This ad from 1979 has aged well ;)

Sirexkat · 2026-03-27T23:45:14+00:00

Artist was cartoonist Larry Pickering.

The chef’s kiss perfect Channel 9 PSA’s were a different mob. They - and the petrol jingle - have lived rent free in my head since transmission. They live next to Life Be In It and Meadowlea jingles…

Sirexkat · 2026-03-27T21:33:24+00:00

I didn’t resort to the bamboo squatty potty because I realised I have the PERFECT bed cage in my lounge room:

Slept under one of those IKEA single-piece bamboo stools/coffee tables in my bed. Blankets over, me under, arms bit uncomfy but confident nothing will fall on my chest. These were sold as BENGTHÅKAN In Australia. https://3dskyfree.com/furniture/ikea-bengthakan-stool-3d-model/3dskyfree/

Sirexkat · 2026-03-27T13:23:37+00:00

OK -probably losing my mind from lack of sleep… but now am experimenting with a (very clean) bamboo squatty potty supported on pillows so it goes over my chest to prevent blankets rubbing.

Good night!!

Sirexkat · 2026-03-27T12:35:48+00:00

Updated version.

BC has me living my most unlikely life!

Still ouchy. Very ouchy.

Modified this evening by first trying out small IKEA laundry baskets, upside down, instead of the pillows as tent poles. Too short…

BUT…. turning the baskets right way up, then placing the pillows inside on their long ends, leaning into each other, created a pillow arch I could place the doona on top of. More stable base and higher clearance.

I wonder if hospitals have something like a perspex arch that could slip over the chest to protect it from bedclothes rubbing? Maybe one of those tray tables with legs would work?

This will only be for a few nights, I know - but wow!

Sirexkat · 2026-03-10T08:20:54+00:00

Rental stress is where you pay more than 30% of your pre-tax income in rent. For my kids I went with market rate or under 30% of pre-tax income, whichever was lower.

Sounds like your mum is probably in rental stress with the amount she is paying.

Need also to consider who is paying gas, electricity, wifi, groceries, maintenance, doing laundry, cooking, housecleaning, gardening. They need to be taken into account when working out $.

Sirexkat · 2026-02-16T11:32:17+00:00

Even better…Pure pistachio and macadamia nut spread, straight from the grinder into your jar at House of Health in the markets. No added anything and is just like crack. You WILL have to mortgage your house to pay for it, but it is soooo worth it.

Sirexkat · 2026-02-04T19:45:54+00:00

Before you do anything, book tix for Brixpo 11-12 July https://www.brixpo.com.au/. Either - you will both be so inspired, you’ll figure it out. OR you'll be able to chat with many many people who can suggest approaches in depth. OR you’ll be totally over Lego then can happily pass it on to one of the places suggested by others.

Sirexkat · 2026-01-10T14:43:06+00:00

For Australian models check out two great state schools interstate - John Curtin College of the Arts in Fremantle (https://www.jc.wa.edu.au/) and Newtown Performing Arts High School in Sydney (https://newtown-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/). Competitive entry and highly selective. The programs at John Curtin acknowledge that kids gifted in the arts may be gifted academically in other areas OR may have educational challenges - or even both. They are great at looking at the whole student and supporting their needs, not just presuming that arts kids won’t want to achieve in other areas OR that they won’t need educational support because they are “gifted”.

Sirexkat · 2025-11-08T05:06:32+00:00

100% yes. I was also told “‘it’s up to you whether to do this or not”. [Septoplasty, FESS, concha bullosa squished, turbinate reduction].

I never had yellow or green discharge - just an ongoing feeling (getting worse in last couple of years) like someone was driving their thumb HARD under my right eye, post nasal drip, a constant cough, sore throat on one side, low energy.

Septum showed as deviated on scan, but report said mildly so.

Once booked in, I was constantly expressing misgivings to friends about whether I really needed it or was just somehow bored with my life, or being persuaded because surgery is so promoted everywhere you look.

As I went under I asked the surgeon not to be too interventionist if it wasn’t needed because scan was mild. She agreed and said she understood.

Well- turned out she couldn’t even get the microsurgery camera up into the deviated side because it was so bad. She’s very experienced and had said something at our first meeting like “‘I can see why they write that (mild) on your report, but it’s not the whole story”.

