Qalm Life

01/01/2023

13/09/2022

I love this for more than one reason - 1. yes it's true - everyone has a different perspective 2. it reminds me of our two doggies 3. putting others down doesn't elevate you.... be kind and try to help each other

14/08/2022

I try to live this out. It's not always easy but if you start to list the good instead of the bad that can change your whole perspective 😍

10/08/2022

I was feeling super flat today... I don't know why, I just was... so I had a talk to myself about what I could do to feel ok again... for me I turned to my usual pick me up... music I love... I put on some of my favourite music and bopped away while working until I came out of it.

It worked... I think we all have those days that can come in on us and make us feel like the world is coming at us. It's about how we respond and how we can turn our mindset around to realise it's not a bad life, just a bad moment or a bad day.

08/08/2022

Sometimes you have to say no to things purely for your own self preservation... it's ok to put your own mental health first and those that love you and support you will understand if you say no to something

23/07/2022

23/07/2022

Realised I have been super quiet on this page for too long - time to get back to doing this thing called life and doing it well.

I will be real with you, because life isn't always sunshine and rainbows.

Some weeks are just harder than others, some weeks you struggle and that's ok.

This week we have had to start a new norm... dad works away now 2 weeks at a time and left last Sunday. So this has been a big adjustment for our little household.

Our 6 year old was unwell with a vomiting bug to start the week off, and he has been highly emotional this week missing his dad. It's a big difference for him not to have dad home everyday. It will take us all time to adjust to a 'new norm'. I admit I've wallowed in some self pity this week, feeling lonely and sad.

I guess this makes me now think - am I going to sit here missing part of our family and feeling lonely until he comes home every time... or am I going to set some goals and try to achieve them while he is away... I think the 2nd is a better option.

I want to make sure the time when dad is away working is still normal, consistent and fun for our 6 year old.

My mood entirely depends on me...

15/06/2021

2 years today! How our lives have changed since 15 June 2019.
The days are sometimes still long and hard, but those days are getting less and less. The changes we have made for our family recently are for us - nobody else but us. Yes, we are being selfish, but we need to do what is right for our family. We need to make choices to preserve us.
We have chosen to move back to home for us - we have left Geraldton behind and the memories we have from there will always be with us, both the good (the amazing people we met) and the bad... but we are looking to our families future and setting up a life for us that suits us.
Unfortunately it seems the surgeries have not completely fixed the issues that have been caused by the accident, and pain is still there. Sadly this may be the new norm and we modify things to try and reduce that pain. Even simple movements at times can make Aaron jump through the roof - eg. he picked up an empty small box the other day and the pain was so intense.
We are a work in progress (all of us) and there are days we are all good, and others we need a little bit more time to ourselves.

24/04/2021

This week we travelled to Perth for another hand operation for Aaron. He had a denervation to try and help pain levels. Rightly so, he is in quite a bit of pain with 3 lovely cuts in his hand from the surgery. We are hoping, this will in the long run, help progress and help moving forward to new and exciting things.

In the meantime, we now need to do 3 days with a mask as we were in Perth when the positive covid case was out and about.

There is always something going on - but we try to look at it positively and will enjoy some family time the next few days :)

02/04/2021

Happy 12 month anniversary to us! It has been 12 months since we started this page. There has been a LOT happen in that 12 month period:
* Aaron has come a long way in his recovery
* Aaron has had one lot of surgery and is looking at another one ahead
* Our son has been diagnosed with ADHD and we are learning how to help him the best we can
* We have had to make some big life changing decisions recently
* We did get a little holiday down south to Albany and the South-West (what a gorgeous part of Australia that is)
* Aaron got back into his health and wellness, getting off his medication and lost 15kg
* We planted our little tree out at the crash site and have visited it a number of times - it's going well
* There has also been a lot of stress, a lot of tears at times - but we have stayed supporting each other and become a stronger family together.
Let's see what the next 12 months looks like...

