EVERYONE NEEDS A HUG........

BABY BLUEY... A Little Toddler Bear...

Here is little Baby Bluey, a little fellow that I have created in the style of a little toddler bear. Baby Bluey was lucky enough to be featured on the cover of Australian Bear Creations this issue. He is also available for purchase on Ebay. Please visit his auction if you would like to see some more photos of him:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/BABY-BLUEY-A-10-Toddler-Bear-by-Boot-Button-Bears_W0QQitemZ280322962639QQihZ018QQcategoryZ3904QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Sally - Now on Ebay...

Here is dear little Sally, a new little poppet that I have just put on Ebay. I really enjoy making these funny little souls. If you would like to visit her auction, please go to:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280321775143&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=018

My Husband and Big Bertha.....

Well, my husband has just spent the last week hooked up in bed with "Big Bertha". This past week has been Bernie's second round of chemotherapy, and for this one, they needed to use the biggest pump they have, and the nurses affectionately call her "Big Bertha". If you look at the picture you can see that there are four vertical chambers for delivering the chemotherapy. Above this pump is four large steel poles which hold the chemo bags and other necessary liquids. The reason for "Big Bertha" is that some patients, like Bernie, need lots of different chemo drugs at the one time. Other chemo pumps look similar, but are much smaller and can deliver just one, two or three fluids at a time. Bertha patiently pumps away, 24 hours a day, without fail, delivery these drugs that will hopefully help my husband. I can't possibly be annoyed that he has spent the last week with this amazing lady!!!!

This Is A Picc Line.....Who Knew....

Bernie has graciously let me photograph is arm for you!!!!! When we found out that "normal" chemotherapy would not be enough for Bernie, and he would need the "heavy stuff", we were told that he would have to have a "Picc Line" inserted permanently. This involved a trip to theatre, and a permanent line being inserted at his inner arm up into a vein, then up inside his arm to his shoulder, around his shoulder and down near his heart. On the outside of his arm he has two ports and so this means that he can be hooked up to two pumps at once. This Picc line can stay in for up to twelve months if it is looked after. We have to have it drained and re-dressed every week. I call it Bernie's service and tune-up. When he needs bloods taken now, they can just put the syringe into one of the Ports and it means no more pricks. When we arrive at hospital for his chemotherapy, they just hook him straight up to the "beetlejuice" through his ports and away he goes. At first it looked so scary, but now we realise how wonderful it is and it means no more jabs trying to find a vein, and the "beetlejuice" can go straight into his system and start working straight away. There you are, you are now an expert on a Picc line!!!!!

Easter Challenge Entry....

I thought I would show you my Easter Challenge entry for the "TeddyBears and Critters" group I belong to. The brief was that you had to make a critter suitable for Easter, and then photograph it in an Easter setting. Miss Betty Bunny, and her "Chick Minding" Service were the result. If you would like to visit the site, please go to http://www.teddybearsandcritters.com/ and click on the Easter Challenge page. There are lots of wonderful entries to see.

Life Has "Bit Me in the Bum".....

For those who don't know, my wonderful husband, Bernie has recently been diagnosed with a very aggressive Cancer. The inital shock was just awful, and it was a couple of weeks before I could even talk about it openly, it was like I was just visiting someone elses life for a while. Anyway, after a zillion tests in hospital, and after a proper diagnosis, we are now getting our strength back to fight this thing.

I have had so many wonderful messages from other bear artists and collectors, and requests for me to keep people up-to-date with how Bernie's treatment is going, that I thought I would make it a part of my blog. From the scariness of the inital diagnosis and description of treatment, I have come to realise that the more you "accept" what is in front of you, and the more "open" you are about it, the easier it is to deal with. I knew very little about current treatments for Cancer, and so it all came as such a shock and such a learning curve. I thought if I touch on a few things here, it might be of use to someone else who knew as little as I did of treatments and such.

Bernie is such a strong, proud man and is facing all this with such courage and dignity, after all our years of marriage, I am still learning so much from him.