Suzy McHale’s Diary: 2021
Events of note for this year: Mum got a very sore right hip and leg in February, and had to resort to using a walking stick. She also had to get a root canal in April, and continued to decline mentally (dementia). Michele came to stay from Friday 7/2 to Sunday 9/2. This turned out to be a year of COVID-19 containment lockdowns: there was another 5-day “circuit-breaker” lockdown from Saturday 13/2 to midnight of Wednesday 17/2 in Victoria, then the fourth one from 28/5 to 11/6; number 5 from 15/7 to 27/7, and number 6 from 5/8. Uncle Brian passed away over Saturday-Sunday night on 12/9; my parents and Julie and some of her friends and family attended his funeral service the following Friday 17/9. There was a big earthquake (magnitude 6) on 22/9 at 9:15 am, though I did not feel it – my parents and I were at Southland, and they felt it. Michele had to get a kidney stone removed, which necessitated surgery on 20/10.
April
Saturday 10/4
I have not felt much like writing.
- The COVID-19 virus still dominates the world headlines. In Australia it has been mostly suppressed, but there are still breakouts – Premier Dan Andrews imposed a 5-day “circuit-breaker” lockdown from Saturday 13/2 to midnight of Wednesday 17/2, to the frustration of businesses. It seemed to work, but everyone remains on edge for another snap lockdown if and when the virus pops up again.
- Michele flew from Queensland to stay with my parents and I from Friday 7/2 to Sunday 9/2. She took a bus from Tullamarine Airport to Southern Cross Station, then the Frankston line train to Patterson Station, the one nearest us.
- I have not ridden my bicycle for a few months now; I do not want to go near it at the moment. I also lack the energy to even ride it. My weight is around 41 kg or so, where I want it to be. Of course there are side-effects, but being able to wear smaller-size clothes is worth it.
- My relationship with my parents is difficult, with frequent verbal altercations. They are old and almost intolerable to be around at times, and I am really not coping. I seem to spend most of my day with cleaning up and other chores. I barely have any physical or mental energy for my creative work.
- Mum continues to have health issues – her right leg became sore in February to the point of walking with great difficulty – she had to resort to using a walking stick (the blue one I bought when I was enduring a spate of foot and leg injuries back in 2018: a foot tendon injury, then plantar fasciitis, then a partial tear of my left adductor groin muscle!). She went to Holmsglen Private Hospital to get an MRI scan (to have it done that day, go through the Emergency department, as it turned out), but nothing specific was detected, so she was advised that the hip and leg issue would heal over time, and they did improve, though she still uses the stick for security. She and her brother (my Uncle) also share the 4 February birthday, and she turned 83. Old age is noticeably debilitating her, physically and mentally (my uncle, who is 11 years older, has been in a nursing home since 2019). She also had to get a root canal done last week; she and Dad keep getting cavities. They keep eating sweets and biscuits (like many elderly do), so more tooth problems will be inevitable. At some point I think one should cut one’s losses and get dentures fitted. Implants would be more ideal, but they are hugely expensive.
June
Thursday 3/6
Victoria’s fourth strict lockdown was enacted from last Friday 28/5 due to the COVID-19 virus popping up yet again in Melbourne and spreading. Much hysterian and hyperbole has ensued from the media and government officials, and frustration from businesses, which have been forced to shut at great financial loss. The lockdown was to have ended tonight, but with wearisome predictability it was extended for another 7 days (maybe … if not for longer). Labor has lost my vote and I am moving toward a more Conservative outlook in many areas – I have come to utterly loathe the “idendity politics” that the Left are obsessed with, to the detriment of society.
Dad had his COVID-19 vaccine yesterday; the first of 2 spaced doses. I rang up the East Bentleigh Medical Group clinic to try to book my own vaccine, but supplies were out and they were booked for the next week or so at least – not good!
Michele came to stay again, arriving on Friday 30/4 and departed for Brisbane on Thursday 6/5.
Mum had to get a root canal done in the last week of April; she and Dad keep getting cavities. They keep eating sweets and biscuits (like many elderly do), so more tooth problems will be inevitable. At some point I think one should cut one’s losses and get dentures fitted. Implants would be more ideal, but they are hugely expensive.
Mum and Dad finally managed to leave on Friday 16/4 for their week-long stay at Kyneton Bushland Resort, which they missed out on last year due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Unfortunately Mum put up a huge fuss (dementia-related, I think) and there was much uncertainty as to whether they would go, but they finally did (about an hour-and-a-half drive up there). Mum was practically having tantrums, moaning and carrying on; very stressful for Dad & I.
Wednesday 12/5 marked one year since my bicycle accident (it was on a Tuesday, going by days); I still have not ridden it and do not want to.
