That subchondral patellar fracture though...

So recently I was walking down some stairs (exciting start I know!), and twisted my knee to the point where my patella (or kneecap for those of you less medically inclined) dislocated. I've never felt anything so painful in my life, so naturally I screamed the house down.  My parents came to my rescue and helped me up, but as I got to my feet I heard a pop, and felt much more pain.  Now I have a pretty high pain threshold, and I'm not normally one to let an injury stop me, but there was no way I could just shrug it off and keep doing what I was doing.

Off to the hospital I went, and after almost two hours of waiting, I got to see a doctor. He poked and prodded my knee then sent me off for x-rays, assuring me that it would probably be a soft tissue injury that the radiographs wouldn't demonstrate, (which I was well aware of because I study radiography myself). Off I went anyway to get the x-rays, and when the radiographer took the last exposure, he paused for quite a long time at the console. Now radiographers aren't normally supposed to tell their patients what they can see in case it's wrong, but because he knew I kind of knew what I was talking about, he said "that's strange, there's a small opacity there, which might be something".  I kind of brushed it off, because ligament damage doesn't show up like that, and when I saw the doctor again, he was convinced it was just a calcification in the tendon from a previous injury.  I had injured this knee in the past, so that made complete sense. With that, he told me to rest, and told me in a couple of weeks everything would be almost normal again.

If you're not familiar with how the x-ray taking then getting the results system works, the x-rays get taken and sent off to a radiologist to look at and report on. This can take up to a couple of days. The report then gets sent to your normal doctor. Whereas in the emergency department, the doctors are responsible for reading and interpreting your images, well before the radiologist gets them. And they don't tend to look back over the reports of patients they had two days ago, because, well, they've got other patients to see.

I went on with my normal life for the next two and a half weeks, trying to rest my knee as much as I could, but still having to go to work and do household chores and things. My knee was kind of getting better, but no matter what I did it just kept swelling up like a balloon. So I decided it was well and truly time that I go and see my normal doctor about it.  And well... He was surprised I hadn't been in sooner. When I explained why I was there he said "I got the report from those images, and I would've thought the hospital would have called you to say that you have a displaced fracture of the medial facet of your patella". To which I was gobsmacked. I'd actually broken my kneecap, not just done some ligament damage?! And I'd been working, spending hours on my feet, which could have potentially made it worse. I'd been trying strengthening exercises, which could have potentially made it worse.  Without even discussing it, he had already arranged an appointment for me to see an orthopaedic surgeon, to see what my next move was.

I left in a wave of confusion, anger and anxiety. What if I'd left it too long, and now it will never heal properly? Why did no one tell me that I'd BROKEN A BONE? How am I going to organise work? It was all going on. And since then I've done some research, which has only made me feel worse. (Don't google medical stuff people! Even if you know what it's about).

So basically, I'm confused, sore and feel completely useless, because I have to try and rest so much. Let's see what the next step is!


With a rested, iced, compressed and elevated (R.I.C.E) knee,
Beth x

L’Oréal Paris Infallible Matte Lipstick.

So I was wandering the aisles of Priceline recently, looking for something to perk me up, and I stumbled across something on the L'Oréal stand, that I'd never seen before. Hadn't heard any bloggers talk about, hadn't stumbled across it on the website, nothing.

That product was the Infallible Matte Lipstick.  This product is a matte lip product like none I've ever seen before. The best way I can describe it, is as an eyeshadow for your lips. You untwist the end to reveal a sponge applicator with a powder-like product on it, you then swipe it on your lips, and voila, matte lip colour. The application is really simple, and non-messy, and the product is quite pigmented. The lasting power is pretty good too, I ate and drank, and it still stayed on. Some of the colour was removed from the middle of my mouth, but you get that with most lip products, so I wasn't overly fussed about that.

I chose the colour 004 - Oops I Pink It Again, which is a pink-toned red. The range has seven or eight shades that range from fairly neutral, to as bright as purple! So there's something for everyone.

Have you tried these? What else is new that I should give a go?

Beth. x

Elizabeth & James Nirvana White

As you would've seen in this post, I had my first in-store experience at Sephora in Melbourne recently, and things got #spendy.  One of the things I purchased was the Elizabeth & James Nirvana White perfume in the tiny roller ball form.  Well, it turns out I adored the perfume so much, I had to go back to get the full size.

The packaging of this perfume is so sleek and beautiful, and the smell is absolutely beautiful. It has notes of Peony, musk, and muguet. For me, it smells more rosy and floral, and is a scent that can be for the day or the evening. It also tends to last all day.

Have you tried any of the Elizabeth & James perfumes - Nirvana White or Black? I've heard that people tend to prefer one or the other, but I definitely prefer the lighter more floral scent of the Nirvana White.

Beth. x

Happy Hottest 100 Day!

It is Australia Day here today, or Hottest 100 Day, the day when Triple J count down the highest voted songs that have been played throughout the year.
So here is what I have voted for, and what I am patiently waiting to hear in the countdown today!

My number one choice for the year is Electric Indigo by The Paper Kites. The vibe of this song is just so calming to me, and I love the harmonies scattered throughout. 

What is your favourite song from the last year?

Beth. x

What I got for Christmas: 2015.

I was impatiently waiting for Christmas this year, as I was so excited to see the reactions of my loved ones, when they saw all the amazing things I bought them! I was also incredibly spoilt myself, and so I thought I'd share a few of the things I was lucky enough to receive on Christmas Day.

There wasn't a lot that I asked for in particular, I asked for practical things like socks, underwear, and a few items of clothing (which now I have to buy things like that myself, are brilliant gifts!) But apart from that, the rest were completely amazing surprises!

My sister got the Quay Australia 'My Girl' Sunglasses, and I was so jealous of them, and then lo and behold on Christmas Day I had a pair under the tree!
I also received a bluetooth speaker, which I have been using non-stop.
On the make-up front, I got the Chi Chi 'Viva La Diva' Lipstick Collection, which has four amazing shades in it, and ones I wouldn't normally choose myself, which definitely fuel my lipstick addiction. I also received three different perfumes... (Not sure if people are trying to give me a hint or?) I got the Katy Perry 'Purr' perfume, Britney Spears 'Believe' perfume, and Beyonce 'Midnight Heat' perfume. So now I literally have a perfume a day. The fragrances that I received are ones that I wouldn't normally choose for myself, but it's fun to branch out and try new things (to break my 'creature of habit' status!)

A few other bits  I got included both Pitch Perfect movies (with the sing-a-long versions!), Sam Smith's album, some beautiful charms for my Pandora bracelet, and a book of life advice from cats. I feel so incredibly lucky and grateful for all that I've received, and also glad that my family enjoyed their treats from me!

What was your favourite present this Christmas?

Beth. x

P.S. My favourite gift to give this year was to my sister. I got her the Le Grand Chateau eye shadow palettes from Too Faced, and Benefit's Hoola bronzer, which she has wanted for ages.