It's been a while so I'm checking in :-)

poodlek · Post by **poodlek** » Sun, 16 Jun 2013 11:29 pm

Hi folks!

It's been 10.5 months since I left SG and I've thought several times about checking in to see what's up but haven't gotten around to it. What we've been up to: I got pregnant literally the day we arrived home in Canada, and had a sweet baby girl on April 14th. In the interim we moved to a resort town in central ON where I managed a clothing boutique and my husband played stay at home daddy and snowboarded all winter. Baby Caitlyn and I both had some health issues before and after birth but we are more or less OK now so we are going on progress to visit friends and family across the continent. And now for the reason I HAD to post today, here's a little story a friend of mine posted who still lives in SG. For those of you familiar with the condo developments around the old Keppel Bay shipyard...

"So, I am looking out of my window (I live on the 9th floor overlooking the marina inlet) when I see this woman walking her little dog. The dog crosses the railing and falls into the water below. This is in a cement retaining canal, so there is no way for the doggie to climb out. The woman just stands there, no emotion whatsoever, and stares at the poor little guy, now dog paddling for his life. In disgust, she WALKS AWAY! I freak and bolt to my elevator, race down to jump in the inlet (please don't let there be mutated great whites, like the ones in that shitty Sci-Fi Channel movie, in there.) The elevator takes (what seems like) forever to get down. I race to the water, ready to do my sexiest super-hero- from-a-Michal Bay-movie dive into the unknown to save the poor doggie, when I see the woman at the railing...WITH A MOP! She is holding the handle down toward the water (which is six feet below her) and saying, in broken S'ingligh..."GRAB HOLD, DOG. I POE YOU OUT". Just at that moment, the sweet little maintenance guy, who keeps the inlet tidy, comes around the bend in his tiny boat. He scoops the pup from the water, turns to the lady and swipes his had at her (as if saying forget you, crazy mop lady), turns the boat around and putts off with the dog. The woman, now showing her fist sign of emotion (all based on her property ownership and not for love or concern) screams at him..."HEY, THAT MY DOG. THAT NOT YOU DOG!". The pup runs to the back of the boat, stares down the woman (I swear there was contempt on his face), shakes off the water (as if saying "tuff"), runs and jumps into the boatman's lap and wagging his tail. The woman, hands still on her hips, mop sagging at her side, watches them go. She shrugs, takes the mop and walks away. Best part...she stops and looks back one more time, just as the little boat rounds the corner, and just as it disappears...the man and dog look back at her...and the man flips her the bird.
Welcome to your new life, little doggie!"

nutnut · Post by **nutnut** » Mon, 17 Jun 2013 8:16 am

Wow Poodle, you've been busy! Congrats on the new baby!

Love the story from your friend, sounds like the woman deserved it!!

zzm9980 · Post by **zzm9980** » Mon, 17 Jun 2013 9:40 am

Great story. Congrats on the new family member!

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:07 am

Congratulations PoodleK and I glad all is okay now. We've missed your posts and attendance at our gatherings (one this coming Friday - can you make it?)

Interesting story, but somehow doesn't surprise me at all.

the lynx · Post by **the lynx** » Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:17 am

Hey poodlek!!! Glad to hear your family are doing good. Congratulations on your new baby girl! Now your little one has a sister to play with.

Best read so far today!

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:44 am

Chin chin Poodle, lovely to hear from you again!

Congrats on your newborn!

Mi Amigo · Post by **Mi Amigo** » Mon, 17 Jun 2013 1:03 pm

Congratulations Poodle! Glad all is well there now. And thanks for the great story - uniquely Singapore.

poodlek · Post by **poodlek** » Tue, 25 Jun 2013 4:26 am

Thanks all! There's a *tiny* possibility of a return to SG before the end of this year, so we'll see, maybe you'll get to meet my little Sweet Pea. It will depend on follow up appointments for me and her, because if either of us needs continued medical treatment, we're probably better off staying in Canada where it's free. Things look pretty good for her- she has a moderate HIE (brain injury from lack of O2 at birth) but is showing all the signs of normal development.
I have a DVT diagnosed in pregnancy and am still not recovered from it, and am not sure if my leg will ever be the same :-/ Still waiting to hear the long term prognosis on that.
Anybody else here have blood clots from the long haul flights? I am no longer in pain thank goodness, but I can't walk to the corner without my leg swelling up and turning purple

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Tue, 25 Jun 2013 10:38 am

Sorry to hear about your health Poodle.

I haven't had a DVT, but on long-haul flights I often wear 'compression stockings' - like knee high stockings that are super tight: It helps keep the body fluids away from the extremities/feet. (For the same reason people are actively encouraged to do in-seat exercise, and get up and walk about now and again).

p.s. the brother of 'my best friend' from my youth had a similar sounding health issue as your daughter. He grew up to find an independent, fulfilled and happy life.

poodlek · Post by **poodlek** » Wed, 26 Jun 2013 9:16 am

I had to wear compression stockings up to my hips while I recovered from my C section in the hospital. I guess it would make sense to keep them on hand for long hauls. Pretty freaking warm and uncomfortable though! Better than the alternative I suppose

I have God and the amazing doctors and nurses to thank for Caitlyn's good health. She was born at a small hospital in a town that doesn't even have a 4 lane highway running to it, but they called in a team that arrived by helicopter from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, and they began treating her within a couple hours of birth. I believe that treatment (she was cooled to 33C for 72 hours) and the expediency with which she received it prevented a more serious brain injury. She was taken back to Toronto in the helicopter where she stayed for 11 days in the NICU. The docs in the hospital where she was born didn't think she'd make it at all after requiring 30 mins of resuscitation, so they were quite astounded to know she was back home within two weeks. She's a tough cookie!

JR8 wrote:Sorry to hear about your health Poodle.

I haven't had a DVT, but on long-haul flights I often wear 'compression stockings' - like knee high stockings that are super tight: It helps keep the body fluids away from the extremities/feet. (For the same reason people are actively encouraged to do in-seat exercise, and get up and walk about now and again).

p.s. the brother of 'my best friend' from my youth had a similar sounding health issue as your daughter. He grew up to find an independent, fulfilled and happy life.

Hannieroo · Post by **Hannieroo** » Wed, 26 Jun 2013 10:22 am

I had a dvt progressing to a pe before I had children. Both of my pregnancies were managed with heparin/fragmin and delivery and labour were complicated slightly but not in a scary way. I've done loads of long haul (including when preg)and never had a problem. Wear the socks, take an aspirin (unless you are still on warfarin), plenty of water and no booze. You will get paranoid, I check my legs regularly after a flight but 20 years on I've had no issues.

Ha! Love the dog story.

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Wed, 26 Jun 2013 4:46 pm

Hannieroo wrote: Wear the socks, take an aspirin (unless you are still on warfarin), plenty of water and no booze. ... I've had no issues.

Wear the socks, try not to alarm any pretty girls with them (they are so NOT sexy!

).

Take 3 asparin and a 'zappo' pill together with 3 double G&Ts. Bang lights out for a 12hr flight.

Hannieroo · Post by **Hannieroo** » Thu, 27 Jun 2013 10:19 am

Well, no. If you are prone to dvt then alcohol is better avoided on flights as is anything that will knock you out. You need to be mobile.

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It's been a while so I'm checking in :-)

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