The diagnosis

Hi everyone

Rory has whooping cough! He was finaly able to see a proper GP, and we finally got some answers. Apparently there was a scare about vaccinations when Rory was a child, so he never received a few of the shots.

It is known as 'the 100 day cough' in adults, so we're probably in it for the long haul. The doctor said that the vomiting was likely due to a migraine, and that he also seems to be allergic to the virus.

Ironically, it was just reported on the national news this evening that there is beginning to be an epidemic of whooping cough here in New Zealand.

Love
Amy

And an update about Rory, too

Hi everyone

Rory is slowly improving. All of the prescribed medications and trips to the doctors were a bust, so in the end Rory did some internet research. He guessed he might have some sort of allergy, since the mucous was more of a post-nasal drip than from his lungs.

He has been taking the equivalent of Sudafed, and has been better the last day or so. I am so incredibly relieved...the last two weeks have been terrifying and exhausting. I can't wait 'til he is back to his old self, and neither can he!

Love
Ames

Mollie is safe!

Hi everyone

Two days ago Rory found a dog tag in the middle of the road. On one side it had a doggie print, and the other side said 'Mollie' and had a phone number. Rory brought it home, and I immediately texted the owners, asking if they'd like the tag back.

It turned out that Mollie was missing. They had been searching for her for days, but not here in Island Bay...in Upper Hutt! That is about 25 miles away. They said that Mollie was like a Houdini dog, so that at first they weren't worried, but for days afterward they had been searching for her everywhere. How in the world did her tag get to Island Bay?

After we called, Mollie's owners sprung into action. They announced Mollie's disappearance over Wellington regional radio, and even put in a letter to the editor of the Dominion Post. We gave them our address and explained where Rory found the tag, and they came out and looked around.

Just a few hours ago I got the great news...Millie has been found! The owners called and were so relieved and thankful. I'll meet them tomorrow when they pick up the tag from my workplace.

I thought you might appreciate the story. These sorts of things rarely have happy endings, so I'm grateful that this one did. I can't wait to hear about Mollie's adventures: where exactly they found her, what she'd been up to (they said she was tired and dirty), and who called her in.

Love
Amy

Some good news

Hi all

In all the choas of the last few days, I didn't mention that there was some good news.

Sheron and Lucy (Rory's mum and sister) are coming to stay...and soon! They will be leaving the UK on 18 February, staying with us for 10 days, and then going to Sydney for another week.

We are so excited to see them.

Love
Amy

We're okay

Hi 

I thought I should write again, since my last blog was upsetting. I was just being honest...this experience hasn't been all flowers and rainbows, and I feel like I should report on the bad as well as the good.

Rory has improved today. After I wrote this blog yesterday, I was able to get Rory to eat some watermelon and toast, and slowly but surely he's gotten better. He hasn't vomited in 24 hours now.

The vomiting also seemed to clear out his esophagus and throat, and his cough has become dry. I'm starting to think that his body was just trying to ged rid of the mucus, since he was taking the cough suppressant and swallowing it all.

So things are looking up, finally. I'm cautious about saying he is out of the woods, since this past week has been like a rollercoaster. I'm also sorry about complaining about Rory...I love his Englishness 99.99% of the time, but he can also be very understated and avoids making a fuss over himself. I was just very stressed out.

Love

Amy

I've had enough

I've had it.

I'm a wreck. I haven't really slept in days, and I'm constantly shaking.

There is nobody here to help Rory but me, and I can't do it. I stayed home from work today because I've worried myself sick, and I hate to leave Rory on his own. He had another bad spasm yesterday evening and then some minor ones in the middle of the night.

So this morning he started vomiting. I had just stepped in the shower, and then he ran in and starting throwing up....and gasping for breath...and throwing up...and making that screeching sound he does when he has a spasm attack. I ran out of the shower and called the ambulance, because they had told us to if he was having an acute spasm.

Rory immediately got angry with me. I tried to call the ambulance off, but they were already on their way. By the time the paramedics got to the house, he was laying in bed, and they checked him out and left. They just told him to drink more water and take more paracetemol.

I don't want to be in charge anymore. Everything I try to do is wrong. Rory makes it clear that I only make things worse. All I want to do is help, but I seem to do the opposite. I wish we had just one single family member here...someone to step in and take over for me, so that Rory stops resenting me and I'm able to take care of myself.

I'm feeling very low.

Our first trip to the hospital

Hi everyone

We didn't have that great of a weekend.

Rory had been ill, but started having laryngeal spasms late last week. Basically it means that his throat constricts and doesn't let much air into his windpipe. The good news is that he'll be okay (it isn't fatal and will eventually resolve itself), but in the meantime I've been a wreck. It turns out that I'm the worst person to have around in a medical emergency...I just cry and panic.

Our first trip to the Urgent Care clinic yielded some steroid anti-inflammatories, but those weren't doing much. Last night (after a trip to the ER and then another trip to the Urgent Care clinic) Rory was prescribed some antibiotics and cough suppressants.

