Sorry peeps it has been over a year since our last blog. I think the last one was towards the end of Neil & Dianne’s build at 27 Stafford. They have now been living in Blackball permanently for over a year. So what have we been doing since last May?
Al finished his Diploma and a couple of weeks ago had his clinical assessment and is now a fully fledged Emergency Medical Technician like me. It was a great relief after all that hard work and he can now put that behind him. We have also ticked a few things off our to do list at home and finally got the joinery for our wardrobe and could bring our clothes out of storage. We got the iron on the ceiling of the lower deck to make it rainproof and our next step is to get Sharkey’s bar built. Al’s current project is building the sliding doors for the office, our bedroom & the pantry.
I have had 5 eye surgeries in the last 2 years. What was supposed to be life changing cataract & lens replacement surgery in both eye (allowing me to see without contact lenses after over 40 years), didn’t go quite to plan. Laser surgery had not been an option for me due to an astigmatism. The lens replacement surgeries went very well and I was ecstatic to have 20/20 vision. I still needed glasses for reading but that was an easy compromise. Unfortunately the joy only lasted for 6 months, as I was so short-sighted prior it made me more susceptible to complications. First I developed a large cobweb floater in my left eye impairing my vision so I had Vitrectomy surgery to remove it. The operation was a traumatic experience as the anaesthetist did not give me enough anaesthetic and I could feel the surgeon working on my eye. It is a delicate operation and I was too scared to move or say anything. The thought of another eye operation was unthinkable. But then a few months later I noticed the central vision in my right eye was distorted and after tests found I had developed a macular hole. When I knew I had to have another operation I made sure that they were aware of my previous experience and the surgical staff could not have been more attentive – it was a much better experience. This time I had to have a gas bubble inserted which meant I had to lie facedown for 2 days (I was lucky some people have to do that for 7 days or more). This took a bit of resilience but I was determined to do whatever I needed to do for a good recovery. Thank goodness for podcasts which kept me occupied for those 2 days as I was only allowed to have my head upright for meals. To get home we had to go over the passes which meant being at altitude. My surgeon gave me a pill to help with the pressure and off we went. When we started going up Porter’s pass I could feel the pressure building up in my eye and an uncomfortable ache. Fortunately we got to the top and as we went down the pressure dissipated and Arthurs Pass was no problem. The gas bubble took 2 weeks to disappear – initially I could not see out of the eye and then the bubble started to shrink and I could see a black bubble and as it moved we would track the progress on a wall chat. Initially I found it easier to wear and eye patch. It shrunk the same amount each day. Finally it became a small black dot bobbing up and down and then it disappeared completely. And finally more recently my left eye started to get some blurry patches distorting my vision again. So I had my 3rd Vitrectomy operation which fixed that. One thing I would say is that the initial 2 cataract surgeries were a breeze so if anyone has that coming up don’t worry it is over before you know it. Throughout all 5 surgeries and multiple trips to ChCh Al was with me leading me around when I was one eyed and running around after me when I was lying flat. Fingers crossed that it was my last eye surgery and I am so thankful that I have medical insurance as it would’ve been a hefty bill.
On the Blackball ambulance front we continue to click over many hours on call every week. We continue to recruit other people to take up some of the slack but it is hard to find people who have the time on a regular basis. We have another 2 or 3 keen people and we are hoping that will change things. Last month we did dry July so the ambulance was been parked up at ours most of the month. On a cold or wet day it is nice not to have to run down to the station. Even though it is just down the road you can get quite wet in that short time. On that note we are progressing with the building of an Emergency Services Hub in Blackball which will include a garage for the ambulance as well as facilities for all emergency services to use in a major event. We received $30k from the Pike River memorial fund and are now actively fundraising for the remainder needed. A lot of the funding will be in kind with locals offering their services and materials for free. Al is of course doing the architectural side and we will not doubt help with the build. We hope to start building this in Summer.
All of the furry family are well. Maisie and Mindy are a constant entertainment for us with their antics. Quasi is getting on and is looking old but he keeps on going. He still gets up and down the outside stairs throughout the day. Essie is still as hyper as ever and they both let us know if someone is at the front door.
We got away for an overnight tramp in April. We went into the Paparoa track from Blackball into Garden Gully and camped overnight and then walked out again. It was good to finally get out in the bush and we must try and do more of that. We have managed to get to Bluespur a bit more but want to put in a logburner so we can get there all year round. The neighbour around the corner grazes 2 horses on our section and sometimes the Riding for the Disabled also put some horses there. It is good to keep the grass down. Our holiday to Raro last Sept is a distant memory but we will get back there again next year.
When he isn’t out on ambulance Al is busy working – he doesn’t have to advertise as the clients just keep coming, mostly through referrals. He also helps me with car relocations for Punakaiki Beach Camp. I have been cleaning for their unit in Blackball for a couple of years and although car relocations was to be part of my casual contract, it was only a few months ago I took over the administration for this. I have a pool of Blackball people mostly retirees (including Neil) and we bring down down cars from Smokeho carpark in Blackball (the beginning of the Paparoa Great Walk) and then driven up to Punakaiki a day or two after. I love that drive up the west coast early in the morning on a beautiful day – you can’t beat it. I still do some paid shifts on Patient Transfer and Greymouth and Hokitika ambulances. I also start another part-time job as a Liaison Support worker for the Brain Injury Association next week. Although only 10 hours a week it will be a steady job throughout the year and I can fit in other work around it.
We have a lot of projects to juggle on top of trying to get our house finished and the section tidied. We still have a plan to build shops on the road front but unfortunately these have gone to the back of the queue for now. And paid work has to take priority over all but we will continue to chip away at it. We are looking forward to Spring and having more daylight hours bye for now.
