Mermaid Beach Radiology is fast becoming known as the place of last resort, for people who feel like they aren’t getting answers in the public system. Gold Coast mother Kay* tells us her desperate, exasperating story about saving her son’s life in the nick of time.
I knew my son, Brad* was really sick and he was in trouble. I went to one public hospital two times, then a different public hospital two more times, and we were turned away four times in total. Nobody took it seriously. I actually broke down to one of the doctors the third time and I begged them, BEGGED THEM to please do some tests. I pleaded with them to just find out what was wrong with my son. I feel like they didn’t even look at him. They just kept poking at him just poking at his stomach. And I kept saying, he’s extremely sick.
I know him. We’ve lived on the Gold Coast for over five years, and he never once went to the doctor in all that time. I kept saying, this is completely out of character. He’s extremely sick. He’d been vomiting for two and a half days continuously and couldn’t keep anything down. He didn’t have a fever. But he was in agony. My son was actually screaming, begging me to help him. Imagine that as a parent. And to see this tough little kid that is never unwell, actually begging for mercy from the pain? It was hideous.
Powerless
I can’t understand or explain why they didn’t do more. Why didn’t they take it seriously? My son was so sick and they were kicking him out with a drink of Mylanta, a heartburn treatment. They gave him a heartburn treatment, meant for adults, after nine hours of waiting, and said, go home, you’ll be fine. And I thought, this is disgusting. I don’t get it.
The doctor said, he is not sick enough for the scans. After the fourth visit, I begged them to do something, so they did an ultrasound, but they said they didn’t find anything. I argued with the head doctor. I was saying, “I feel like I’m in medieval times. You have all this equipment available to you, but you won’t give my son a proper scan? What is it? Budget? Politics?”
On the fourth visit to the hospital, they just told us Brad has muscle spasms in his stomach, and to go home and wait five days. I waited a day and a half before seeking further medical advice. I ended up at the GP who could see that Brad was extremely sick and understood that the two hospitals I had been to were not taking it seriously.
So, he said that Brad needed some urgent scans, and directed me to go to Mermaid Beach Radiology. He said the radiologist there would involve himself and get me answers. The GP said, “It’s a brand-new clinic. It’s not bulk-billed, so you have to pay for it.” But I knew how sick my son was. Not everyone has spare money on hand, and I’m a solo parent but it had got to that stage where I didn’t care, I just needed him looked at. My son was dying, and I needed someone who would help me urgently.
Mermaid Beach Radiology
We immediately went to Mermaid Beach Radiology. From the moment I walked in there, they were just brilliant. A young male sonographer did his initial ultrasound. After about 30 seconds he looked at my son, shocked, and said, “Oh mate, you are so brave. I can see what’s going on here.”
The sonographer then said, “I’m just going to get my boss.” And then that’s when he brought in Dr Zane Sherif, the owner of Mermaid Beach Radiology. Straight away they could see that my son had a perforated appendix. It had ruptured. So, all the times that we were going to the hospital, he actually already had a perforated appendix. He was extremely, extremely sick. Both the sonographer and the radiologist said that it was incredibly serious, and the extent of the problem would be best understood with an MRI. Their MRI would provide the most accurate imaging available for the surgery Brad would soon need. They could see the problem within 30 seconds of using their MRI technology. But the hospital wasn’t even using the technology that was available to them. We couldn’t get further than an ultrasound, and even that failed us!
Ambulance Arrives
Zane organised an ambulance, but I refused to go back to the hospitals that had turned us away. So, I chose to go to Pindara Private hospital. By the time we had arrived, Zane had called the emergency department to brief them on the situation. And, he had sent all of the scans to them so that we could go straight to theatre.
Zane and his team were brilliant, the IV they put in my son at Mermaid Beach Radiology was the same one that they used in the hospital. So, they didn’t even need to give Brad more needles when he arrived at Pindara. Mermaid Beach Radiology gave him fluids because he had already been sick for eight days. They did all this while I was making arrangements for my daughter to get home.
