Suzy McHale’s Diary: 2013
Events of note this year: My third cavity filling on 28/5; various health and dementia issues for Joan Clifton, she ended up going to Perth to a managed-care home in October and her house was sold on 16/11; Dad had cataract surgery on his left eye on 30/10 then right eye on 29/11.
May
Friday 3/5
Getting toward halfway through the year and I haven’t even posted yet! Little of interest, as usual. The suburbs are becoming ever more crowded and overdeveloped – Melbourne is unfortunately the fastest-growing city in Australia – and this is destroying quality of life here. Those promoting population growth as a positive benefit are seriously deluded.
Mum and Dad departed around 1 p.m. for a week-long holiday in Kyneton, staying at the Kyneton Bushland Resort. They haven’t been anywhere for a few years (since 2007, looking at my journal), mainly because of Sasha the dog’s decline. I am home by myself. I really wish I could drive as I am otherwise very limited as to where I can go – public transport is expensive. I learned in my late teens but lost my nerve and stopped driving (though I have at least kept renewing my licence). Driving in Melbourne, though, is very stressful as traffic is horrendously busy and a lot of drivers are, perhaps not coincidentally, rude and aggressive (particularly young males in high-performance cars; I wish they could be culled from the population).
We had a hot dry summer from December to late March, unpleasant humidity in February, and it was the hottest summer on record for Australia. The heat only eased from April onward.
Michele and Trinity came to stay for Easter, from 27-30 March, as Dad had his 80th birthday.
~ Ended 2:29 p.m.
Tuesday 28/5
My dentist appointment did not go too well today as I need another cavity filling! I will have to make another appointment to have it done. The offending tooth is the lower left second (rearmost) molar, which has been a bit vaguely achy for a while and has deep crevices; I thought the aching was due to a receded sensitive place on the side. Very frustrating as I have been diligent in brushing and flossing. The dentist at Southland Clinic I saw was yet another new one, a woman: Dr Ting Ting Chen. It cost $100 for cleaning, $55 for examination – back in a 2008 visit it was $40 for an examination and only $35 for a clean! The rise would be due in part to the awful cost of living now, mainly rent and power bills. The filling is quoted as $160, so I will have to make another appointment for that. Mum also had to have some dental work done (filling replacements) which cost her nearly $500 or so. I am frustrated at the lack of government help for dental care, as I am unable to afford it and my parents barely can.
My chronically achy tooth (lower right first premolar) still aches on and off since I injured it in 2009, but I am not sure what is wrong with it.
Mum and Dad’s holiday in Kyneton went OK (though I had a rather lonely and isolated week) and they returned home on Friday 10. The only problem was health dramas with a family friend from Bentleigh Baptist Church – Joan Clifton (in her early 80s) – who got a detached retina on Saturday 11 and went in for surgery the following Wednesday. She doesn’t live far away (in Moorabbin) so Mum and Dad have ended up driving over every day to look after her as she is unmarried and has no children, and no relatives nearby (she was born in Perth). She is getting very frail – she had a bad fall on Saturday 12 November 2011, and Dad found her lying on the floor in the afternoon (she had fallen sometime overnight) and has not been quite right in the head since. She had another fall in her shower two days ago and injured her arm. Parents can’t continue to look after her as they are old themselves. I wonder how I will be in a couple of decades, when it seems I may alone with no family or friends.
I took the bus for the first time in many years (15 or so?) during Mum and Dad’s absence – the Chadstone 822 from Southland. It was fairly easy, and the journey under 10 minutes. The main annoyance is that buses only arrive every half hour, so it is a long wait for the next one.
I saw my first movie of this year, Star Trek Into Darkness, which was reasonably good. I have a few others (all sci-fi) that I would like to see when they come out in the following months.
~ Ended 3:10 p.m.
