Saturday, January 26, 2013

A New Year

Sorry I haven't posted for so long. After my last post in September, I was very busy with the Dolls Houses Past and Present magazine. I finished that in mid December, and a few days later flew down to Sydney for Christmas. Christmas Day itself was pleasant - we had Christmas lunch with my aunt at my sister's place, a first, as we usually have it at my aunt's place.

Our little tree, with a White Hart from the National Gallery in London,
a vintage celluloid Santa, and  a Kits Coty dolls house decoration from the Hampton Collection.
The photos aren't terrific, I'm sorry - my camera says the batteries are low,
though they've just been recharged, and I could not actually see what I was pointing the camera at!

I had brought decorations, and did manage to put them up - but from November I had had small patches of fungal infection - the "build-up" season in Darwin (the time between the dry season and when the rains start in the wet season) was very long and very hot last year. Then I developed what seemed to be bacterial infections in the groin area - a doctor in Darwin had prescribed antibiotics, and a doctor I saw here in Sydney after Christmas prescribed a different antibiotic, and also antifungal cream.

The Christian Hacker House from the Hampton Collection,
and  the Circa 1910 Eclectic House from the Bing & Grøndahl Collection


But after 3 courses of antibiotics, it was no better - in fact, it was a solid mass of infection so painful that I could hardly stand, sit or walk - so the doctor here in Sydney sent me for intravenous antibiotics. Instead of staying in hospital, I was a patient in what they call Hospital in the Home, which meant that my sister drove me to and from the hospital twice a day for the first five days, after which I went once a day. The time we spent at the hospital varied from 2 hours to 7 hours each day, including the waiting time (as it is a GP Casualty, and they also treat people who come in with possible sprains, dislocations, and gastro-intestinal or urinary infections, etc). I was given two kinds of antibiotics, which acted on the cellulitis very quickly - we could see improvements daily. And after about 5 days, I started feeling better - and realised how sick I had been feeling. At the end of the 10 days, they referred me to a dermatologist at another hospital - they thought the remaining infection might be psoriasis.

Gertrude's House (left) and the 1920's House (right), from the Bing & Grøndahl Collection.
The jewelled cross above them is from the National Gallery in London.

It turned out not to be - the dermatologist thought it was fungal, and 10 days after I first saw the dermatologist, the ID came back - the infection is caused by a fungus called Trichophyton mentagrophytes, which can cause ringworm, tinea, and kerions - fungal infections of the hair follicles accompanied by secondary bacterial infection and marked by raised, usually pus-filled and spongy lesions - which is what I have had.
So now I am taking oral anti-fungal medication, which is given in cycles - two tablets twice a day for a week, then 3 weeks without tablets, for 3 or 4 months. This infection is responding more slowly than the bacterial infection did, but it is slowly improving. I should have been back at work in Darwin this week, but the dermatologist wants to see me again in the second week of February, before I start the next cycle, and will then see how it's going.

Angel from the National Gallery in London

The dermatologist here is more used to seeing it on the scalp and in beards, but I discovered a US Army medical history website, which says that servicemen frequently suffered from it during the Vietnam War, on their legs, groin and torso - and that it often flared up again when they returned to the hot wet conditions they were fighting in. The drug I'm taking was developed in 1984, so hopefully it is more effective than whatever was used in Vietnam - otherwise I'll have to move from Darwin to a drier climate!   

The nativity set which my godmother gave me when I was a child. The stable is plywood, and the figures are plastic.


This is a rather different kind of post from my usual, but I wanted to let you know why I've been absent - from posting, and from commenting on your blogs - and to wish you all, belatedly, a happy, healthy and enjoyable Christmas and New Year! My only goal so far has been to get well, and I have been very grateful for the care, attention and friendliness of all the wonderful doctors and nurses who have treated me. The infection is still painful, but I am feeling much, much better, and yesterday my sister and I went to an antiques and collectables mall! I even found some dolls house furniture, which I will show in my next post - very soon!

