Sally Murphy's Blog, page 33

Attack! Attack! Do you know the symptoms of a heart attack?

This post is not about books or writing, but it IS about a topic very important to me right now, and which I want everyone to know about.

See, this week, I almost lost someone very dear to me, to a heart attack. Before I continue, I’ll let you know that she is fine. After an angiogram and the insertion of two stents to remove blockages and maintain blood flow, she is at home and in reasonable health.

But she nearly wasn’t. And that’s why I’m writing this post – with her permission.

Because my amazing mother-in-law, who has worked most of her life as a healthcare professional, didn’t recognise the symptoms of a heart attack, and as a result delayed taking action.

She’d had a few health issues this year, and had seen a cardiologist as well as her GP, and had a stress test and other investigations. Then she had felt off-colour for the last few weeks and so on Monday she booked an appointment to see her GP – whose first available appointment was Wednesday. No rush, so that was fine.

On Wednesday, she got up and went about life as normal. But after she’d pegged a load of washing on the back line, she felt a slight chest pain and a little bit of pressure. Nothing major, and she wondered if it might be some muscle soreness from the repetitive action of reaching up to the line.

Back inside, she felt a little light headed and breathless, but she’d had this before, so she sat down for a few minutes to let it pass, then got ready to go to her doctor’s appointment. While she was getting ready she had a few small pains up the side of her neck, and into her jaw and ear – but again, nothing major.

As she was leaving home to go to her appointment, my father in law arrived home, and offered to go with her, but she thought she was fine, and the surgery was only a few minutes’ drive away. So she drove herself, noticing though that now she had a bit of pain in her right arm.

At this point she started to wonder if something more sinister was happening. She parked at the surgery, went in and took a seat to wait for the doctor. Although she broke out in a sweat, she waited her turn. When she was called she went into the room, and asked the doctor if she wanted to hear what had led her to book the appointment, or about what was happening today. The doctor suggested she start with today.

When she explained how she felt, the doctor sprung into action and called an ambulance, recognising instantly that her patient was experiencing a ‘cardiac incident’ (ie a heart attack).

The rest, of course, is a good story: she got promptly to an emergency department where they were able to assess and stabilise her, before she had an angiogram next day and two stents inserted. And, as I said, was then released home to resume life.

BUT if she had not have that GP appointment booked, the result could have been a whole lot worse, because at home she may have waited longer before calling an ambulance. The reason: each symptom was isolated, and none seemed as dramatic or major as she had expected a heart attack to be. And, as I said, she was a nurse and midwife for many many years.

So, here are my questions:

Do YOU know the symptoms of a heart attack?

Do YOU know that they may be different for women, and that women are generally slower to get help?

Do YOU know what to do if you are experiencing a heart attack?

Do YOU know what to do if someone near you seems to be having a heart attack?

If not, and even if you think you do, please take a few moments to read up on heart attack symptoms.

Here’s a link to the Heart Foundation’s site, which is an easy, straightforward read. Know the signs, and know when and how to take action. Please.

And please, feel free to share this story. Widely. The more people know, the more ‘lucky’ stories of survival there will be. As the Heart Foundation says – don’t be scared of calling for help in case you are wrong.

Love to you all, and thanks in advance for sharing. Oh, and hug the people you love.

What I Read in August

Although August was a super busy month I managed to read 21 books. Actually, it was the busyness which helped reach this total, as several of this months reads were audio books – including The 10PM Question by Kate De Goldi, which had me sobbing as I drove. I love to listen to books as I drive, and with many hours spent travelling for Bookweek gigs, it was a perfect time to read some treasures I hadn’t previously read. I also managed to read three books in airports and on planes as I travelled to Brisbane and Townsville.

So, here’s my list for August. Would love to hear what you’ve been reading, or if you’ve read any of these. As always, if I’ve reviewed them, the link is to the review.

