Down the Rabbit Hole - Dodgy Daph's Medical Adventures pt 3

Well when they say the sun will always rise and moon will always shine and the stars will come out at night, "they" are not wrong.

I woke up to yet another  new room mate.  This was the third one so far (bleedin heck what am I a permanent fixture?) . anyway his name is Harry, he's in his 80's and he's got a wicked sense of humour.

I decide to leg it for a "real " latte before "coffee man" gets ahold of me,  and asked Harry if he wanted one,  "a chailatte" please he says.  Oooeerrr very new age of you Harry.  As I return to the ward after nodding and greeting all the nurses and students, I'm unfortunately "caught out" by coffee man as I am about to step into my room.  "Oh, two coffees is it, dunno why you'd go pay for those when you get them for free here"... I am mortified, I didn't want to hurt "coffee man's feelings" . so I said,  "it's a lattee.."  He says "I can make them too! This is a 15 hundred dollar machine, it makes everything, I can even do espresso's..."  Suitably chastised I promise him I'll try his latte tomorrow.  I hand over the Chai Latte to Harry who's grinning at me, naughty man.  The Nurses come in and asked him how he slept, he said "I didn't sleep a wink what with Dx snoring away all night" . The CHEEK!  The nurses fall over laughing.

Annie comes in to take me downstairs for lunch, and as we're about to tuck in, I get a call from the Insurance Agents of AIG.  They're sorry to hear about what's happened, can they have some details and can I send it to them.  I look at Annie, I guess I must be a one stop admin centre eh, will have to dig through my e mails now.  We head back up to my room.  The doctor comes in to visit and says "I know you'd like to be discharged today Dx but we'd like to monitor you since there's been a slight increase in the fluids in your lung after the biopsy."  I look at her like I've been sentenced to prison.  "However we can give you a day pass for the weekend, you can go home for the day but you'll have to be back here by 6pm ok?"  OH YES!! (cue : zippie de doo dahhh zippie de day)

The next few days was a small slice of heaven,  I'd get picked up either by Annie or Max and deposited home, get to cook some real food and be back in the ward in the evening.  "all right for some " grumbled Harry,  'well at least you're taking it for the team" he says.   However on one of the last days of my day pass, I get a disturbing call from the AIG insurance agent, this one is not the lady I spoke with.
 He's rude and abrupt and says "your insurance is void". 
I blanched , "I beg your pardon?"
Ya you didn't buy the insurance while you were in Malaysia , so the insurance is void.
 I said " well first of all , it doesn't state anywhere on your website that it has to be purchased from country of origin, and secondly why did you take my money if it was not going to be in effect?"  "You better write in to the company and explain then " he says and rings off.
 This then sets off my anxiety and so I ask the kids to send me back to the hospital early.  I spoke with the doctor and told her what had happened, she told me to engage my solicitor and also would get the social worker on to me.  She reassured me again, not to worry, most important thing is for you to get better, the finances will get sorted out later.
I've got a PET Scan and and echo scan to go through and then I'm done with the tests. 

Rejection... oh the pain

The PET scan is similar to a CT except you are injected with radioactive glucose so the cancer cells are illuminated when you're scanned.  As I'm wheeled in to the room again I have to tell them my name and birth date.  For GOD"S sake, does everyone have to know my age! I tell them.  In the back ground one of the orderlies pipes up, "it's ok, I like older women"!  Cheeky but I'll take it.

The Echo is like a sonar to check my heart (yeah yeah get on with the jokes about a bleedin heart will ya... everyone is a comedian) and it takes about half an hour with a technician who goes over certain spots to catch the readings. Because we're so close to each other I can hear her tummy rumbling, she laughs and apologises, "must have been something I ate, it's just going off isn't it!"... Well better you than me !!  Then I'm wheeled back , another orderly cracking jokes, so much so that we end up on the maternity floor !  I'm looking around and saying "hang on this does not look familiar at all" and the Head Nurse says "having a baby are we ?"  everyone cracks up and the orderly is shown the way back out to the lifts and down to where my ward is.  Phew. adventures abound even in hospitals.

