The gall of it!

July 14, 2022 By DorkyMum in Family Tags: cholecystectomy, gallbladder, gallbladder removal, gallbladder surgery, gallstone, health, medical, surgery 14 Comments

Remember when this blog used to be about fun stuff? Travel. Photography. Parenting a toddler. The occasional political rant.

Yeah, me too. Recently it seems to have turned into a catalogue of our various medical ailments instead. And we’re stuck on the letter C. Cancer, covid, canine total hip replacement…

The latest addition to the list is cholecystectomy. That’s the fancy and unpronounceable word that means having your gallbladder removed. I was relieved when even the nurses stumbled over it, and after eavesdropping on their chatter I learned that they abbreviate it to LapChol – or laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

I also learned that they don’t think it should be done as day surgery, because even done as keyhole it can feel pretty rough afterwards. And I learned what they think of some of the surgeons. And I learned about the covid outbreak on the floor below. But those are all other stories, not for today. Continue reading →

Running

February 24, 2018 By DorkyMum in Tasmania Tags: exercise, health, Hobart, running, running in Hobart, running in Tasmania, Tasmania, wellbeing 17 Comments

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It is running season here.

I’m not a matchy-matchy clothes kind of runner. There’s no Lorna Jane activewear lurking in my drawer.

Instead, I wear one of DorkyDad’s old gym vests that I rescued from the op shop pile. There are battered trainers that I should probably get around to replacing, and a pair of shorts that are older than DorkySon. On sunny days, I pull on a cap that was a freebie at a university event. Red on black: Save the Tassie Devil.

I’m not a competitive runner either. Not even with myself. An occasional glance at the default health app on my phone tells me that I run somewhere between three and five kilometres most days. There are routes I know I can do in 15 minutes (ish) when the air is cool and still. But on those syrupy nights when the sun is still bright above the mountain, I know it’ll be more like 20. I don’t measure time or distance any more accurately than that. Continue reading →

Feeling Good

March 10, 2014 By DorkyMum in Family, Tasmania Tags: body image, diet, exercise, health, motherhood, wellbeing 21 Comments

I’ve had a post brewing for a while now about some of the changes I’ve made to my lifestyle since moving to Tasmania, but it was only on reading this lovely brave piece about motherhood and body image by my friend Emily that I felt compelled to rescue my notes from the drafts folder and pay them some attention.

Something about living here has made me feel more compelled than ever before to get in better shape. I think perhaps part of it is that exercise and healthy food can so easily become part of your routine without it being a huge effort. Like Emily though, I have not been aiming to hit a particular dress size, or a certain number on the scales (we don’t even own a set of scales). I just want to feel good in myself and I’ve been trying to approach that in a sensible way. Continue reading →

The Power of the First Hour

February 18, 2013 By DorkyMum in Activism Tags: #firsthour, Activism, Breastfeeding campaign, breastfeeding in the developing world, breastmilk substitute companies, campaigning, Danone, formula milk companies, formula milk marketing practices, health, international development, Nestle, No Child Born to Die, Save the Children, Superfood for Babies, The Power of the First Hour 17 Comments

When I started this blog, nearly two years ago, one of my very first posts was titled ‘Breast is Best, but there’s no need to keep shouting about it.’

I stand corrected.

Sometimes, it’s absolutely crucial to shout about it.

Not when you’re talking about the UK – where mothers can make an informed choice, and where babies are likely to grow up healthy and safe whatever choice they make – but in developing countries, where the choice can literally mean the difference between life and death.

Continue reading →

Feeling Better

October 18, 2012 By DorkyMum in Family, Harpenden Tags: Acupuncture, health, wellbeing 17 Comments

You know that thing where you don’t realise how cruddy you’ve been feeling until you feel better?

That.

I finally got round to making an appointment with a new acupuncturist a couple of weeks ago, and spent an hour on a Saturday morning having needles stuck in me.

As I usually do afterwards, I then spent the rest of the day feeling pretty drained and exhausted. But the two weeks since then have been something of a revelation.
Continue reading →

Dorkymum | Stories from Tasmania

Stories from our family home in Tasmania

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