Picture Books

Through the Gate, by Sally Fawcett

I’m Australian Too, by Mem Fox and Ronojoy Ghosh

Say Yes, by Jennifer Castles & Paul Seden

Younger Readers

The 10PM Question, by Kate De Goldi

The Year My Life Broke, by John Marsden

Our Race for Reconciliation, by Anita Heiss

Super Con-Nerd, by Oliver Phommavanh

Young Adult

The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl, by Melissa Keil

So Much to Tell You, by John Marsden

Finding Nevo, by Nevo Zisin

The Underdog, by Markus Zusak

More Than This, by Patrick Ness

Hold My Hand – Or Else, by Margaret Clark

Adult

The Engagement, by Chloe Hooper

The Merry-Go-Round In the Sea, by Randolph Stow

Troubadour, by Isolde Martyn

Girl In Between, by Anna Daniels

The Scent of You, by Maggie Alderson

The Happiness Advantage, by Shawn Achor

Ache, by Eliza Henry Jones

Forgotten, by Nicole Trope

 

 

A New Book: Literary Launch is Literally Launched

Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you, Happy Birthday Sage Cookson book fiiiiive –  oh, hang on. Yes, it is the book birthday for the fifth book in my Sage Cookson series, BUT, as the title is Sage Cookson’s Literary Launch, and as the book features a book launch, singing happy birthday seems not quite on the money. And Sage does like to do things right.

 

So, instead, I think I will pass over to Sage herself to officially launch her latest adventure into the world.

 

Well done Sage. I love the wand! every book is a  little bit magic

Busy Times (Or Why I have been a bit quiet)

Apart from my regular Monday Quotes, this blog has been a bit quiet of late. This is because, offline, my life has been frantically busy. This is what I have done in the past few months:

• Submitted my completed PhD thesis for assessment.

• Celebrated the release of two new books – Looking Up and Sage Cookson’s Singapore Sensation.

• Became a Doctor – yes, the thesis has been accepted and I am now allowed to add ‘Doctor’ to the front of my name. My thesis is titled Belonging: Finding a Place In and For Children’s Poetry

• Visited dozens of schools and libraries and spoken to thousands of kids (and their teachers and librarians).

• Finalised edits on the sixth Sage Cookson book: Sage Cookson’s Christmas Ghost, due out in November.

• Prepared for the release of book 5, Sage Cookson’s Literary Launch, which is released tomorrow.

• Presented on a panel bout writing children’s poetry at the Queensland Poetry Festival.

• Started work on Book 7 and 8, coming in 2018

• Started work on another project, hopefully coming in 2019

• Written poems, and drafted a new picturebook.

• Made notes for about a jillion other books I want to write, after I’ve finished the current batch.

I am writing this post sitting at the Brisbane Airport, on my way home from three wonderful days at Kirwan Primary School in Townsville. Tomorrow I will be home, and back at my desk, as well as visiting my dolphins.

I love my life!

A Monday Quote

A Monday Quote

It’s All About the Books

August is always always always my busiest month of the year – and it’s the same for  all of my Aussie author and illustrator friends, as Bookweek stretches out to become Bookmonth. I’m spending this month visiting schools and libraries in Bunbury, Perth, Brisbane and Townsville, talking about books and reading and writing. Exhausting, doing so many visits back to back, but at the same time exhilarating, because I am sharing my great love with enthusiastic kids (and adults too).  Every school, every library, every session, is different and that’s because every audience is different, and has different interests and experiences and questions. How lucky am I to spend my days doing what I do?

Here’s a song by some clever young choir-mobbers that thrills me. I just had to share.

 

 

Have a great Bookmonth. I am already, and know it’s going to keep being wonderful.

What I Read in July

Another month has been and gone, and time to report on my readings for the month. It felt like I read a lot this month, but it seems I only managed 13 books. Perhaps because there were a few long ones in there. My favourite this month was revisiting A Monster Calls, even though it made me cry.  Now it’s time to see the film adaptation.

Picture Books

Rock Pool Secrets, by Narelle Oliver

Shearing Time, by Allison Paterson & Shane McGrath

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, illustrated by Matt Shanks

The Fix-It Man, by Dimity Powell & Nicky Johnston

Younger Readers

The Blue Cat, by Ursula Dubosarsky

The Beast of Hushing Wood, by Gabrielle Wang

The Boy and the Spy, by Felice Arena

A Monster Calls, by Patrick Ness

Adult Fiction

The Midsummer Garden, by Kirsty Manning

A Hundred Small Lessons, by Ashley Hay

Nonfiction

The Fabulous Flying Mrs Miller, by Carol Baxter

The Clever Guts Diet, by Dr Michael Mosley

Gardens of Fire, by Robert Kenny

 

Have a great August – the last month of winter here in my part of the world.

A Monday Quote

A Monday Quote