June
Wednesday 12/6
I had the filling done on Saturday 1/6; I managed to have it done without numbing. As with my previous filling I have had a bit of aching and sensitivity since. The molar in front has also become achy; there is a fissure that is quite dark.
~ Ended 7:39 a.m.
Monday 17/6
My filled molar is still aching just over 2 weeks since I had it done, even worse than it was before the filling. I can’t remember how long the previous one took to settle down in 2008, so I hope this one will.
~ Ended 3:01 p.m.
October
Wednesday 9/10
Joan Clifton has been in Kingston Rehabilitation Centre for a few months since I last wrote. Her eye surgery went OK, but she collapsed in her home on Friday 19 July and stopped breathing; Dad, who was visiting, had to resuscitate her! She was taken to hospital again, and did not return home. Her niece, Tanya, came over from Perth to tidy up her affairs as Joan has to go into aged care, so her home at 32 Gavin Street Moorabbin is to be sold, and she departs for Perth this coming Monday 14 with Tanya (Joan is single and has no children or living siblings, and lived by herself – her first name is Dorothy; Joan is her second). It is all rather sudden, though I found her a bit difficult to get on with at times as she is well-meaning but overbearing. All the people I grew up with or knew for years are vanishing.
A smart meter was installed at my parents’ home on Tuesday 27 August.
Last Monday night/Tuesday 1 October the strongest winds in 30 years hit Melbourne, causing a lot of havoc and yet more trees blown down.
My filled molar has mostly settled down, though a receded spot on the side of the lower left first molar is irritating me. The fissure had a sealant put over it on a follow-up visit.
My old analog TV and video cassette recorder were put out for hard rubbish collection with other items, including the large analog living room TV, a couple of weeks ago; they served me well but were now outdated and bulky and heavy. Melbourne switches to digital TV reception this coming December.
I swapped to a newish built-by-Dad computer a few months ago, as my previous one had a faulty RAM slot so I couldn’t upgrade from its 2GB of memory. This one has 4GB, but only 3GB can be used as it is a 32-bit system, annoyingly – I would have to upgrade to 64-bit to get more memory use.
Mum & Dad are going to Kyneton for 1 week, from this Friday 11 to next Friday 18 at the same resort, so another week by myself.
~ Ended 6:57 p.m.
Monday 21/10
I have more tooth pain, so I am off to a dentist yet again tomorrow (3rd time this year) – a new dentist in the same clinic (Southland Dental Surgery) as the one I saw last time seems to have left, unfortunately. My lower left first molar has two suspicious-looking dark spots – on the side and on the exposed root – and the area has started aching, so I am dreading more fillings and expense. That is money I really want to spend on other things. I have had thoughts of buying a lottery ticket, even if my chance of winning is remote, as I am otherwise almost unemployable and there is so much competition now.
Joan was taken to Perth last Monday, so she has now gone forever from our lives, and her home is to be sold in November (it was left to her from a friend, Joyce, who lived with her and whom Joan nursed through terminal cancer). I visited her with Mum and Dad at Kingston on Friday 11/10, which was rather depressing. She is now in a managed-care home – address: C/- Edgewater Mercy Hostel, Harvest Loop, Edgewater, WA, 6027.
The week without my parents was quiet and isolated as I have no friends and can’t drive. I went to the city, walked to Southland and took the bus back, and caught the bus to and from Chadstone. Before leaving for Kyneton, Dad had a cold that turned into some sort of bacterial infection, and wrenched his neck after slipping when getting out of the shower, so he has been laid low for around 3 weeks.
~ Ended 2:09 p.m.
Tuesday 22/10
The dentist (Dr Smitha Gaikwad this time) could find nothing obviously wrong with the tooth despite the aching in the area, so I don’t know what it is (she did not do an x-ray). Maybe it is nerve irritation or damage? She said I should consider orthodontics in the future as my bite is out of alignment (I have a mild overbite), but obviously I can’t afford that. I was thinking that if I had the funds I might consider have my lower molars extracted and replaced with implants, I am that fed up with them!
