So I'm not, but.....

So I'm not celiac. However I do appear to be gluten (or wheat) sensitive, lactose intolerant and a fructose malabsorper.
I didn't even know there was such a thing as fructose malabsorption! But it does explain why I've always felt queasy after eating fruit (except bananas). Bananas happen to be the one fruit that fructose malabsorpers (FM) can handle.
All my life people have tried to make me eat fruit. To the point where they insinuated I was actually *trying* to be unhealthy because I didn't eat much fruit.

So the plan now? The plan is to give my GI system a break and only eat food that shouldn't cause any irritation for a month or so, then re-introduce potential candidates one at a time. I'm going to hunt out a dietician that understands these intolerances, and I'm going to line up some breath testing for these things - which is like a blood test for these intolerances. It's always useful to have some test results behind you when tackling the medical profession.

I did kind of wish I was celiac and only celiac - it would have explained most of my symptoms. And before you think me a freak for wishing that on myself, with what I'm now facing I have an even more restricted diet than a celiac. No gluten or wheat, no lactose bearing dairy and no fruit or anything that fructose is in, and fructose is used as a sweetener in an awful lot of things!
There is another extreme, and that's no sugars at all. But I don't think I'm that bad, just have to figure out which ones I react to. Once I do figure it out, then I can start figuring out what levels I react to, so that I can eat some of this stuff. Although about 5 pieces of rockmelon and watermelon was way too much last week...

On the positive side - I'm actually feeling pretty well. Better than I have in ages, although it is a day-to-day thing, and one bad meal washes me out for 2-3 days :(
I even have energy again! I cooked, cleaned, re-arranged furniture and did 4 hours paid work today, plus a bit more unpaid. Simple tasks that have just been beyond me for the last few months are now getting done.

And for those who know me, you probably don't see me as ill, or weary, or anything. That's me, I hide it, I use up what energy I have when I'm working and socialising, and there's nothing left over. I don't think B knew me when I had lots of energy, but he's noticed a huge drop off in the last 10-12 months. There are many far worse off than me. But I'm all I have, and I'm the one I'm concerned with - because no-one else is going to get me better, I have to do it myself.

Childhood remembrances

After an overnight stop in Gladstone (not the highlight of the trip), we headed on to Rockhampton and Yeppoon - where I had spent childhood holidays.

Given the caving people that we are, we took the opportunity to walk through Capricorn Caves. Blah, blah... "a unique system of above-ground caves " ...blah blah...
I wasn't personally all that impressed with it. What was interesting, though, was seeing the old bridges and tunnels that the guano (bat poo) miners used.

From there we headed East to the little seaside township of Yeppoon. My most favourite thing in the region is the Singing Ship at Emu Park. You won't necessarily find it on tourist brochures - probably because it is free,m so no-one makes any money off it. But at dawn and dusk:
it is absolutely gorgeous.

And special thanks to DM, who put us up at his mansion in Yeppoon. The afternoon previously there had been a flurry of SMS's between DM and I, as I updated him on the traffic jam, the accident, etc, etc. Sorry we arrived a day late - circumstances beyond our control :(

DM introduced us to Radio NAG, where he is a presenter. Unfortunately we didn't get to hear any of his shows, because NAG don't pod cast or have an on-line broadcast yet - unlike our station RRR. Don't worry NAG - you'll get there.

Am I, Aren't I....

No, not pregnant!

In about an hour I should know if I am celiac or not. I've been getting progresively sicker over the last 10 months, and I'm finally getting the proper test done. I've had the blood tests done, and they came back negative, but I understand that happens sometimes, and I also wonder whether I was actually eating enough gluten at the time to actually trigger the anti-bodies anyway. We'll know soon.
Celiac disease would explain an awful lot of my symptoms, so I am kind of hoping it is that. The "cure" is to not eat *anything* with gluten in it *ever* again. Which is hard - it basically excludes almost all packaged/pre-prepared foods - so lots of cooking in my future. I'll have to find the time somehow.

Of course, if it isn't celiac, then I have no real diagnosis, and just keep on being sick I guess... (Which is why I am hoping at least for a diagnosis.)

I am a little nervous about the test today. They will be putting me to sleep and sticking a camera down my throat to look at my stomach lining, and also taking a biopsy to examine it under a microscope.

B's taking care of me this morning, making sure I get home from the hospital-type place. No MIFF for me today, but he should still be able to make some later today.

Unplanned stop #1

We're not worried about those chips in the windscreen anymore
Oh - what a lovely sunset!

There we were, just south of Gladstone, merrily driving along the Bruce Highway, well actually stop, start along the highway and just prior to this we were at a dead stop. There'd been a fatality earlier in the day, and the traffic wasn't yet recovered. So cars in front of us stopped, we stopped. The 4WD behind us did not stop.
4 weeks later I still get a fear response when I hear screeching tyres - particularly if I'm driving at the time. Note to all music makers - please don't put car crash sounds / screeching tyres / etc in your songs. It really isn't a good thing for those of us in the drivers seat....

No broken bones, no dismembered limbs, but I do get quite annoyed when people take that to mean no-one was hurt. I had internal bruising and was extremely sore for 4-5 days after. I was even wondering if I'd be able to go on the camping trip we had planned, because anything involving bending my midriff - ie getting into and out of bed, was quite difficult. But pilates came to my rescue and lots of aspirin and some time later, it was all OK. Apart from having to pay the excess on the rental car and waiting, waiting for the insurance of the guy who hit us to come through. He's admitted complete responsibility and the police were wonderful.