16 comments:

  1. Oh Rebecca, I am so sorry you have been unwell, and am glad that you at last have a proper diagnosis and treatment which is starting to work - the fact that you have been able to get out and do miniatures again is testament to that!
    I hope 2013 is better for you than the end of 2012.

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    1. Thank you, DollMum! Yes, it's great to be feeling up to wandering around cabinets full of antiques and collectables - I feel like I'm getting back to normal. I hope you and your family are all well, and wish you all the best for 2013.

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  2. Dear Rebecca

    I wish you a happy and first of all, healthy new year too!! I already noticed on fb that you are not well, but after I read all this, I have an idea of what you are going through!! OH, NO!!!! I so wish you that all this will be gone very soon and you feel better ♥♥♥

    Hugs and many good wishes, yours Nicola

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    1. Dear Nicola, Thank you! I hope it will be gone soon too - it is good to be feeling so much better, but I still don't have much energy. I am looking forward to catching up on your blog - and flickr, which I have not looked at for so long!
      I wish you and your lovely daughters a wonderful year in 2013!
      Hugs, Rebecca ♥♥♥

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  3. Hello from Spain: happy new year. Glad to read you. I really like your Christmas photos. Keep in touch

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    1. Hello Marta, thank you, I'm glad you like the Christmas photos! I hope to blog more often now I'm getting better :-)

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  4. Una canción española dice así: tres cosas hay en la vida, SALUD, dinero y amor y el que tenga estas tres cosas que le de gracias a Dios...
    Esperamos te recuperes del todo. saludos.

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    1. Gracias, Luijuas! Yes, health is important, as well as love and some money - I am lucky that I am staying with my wonderful sister, who helps me a lot, and have been treated by very caring doctors. Under our health system, the hospital treatments have been free :-) I am also lucky that I am able to take medical leave from work - I have many blessings to be grateful for :-) Thank you for your good wishes, and I wish you and your family a happy, healthy and prosperous 2013.

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  5. Rebecca, it sounds like you have been through hell over the last few months. I can't imagine how much pain you must have suffered! The hospital at home sounds like a good idea, even with the long waits, given how much infection is now spreading in hospitals. You were wise to avoid being exposed to even more infections than you already were suffering.

    It's good to have you back blogging! We need your expertise and innovative posts. I hope you are well on the way to good health and that the rest of 2013 is terrific for you.

    Best, Neen

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    1. Hi Neen, I think I was a bit out of it when it was at its worst! And I read a lot - I always do, but when the only comfortable position was reclining on my back, it was a good way to pass the time. Now I'm recovering, I'm looking forward to blogging more, and to catching up on your blogs, too :-)

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  6. Rebecca! Your editing of DHP&P is so excellent and to think you had to go through all that! Sending you hugs and love CM

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    1. Hi CM, Thank you! I really enjoy working on the magazine - researching articles, as well as editing. I'm glad I got the last one finished before I got so sick! And now I'm getting better, I'm starting to think about the next one ;-) I blame the Darwin weather, mainly, and I'm glad I'm not there now. I think the wet season has finally started, but just last week there were more minimum temperatures of 29 degrees celsius :-( Love and hugs back! :-)

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  7. Sorry to read about your infection Rebecca..darn tropical places just aren't the place for fungal nasties. Here's hoping the year will be a great one for you with lots of new minis found along the way! xx

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    1. Thank you, Jazzi! I'm doing very well with the minis so far, now I'm well enough to get out and about.
      I think fungal nasties just love tropical places - I'm not sure now that tropical places are the place for me! We'll have to see if the antifungal medication wins out over the heat and humidity, when I finally get back to Darwin :- /

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  8. You have been missed! Happy to know you are on the road to recovery and that you have had the support of loved ones and a good medical staff. Hugs to you! Florine

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    1. Thank you, Florine! I've had wonderful support, and great doctors and nurses - and, of course, the hospital treatment has pretty well all been free, thanks to our great public health system! Just occurred to me that I should post that on facebook, for any fb friends in the US who think that public health systems are the start of communist takeovers (hope I'm not offending anyone too much here, but I just don't get the opposition to public health systems funded by taxes). Hope you're well, hugs back, Rebecca <3

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