2007 in Summary

2007 began badly. In December 2006, Frances was diagnosed with Melanoma - the potentially fatal form of skin cancer - on her shin. A small operation to remove a blemish at the beginning of December resulted in a much larger operation several days later to remove the melanoma. We sat down to Christmas last year knowing that the second operation has been partially successful and that she would need another operation in January. The third operation was successful and all traces of the cancer were removed without the need for chemotherapy not radiotherapy.

However, the three bouts of surgery severely damaged the blood vessels and lymphatic vessels in her leg which caused her severe pain and had her confined to a wheelchair from most of the next six months. The vessels in her leg have healed almost totally and only cause occasional inconvenience now.

Frances was hospitalised in August with a recurrence of Ulcerative Colitis. When this illness flares she is unable to absorb sufficient nutrients and fluids and needs to be put on a drip until the attack subsides. Some further modifications to her diet seem to have helped the illness and she is currently better and stronger than she has been for years.

Owen has been in Dublin all year studying music. He has had some brief trips to other places in Europe to perform or study as well. He has performed in a number of operas and sings in some of the cathedrals. He is also teaching music. He was home during July for the Northern summer vacation thanks to Andrew's mother.

Miriam has been studying a Masters degree in fashion all year by correspondence from the USA. It is going really well for her. She has been continuing with her singing and sang the lead mezzo role in a local production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Gondoliers. She also teaches singing at the local Anglican school. She is about the go to the USA for a holiday. She is enjoying being single after the end of her seven-year relationship with Simon.

By comparison, very little has happened with Andrew. Everything has been normal at work with the routine teaching and the publication of a few research papers. Andrew's current research project is into the use of Web 2.0 technologies (blogs, wikis, social networks, etc) in teaching - hence the use of a blog to write this and Flickr to pass around some photos.

Andrew and Frances took a holiday in Thailand in December. We had had to cancel a trip to a conference in Banff Canada in August when Frances became ill and this holiday was a test to see how she had recovered. We flew to Phuket via Bangkok and then spent a week lazing on the beach or beside the pool. Life can be tough. Frances coped very well with the flights and the amount of walking that we did and she came back fitter and stronger that when she had left.

While in Phuket we visited the tailors and both of us had clothes made which were to form our Christmas presents to each other. Frances also bought a heap of material for her to make into clothes now we are home. She also bought Miriam a heap of material as well.

While in Phuket we did a Thai cooking course which we can thoroughly recommend to anyone. The Thai food we learned about is so much better that what we are used to in Australia. We also played tourist and went on an elephant ride which was fun.

The photos from the trip and from Christmas are on Flickr.