So we stopped in Gladstone for a night. I reassured B (who was driving) that there was nothing he could have done. I'm still finding bits of glass in my holiday stuff, and not coping too well with the sound of tyres screeching....

We interrupt this program...

Yep, I'm interrupting the regularly scheduled program (of holiday blogging), to comment on MIFF and some stuff I've seen around Melbourne city over the last few days.

First off - I just love MIFF. Since I moved to Melbourne 10 years ago, I've attended some films just about every year (except for the few years I was working out in the wasteland that is Dandenong - but I did try then too). And I realised today just how much MIFF has become a time of "happenings and memories" for me - not necessarily about films, but about what's happening in my life at the time. First off there was the introduction to MIFF in my first year in Melbourne - and the film focus that year was gay and lesbian films - so a new friend and I just had a ball. The following year, I was still working in the city, so took a few days off to see some films - to the amusement of my co-workers who thought I was just an ordinary girl (apparently going to MIFF makes you extra-ordinary!). Then there was the courting a few years later (I thought MIFF films would be good dating material), and a few years after that the break-up which hindered me seeing films.
There were new friends found who also enjoyed MIFF and so new friendships developed in queues and over coffee fueled discussions. There was the year my boyfriend flew back from working overseas for just a night and so I skipped a film or two to spend it with him.
And then B came into my life, and apart from all the other things we had in common, he also had a passion for MIFF - which we discovered to our mutual delight 8 months after we'd met. It was during MIFF 2 years back that I successfully wooed him, and MIFF 1 year back I consolidated on that. MIFF is now just part of our life - it's a factor in our relationship, a reliable companion for 2.5 weeks every year into the future.

So - films I've seen so far at MIFF 06?
The Willow Tree - A great character study. I didn't like the behaviour of the main character, but still found sympathy for him.
Animation Shorts - Program 1 - some good, some bad - good mix.
Bubble - The blurb made it sound more interesting than it was. Not a bad story, but nothing to write home about.
Sa-Kwa - lovely character development.
2:37 - Absolutely fantastic. Must see. If you remember high school - or early 20's, you'll relate to this.
A Scanner Darkly - Most enjoyable
Invisible Waves - see it for the cinematography - but don't expect to get swept along by the story line - pleasant but not great. Interestingly the plot outline in imdb is incorrect. It says he "inadvertently" kills his girlfriend - it wasn't accidentally - it was planned - and is the whole crux of the film!
Thankyou for Smoking - excellent portrayal of a spin merchant and how he lives with himself.
McDull, the Alumni - excruciating
Looking for Cheyenne - other people seem to be raving about it, but I didn't think it was anything special.
The Circle - competently made, but if you've read the blurb, you really don't get anything more out of seeing the film.
Un Couple Parfait - Beautifully shot film, great character study of a relationship in breakdown.

So that's MIFF to date.

Ever been looking for one of these:
and not been able to find one? Click on the pic to see why.... Check out Lush Lane off Flinders Lane to find them.

And anyone who grew up in Melbourne is probably already aware of this - but I only noticed it a few days ago. So which came first? The company or the saying?

There's a little less sand on Fraser Island

The next day we arrived in Hervey Bay - rather late in the evening with no-where to stay... not an unusual thing for us really.

We didn't really try too hard to find somewhere, but haggled on the first place we found and got the asking price down from $100 pn to $85 is we stayed for 2. And so we ended up with a single-bed unit for two nights, very swishly done out, very, very comfortable, and walking distance to the beach and food.
B was keen on Fraser Island so we booked a tour for the next day.

Fraser Island is unique in that it is the only place in the world where there is a rainforest growing in sand. The whole island (bar a few started rocks) is 100% sand.
Below is one of the tourist features of the island - the coloured sands. Unfortunately it was raining on the day we were there, apparently the colours can be quite a lot more spectacular.

Next stop was a ship wreck - the Great Barrier Reef extends down this way too:

Another feature of the island are the fresh water creeks, which are crystal clear, and of course all sand. The touristy thing to do is to walk up the stream bare-foot. I really wanted to, but I'm a bit of an old fuddy-duddy, so we walked up the boardwalk. I'd had enough at the head of the creek - B can look around for hours, so I told him I was heading back. The look on his face was priceless when he turned around a couple of minutes later to see me with shoes off and heading down Eli Creek.

And yep - it was fun!

Because Fraser Island is a World Heritage place and a National Park, you get the feeling that it should be all untouched beaches...

But perhaps not, what with all the tourist companies on the island.
And so we left Fraser, as evening fell....


Yes, there's a little less sand on Fraser Island now. I didn't mean to take it with me, it followed me home, in my socks, in my shoes, in my clothes, it's everywhere!

They make things big in Qld

Monday 3 weeks ago (nearly 4 now) was our 2-yr anniversary. After driving back from Mullumbimby and picking up the hire care in Brisbane, we headed on to Mooloolaba where we had a lovely 3 course meal on the boardwalk.
With hire cars you may be familiar with the need for the damage report before driving it away. Unfortunately we didn't notice some bad chips in the windscreen on the car until an hour later when the sun hit them in just the right way. Oh well, maybe they wouldn't notice them either when we returned the car....
Tuesday saw us heading further up the coast, and as it was B's first time, I thought we should make the obligatory stop a the Big Pineapple - Qld's first(?) foray into all things big.

And yes, it is big - that's B down the bottom:

And you can also go inside it - click on the piccie below to zoom in on me up top: