Saturday, January 29, 2011

We're Off to See the Wizard

Well... not quite

But off to get some help and input from some of the best psychologists and psychiatrists in Sydney at the Northside Clinic for the next 3-4 weeks. It is one of NSW's leading psychiatric hospitals and with latest-release movies 4 nights a week, cafe-style dining, Friday night live with live musicians, Sunday carers BBQ and a fully equipped gym - you'd be forgiven for thinking that I was going to spend four weeks at a resort!!!

The phone timetable will swing into action - for those of you who are on that - and I am looking forward to the different types of therapy and learning about myself that is going to happen in the month of February. There is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Committment Acceptance Therapy, Art, Music and Writing Therapy - it all sounds fantastic...

So look out guys - you might find a new Fi coming home!

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Time to say goodbye

I loved my sister-in-law Kim with all of my heart.

And she passed away last week.

She lost a hard fought battle with cancer.

We will be remembering her this week as we say goodbye and start to contemplate what life will look like without her.

My one regret is that I didn't know her better.

My illness has shades of paranoia attached to it and one of those shades made me cautious of Kim... being a psychologist. I was afraid that she would psycho-analyse me and then report back to my parents.

Crazy, right?

And now she is gone and I will never get that time back.

And then, on the same day that Kim succumbed to the arms of death, I lost another friend - very suddenly.

Again, we weren't close.

We had been good friends, chatting about Battlestar Galactica, weight loss and all manner of insignificant and significant life events. And then an argument got between us. And pushed us apart. And I never had the courage to reach out and make it right again.

Another regret.

Please, this week, take time if you can, to reach out to someone in your family whom you wouldn't normally have a chat with and get to know them a little better. Or even take the chance and reach out to an estranged friend. You never know when they are going to be taken from you...

Rest in Peace Kim and Kylie