November
Friday 1/11
Dad had cataract surgery done, on his left eye to start with, on Wednesday – at the Cataract Clinic of Victoria. His right eye will be done in a few weeks. They have been developing for a few years, but he had to get them done before they obscured his vision. He will have a farsight lens in one eye and a nearsight in the other. [Edit: he later decided to get farsight in both eyes, and use reading glasses for close-up vision as it is what he is used to.
~ Ended 3:07 p.m.
Friday 8/11
My last day of being 42. Tomorrow it will be 15,706 days since I was born. Drove with my parents to the Foodstar restaurant in Frankston; that has become a ritual in the last few years. We used to meet Bill and Pam Waters there but we haven’t seen them since 2009 (see 11/12 entry from last year); they seem to no longer want to associate with us.
So far I have received a card from Michele, and from Bentleigh Church (via Jan Bell).
I visited my local optometrist for my 2-yearly eye exam (Family Eye Care in Bentleigh, where I and my parents have gone for years; me since I was 13 or so). Everything was fine; my prescription is unchanged (−4 diopters in each eye along with some astigmatism). So that was some good news at least (unlike visiting the dentist!).
~ Ended 5:52 p.m.
December
Monday 2/12
Tomorrow will be exactly one year has passed since Sasha was put to sleep (last year it was Monday 3/12). Today is 52 weeks since then.
Dad had his second cataract surgery done on his right eye last Friday 29/11. So far, no complications.
~ Ended 5:47 p.m.
Tuesday 3/12
A year since Sasha was euthanized. I don’t know if I would want another pet. I miss having something to hug (which I don’t do with humans), but dislike having to clean up after them. There is also the expense of vet visits and so on.
Aunty Hilda is to have cataract surgery also, and Uncle John is in ill-health, having had a stroke and now Parkinson’s Disease.
I had a blood test done back in March, mainly to check if there was any hormonal issues; nearly all was normal, aside from a lower white blood cell count:
- Normal fasting glucose
- Acceptable lipid profile
- General chemistry within normal limits
- Hormones: normal limits
- Thyroid: normal
- Haematology: mild neutropenia
- Vitamin D: within normal limits
- Normal RBC folate result (Vitamin B12) – I have neglected to get the 3-monthly injections since then, though.
~ Ended 6:45 p.m.
Tuesday 10/12
I have developed yet another toothache since last week, this time in my top left premolar and/or canine – my top teeth have previously been trouble-free. So off to the dentist tomorrow for a check and possible filling (my 4th cavity one) – not something I wanted for Christmas. Nearly 11 years ago (31 December 2002) I wrote in a little diary: “Dentist 9 am Southland. Teeth were cleaned; otherwise in good condition.” My teeth had no fillings, cavities or problems – if I could have seen ahead to what I am now, I would be horrified (along with other health issues and what my life is generally). I don’t know what is wrong as my cleaning and diet are better than what they were then (I still have some sweets, but rinse my mouth with water afterwards and don’t snack continuously between meals, and don’t drink soft drinks or juices).
It is also 5 years since my first and unsuccessful rectal prolapse surgery (9/12/2008).
I barely slept last night, but did have a dream involving me going back to see a psychologist, Susie Rotch, who I saw in my late teens – 1986 or thereabouts – for a few months. I was telling her about the failure my life is. One of my favorite (and somewhat obsessive) daydreams is of reliving my life with the knowledge I have now, and thus making different decisions.
~ Ended 12:11 p.m.
Saturday 21/12
The GP I have been seeing for a few years, Dr Carolyn Brown, rang me last Wednesday to say she was leaving Eastbound Medical Clinic in East Bentleigh for one in Beaumaris. She has been there for a long time, so that is rather disappointing. The Clinic, though, is getting rather expensive – even with my Health Care Card, the Medicare gap payment is now $28 for a visit (they don’t bulk-bill).