Brad arrived at Pindara in the ambulance and was literally in surgery before we knew it – it all happened so fast. My head was spinning. The surgeon came out and said, he’s very, very sick. His organs were actually sitting in rotten fluid, and his appendix was gangrenous.
I almost lost my 12-year-old son. It was obviously very, very close. He’s still extremely sick and he’s going to have repercussions now for the rest of his life. All because two public hospitals, wouldn’t listen, and kept sending him away. I have had no contact from any of the doctors that sent my very sick son away. I say this as he is getting treatment to get padding taken off and his drain seen to. He had a drain in him because of all of the fluids his body had accumulated.
Somebody needs to be spoken to about how our public system failed a 12-year-old boy. If I relied on the public system, I would be mourning the death of my son now. It could have been a very different alternate reality. I could have been going through a nightmare, an absolute nightmare. They need to be spoken to about revising how they look at people. Was it because of Covid? Was it because of a budget problem? Was it just because of inexperience? I don’t understand.
How could they have missed a ruptured appendix in 2021? Four times! They didn’t miss just appendicitis; they missed an appendix that had already ruptured. Everyone’s heard of appendicitis, it’s not something that’s obscure. We should have had scans the first time, even the second time…we didn’t even get them the third time! In the end, I did pay for scans from Mermaid Beach Radiology, but when you think about the small cost, versus what could have happened, it’s nothing to save your kid’s life.
A Total Rethink
The hospital system needs to seriously address how it thinks about scans. How much would the scans even have cost the hospitals? We went there four times. Think about what that must have cost them, instead of scanning Brad the first time and getting the right diagnosis. So much wasted time, it is a false economy.
Zane and his whole team were absolutely terrific. I can tell you; my son would not be here if we hadn’t have walked into that clinic. If I had have taken the hospital’s advice and gone home and waited the five days like they advised, he would have surely died. He wouldn’t have lasted even that next night.
I do have private health insurance. I’m originally from New South Wales, and they don’t cover ambulances there, whereas in Queensland they do. At the time, I did not care what it cost me, whatever extras I must pay, I just have to pay. I’m a solo parent and I’ve paid a hundred percent for my children for 11 years. I’ve done it all by myself. I should be able to rely on the public system.
I will have ongoing health expenses for Brad for the rest of his life because of the delayed diagnosis and treatment. It scares me and I don’t know what I’m going to have to do for him next. There’s going to be digestive issues, intestinal issues, all the scarring. It’s frightening. I would hate for this to happen to any other child. Very recently, it happened in Western Australia. A child died in the waiting room with a ruptured appendix while he was sitting there. He died. This shouldn’t happen. To anyone. Ever.
DR ZANE SHERIF:
A young mum arrived to see us on Friday, about two weeks ago, with her 12-year-old son. The mum was at the end of her tether and had spent every night that week in the emergency departments at different hospitals. Each time she’d been there with her son vomiting, generally unwell, and very, very sick. He was pale and gaunt, hadn’t eaten pretty much any night that week, and was complaining of horrific abdominal pain, which was relentless and not going away.
They were sent away with no investigations, except on the last visit. They had an ultrasound which failed to identify the problem. The boy was given Mylanta, for indigestion. Kids don’t usually get indigestion. Adults who drink alcohol and coffee and smoke do, though. They get ulcers and gastritis; kids virtually never do. So, it was so peculiar that they would even trial a drink of Mylanta. The following morning when they came to us, the child was clearly very unwell. The mother was understandably in obvious distress. She was desperate for answers and didn’t know where to go from there. When I went into the room, I saw mum and child. From the end of the bed, just looking at the child, I could see there was something seriously wrong. He was very, very pale, an ashen kind of colour, listless, just sitting there deathly still, not really saying or doing anything.