28/02/2021

Last week we went to Perth for a follow up appt with the hand surgeon. While the surgery was helpful and did reduce a lot of pain in the hand, unfortunately there is still pain in a section. The surgeon decided to have a check with his fancy new (the surgeon was pretty excited to use it) ultrasound machine - while laughing at our 5 year old eating cheezels off every finger! After the ultrasound Aaron had a cortisone shot to see if this would assist in the pain.
We are now a week after this shot and the hand does feel different - there is still pain but not as bad, which is a good sign. If this does reduce more there is another procedure possible to help assist this pain.
You don't realise how much you have lost until you can't use it. Aaron lost an arm wrestle with our 5 year old yesterday...
Let's hope we continue on the path to recovery, so we can plan our future

23/01/2021

Today we visited our little tree to give it a drink - it's been very hot weather the past few weeks so we thought it may need a bit of refreshment.

While out there we got the drone up to look at the site. This image is from our drone and you can still clearly see the truck tracks leaving the road to the left of the road - still so clear 19 months later. Besides the cross at the site, the only thing left visible now is the truck tracks off the road... there is no smell anymore of diesel, there are no marks left on the road. As you can see it was a very isolated location as well... the bottom pic is the site and the top pic is zoomed in on the tracks

To me this signifies, healing, moving on and future plans

18/01/2021

Oh yes he did!!!
19 months and 3 days later and Aaron drove a truck today!
I was going to update everyone last week that he passed his work commercial drivers medical last week, but then to hop back in a truck and do not one but two trips today is a huge step.
He admitted to me he had mixed emotions. However he took it slow and steady and achieved his goal.
It is a huge thing to go through what he has gone through and choose to drive again. I am so proud of him.
We will continue to take it a day at a time.

31/12/2020

We made it through another year around the sun! Thanks for all the support and we hope 2021 is a more positive and vibrant year. Keep focusing on the good and keep moving forward. A new year always makes you reflect on the year that was - and what a year we have had. xx

18/12/2020

We are home safe and sound after a few days away. Our little puppy was happy to see us and loves to give cuddles. Aaron's surgery went well and they called him today to let him know they cut out some damaged tissue and scraped a couple of bones. Now it's time to let it heal and fingers crossed the pain is reduced :) thanks for all the thoughts and messages xo

16/12/2020

Today is a day we have thought was coming for a while - exploratory hand surgery to try and find out what is causing the pain in Aaron's hand. 18 months after the accident and numerous trips to Perth for appointments has culminated in today. Fingers crossed it is a good outcome

07/11/2020

Been a while since we did an update. Today we went back out to the crash site to check on our little tree and give it a big drink. It is going so well and grown so much. It's nice to see something positive growing out of this hard time.
Last week we went to Perth for a medical check up on Aaron's hands. His left hand is doing great, but the right hand is still causing issues. We ended up having to stay and get a further MRI and appointment with the hand surgeon. We are now waiting on approval to go ahead with an arthroscopy in his hand to try and work out what is going on. The specialist is certain there is damage but the MRI is inconclusive - there is a bruise and some tendon damage evident, but he thinks there is something else going on.
On another positive note, Aaron got the all clear from his psychiatrist this week (somehow... I guess she doesn't live with it 😄). So we are continuing in the right direction.

09/09/2020

Today is R U OK day. So I want to ask you this question - r u ok?
12 months ago Aaron was struggling after being the sole survivor after his crash. He went through some very dark days, and as he said the black dog was chasing him. BUT, friends, family and medical intervention checking in on him regularly helped him get through those tough days.
I am so grateful for those that not only checked in on Aaron but also on me. Yes it was a hard time, yes we had bad days, but together we have made it through it.
So if you need an ear, if you are feeling low, if you just need a vent - please reach out. We are both always here for anyone who needs it. We know what it's like and hope we can support others going through a tough time.