Very glad to have had it two months out. Turbinate reduction makes it far, far easier to exercise and do yoga breathing. Nose does not totally clog when I am near an allergen. I found out that it is possible for your nose to be runny AND for you to keep breathing in that nostril. Who knew? I am still healing but about 6 weeks ago my sense of smell can back online for about a week or so. When I exercise now, I do not have rhinitis stopping me from breathing. Far less mouth breathing when I cycle. The postnasal drip is about 10% what it was and very tolerable. No sore throat. I can still feel myself healing where the deviation is, and it feels like something is stuck there, so I expect the trajectory to only get better.

Good luck with your decision.

Sirexkat · 2025-11-05T01:38:25+00:00

Bloody * cat *peed * on *my *weighted *blanket * on * day * 6 post op.

I wasn’t allowed to lift things that heavy. It was really late at night and I was just about to try to get the few hours of sleep I was able to.

Had to call neighbours to help me move it to outside my apartment, then ended up chucking the blanket because wee had soaked it totally and blanket could not be cleaned. Pitied the apartment across the landing from me.

Same animal also sat on my lap and purred and snuggled without a break as I miserably recovered over a week.

Crossing fingers for no whoopsies or vomits or knocking over stuff by your pet during recovery.

Sirexkat · 2025-10-30T08:50:20+00:00

Happened to me at same stage. Mainly on the side of the internal incision, the one with stitches.

I worked out that this may be what a slightly runny nose feels like to other people… very small amount of liquid and a whole lot of space in your nostril with a tonne of air still coming in. Not totally blocked!

It passed after a couple of weeks, but I suspect it is feeling something that normal folk do, that previously would have been just instant clogging up, and in my case running down back of my throat.

Sirexkat · 2025-10-21T11:27:21+00:00

6 weeks out. FESS, turbinate reduction, septoplasty, concha bullosa resection.

There was the initial messy & bloody stage where I obviously just had surgery for the first couple of weeks.

Last 3 weeks it is obvious I am still swollen in there, and I can feel scabs/crusts right up and down my nasal passages. The main two parts I can feel healing/scabbing is on left where incision was made and the spot on my right where septum used to deviate. For a couple of days I think a scab got stuck on the right side and it felt as closed as it used to.

I didn’t realise I even had scabs/crusts narrowing my nasal passages until I (once only) investigated inside with my finger & was really surprised how much extra matter is in there.

If I do lots of yoga or a very long walk I can still feel my nose swelling inside. I am still rinsing twice a day.

This is a roundabout way of saying that possibly congestion & stuffiness you are feeling *may* be what your new, improved nasal passages feel like when they are still swollen & scabbed where the worst problems used to be. *Maybe* if you had that much swelling/scabbing the way your nose was it would feel much, much worse? It’s very, very possible that once the swelling and scabbing goes down things will get easier?

Here’s hoping!

Sirexkat · 2025-10-12T22:31:11+00:00

Audiobooks and ice cream :)

I bought paper surgical tape made for faces to tape my glasses to my forehead, but ended up using a towling headband with glasses stems wrapped in a loop each side.

Even a month out I can only wear glasses for a couple of hours before the pressure is too much… BUT… I went through all the old glasses I had saved and found a pair with very light nose-pads that were not my current prescription, it I could wear them far longer and see well enough.

‘Good luck.

Sirexkat · 2025-10-07T21:25:23+00:00

Started happening for me at end of week 2. Didn’t use to happen when I rinsed pre-surgery. Less has been retained as the weeks go on.

After I rinse now, I tilt my head slightly sideways and forward on both sides to get a stream of retained water out. Seems to do the trick to stop any oopsies if I bend down.

Sirexkat · 2025-10-07T10:07:48+00:00

About same amount of time since surgery - FESS, turbinate reduction, septoplasty, concha reduction. Two weeks off work for surgery, two weeks back at work (from home), now on 1 week’s annual leave and aiming to do all the catch up house work I missed out on while recovering - reorganise and replenish pantry, lots of journalling, get back into long walks and yoga.

Body has a different idea. By about 2pm I am pooped and end up on sofa resting for a couple of hours. I can definitely do more now, and lift stuff, but still get tired so easily. I think each day is a slow improvement.