I developed an awful pain in the center of my abdomen, from Sunday 16/5 afternoon to the next morning. Some nausea and one vomit, and upset at the other end too. I wonder if this were a abdominal migraine, as I can’t think of anything I ate that caused it. It is the worst I had felt for a while, and I could not find pain relief (painkillers seemed ineffective). The pain receded over the next couple of days.
On 19/5 I talked to Julie at her workplace in the IGA supermarket in East Bentleigh, and found out that two of my cousin Heather’s daughters have, or are soon to have, children! Mimi was born to Brittany (2nd oldest) on 3/2/2021, and Paris (3rd oldest of 4) is due on 4/8/2021, a girl also. So Heather is now a grandmother!
July
Thursday 15/7
Yet another snap lockdown is imminent from tonight, due to an outbreak of COVID-19 in Sydney that has spread to other states. So weary of going through this charade – the fifth for Victoria. The virus will not be contained and will keep on popping up; just have to learn to live with it.
Personal happenings since my last entry (some of this copied from my online public web Journal):
I had the first of two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Saturday 12/6 (second scheduled in 12 weeks). The “common side-effects” the day after were rather intense and debilitating for me! They were like a 24-hour influenza infection with:
- nausea
- feeling unwell
- decreased appetite (none in my case)
Timeline of Sunday (which was, essentially, HELL – I could barely function. The worst I have felt in a long time!):
- Injection at 2:19 p.m. Saturday 12/6.
- Felt a bit off that evening. Some chills.
- 13/6: Woke up feeling very off-color. Weak, headachy. No appetite. Barely managed to eat my normal breakfast; had bowl of rolled oats with almond milk and 2 slices dry toast (all I could stomach).
- As the day progressed: utterly exhausted. One episode of nausea and vomiting. Headache. Appetite completely gone. Had to lie down every so often. Only had a pita pocket with an egg inside for lunch; could not even get through half a banana. Barely drank anything; only plain water. Even missed my usual coffee.
- A miserable afternoon. Had boiled my usual ¼ cup rice for dinner with vegetables to microwave, but did not feel hungry, so left these.
- Went to bed around 5 p.m. Fell asleep; slept deeply until around 8:30 p.m. Awoke, feeling a little better, with some appetite. Was able to eat the rice by itself, along with my jelly and blueberry dessert.
- Monday morning: felt much better, though still a bit fragile. Back to normal eating and activity.
Mum and Dad both had their first AZ doses, but they did not have the severe side effects I experienced. One reason given:
And while it isn’t clear why the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines knock some people around more than others, age seems to play a role.
A recent survey of over 600,000 people in the UK who had received either one or two shots of Pfizer or a first dose of AstraZeneca found that younger people, women, and those who had previously had COVID-19 were more likely to report side effects after getting the jab.
“Younger people tend to react more strongly because their immune system is primed to respond to any potential introduction of the vaccine or the bug itself compared to older people,” Dr Cheng said.
– “What we know about Pfizer vaccine side effects and whether you can reduce them,” ABC News, 14/7.
Last week there were several cold days and single-digit nights in succession; I found these torture. Very difficult for me to function. My parents’ house (the one I have lived in all my life so far) is very old – a weatherboard – with poor insulation and it does not retain any heat, which is bad for electricity and gas bills. I dream of simply having a well-insulated apartment, but that is likely to remain a dream in my current situation. I cannot get warm no matter how many clothes I pile on. My hands and feet are like ice (Raynaud Syndrome) which makes the cold even more unbearable.
September
Sunday 12/9
Uncle Brian died overnight at the nursing home he was staying in, of natural causes. He was 94 (born 4/4/1927).
Into lockdown number 6 (I am losing count); from 5/8 to indefinite. There is an ominous suggestion that it could be extended over Christmas, which would utterly devastate the retail sector. The usual strict rules (mask up everywhere; no “non-essential” retail shops allowed to open; venture no more than a 5 km radius from one’s home). I am utterly depressed and lethargic; we have spent more time in lockdown this year than out, it seems. I utterly, utterly loathe Premier Andrews and his Labor government, and will not vote Left/Progressive in politics again.
I had my second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine last Saturday 4/9, so I and Dad are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Mum will have her second dose this 17/9. Fortunately I did not get the severe side-effects like last time (15/7 entry); just some tiredness (on top of my normal fatigue) and a bit vaguely headachey.
Wednesday 22/9
There was a big earthquake (magnitude 6) in Victoria this morning at 9:15 am, felt across south-eastern Australia. My parents and I were at Southland SC. I did not feel it at all; my parents did (sitting in their car in the multi-level carpark for their coffee). I did notice staff standing outside shops (there for click-and-collect services), seeming agitated. It caused some damage to buildings, but no injuries. It is the largest earthquake here since European settlement!
