So, something you probably don't know about me is....I have recently started working for a radio station! I speak for 1 hour every Monday morning about psychological research (which I find funny since I only have an associates degree in psychology and my Bachelors and Masters in something else). The station is a local station here in Melbourne but it broadcasts world wide. The station is pretty much the equivalent of an NPR in America (debates, conversation and classical music); we even get callers from the USA!
How I got roped into this....
I was giving a lesson on gratitude in church and failed to get past the empirical evidence and onto the spiritual benefits. It was a good lesson (I thought) but it reminded me a bit of being a college professor in a lecture hall where you are mapping out things that are interesting to you and not to anyone else... One lady in the audience was a radio broadcaster and asked me if I would be interested in being interviewed on her program for one hour each week. I was like SURE!...the best part is, I even get paid!
The first day I did it I was TERRIFIED! I love public speaking so I didn't think I would get nervous but I had such a difficult time talking into a microphone in a small sound proof room with no one to look at. It occurred to me then that I react to the audience a lot when I speak; when they smile- I smile, when they look confused- I expound and I had none of this in the radio station room.
After about a month I got better. In fact, each time I spoke I was significantly better than the last time (which should paint a picture of how bad the first time was). I missed a week while I was over in America, but when I came back it was still easier!
So far we have gotten to talk about a lot of things which I haven't thought about for a while. When I get the topic I then research it so I have something useful to say for the next week. So far I have been interviewed about: Memory emotion, Observational Learning, Parental control and depression,Childhood development and play. Some topics last for a couple of weeks before we move on, others are just one week discussions. Either way it is fun!
My last day in America I got the chance to visit Millie Flamm! Unlike other previous visits Millie was in the hospital this time. Since I have never visited anyone with cancer before it was really eye- opening how it all works.
First, when I came up to the children's cancer wing I went through a corridor and then got stuck. The door wouldn't open. I looked around and I realized I was stuck on purpose. There were signs everywhere and a sink+ soap + alcohol sanitizer. I needed to scrub down and sterilize myself before going any further. This is because cancer kids have no immune system and so even a little germ can be quite detrimental. After cleaning my hands and arms I picked up a phone receiver and asked to have the corridor doors unlocked. They opened them and I was then given a mask to cover my face.
It was funny because Amanda and Millie were like "Hey!!!" and I was still in shock from getting locked in a corridor, but before I could bring any gifts to Millie we had to scrub those down as well with sanitizer.
Even with Olivia being sick and in the hospital all the time, I have never seen this level of germ killing! I can't imagine doing it for 2 years straight....
Millie was fake sleeping when I came in- then she surprised me! When I saw her curled up on Amanda I was like "O- she is so little and cute...." then she yelled surprise and I thought "yea--that's the Millie Flamm I know!"
Since Millie was on day 2 of radiation I was sure she would be throwing up and not want me around. Instead she was like "do you want to see the GIANT tube coming out of my chest?"...but she used a technical term that no 6 year old should have in their vocab- quite yet--it was new so I told her it was nice! (See picture above- two ports coming out instead of just one!)
A while later the hospital dog came by...Millie saw it out of nowhere and jumped/ ran over to the door--didn't know cancer kids could move that fast--but she was at the door in a split second. Unfortunately, it wasn't allowed in Millie's room this time around; so Millie looked at it through her hospital room window. The dog put it's nose up to the window too- I think they did a nose kiss which was obstructed by the glass- Then Millie went back to her bed..
It was great talking to Amanda, it feels like every conversation we have starts from where it finished last. I have been able to see them about once per year since they have moved to Utah from England. Because of her blog I really do feel up to date.
My favorite part about the visit was when a music therapist came to play with Millie--what a cool job! She brought in a drum, keyboard etc... and Millie wrote a song. At first I thought Millie was writing a letter to the Therapist but after they put it to music it was clearly a song- they were talking about the chorus and finding words that rhymed- it was so cute!
Here is a clip of the song- (coming from Amanda)
The words are:
"I like how you look,
just the way you are, just the way you are.
I like how you are,
just the way you are, just the way you are."
The chorus.... I can't remember- but it is coming once I get the video clip!
They only got half way done but I was thinking of Millie and how beautiful she looked- it was a perfect song; and the fact that it was written by someone who had no hair- just showed how confident Millie was.
After writing the song, Millie sang the song "climb" by Miley Cyrus with the music therapist. Millie said the song was about her (fighting cancer), I looked over and saw Amanda wipe away a few tears...Amanda is always so strong. She told me once she and Brady agreed to only talk positive around Millie-so that she would also have a good attitude. I wonder if Millie will every look back and realize how strong her parents were being for her; when underneath they were probably terrified.
Here is a link to the song- the words really are amazing when you think of Cancer
During the first two weeks in June I flew down to Utah to see my little brother Jacob get married to Sadie Wilson!
My trip was fun and not too busy. *=Tangents below:
*This was mostly because I was not able to drive in Utah (Long story short: my USA drivers license expired on May 3rd, so I applied for an Australian license (since I could only renew my USA license in person....that would be in Virginia) and when I came over to rent a car I was treated as a foreign driver :-) This usually only means you pay a higher rental fee....so long as your foreign license is at least 12 months old...my foreign license was month old so I was not allowed to rent a car. Regardless of the fact that I had been driving half my life....in the USA...
