May 1 is something of an anniversary for me – it’s a year today since my thyroid and the tumour attached to it were removed. So, what’s changed? What’s happened? What did I learn in that time? Perhaps just as importantly, what has stayed the same? I’ll start with a change. A colleague and teacher, […]
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Level Boss Cleared
Today, I’ve had two coinciding momentous life events. The first was the (effective) end of something that has overshadowed my life since about December 2012. The second was a relatively minor event that marks, for me, a big step toward my future.
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Splitting Blood Cells
I came across an interesting example of pedantry this week while having the latest in my battery of blood tests. That distinction seems to be based on (a) who filled out the referral form and (b) why the test has been ordered.
Given my experiences of the last year, and my impending wedding, I’ve started to wonder whether staying enrolled in my PhD as a full-time student and part-time worker is the best option for my stage of life. You need to fit these things to your life, and it might be right for me to have […]
Scene: Boardman Rd, Bowral, NSW, Australia. A quiet residential street. Enter: Holden, with location sourcing company Sach Australia, production company Exit Films, Wingecarribee Shire Council and Cato Traffic & Logistics.
In 2003, Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa bought a local newspaper, Grocott’s Mail. The Uni set it up as an experiential training centre for students and plough any profits back into student bursaries. It reports your average local news stories; on the website front page today are two articles about the local council, Makana Muncipality.
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Case Studies
I have settled on a case-study approach to my PhD research. It will focus on five local governments in the greater Illawarra region of New South Wales, considering how they form and react to public issues via participatory media. The five local governments, Wingecarribee Shire, Wollondilly Shire and Wollongong City, Shellharbour City, and Kiama Municipality, have been […]
This is an extract from my PhD research proposal review, submitted and approved in September 2013. As this is an introduction to a proposal, it is exploratory and sometimes vague. It does not contain all information and data I have collected on a particular point to the moment of writing, nor does it claim to […]
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“Thyroid Goblins”
A visit to the endocrinologist went well today, but the word thyroglobulin caused Meghan some troubles, thus the title of this post. Like all good goblins, my thyroglobulin levels need to be kept low. Or, rather, if they spike, it would be an indication of recurrence. To make sure the cancer stays away, they’ll be […]
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Scar Track
For your grisly viewing pleasure, here is my scar as it has progressed since surgery on May 1. You can judge the progress by either the healing of the scar, or the growth of my beard – your choice. If you’re wondering why I’m sharing scar pics, check out the first 20 seconds of this […]