My parents, Julie May (wife of my cousin – Heather’s youngest brother – Warren Sayce) and some of her friends and family attended his funeral service the following Friday 17/9. Heather herself did not attend; I think she was too upset to. She did tell me via Facebook Messenger on 12/9 that “… he loved you all dearly always talked about you.”
I made a summary of Melbourne’s lockdowns so far, in the table below. No “non-essential” retail open until November, unbelievably and frustratingly.
| Number | Began | Ended | Duration in days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30/3/2020 | 12/5/2020 | 43 |
| 2 | 8/7/2020 | 27/10/2020 | 111 |
| 3 | 12/2/2021 | 17/2/2021 | 5 |
| 4 | 27/5/2021 | 10/6/2021 | 14 |
| 5 | 15/7/2021 | 27/7/2021 | 12 |
| 6 | 5/8/2021 at 8pm | ||
Notes
|
|||
October
Saturday 23/10
Lockdown #6 partly ended over Thursday night; as most “non-essential” retail is still closed (much to their and my frustration), the lockdown will not properly end until all shops re-open, a week or so away.
Melbourne passed Buenos Aires’ world record for time spent in COVID-19 lockdown on 4/10 (267 days at that point), a very miserable “achievement”.
On Wednesday 22/9, there was a big earthquake (magnitude 6) in Victoria at 9:15 am, felt across south-eastern Australia. My parents and I were at Southland SC. I did not feel it at all; my parents did (sitting in their car in the multi-level carpark for their coffee). I did notice staff standing outside shops (there for click-and-collect services), seeming agitated. It caused some damage to buildings, but no injuries. It is the largest earthquake here since European settlement!
Michele had to have surgery to remove a kidney stone! She had this procedure done on Wednesday, and is now at home recovering. Emails she sent to Dad:
- 16/10: I’m having surgery to remove my kidney stone through the public system this coming Wednesday, sometime in the morning. It’s a short operation. That’s primarily my reason for going public because the wait time for surgery is short and it’s pretty much free. I then have a stent in place which is removed a few weeks later under a local anaesthetic. The hospital is less than 30 minutes from home which makes it easily accessible. It's a shame that the body can’t make stones that are priceless instead; a pearl wouldn’t go astray.
- 20/10: Just home from hospital. All went fine and I have very good helpers at home (Tim and Trin). I’ll catch up with you more when I’m more awake.
- Reply from Dad: 22/10: Hi Michele. Pleased to hear that all went well with your op. I would have liked to have told Mum at some stage, but I think it would have caused rather too much worry worry. I need to keep most subjects fairly simple these days because she tends to make mountains out of molehills if she doesn't grasp them strait away. One bright spot for her to look forward to is the opening of RSL next Tuesday for meals. It has been quite a major item of complaint, but our Premier can now rest assured that he will not get his nosed punched if he crosses her path, having done the right thing at last! I hope you make a quick recovery and can get back to normal again. It is good that you have two good helpers to keep you in order. Love to all and thanks be to God. Love, Dad
- 22/10: I’m fine with Mum not knowing at all as she would never stop worrying about me even long after the event! I do have a follow up procedure in 2-3 weeks but I’m not certain exactly when this is. For now I have to live with some minor discomfort of a stent until this is removed. I have a few days before work so I have a chance to rest.
- 22/10: I forgot to mention that with regards to Suzy knowing about my op. I can only think that she overheard your conversation with me. There’s no other way that she could have known about it.
The last one peeved me a little – am I not allowed to know, considering she is my sister? Why did she not want me to know in the first place?
November
Sunday 7/11
My 51st birthday this Tuesday. I received my present already: an iPhone! Not the latest, but still relatively recent: an iPhone 11 (2019), 64 GB. A green one, too! It is the limit of what my parents could afford ($850); more recent models are $1000 up. The model 11s have sold out everywhere here for some reason, so the one bought was a lucky find at Highett Officeworks. Dad has a rose-gold 2016 iPhone 7, inherited from Michele; older but still usable (and much better than smartphones of other brands). It is quite wonderful, but I am nervous of damaging it! I indulged and bought a leather case wallet ($100!) at Mimco to put it in.
I also joined Vodafone so I could get a cellular connection and plan, and now have my mobile number (61451951170). Dad is also with Vodafone. But I find the various plans confusing, and this one will cost $40 a month, though there is no long-term contract. How maintainable this is remains to be seen. I am not certain about the details of it still, so will probably go back to their Southland store to try to sort it out.
Retail shops are now fully open, so I have been going in and making up for the lost months! I have downloaded the Services Victoria app and use it to check in to every store with my iPhone.