The first day I got in I slept in, got a *massage with my little sister and went shopping at the Park City outlets! As always I am shocked when I see how inexpensive America is (Yes, I even feel like I am getting a deal at the airport!) and finished the day off with a casual dinner with my new Sister in-laws side of the family up provo canyon! It was beautiful and brought back a lot of memories of BYU.
*I got a massage because my flight (which should only be about 17 hours of flying) was 36 hours travel time. I HATE United.... I had booked a really nice flight and was informed two weeks before that my ticket had been changed. The changes had connecting flights leaving over a day before my initial flights...makes it kind of hard to catch :-) When we called to ask about this they said they couldn't change it because they were merging with another airlines and their computers were down. When they did change it (2 days before the flight) I was sent from Melbourne to Sydney (2 hour flight + 2 hour lay over), Sydney to LA (14 hour flight + 5 hour layover) LA to San Fran (1 hour flight + 7 hour lay over) and then San Fran to SLC (2 hour flight). I thought about complaining- but the LAST thing I want is a free ticket...then I would have to fly with them again and it is NOT worth it!
The next day (Thursday) I went out for lunch with my family to celebrate my little brothers graduation (Ben graduated in Economics from BYU and is going on to do his Ph.D in Carnegie Mellon, located in Pa).
We had lunch, and then went mini-golfing!
After golf the girls went to get their nails done before the wedding (this was my FIRST time ever in a nail salon).
The next day (Friday) was the wedding!
Jake and Sadie were married in the Salt Lake City Temple and had their luncheon at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. It was a great dinner and two hours later we went to the reception....there was dancing and singing and a lots of pie!
After the reception I hung out with my little brother (Daniel) and his wife Katie and then stayed over her parents place in Alpine. In the morning I went on a hike with my brother (best part of my trip, thanks Dan!) and then went to a baby shower for two of my sister-in-laws (Katie- below) and Laura (who graduated with Ben), and my twin sister Laura (all pregnant...actually Twin Laura JUST had her baby!)
Earlier that morning my little sister Shannon ran her first marathon- the SLC marathon (crazy) --She did awesome! After the baby shower, I hung out with my little brother Ben and his wife at their place in Lehi.
Sunday morning I got in a quick visit with three people. First the Towers (my sister-in-law) and her family who live in Lehi, then the Bartons (who live in American Fork)- they were my neighbors during my childhood, and then the Bennions (who live right next to the Bartons) and were our friends at BYU and then in Sydney (they came down for a year while we were there for 4 years). It was great to see everyone and I was so in love with the weather (summer vs. winter in Australia).
Monday I hung out with my mom, went shopping for maternity clothes with my sister-in-laws and got in some cheese cake factory!!
Tuesday I visited Millie Flamm at the Primary Children's hospital before I caught my flight out to Australia.--I will write another post about that but she is darling and doing well!
I had a great time and Congrats Jake & Sadie!! Love you both!-
So I am officially in Utah for my little brothers wedding and I am so excited that I get to visit Miss Millie during this visit! I recently spoke to her mom and things are looking ok... I say OK because not everything is working out perfectly; but the Flamms are fighters so I don't think they would tell me if they were in a total panic anyway. I am not going to lie-- I am worried SICK!
Here's why: After Millie relapsed she had to do three quick and hard rounds of chemo. She lost her hair again and was in the hospital for a long time. They did the chemo again to kill the cancer (which had consumed 80% of her bone marrow) and were hoping to get the levels to almost no cancer (like 0.06%--this is a safe level) before the bone marrow transplant! (you want the new healthy stuff to kill off Millies unhealthy stuff). After 3 rounds of chemo Millies levels were not quite at this safe level (although they were low). But I don't think Millie can do any more chemo now...she has met the max!
So now it is down to two radiation treatments before they can give her a bone marrow transplant. This is not always the case--I think Millie is getting the maximum treatment. She is getting this done on Tuesday and I am going to be at the hospital with them until I fly back to oz at 10:00pm. Millie will be throwing-up a lot (radiation makes you nauseous), I am not sure if she will want me around...but I want to at least be in the hall to talk and hang out with Amanda when Millie sleeps etc...
Anyway, after the radiation THEN Millie can get the transplant. They did not find a perfect match (I think it was like 80% match). This is OK--there is a risk that her body could reject the marrow and attack itself. Her family held a special fast last week but given the circumstances Millie needs all the help she can get right now!
Assuming everything goes well during this month of June, Millie is also holding her very first Princess Fun Run to raise funds for her health costs. Lets all hope we get to run with Millie and not in memory of her. I am holding my breath these next two weeks! Here is where you can register: http://milliesprincessrun.org/
Here is princess Millie-- you have to watch this!!
And last of all for corrections on anything I paraphrased incorrectly... here is Amanda's blog (with a lot less panic) : http://bradyandamanda.blogspot.com/
Stan and I were married in 2002 and have three children. We met during undergrad at BYU in Student Government; Stan was working in public relations and I was the Executive Vice President. Both of us finished our degrees and I went on and completed my Masters. Stan went on and earned his law degree from GW in DC, passed the bar and then decided to go into business. He went on to do an MBA at Oxford. After spending 10 years in Australia, we now live in London, while Stan works as a Partner at Bain. We hope you enjoy!
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