They're going to discharge me, Annie is calling to see what time I'm to be "sprung", I have to speak with the Hematology Team, who are still keeping pretty stumm on my diagnosis.  So I asked the attending Doctor, "seriously though, you say it's suspected lymphoma, can we confirm that it is?"  and this was his cryptic reply,  "sometimes when we see a shadow of a cat , it's a cat, but if you go around the corner it's a dog".... I look at him and hold my self back from strangling him.  He gives me a benign smile, one that says " I know what you're thinking but you can't do anything about it!"  HAH!  Anyway, the tests will take longer, some of them are in Brisbane, so I'm to go home and the week after I'll be called in to the Adem Crosby Centre to meet with my oncologist to discuss the results and treatment moving forward.  Right e o, Feeedoommm , Freeedoooommm, Freeedooommm (George Michael sing it bebeh)

Whilst I'm home I have to update all my family on what's going on so far, yes everyone is frustrated because there has been no definitive diagnosis, but this is the calm before the storm.  I go back on my daily walks, I start the budwig protocol and do as much research as I can regarding lymphoma, diet and lifestyle excluding the "woo woo" theories out there.  I'd love to try alternative therapies as opposed to chemo, but a lot of them are integrative and can be done here.  Ok, we're getting some where. 

I get my organic flaxseed oil from stoneycreekoil.com.au

Annie and I have a quiet drink together, she say's "I miss my drinking buddy!"  lol, yea no more martinis for now until we figure out what the hey ho is going on.  Annie's already taken me to the Cancer Support group in our area.  She says " Daph, we need to set up a "go fund me" account to help you out." "if the insurance folk and not coming into play how are we going to sort your finances out, you can't work, your daughter is stressed out as it is with her job and your son is still in school".  I look at her " Not charity Annie, I don't want charity, can we just wait and see how this pans out.?"  Eventually she gets back to me and says she's going to pledge to cut her hair to raise money for me.  My eyes pop, "are you kidding me?!! all that long blond hair??!!"  "I do it for you my friend, I want to pay for your rent and if this helps than I' m doing it"   I of course start to blub like the big girls blouse that I am, who else would do this for me  who else? : Down-the-rabbit-hole-with-Daphne

Goldilocks!

To date : Annie's launched "down-the-rabbit-hole-with-Daphne  Go Fundme, a few days ago on my FB timeline, she's organising a radio interview with the local radio station here and is hoping to build more traction with some of the other cancer charities.   I'm leaving you with the link https://www.gofundme.com/down-the-rabbit-hole-with-Daphne as I promised her I would write about it in this blog, we were going to cut our hair together but I've had to cut mine off as it started falling out in clumps so hopefully we'll be able to do a real "event" out of Annie's hair cutting ceremony.
If anything to auction off your hair for cancer is a HUGE deal.  Thank you my dearest friend. X
In the mean time my lovely friend and lawyer  Daljit is hounding the AIG insurers, apart from an official letter to state they won't be honouring the insurance, they've been rather quiet and not responding to either the Hospital Admin or my lawyer. 

It's a lotus flower 

This blog is not current to timelines, it's a way for me to express what I went through leading up to what's happening in real time.  But that's a story for another day... 

Just a little Spice bebeh

Let me tell you a little story, no it's not a terribly long one, just a little one, promise...  it's about food, oooo my favourite topic!  Ok ok quick background, I grew up in  and around Hong Kong, as my step dad was a Chef in the hotel industry, and because of this we moved around a lot.  I learned to eat all sorts of strange and wonderful types of food.  So once in a while I get a bit nostalgic and want some of the more exotic stuff that I enjoyed in the Orient, and one of those little mouthwatering morsels are century eggs with pickled ginger,

in case you've not seen it, here's a pic.  Now I know it looks like a 'goth egg!', but it's actually quite delicious.

Also known as preserved egg,

They are made by preserving duck, chicken or quail eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, quicklime and rice hulls for several weeks to several months.

As an hors d'oeuvre, the Cantonese wrap chunks of this egg in pickled ginger

Finding the century eggs here in Kuala Lumpur is easy enough.  Most supermarkets sell them as well as the wet market, but finding the pickled ginger... well that's how this journey begins!  Talk about a needle in a haystack.  I searched most the main stores for pickled ginger, and couldn't find any.  I was really stumped, we use pickled ginger for a lot of our food, well this one in particular : 

Pickled ginger otherwise known as Sushi Gari

Off I went to the Japanese grocers.  They did have some kind of pink ginger pickle but I couldn't read the ingredients (obviously I can't  read and write Japanese! but I can curse, long story,  but that's beside the point!). 

I mentioned this to my girlfriend, well when I say mentioned what I really meant was to grumble and moan about the lack of pickled ginger.  My galpal said, "Daph, most people either buy from a friend or make it at home".  Well talk about a light bulb moment!   I decided to make a batch for myself. 

First, I researched the best type of pickling ingredients and started off with normal ginger root. When you pickle old ginger root its very yellow and is pretty hot! yawsaahh, old ginger root, ...fail.  Next, I wanted a crunch but a light delicate ginger heat, so I  tried fresh young root ginger, it turned out pink!

Fresh younger ginger from the markets

Then I tested it on my friends and family, hey that's what they're for!,  and the feedback was good, so much so that my little Faerie Lisa suggested I retail it along with my signature chilli sauce I make which includes these ingredients :

Fire Engine Red Chillies

Garlic bursting with flavour

Taking my own advise, I've started a small home business retailing these  home made condiments, yes I've got a label too thanks to OXOLOCO. It was an exciting process, including sourcing all the materials!

Many thanks to OXOLOCO for designing my label.

I've now rolled out my first batch of both and taking orders! Both condiments contain no colouring or preservatives, the ginger naturally turns blush pink in the pickling marinade.  You can pop your orders on e mail,  that's, daphnenasir@gmail.com or pm me on Facebook!

My ©Cha Cha Chili Sauce ready to be labelled

©Tickled Pink Ginger anyone? 

I can't wait for my labels to be ready, they're in print as we speak.  It feels very satisfying because whatever the outcome, this venture fulfills two things, a creative outlet that allows me to utilise my home again as a workspace, and to make good quality products that everyone can enjoy.

Cheers and have a lovely week ahead! 

Speedy Gonzales

My daughter Leilani stays calm in traffic by taking selfies!

Yet another day goes by,  and yet again I'm gesticulating in traffic, or swearing at the person who just cut me up/tail-gated me/ didn't indicate, you've been there, you know what I mean (my kids certainly do, they tell me I'm Jekyll and Hyde in the car!).  You get home or to your destination totally frazzled and either grumble about it for a bit or  have to take a few moments to calm down.   I usually wonder to myself "what's the rush?"  Will being two cars ahead get you to your destination faster?  Are you that late that you have to drive like a maniac?

Idiot driver on wrong side of the road trying to muscle in with school KIDS onboard!

There's traffic even in Marseille, but at least the view's great!

But then this attitude is not only  relegated to when ones drives, it's with everything you do in life. For example, when I started my first TV show, man I was pushing and pushing and knocking on the doors of everyone and everything.  I had to get the show out, it was do or die, now or never, what if TOMORROW never comes!!! I pushed so hard I got my sponsor on board within a month, and just like that, even after signing the contracts they pulled out!... just as we were going into pre production. Fast forward two years from that after a really bad bout of depression, a couple of very shitty jobs and 3 lawsuits, I thought well this is it isn't it, I can't go any further down.  I remember  venting to my close friends, they said "what's stopping you from doing your show now?" , "we'd love to help you".   It's incredible how faith, luck, timing and some incredible partners can change everything.  5 months to the day they said it, we had "the Art of living show" on Air.  It is all about timing, which brings me to my point.   I rushed around like a blue arsed fly and it all blew up in my face.  You can not see all the outside forces that are influencing those moments, and sometimes when you push too hard, it pushes back.  Plus my sponsors this time round were so supportive and just the best sort you could hope for.  (Yes mum, patience is a virtue )

I've got my second TV show ready, but this time I'm not rushing around, I'm being methodical, taking my time, allowing the natural order of timelines to flow so it can and will be taken up by the right people with the right attitude for the show.  I'm not saying sit back and let it all fall into your lap, ha ha ha , it that was true, I'm sure we'd all be sitting at home watching the idiot box and waiting for the phone to ring!  I'm saying it's just like fishing, you have to put all your lines in the water, be patient and when you get a bite, reel it in patiently or it will get away if you rush the process.  (Who would have thought I'd use a fishing metaphor, thank you to Xtreme Fishing!)

My wonderful friend Reza who let us use his Shop

Here's another example, (err not a fishing one ok)  I've known Lisa for years, we've met irregularly at best,  but last year everything clicked between us, friendship wise, work wise, creatively(the timing was right).   We've been slowly building towards working on several creative projects together, and individually.  One of them is for her exhibition of up cycled lamps.  I must admit I was pushing for her to have her exhibition sooner, I felt it would be beneficial to get it out faster, get the word out and push her a  little harder.  We worked out the timelines and got to looking for exhibition spaces.  But you see, yet again the timing wasn't right, pieces were delayed,  the space we agreed on wasn't what she really wanted in the end.  So leaving all that aside, I carried on with some of my other ventures and whilst having a couple of hours to kill I decided to visit an ol friend who owned a shop in one of the prime locations of the 'golden triangle' in Kuala lumpur.  As we chatted over lunch together I told him about what I was doing and how were were looking for space for the exhibition and needed sponsors as well, and just like that, he offered his place... timing yet again is everything.

She was taking pictures of the place but the cat insisted on posing!

My Celadon pot that will be used for Lisa's work!

I brought Lisa for a visit the following week and she absolutely loved it!  It was perfect for her.  This time we did delay the timing for the exhibition further into the next month where she felt most comfortable and what suited the owner of the shop as well.   Yet again here is an example of not rushing, of taking the time to plan and organise, of fate, of luck.   Now that we've got the dates locked down for Friday 13th of May! (great date)  we'll create a FB page to extend an invitation to you to come see these beautiful upcycled lamps that Lisa has called "Scandelabra" .  Stay tuned for more info on that

 I guess as we get older as well,  one begins to wonder why?  Why are we rushing around?  Is the world really going to come crashing down on our shoulders if we slowed down?  Why are you working at break neck speed setting aside what you really want to do, and sometimes all you want to do is earn a decent living doing what you enjoy and spending time with the ones you love.  We've lost the ability to "stop and smell the roses.   So what I say to you is this, take a deep breath, slow that pace down a tad and look up... what do you see?

I see you !

Living young!

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Wow it's so hot that even if I said "it's hotter than Satan's arse!" most people would nod and say "figures"!  We've been sweltering in the mid 30's to 40 degrees lately.  Putting on make up is pointless, it slides of 15 mins later if you're outside!  

I've been recuperating after having had a bout of Shingles.  Yes, even I was like "wha?!" when the doctor diagnosed me.  What she failed to tell me  after she dispensed the antivirals, pain killers and creams, was how painful it would be!  Geezz at least with child birth, it's over within a few hours.  This goes on and on.  Anyway the reason why I'm telling you all  this is twofold.  The first is a small segue to apologise for no vlogs!  and the second is how I was introduced to yet another product that can help you and those around you as well as  supplement your income. 

It all started this way " hey babe,  shingles,? let me see if there is an oil to help recover faster"  my friend Riz messages me after I've told her about my situation.  Oils?  what on earth is she looking for oils for me?  I'm already taking evening primrose oil, fish oil, avocado oil etc so I was a bit confused.  So I asked her, "errr what oils?"

Young Living Oils

She meant essential oils!  AAAaaaahhhhh , penny finally dropped!  I'm no stranger to essential oils, in fact I usually have lavender in my house, it helps with bruising and tee tree oil which is also used topically as a local antiseptic plus essential oils smell great.... most times!   I'm sure a lot of you would have them in your diffusers as well.  

Riz informes me that they were having an "Oily Party".. ooo eerrr Missus I thought.  No! not that type of party ! It was to meet up with people who had incorporated these products into their lives.  

The one thing I realised when I met up with the "Witches" of Oil as they liked to call themselves, at the Oily Party,  was that they were so warm and welcoming and there was a general atmosphere of support, caring and a lot of sharing. Each person told her story of how she or he had a specific ailment and how they had tried the oils and how the oils worked for them individually, for their children and the entire family. They even celebrate birthdays together!

Azah's surprise birthday cake

The cake was in the shape of
an essential oil bottle!

I love the holistic approach to healing here, I've always preferred to go with alternative methods of medication which is why I use Ayurveda and acupuncture treatments (My Acupuncturist also uses Young Living Oils I found out!) 

I asked a few ladies for their thoughts on Young Living essential oils and Sarini, the lady who led the "Oily Party"  had this to say about the products :

"Young living therapeutic grade essential oils are a wonderful and effective, holistic way to a healthy life full of wellness and abundance. I love that it has enabled my loved ones and I to live a lifestyle where all our body systems are connected to and supported by nature, so we can truly live a life of vigour and vitality! " 

 To know more: +6012 3232 117, sarini.bujang@gmail.com , Young Living member ID: 2923956

"It's been a magical, almost surreal journey for my family and I ever since we started immersing ourselves with the use of YLEOs in our daily lives. Our overall health and immune systems have improved so much in the past year that my kids have less visits to the doctor's now and my special needs child especially benefited from using YLEOs to help support her and improve her condition. I am happy to share my enthusiasm and love of the oils in order to help others gain a healthier and more wholesome lifestyle."

Doing further research, I've found that two huge celebs also use these products as well :

Gwyneth Paltrow

Jessica Alba - here's the LINK

Riz also passed me her mixture of oils for me to use on for my Shingles which I've been using everyday since.  Love the smell and feeling better for it.  For more information on Young Living you can contact Sarini or have a look at this link YOUNG LIVING US

I hope this smells right! heh heh and I'll catch up with you next week,keep the e mails coming in and again, thank you for your subscription. 

Kitch Kitchens

I have always wondered why people like to have white kitchens.... goodness I can feel every one's hackles rising and a massive debate about to start! Well before you start putting your points forward, let me give you a few of mine.

I cook almost everyday, for me it's partly a creative outlet and partly because I feel I am cooking my family a nutritious meal with love.  We try out lots of different recipes and for those  dishes that don't make the grade, well they're tossed out on their ear!  (not really, we just don't bother with them again) My kids are my biggest critiques, and I like their honesty because it helps me tweak the dish to perfection according to our palette.

Now the cooking part is always good, but the cleaning of it is a real pain in the .. bottom.   I've noticed (and here is where I put my case forth on white kitchens)  that during the cooking frenzy , splatters of sauce, chopped onions or other aromatics strewn about, some beetroot or rhubarb juice is spilled (beetroot in potato salad is yum.. uh I'll post recipe at end for the non believers.)  Anyway you can see where I'm going with this mess, cleaning it up on a stainless steel or dark marble surface is so much easier and kinder to the heart, whereas white cupboards or light counter tops become an art from in elbow grease  (you ever tried cleaning saffron stains from a white anything... good luck) Stainless steel seems to be so much more functional, is beautifully streamlined and lasts longer!  Yes white kitchens are brighter and look cleaner but in reality it takes longer to keep clean!

No stains here!  Dx

Beetroot and Potato Salad
1 x fairly large beetroot (peeled and quartered, boil the beetroot, when it's tender remove half the water, then add some vinegar to the water and let it cool)
4 x large potatoes (boiled and cubed)
1 x onion minced (up to you how much you want in , I usually use a medium sized one)
2 x boiled eggs chopped up
olive oil
vinegar
salt & pepper
mustard
mayo

Add the cooled potatoes,  drained beetroot, onion, eggs in a large bowl, add in olive oil (about 3 tbs) vinegar (3tbs as well) salt & pepper , dollop of mayo and a squirt of mustard.   Toss it well .
Chill it in the fridge and you're good to go!

A new year a new begining

I truly hope everyone had a great beginning to the New Year. I most certainly did, in fact I spent it with my closest and dearest friends and in the following days spent it with a new, and just as endearing friend. I'm truly blessed, the heavens above are surely smiling down upon us this year.

After taking a good hard look at all the internet marketing work I'm doing I've decided to do away with the ones that are not performing, as with all work, it will only benefit you if you put in the effort and are guided by the right path.

So after discussing this with my wellness coach for almost 6 months now, I've decided to really go for it and immerse myself completely into Life Force, www.lifeforce.net/20804473. It took a while for me to get there, but I'm so glad I did. I've been guided by my wellness coach from day one, and he's been in touch with me every day either via skype or texting me on the phone. I feel like I've finally been embraced by a great benevolent family who only want the best for me.

I've changed all my web urls as I'm going to totally focus on Life Force, I've been given some great incentives and I'll do my best to get them. This week I will be picking up my body balance liquid wholefood for my consumption, and I'll log in as soon as I've started to take it to relate how different it makes me feel.

Life force is all about empowering your life.
Dx