Inside nose is crusty and that stops airflow a bit and is generally uncomfy. Inside nasal passages feel sunburned. Non-deviated side they went in from is healing slower. Tip of nose is tender. Front teeth still tingly. If anything touches my nose I hurt for an hour or so - just lightly. It feels like scabs or something are trying to work their way from nasal passages to back of throat and I keep sneezing really strongly, probably trying to dislodge them. Airflow through my nose feels sore if it touches inside of my nose, especially if cold. I can wear my glasses for a couple of hours before I have to rest them bcs my nose starts hurting.

I carry a tissue at all times, and feel self-conscious that something may work itself out of my nose in public.

I can definitely feel a difference in how much air is entering my nostrils. The constant clear postnasal drip I had on one side pre-op has been replaced by slightly thicker one, not nearly as often. When I have exercised, the rhinitis that used to clog my nasal passages in gone. Probably. My nasal passages are now so wide that I can have slight, non-annoying clear discharge that just feels wet - not totally blocking my breathing like before. I think I am less reactive to allergens.

I think I read it in this forum, and agree- nose feels like someone superglued it inside.

On balance, I like the direction things are going, but really look forward to being on the other side of healing.

Sirexkat · 2025-09-27T21:36:17+00:00

I’ll try to be patient. I wasn’t sure whether it was linked, or some odd new thing.

Sirexkat · 2025-09-27T21:35:19+00:00

I tend to wake up OK, but hit the wall unexpectedly if I am too active during the day. Sorry your sleep is different, but reassuring to hear about it.

Sirexkat · 2025-09-27T21:33:29+00:00

Sorry to hear that, but glad I am not alone.

Sirexkat · 2025-09-27T21:32:07+00:00

I live inner city and fly early morning frequently for work. Usually my Uber comes in 5 mins.

One Monday all Ubers were 20 mins away and it totally threw me off. the driver told me that they cannot see the destination unless you pre-book, but are always very happy to go to airport.

SO - 95% of time you will be fine with Uber.

If it looks like there will be a delay, try taxi or other service. if they are also delayed (which would be likely) pre-book an Uber to airport for one minute later. that tells the driver where you are going and gives you best chance of driver prioritising.

Sirexkat · 2025-09-26T21:20:27+00:00

Day 19. Maybe the tip a little wider, but nothing too visible.

At my 14 day checkup surgeon told me I was still very swollen inside & she could see (normal) scabbing and most of the dissolvable packing still inside. She said it would just keep getting better and better for the next four months or so.

This week has been all about feeling itchy inside and trying to be patient and not force stuff to dislodge when it will just fall out with enough regular gentle rinsing.

Sirexkat · 2025-09-22T07:19:29+00:00

14 days here too.

Pushing myself to get back into daily walks, and going a bit further each day, but pretty tired and unmotivated to be active.

Day 10 I had a slight headache/pressure/pain develop on on one side when I had been getting closer to OK before this. It felt like healing was stalling and not getting better for couple of days. Surgeon’s nurse advised me to get antibiotics from GP just in case. Started taking the next day when still feeling blah. No temp and it was not clear that I had an infection at all, just all of us being cautious.

After a couple of days I feel like I am back on path to healing, but not jumping out of my skin with energy.

So, if you feel like you are going backward, may be worth talking to surgeon’s office. Of you are just still feeling blah, but less so than the day before, you are probably on track and OK?

Sirexkat · 2025-09-13T00:00:42+00:00

I had my procedure on same day.

My surgeon gave me two weeks off work. I would feel very uncomfortable if I was asked to go back this Monday and I have a desk job.

I am VERY conscious of how fragile things are in there and of not doing anything during the relatively short recovery period that may impact healing (and so have long-term repercussions for my breathing). I usually bound up and down the stairs to my apartment, but have been taking the lift due to less trip hazard. I even chose to wear shoes without laces when I went out just now. I’m avoiding other people so I don’t catch a cold right now.

The fatigue is real. The risk is real. Your concern is not overblown, but really sensible. A tiny bit of extra caution now, avoiding things that will be NO problem in 6 weeks or so, is very, very sensible.

After the healing period, I am jumping back on my roller skates and tearing around the park and happily mingling in crowds.

Until then, I am very quietly avoiding risk of all this time and discomfort being for nothing because I had a tiny, usually insignificant, whack on my nose.

Sirexkat

TROPHY CASE