It was a wonderful Christmas... simple and just all together in the house... Melissa arrived safely from Sydney and did the long drive back arriving again safely - Thank God - I can not relax till I know they have arrived...It was just wonderful to be aware just before I went to sleep that the ones who made Don and my life complete were together and as much as we can be sure, were safe and happy. Thats a blessing for me.

Take the Quiz NSW Health Minister Skinner

This media release sent out was formatted with yes, no and unsure but lost formatting in here - just letting Skinner know I am still here

Take the Quiz NSW Health Minister Skinner 3/1/2014
NSW Health Minister Skinner has declared all the treatment my husband received at Royal North Shore in 2007 “acceptable”. His brutal treatment, subsequent death and lack of justice is an appalling indictment on the NSW Health Department. I dare Ms Skinner to do this quiz and still declare all below “Acceptable treatment”.

Please tick the box which you think is true Yes No Unsure
1. Is it acceptable for a Cardiothoracic Specialist to assume a patient had been seen by another cardiothoracic Specialist previously?
2. Is it acceptable to do non urgent Lung Surgery on a patient with a Spirometry (measure of breath)reading “Lung age over 100yrs”, when the patient is a 56year old Quadriplegic?
3. Is it acceptable to do non urgent Lung surgery on a such a patient with Pericardial Effusion (Heart issues) without doing an ECG?
4. Is it acceptable to do non urgent Lung surgery without any Blood tests?
5. Is it acceptable to do non urgent Lung surgery without any Pathology tests?
6. Is it acceptable to do non urgent Lung surgery on a person without evaluation by the Surgeon and Anaesthetist until inside the Operating theatre?

7. Is it acceptable to do non urgent Lung surgery using a product known in Medical studies to cause Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome which happened?

8. Is it acceptable after non urgent Lung surgery for doctors to mistakenly suction the Lung for 22 hours at ten times the required amount and then cover up this mistake?

The above “ treatment” in Royal North Shore Hospital led directly to my husband Donald Mackay’s death in 2007. It is the tip of the iceberg as to the suffering he endured.
To date nobody has acknowledged nor apologised for what was done to him. If you ticked “No” more than once please feel free to contact Ms Jillian Skinner NSW Health Minister and ask her why she has declared all the above and more “Acceptable treatment”.
Please ask her to please tell me why my husband’s death is still unpunished and not prosecuted?

The Hon J Skinner, Level 31 Governor Macquarie Tower, 1 Farrer Pl Sydney NSW 2000. Ph 02) 9228 5229 F (02) 9228 5877 – office@skinner.minister.nsw.gov.au

Without Due Care
withoutduecare.com.au

happy Christmas

          Happy Christmas 2013

It will soon be two years since I moved to Point Cook. It’s taking time to get used to the weather change although I have to admit I have enjoyed the summers because it’s not humid. I do miss the hills as it’s very flat where I live now .

Thankfully I am still in touch with very nice people who bought our place out at Fernbank Creek near Port Macquarie. I’m grateful for the many photos they have sent of them and the kids on their horses in the house and looking very happy to be living there as we were. Thankfully also I am still in touch with Winifred the lady that Don and I bought the place at Fernbank Creek off and have just received her Christmas card. It’s nice to be able to let her know that the place she loved and lived with her husband so long, is being now enjoyed by one of the nicest families I have met.

Earlier this year our father’s sister Aunty Ruth passed away. I have to thank our Aunty Betty for her care for her in the last years. Up to this point all of our family appear to have had a reasonable year health wise and am looking forward hopefully to the same in the next year.

Not a lot of events to record this year really. I did get taken to the Cirque d Soleil by Alison and Andrew for my birthday and that was something special. If you can get to it I wouldn’t miss it.

In March my sister Veronica and I went to the Port Fairy Folk Festival three or four days and we had the best time ever just about. There were so many singers and bands from here and overseas that we were able to soak in the atmosphere there was something special. Average age about 60 so we fitted in pretty well. We are going again next March and looking forward to it I urge anyone who is able to get to the Festival just to do it once in a life you won’t be disappointed. I got down to  see Melissa and Chris a couple of times this year and always have a wonderful time when I do.  I am fortunate in living close to Alison and Andrew and we all keep in touch - it may be a small family but ours is a very close family.

I am so much looking forward to having Christmas with Melissa and Alison and family. Christmas time is always very special for our family as for others. Christmases past were always made very special by Don’s being who he was and making things very special for all of us. We try to remember his sense of fun and of the importance of the family when we all came together and this is what Christmas means to the girls and I.

I hope you will have had a good year family wise, health wise and in every other way. I’d like to wish you a happy Christmas and happy New Year and the best wishes for the future.

some photos

It’s a really beautiful day to day. About 22° and a light breeze. It’s like a spring day and we are nearly at the beginning of summer. We’re going to be together this Christmas the girls and myself. And in some way I know Don will be there too. It’s hard to believe that there’s been six years no seven since I had Christmas with Don and the girls altogether. We had the best Christmas time; we took the best photos. It’s been a year since I’ve been back to where Don’s buried but even though it’s a cemetery it’s in a beautiful spot  - lovely and peaceful with lovely gum trees all around and wallabies lots of birds (Don would be pleased). Get there one day. Find

My sister and I at Altona

Mucking up at Altona

a good day

Campbells Cove

Campbells Cove

Me at home

 s Drinkies (she is a baaad influence - she's the eldest)

At Geelong - more drinkie (only one I was the driver)

being naughty at Geelong

My sister lost her glass of wine - I knew where it was
 but had fun at her expense and let her find it herself.

Right where she left it

the weekends hard especially on beautiful days like today.

My sister was down recently we took lots of photos... She does love those shops. I think the shopping gene missed me. I like to look for about an hour and finished. We went out to Altona on the pier which was really nice and had a glass of wine in a restaurant there looking over the street. And we went out to a  place called Campbell’s Cove which was really interesting -  there are all these little houses there like cabins all along the foreshore, different colours and designs -  in the middle of nowhere 0  I’ve put some photos of them.

It’s funny when I went to the end driving past this Campbells Cove there is a car park there and I just noticed that people were really friendly  - a lot of single older men sitting in their cars about ready to leave. I commented to my sister who wasn’t in the car at the time (she was taking photos). When we got home we did a bit of research on Campbells Cove and apparently round the corner there is a nudie bathing area. Might account for the mixture of people we saw  - was quite amused that we noticed a friendly they were.

Life goes on. I don’t seem to post much these days it’s sort of as if I have a brain fog since I moved to Melbourne. Hopefully the old brain will spark up again soon. I love living here but I do miss the hills. I do miss the birdsong and the lizards and insects and things that grow is to listen to crickets if required here.

But am close to one of my girls I wish to be close to both of them. I’m very grateful for what I do have  - and grateful for the life that I will have - and it sure beats being on the wrong side of the grass.

All my photos from my whole blog back to 2005 have disappeared...has anyone else had this happen? If so how do you get them back?

Steve Hughes on the Homeless

The Bee Gees - Morning Of My Life

Happy birthday Melissa...

Here is to my father...I am ten years older than he was when he was killed...but sometimes it feels he has just left the room. Its amazing how much he was to us all - he grew up in a time when it wasn't all about him... a good thing to remember.

My girls today are no doubt thinking about their dad and what he was to them - doesn't hurt to reflect and appreciate. Not everyone has a good man as a dad but those who do or did are blessed.