department, straight into resus and continuous ventolin nebs for the next 4 hours and a magnesium infusion saw me stable enough to transfer to the respiratory failure unit.

I spent a few days in hospital and then came home, I have to go see an immunologist now to see what I am going to do about the flu jab next year. It will be a brave soul who jabs me next time, and I'm not sure I want to go through that again.

  My mum got ill at the end of January and was admitted into hospital where she still is 7 weeks later; and my step dad had to go into respite at a nursing home as he has parkinsons and needs someone around all the time in case he falls. Two weeks after mum was admitted to hospital.... he dies in his sleep in the middle of the night. He was healthy, not sick at all and apart from parkinsons; fit as a malley bull (aussie slang here)

Here are photos of the man who gave me away at my wedding, and my whole family loved so much. He was a great, kind and caring man. I will miss him.

Anthony Samuel George Cox

Mum & Tony's wedding In Singapore

My Wedding in Bali

My Brother Matthew and Sarah's wedding with all my mum's family, mum and Tony front right. I am front left in turquoise.

Some of you may remember from a previous post, that Kristen decided to go and live with her father over in Sydney. I thought I would post a few photo's so you can all see how beautiful she is. I miss her terribly.

This is Kristen and Murdoch. She is really great with the twins.

Come back soon baby.....

These are our two chooks, Polly and Lena, they are frizzles and they are about 1 year old. Polly went broody and a few days later Lena was broody too. We wanted to increase our flock I got some fertile eggs from a lady up in Hovea. The eggs are aracauna x pekin or golden campine. Every day when I feed them I make sure they get off the nest and have a feed and poop and a drink. Especially important for them to drink in this hot weather.

They are only off the nest for a few minutes before they make their way back to the nest. Can you make out both the chooks on their nest? I hope they will share mothering duties too. They ditched their nice nest, and chose this place in the pen. It is under the grape vine and is very secluded, so I hope it will be ok.

The eggs are due to hatch on Saturday, so only a few days left to wait. I can tell you the waiting is just as bad as if you are sitting on the eggs yourself.