The previous toothache in my upper teeth has eased, but now my lower first molar has started aching again (it was troubling me back in October). I am so fed up with my damn teeth!
Last Thursday was the first 40°C day for this summer in Melbourne. Christmas is predicted to be warm, but still below 30°C.
Michele and family are currently holidaying in Bright, having driven down there last Tuesday and Wednesday, stopping for a rest overnight.
~ Ended 6:42 p.m.
Tuesday 24/12
The lower left molar is still aching, but I can’t get into the dentist soon, and the one I saw last time is away for 3 weeks, so I am stuck – I hate this time of year. I think it might need a filling this time by the feel of it – that will be my last intact lower molar gone, and another filling that will need replacing in the future.
Went to Southland with my parents this morning as usual – it was busy, but still could get parking. Met Uncle Brian there also. Apparently Heather’s 4 children all got $10,000 each from their grandparents (Craig’s parents) who are well-off – and, yes, I am envious and angry; I could afford a lot of things with that amount (including dentistry!). Their side of the family is relatively wealthy and attractive, and mine isn’t, and it is unfair. Aside from Uncle Brian, they never bother to contact or socialize with us; I think they look down upon us (well probably me, at least).
The two photos below are from their Facebook pages (I am friended with Heather but not her children, as they do not know me). They are model-quality attractive. As a teenager I was quite ugly in comparison (despite Mum’s denials, but her opinion is hardly objective), and age has not improved me (also see photos below). It has been repeatedly proven that good looks are an advantage in life, so her daughters will likely have an easy time of it.
Brittany, Dior and Heather Drummond
Paris Drummond
School photo of me in 1987 (one of my worst photos – my awful mullet haircut didn’t help!)
Me, 9 November 2013, age 43
Looking through their Facebook pages, they are complete strangers to me – I have almost nothing in common with them at all, except perhaps for a few genes (genetically they are first cousins once removed). If they happened across my website and creative things, they would likely regard me as a weirdo – though that would be nothing new in my experience.
~ Ended 1:21 p.m.
Sunday 29/12
My lower left molar is still aching, so I will try to get to a dentist this week; I can’t wait any longer for Dr Smitha Gaikwad to return from holidays. I had a miserable Christmas because of it; was in a bad mood and spent most of the day lying on my bed. I have had the molar checked a couple of times earlier this year when it began aching, but nothing specific was found. This aching is a lot worse. If this gets a filling it will be my 4th, with all 4 lower molars filled since 2007.
Looking at my diaries, I went a few years between dental appointments from the late 1990s to 31/12/2002, when I first went to the Southland clinic, then another gap until 25/1/2007, when I got my first filling (lower right 2nd molar). Perhaps that is why I have had continuing problems since then; I did get a lot of tartar buildup on my lower teeth. My sister and I saw a dentist at 483 Bentleigh on Centre Road from childhood to when he retired in the 1990s (don’t know the exact date of my last visit; his surname was Dr Hurse), so I guess I got complacent, having never had fillings then.
My Christmas presents: a graphic novel from Michele, a bag of various items from Mum (perfume, bracelet, socks, soap, notebook, wallet, underpants) and a new computer inherited from Dad (built by him), this a 64-bit one with 8 GB RAM and Windows 8.1. It is fast compared to my previous ones, and hopefully should cope with the large images I do when digital painting – though I am in no mood to do those at the moment.
Christmas was just my parents and I at home, like the last few years.
~ Ended 5:56 p.m.
Tuesday 31/12
Went to Southland Dental Clinic yesterday; saw Dr Ted Yu this time, who was quite nice. He could not find anything specific, after an examination and a digital x-ray of the affected area. He put in sealants on both molars. The 1st one had a deep fissure with a tiny bit of decay; he said the sealant would stop it progressing. Hope that works! No actual filling needed this time, though.
~ Ended 12:07 p.m.