I never knew that I was such a weakling. I was fine when I cut myself at work and needed stiches and a tetanus shot...hell, I even drove myself across town with my one non-bleeding hand. But apparently here, where we are so isolated, and getting help for foreigners seems quite a chore, I only make things worse. When Rory has a spasm attack, I have a panic attack. Every time. Great.

So we'll see how things go and keep everyone posted.

Love
Amy

Finally Friday

Hi everyone

This week seemed so incredibly long after our holiday break. But, good news-we have another three-day weekend ahead of us, just in time!

Rory is still ill, so our tentative plan to do the Tongariro Crossing fell through. It would just put too much pressure on his lungs, and the weather looks crap anyways. We're putting the money toward my birthday weekend (another three-dayer) and considering a trip to Christchurch.

So, in the meantime, we'll stick around Welly. The Terra Cotta Warriors are here (they followed us from London!) and we'll probably go to the beach if it's nice. Otherwise we'll take it easy, because Rory really needs to get well. It has been nearly three weeks, and he hasn't been able to get a doctor's appointment because he isn't a 'resident'.

I don't have much other news. Rory and I are going on a date tonight- probably in Newtown, since we didn't make reservations anywhere. That is one thing about Welly...if you don't book ahead downtown, you might not get a meal.

I'll write again soon. In the meantime, I included two more pictures from the Bay of Islands (and then I'm done, really).

Love,
Amy

Another week begins

Hi everyone

This will be short, since I'm on my lunch break at work.

Rory is still ill, so we had a very low-key weekend. We watched Slumdog Millionaire (which I really liked) and spent Sunday afternoon in the Central Library.

We don't have much going on this week, but this weekend is a 3-day weekend, so we might still have time to pull something off.

Love you!
Ames

Fleet Foxes

Hi everyone

We went to the Fleet Foxes concert last night at the San Francisco Bath House on Cuba Street. It was brilliant! They sound even better live than they do on their album, and Rory and I managed to be within ten feet of them. It was magic.

Love
Ames

Can you find me?

Hi everyone,

This was Write's Christmas card (artwork by Nik, my flatmate).

Can you spot me?

Love,
Ames

And a few more...

Hi everyone,

Looks like the damp air in the tent has taken it's toll...

Rory and I are both sick with chest pain and coughs (though Rory is worse than I am). He had to take a sick day today, and luckily I don't start until tomorrow. I'm hoping that we are both feeling better by tomorrow night, as we have tickets to see the Fleet Foxes.

Fingers crossed!

Love,

Amy

More Bay of Islands

Hi everyone,

Now that I've had a good night's sleep (in my own bed!) I can tell you about our week in the Bay of Islands.

We left Welly at 8am and finally made it to Russell at about 8pm, just minutes before our holiday park shut down for the night. Thank goodness for the long summer evenings, because we still had enough light to put up our tent. After we had things mostly sorted, we went and grabbed dinner on the waterfront. It was such a relief to be there.

The second and third day it rained off an on (well, all of the third day, really) so we hunkered down in the tent and read and slept. It was very relaxing. Our new tent performed wonderfully, and even after 24 hours of consistent rain, we were nice and dry. Thank goodness we decided on the spur of the moment to invest in a new tent...anything less could have been disasterous!

 After the rain cleared, we had day after day of glorious sunshine. We went to Paihia and Waitangi (where NZ's treaty with the Maori was signed) on the fourth day, and then spent the next three days on the beach in Russell. Long Beach was just a ten minute walk away from our tentsite, and it was stunning. We swam, picnicked, read, sunbathed, explored rock pools, and snoozed...it was absolute heaven. After our days at the beach, we'd shower and go out on the town for the evenings. The highlights were the Swordfish Club, the Duke of Marlborough (pictured), and our big flashy dinner at Kamakura (last post, us at the table). 

It was a fantastic holiday, especially for being so budget-conscious. We had plenty of rest, sun, sea, and great food and drinks. It felt like a different world up in Northland, and it was good to remind ourselves that we're still in beautiful New Zealand!

The last day we carefully planned our return to Auckland (and then Welly, of course), but we got to the airport only to find out that our flight was cancelled. I explained most of the situation in my last post. At first we were upset, but in the end it was a lovely bonus day of vacation, all compliments of Pacific Blue. 

So all in all, we had a wonderful time. Rory went back to work today, and I go back on Wednesday, but we really can't complain...we had two and a half great weeks together.

Love,

Amy

Bay of Islands

Hi everyone,

We're finally home!

We were scheduled to come home yesterday, but our flight was cancelled. Turns out that our plane was hit by lightning at the Wellington Airport! Pacific Blue, our airline, handled the situation impressively. They put us up in a nice hotel and served us three huge buffet meals, and transported to and from the airport.

I have lots of stories, but I'm tired. Enjoy the pictures for now!

Love,
Amy