We did an ultrasound scan. Immediately we could see there was something horrible going on in his abdomen. Ultrasound, on a young, small child, with lots of gas in there, can be quite difficult. It’s hard to make out what is going on, but there was a clear abnormality in his right iliac fossa. We strongly suspected the child had a ruptured appendix and would need surgery, which would require as detailed imaging as possible. So, we strongly recommended an MRI scan to his mother.
We work at the bleeding edge of research and sequence development in MRI which allows us to perform scans that no other Radiology facility has clinically available. Our flagship Philips 3T Elition X research grade MRI scanner is using sequences years before they are commercially available on other machines. The MRI sequences we used on this young boy have been specifically designed for the highest accuracy and sensitivity to abdominal infection. We are constantly pushing the boundaries of this innovative MRI technology where we are translating what was once only thought of as research into clinical real-world solutions. This can rapidly and more accurately change the course of a patient’s management and life, as in this case.
Using this process, we could more confidently diagnose the ruptured gangrenous appendix and large abscess. Once we had that confirmed diagnosis, I called the hospital and spoke with the emergency department head and the on-call surgeon. The boy was rushed to hospital and went straight to theatre.
Brad will be dealing with the fallout and the scarring from this injury for the rest of his life. When that scarring happens in your abdomen, it never goes away. And you do not know if that scar can latch onto something else like your bowel, which can cause a bowel obstruction, which is a surgical emergency. So, he will have that in his rear-view mirror for the rest of his life.
It is a truly scary story. I mean, it is simply hard to believe in modern day Australia, that it is still so hard to access MRI, only the best imaging modality in modern medicine. ■
RYAN’S RULE
Ryan’s Rule is a protection for parents who feel like they aren’t being heard and that their child’s life is in danger. Ryan’s Rule applies to all patients admitted to any Queensland Health public hospital. Ryan’s Rule has been developed in response to the tragic death of Ryan Saunders, who died in 2007 from an undiagnosed Streptococcal infection, which led to Toxic Shock Syndrome.
Ryan’s parents knew their child better than any strangers. They were worried he was getting worse – they did not feel their concerns were acted on in time.
In light of his death, the Department of Health made a commitment to introduce a patient, family, carer escalation process (Ryan’s Rule), to minimise the possibility of a similar event occurring.
If you feel that your child’s life is in danger, and you aren’t being heard, you can invoke Ryan’s Rule. Once the rule is enacted, a nurse or doctor will undertake a Ryan’s Rule clinical review of the patient and the treatment they are receiving.
Queensland mum Ayla Gyde invoked the rule 3 years ago. “My little girl was admitted to hospital with suspected appendicitis. After speaking to the first surgical doctor, he explained this was likely the problem however he wanted a paediatrician to check her lingering cough to rule out possible Mesenteric adenitis (which is swollen lymph glands in the tummy). This was at 5.30pm Thursday. By 7am Friday I was told an ultrasound would be done that day. However, I watched my little girl deteriorate before my eyes and frustrated nurses pacing the corridors trying to find out what was happening. I had finally had enough and at 12pm l said. “I’m calling RYANS RULE NOW!”
Within 10 mins I was speaking to a different surgical doctor. By 45 mins she was getting an ultrasound done, and by two hours after calling Ryan’s Rule they were prepping my daughter for an emergency removal of her appendix as it had perforated. Turns out, the ultrasound hadn’t been ordered that morning, so we were waiting for nothing. Ryan’s Rule is a life saver.” ■
An Instagram grandma called “Baddie Winkle” says she has been stealing your man since 1928.
Holiday company Hotels.com have got together with a bad-ass grandma who calls herself “Baddie Winkle” to encourage people to go travelling (staying in their hotels, of course). Using the hashtag #BadAssBucketList you can follow her adventures. You can even contribute yourself to the hashtag should you be a granny looking to feel up some prime young beef.
Bad Grandma
Baddie is promoting Hotels.com Rewards program, which gives patrons a one-night freebee in a hotel for every 10 stayed. She says, “I have always wanted to party in London, go to the Moulin Rouge in Paris and watch cheeky volleyball players do their thing on a beach in Brazil!”
Baddie with a Kardashian
Now as a micro-influencer, she can perve on Brazilian boys on a holiday company’s dime. Which is nice work if you can get it. All the Insta-grandma has to do is to flit around a number of hotels, staying there and showing fans what she gets up to inside them. Baddie wrote on her Instagram page recently; “I’m international baby!”
nternational indeed. The 89-year-old micro[1]influencer even has her own celebrity fans, including Miley Cyrus, Khloe Kardashian and Nicole Richie. Perhaps they will be watching with glee as she mixes rooftop cocktails in NYC, rubs shoulders with NFL players, and helicopters over The Grand Canyon. It’s a tough life, but someone’s Nana has to do it.
So why are a holiday company hiring a bad granny? Because they want boomers with cash to come and stay. But that’s not all. According to the astonishing results of a recent survey, one in five people under 30 have confessed that their travel plans are inspired by their favourite oldies. Who knew that oldies could be travel inspiration? The marketing people at Hotels.com knew. Oh hell yes, they knew.
Baddie brings her granddaughter along on the trip, and this seems to fit in with accusations that millennials are a bunch of home-loving family[1]stalking squares. 40 percent of millennials would prefer to complete their bucket lists with their parents or grandparents – rather than with a celeb (11 percent), siblings (28 percent) or on their own (25 percent). What the….?
One in eight confessed that their gran (or nana) was cooler than them and travelled more than them. For those of us in marketing? Let’s remember that the best micro-influencers might be someone you haven’t considered before. Like grannies in leather dresses. Who are on their way to steal your man. Now would be a good time to panic. ■
Love travel stories? Then click here and lose yourself abroad!
When it comes to adopting new ideas for the good life in our later years. It’s always a good idea to see what other countries are doing. So in light of that, this is a very interesting idea. Vertical Field is a global ag-tech company that makes vertical farming systems. They have collaborated with an American aged-care company called Calson Management. So that they could supply on-site vertical farming units. For the senior residents get the freshest produce available for a better life.
The project started out as an experiment. Vertical Field provided a demo unit to the Glen Cove senior living lodge in Vallejo, California. The pilot programme was successful. As a result, it was decided that vertical farms will be installed in the seven other aged-care centres that the Carlson Group owned.
The Vertical Field
Vertical Field has developed and commercialised unique soil-based, vertical farms that operate in 20 and 40-foot containers. They produce freshly harvested and pesticide-free produce. The indoor farms are capable of growing a variety of fresh greens and other crops all year round. Moreover, they cut food miles, because the fresh food does not need to be transported to the end consumers. As a result, the farms use 90% less water and 30 times less land than conventional farming methods. Each portable unit is made from recycled shipping containers.
A vertical field culinary creation…capress salad topped with freshly harvested basil.
Optimum growing conditions are created using advanced sensors and monitors, climate control technology, and state-of-the-art lighting. As a result, crops grow quickly regardless of the weather. The Company already provides vertical farming units for supermarkets, restaurants, and other businesses across the world.
“We are very excited to launch our first partnership with an assisted living centre. It will provide senior citizens with freshly harvested. High-quality produce is grown right outside their residence,” says Guy Elitzur, Vertical Field’s CEO. “This partnership supports our values of ensuring that nutritious produce reaches the homes of all people. No matter where they live. We look forward to continuing to expand to many other assisted living centres. Granted to make delicious and quality food accessible to senior citizens throughout the world.”
Jason Reyes of Calson Management said that the health and wellbeing of seniors is a priority. “By bringing the farm all the way to our residents, seniors can see where the food grows and enjoy high-quality produce.”
I think we can all agree that this is an idea worth stealing. ■
■ 280 gr (1 full cup) of Persian Yellow Split Peas (these taste the best)
■ 2 teaspoons turmeric
■ 2 teaspoons salt
■ 4 dried limes
■ 2 tablespoon lemon juice
■ 1 tablespoon rose water
■ 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
■ 1 pinch red pepper
■ 750 gr diced lamb shoulder
■ 1 pinch ground Persian saffron
METHOD
Soak yellow split peas in hot water.
Start frying the diced onion with a little oil on medium heat.
When turned slightly brown, add diced lamb shoulder. Turn up the heat to seal the meat. When meat is sealed, lower the heat and add 750 ml hot water.
Start frying tomato paste with a little oil on a separate frying pan on low heat, for a few minutes. Put the fried tomato paste aside. Drain the yellow split peas and start frying a with a little bit of oil in the same frying pan. Add one teaspoon of turmeric and fry for few minutes.
Add the yellow split peas. And tomato paste to the other mixture and add salt and pepper and let it boil on low heat.
Puncture the outer skin of the lime with a skewer or fork. Add them and let the stew simmer for 30-40 minutes. When finished, turn off the heat, add rose water, saffron, lime juice and cinnamon powder and let sit for 5 minutes.
For the rice, please use the recipe from the Summer edition of Silver (silvermagazine.com.au).
And that’s it! You’ve got yourself one of the most popular dishes of Iran, Gheymeh! Nooshe Jan! (Which means, “May the food become a part of your soul.”) ■
See more recipes whipped up by Shiraz Persian restaurant by clicking here.
Silver Magazine spoke to some people who use dating sites after 50. Love? Lust? Hot? Cold? Yes? No? Let’s find out.
LUST
MARIA (54)
I had been married a very long time – 30 years – and the marriage was always very good. But the sex was always disappointing for me. It was good for him but not for me, and I couldn’t seem to get around that. When I turned 52, my sex drive was very, very high and he was very, very low. He was lucky to want sex once every two weeks.
We both knew our sex life needed something new, so we decided to make our relationship an open one. When you’ve been together for 30 years, having sex with each other is less important than it was when you were young. Our kids were raised and out of home, so it was time to have some fun.\
My husband preferred to take just one lover, and he sees her maybe once every two weeks. I don’t think his sex drive could take much more than that. But I decided to experiment.
So being 54, I thought that I would be less desirable. I also thought that men wouldn’t be open to the idea that we weren’t working towards a relationship, because I never wanted to leave my husband. I just wanted to have a more interesting sex life. And so I said that on my profile.
I was very clear that I wasn’t about to take on one-night stands and do that 300 times. I wanted to know the person and make sure they weren’t going to murder me and put me in a freezer. But also, while at this age we can’t get pregnant, we do have to be careful with STIs. I was looking for some regular lovers who were open to being very safe with sex. And I’ve had some really good success with that.
My biggest surprise was to see very young guys in my inbox wanting to have an affair, and it has been amazing. Only one of them I’ve taken up with. It is honestly because I couldn’t resist. He is 26 and he is absolutely stunningly gorgeous. And the sex with him has been wild. It makes me think that good lover are born and not taught. He hasn’t had a lot of partners, but he has sex as he has.
We see each other about once a fortnight and I am delighted to see him every time. I am on borrowed time though, he will find his life partner soon and then his focus will be her. So I enjoy it while it lasts. Porn has done a lot of good things for older women, thanks to the MILF category. Young men absolutely have fantasies about us and they desire us.
Each dating app offers a different type of dating. There are lots and lots of interesting people out there. And lots of people want to get to know you and have sex with you and take you on as a lover. They want to listen to you, and they want you to listen to them. And it’s been really, really refreshingly a good experience. I now currently have four lovers who I see maybe once a week each and they offer me different things.
One of my lovers is my age, he’s 54 and he owns a boat and he moors it at the Southport Yacht Club, and I go and stay on his boat one night a week. We have wine and we have dinner and it’s amazing. He has seen the world, and he has a lot of interesting things to say, and he’s got kids like I’ve got kids and they have their own lives now and that’s lovely. But that is his life – I don’t want to live on a boat! But sex on a boat is great!
My next lover, I like a lot. He’s divorced and lives on his own. He’s such a nice person, and you know what? I’d never married him in a million years. This guy is not exciting enough for me, but he is amazing in bed. So that’s been a diverting experience. And, he lives up the road and I can visit him whenever. I’m always welcome. I think it will work with him until he gets to the stage where he wants a second wife. And the second wife is not going to be me.
My other lover is a man that I didn’t meet through dating online. I met him at my gym. He is ten years younger than me. I don’t even know how to describe him. He’s really tall and broad, and he is properly wild. He is covered in tattoos and has a wild hairstyle and piercings. He’s into domination and other things that I have never experienced in my life except when I was reading 50 Shades! But when he strides into the room, picks me up and throws me over the kitchen counter, I lose my mind. You are literally never too old to try new things and this guy has put me through a loop. I could never have a relationship with him. He’s broke and irresponsible. But as a lover? Holy hell.
If you want just a casual thing, and you’re just looking to have a more exciting life, absolutely try internet dating. But do it sensibly. Always meet these people first in a cafe or a bar or whatever. If they want to meet you just for sex and they want you to come to their house at the first meeting, I think you’re going to have a bad time. This is because it is probably someone who just doesn’t care about anything but the sex. But if they’re willing to take the time to get to know you and have a coffee first or have some dinner somewhere or go for a walk on the beach first, they’re better guys. And then also always tell someone where you are. Always practice safe sex.
If, like me, you are an older woman who wants to explore her sexuality, then absolutely do it. I think this is an exciting time in our lives. We can’t get pregnant. We’ve got no responsibilities. Our kids are grown up and moved away. In terms of material things in life, we’ve got everything we need by 50. As we age we are more about the experiences, rather than things. So it’s a great time to grab your sex life with both hands and go for it.
LOVE
BILL (72) MET SANDY (68) on an online dating site.
I’ve been divorced for well over 23 years. I never got married again, but I’ve had relationships that never worked out for one reason for another. It took me a long time to get the courage up to put myself on a dating website. But eventually, I did, and I wanted to find a partner. Sandy got on the website, would you believe, find a partner for a New Year’s Eve party! She wasn’t looking for anything long term. She was just looking for a party partner because she hadn’t been to a New Year’s Eve party for years! She had been on her own for nine years, she decided to make the move. I was the first person she contacted.
I met Sandy about two weeks after I went online. When we connected, we started communicating on the dating site. After some correspondence, I asked, “Would it be okay if I sent you my email address?” Which I did.
We corresponded for about three weeks. The chats were nice, I could tell she was a lovely, lovely lady. And it all kind of went from there until Sandy said, “I think we should meet.”
We chose to meet at a place she was comfortable – her local surf club. After communicating with one another, we had a friendship happening by the time I had met her. After we met, I took her to Rydges at the airport. It is a really, really, really nice restaurant.
It was straightforward from there. We started dating and seeing one another and the friendship grew and we’re inseparable now. We celebrate the first of every month – it was the 1st of January when I first met her and took her out. And so as of the 1st of June, it has been six months.
I would definitely recommend meeting online. But be cautious about who you are corresponding with. Connect on the dating site but then continue to communicate privately off the site.
There are scammers out there. I started to communicate with a person calling herself Jewel. She was in Malaysia buying jewellery. She sent me very, very flowery messages. Next thing you know, she was asking me for money. Of course, I told her, “I don’t want to have anything to do with you.” And I never heard from her again. If someone asks for money, run for your life.
Sandy and I are going to move in together at the end of the month. Sandy is originally from South Australia and her two sons are living over here on the Gold Coast. So it makes sense that she moves in with me. She has sold her place in South Australia and things have worked out great.
She had her reservations in the beginning obviously, how things were going to happen. She kind of felt that we have met in a previous life because we just get on with one another so well. Now, we are totally inseparable.
In fact, where I get a lot of ribbing from my mates…Can’t you leave her alone? You’re always holding her hand, or you’re always doing something with her!
At the current moment, she is busily putting a lot of stuff on eBay because I’ve got an apartment here and it is fully furnished.
When I met Sandy, I was 71, I turned 72 in March. I said, “It’s taken me 71 years to find you.” And she says, “We’re meant to be and we were meant to meet later.”
I have two sons who are 44 and 42. My eldest is on the Gold Coast, and my other one is in Sydney. And Sandy has two sons as well around the same age group. We have all met each other and everyone is happy for us. I’m still pinching myself.
IN LIKE
MICHAEL (56)
My marriage was winding down and we were coming to what I thought was a natural end of the relationship. And so, I thought I’d see if dating was still possible over 50. I tried a few different online apps. Some of them were good and some of them weren’t so good.
I wanted something that would lead to a relationship, something to have a future. It was easy to arrange dates. The nice women on there will take some time to chat and get to know you a bit. Once you’ve established some sort of rapport, they are always willing to meet you for a coffee or something simple to start. This is just to see if you’ve there’s some sort of in‑person compatibility.
I didn’t have any sort of real chemistry with some of my dates. But I have kept them as good friends. And these are people that I still like to meet up with and have a coffee with. I see how they’re getting on and see how their dating experiences are going versus mine. I’m sure that one or two women that I dated probably thought that it would be nice to move things along. But I didn’t reciprocate those feelings.
Then I met Jackie. I think we just got on best. There was chemistry, there was the physical attraction. But also we were able to chat more freely and I think we had a better understanding of what we both wanted. And so, it just felt like natural.
Internet dating is definitely a good thing. Back in the day, you had to meet somebody in a bar or at a nightclub. You didn’t even know if they were single or not. You just had to sort of asking them. There was a lot of hit and miss and you could be rejected an awful lot. The girl might be attracted to you but if she was with somebody and you didn’t know that before you approached her, that was awkward.
Whereas online you know what you’re looking for and you know what they’re looking for. So, there’s a lot of the hit and miss stuff that is gone immediately from the equation. But also, back in the day, you were meeting somebody in a location, you were limited to the sorts of people around you in the places you were going to. Whereas online, you could meet somebody that you might never have met before.
I hope my relationship with Jackie will end up in marriage and world travel. There’s no rush though. Things have to go the way they go.
I would highly recommend online dating. It is an advancement on what in-person dating used to be.
KEEPING IT CASUAL
JANET (62)
I was single for five years when I met Albert. I was really looking for somebody that enjoyed the same things that I did. I was always looking for that drop[1]dead gorgeous guy, but then I changed things around a bit and started looking for a different kind of guy. I wanted a good personality. And someone who was interested in the same things I was – travel and fishing and all sorts of different things that I find me involved with.
I have finally realised that it is not all about looks. Companionship needs to be there as well as being attracted to him. I like having somebody to do things with.
I went onto an online dating site, and I met Albert. We chatted for a couple of days. He was away at the time so when he returned we met for coffee at a local restaurant. He was very nice and very considerate. And then we chatted some more and then I found myself on a second date with him. Fish and chips at Charis by the Broadwater… my favourite!
We just seemed to get on really well. He makes me laugh. Now we see each other a few times a week and spend a couple of nights at each other’s houses. I quite like that we still live in our own houses. After being single for so long, you have that independence. Even though we are in a relationship, I still like to have my own space, and he does too.
We don’t have any plans of moving in together in the near future. We’re quite happy the way things are going. While I don’t have any kids at home, his grown-up kids have just moved back in with him. And I don’t want to live in that tornado!
I would absolutely recommend dating online. If nothing else, it is a good giggle. ■
Sign up to Silver Magazine’s very own website to find love, or to just find friends to hang out with. www.silverfoxes.com.au
Like dancing? Well now you’ll like it even more when you find out it protects your brain… click here.
The Caravan Repair Company at Burleigh Heads is known across Queensland and New South Wales as the place to go to restore a caravan or get it fixed. They tell us what tips we need to know if we want to hang on to our beloved caravan.
If you are somebody who has an adventurous spirit and a lust for travel, then it is probably very likely that you either are thinking about purchasing a caravan, or you already have one!
The great thing about the caravan market is that there are lots of older models on sale for very reasonable prices. You should feel confident in picking up a bargain with a few future little tweaks and improvements in mind.
Caravan restorations are the latest trend, and you can really bump up the value of your investment if you know the best things to change and upgrade.
To give you an insight, here are five of the best tips for modern caravan restorations.
REUPHOLSTER
An easy way to breathe some modern life back into an old caravan is to reupholster all of the main cushioned areas within the unit.
A lot of old caravans will have seen a lot of wear and tear in these areas, so giving them a fresh set of cushioning can make a world of difference right off the bat. Reupholstering is one of the best tips for caravan maintenance.
CHANGE CURTAINS
Again, old curtains must smell musty as well as looking very dated at this point. An easy way to spruce up the interior is to update them with a more modern pattern and material.
Caravan Repair Tips
CHANGE THE LIGHTING
One of the best tips for caravan restoration is experiment with some cool and fun lighting ideas inside the caravan. Explore LED strip lights, which can be placed on pretty much any hard surface and produce some really modern looking results.
DECAL
Make an instant impact to the exterior of your caravan by installing a wrap or decal that features a fun design or colour. It’s a great way to stamp your own personality on an old vehicle!
ENHANCED SECURITY
One of the most crucial tips that you need to know is a lot of old caravans are very easy to break into, so do yourself a favour and upgrade the security features of your model along with all of the more aesthetic changes.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Modern caravans are complicated machines. Developments over recent years have turned many of them into homes from home, which is great for holiday making.
However, these developments mean there is a lot to go wrong, and plenty of items which wear out. Unlike static homes, caravans are motor vehicles which have to pass road safety standards.
This and the home comforts can be very demanding to keep on top of.
SAFETY FIRST
Before you hit the road in your caravan, you’ve got to be sure it’s safe to do so. Caravans tend to be heavily used at certain times of the year, then left standing for a few months. It can be easy to overlook essential vehicle checks and repairs, and just head off into the distance.
The trouble is, that distance might not be very far, if your vehicle lets you down. RV users can find their holidays cut short by being pulled over for a safety infringement.
Safety inspections should be carried out regularly, especially if your caravan’s been standing for any length of time. This should be done by qualified professionals, rather than just giving your vehicle the once-over. It’s easy to forget how many kilometres caravans and other RVs clock up over time.
A safety inspection lets you know that you’ll make it all the way there and all the way back.
The most common repairs carried out are covered by, and to comply with, your warranty. Manufacturers have strict rules about this, of course, and it’s a bad idea to fall foul of them.
Similarly, logbook servicing must be done regularly and correctly, to keep your caravan roadworthy.
ADDED EXTRAS
There are a lot of extras fitted to caravans these days, which is what makes them so enjoyable. Fixtures and fittings such as awnings, AC units, fridges and microwaves are almost taken for granted today when caravanning.
Finding out that one or more of these don’t work when you’re parked up is sure to spoil your holiday.
Other essential repairs include those for toilets and showers, not to mention water tanks. These kinds of jobs would be carried out by other trades in the home, but require specialist skills for caravans.
Important items like these need as much care and attention as your vehicle’s roadworthy components. ■
