I realise that I am still woefully inept at doing this regularly, and the gaps between posts are ever increasing. Yet again I can only apologise and try to do better. But don't hold your breath...real life has an annoying habit of getting in the way of the best laid plans!
So, C...he is in the last week of this latest cycle of treatment and it's been tough going, more so than previously. He's struggled with it this time in terms of energy, stomach upsets and feeling the cold; we're not sure why this should be but I guess each cycle has brought slightly different issues and this is no exception. In his own inimitable, stubborn way he has soldiered on and made the best of it - well, as he rightly says, what else can you do? We've developed a philosophy of dealing with each day as it comes, and no more if we can help it, so each day starts with "Well, he's still here, still mobile, conscious and damn well fighting it, so off we go." some days are just harder than others and it takes a bit longer to get going. I'm telling you, if there were awards for determination he'd have my vote, no contest. He just keeps on keeping on.
We're kind of adjusting to Rom being away - it is strange not to hear her about the house, but I guess she had us semi trained anyway, being out so much! And thanks to the joys of Facebook, Skype and mobile phones she's never really too far away. She paid a surprise visit home on Saturday, something she and C had concocted between them - I had no idea she was coming back until I turned around on Saturday afternoon and there she was! It was a flying visit but so nice to see my baby again.
I realise now that I've lost the pattern of themes for each post. It's a bit difficult to think of any really, as there's so much going on and The gaps between posts mean I dont' remember so much. Also I'm typing this one up on the ipad and it's not easy....so I'll sign off now before my neck develops a crick and my forefingers melt, and try to post more news tomorrow....
Tuesday 15 March 2011
Wednesday 2 March 2011
D Days 191 - 202: Saturday 19 February to Wednesday 2 March 2011
Phew time flies. So much has been going on that I've barely had a chance to sit down and log in to the blog...as I expect you've noticed!!!
So where to start this post? Well....Romilly I guess. You know that back in January she was offered a job with Thomson/TUI Travel...well that start date crept round so quickly! It's been a manic time since she got her start date that we've been trying to organise stuff ready for her to go. Which has involved visits to college, shopping, ordering stuff, getting the car checked out (C's insistence), booking ferries, hotels etc etc. Daniel organised a surprise evening meal for her, at which both sides of the families met up. It was lovely - Dan's family are lovely people and I'm so proud and pleased that they've taken her in as one of them, as we have Dan, so it was nice to meet up as a group. Rom didn't know anything about it (yes, for once, we got one over on her and she was speechless) and as she walked past the window she looked in and apparently thought "Ah, nice, someone's having a party." Yes, you muppet, you are!!! She cried...ahhh!!! That was the Sunday, and then of course half term was upon us..,
We had a bit of drama over half term week - not Rom, but my littlest nephew Toby. Kealy had said he had been under the weather for a few days, and he had a lump on his leg which to start with she hadn't been to worried about, but it started to worry Toby and he seemed uncomfortable in using his leg. She went to the GP, who said they'd refer to the paediatrician, but unfortunately Keaz was worried enough the next day to take him to A&E - and that's when the lightningly quick situation kicked off...they admitted Toby to the Children's Ward, did some tests etc and admitted they didn't know what it was...so they sent them over to Southampton General to get it looked at properly. During the explanations they said there was a possibility that it could be an abcess, a cyst or a tumour...which of course scare you completely witless as you imagine, naturally so, that it's the worst. A couple of days of high anxiety followed, plus a few days stay in Southampton, but thankfully it was only an abcess, he had an minor operation to drain it etc, and is now home safe and sound.
While all this was going on Rom stepped up to the mark, along with Dan, and they were surrogate parents to Oli and Libby. I'm not sure who enjoyed it more....but suffice it to say that they had a nice time together, and I know that Rom and Dan made Oli's tenth birthday as nice as they could, considering his parents couldn't get home for it. I can't believe he's ten already.....
So all this drama hadn't left Rom an awful lot of time to get organised for leaving - including trying to see everyone before she went. I was at work all week so didn't have much of a chance to help out, so spent the weekend laundering like a madwoman just so everything was clean in case she wanted to take it!! We spent a nice evening at home on the Saturday before she left - ordered in a curry, had a few beers and sat watching some crap film on TV. Nice and cosy...and then Sunday arrived and it all got a bit active!! I got the big case down, she dashed off to get some last minute bits sorted out, then when she got back her brothers arrived to say farewell. Finally she started putting things in the case in the afternoon and we seemed to be getting somewhere...and the pile of things to take started to grow.....I did a roast dinner, and Dan stayed, so they didn't have to say goodbye to each other until almost the last minute. I have to confess that I didn't sleep all that well, knowing what the morning would bring...
And so to Monday. The day our baby girl flapped her wings and flew the nest. I was supposed to go on a training course but frankly I couldn't leave C to see her off alone, plus there was still stuff to sort out and I didn't want her to leave having spent the morning getting wound up. So I stayed, we unpacked and then repacked the suitcase (Do you really need six black tops Rom? Yes, apparently) and before I knew it the time had come to put stuff in the car...back seats had to go down to accommodate the huge suitcase (I have to confess it is mine, I bought it back in the summer to go to France, and it IS huge), the smaller suitcase full of shoes (well she is MY daughter), the large toiletries/cosmetics bag (again....) the mirror, the pile of electrical stuff (all essential - hairdryer, straighteners, mini straighteners), iron and ironing board (and there was me thinking she didn't even know what these were - now she's bought her own!!) and the food box I made up for her - well, come on, who knows when you might fancy a midnight pot noodle in a strange hotel? And off she went - there were tears from all of us, much excitement too, and a little apprehension. But generally I think we handled it quite well! It was such a poignant moment watching her little car disappear down the lane, knowing she was off to a new phase in her life and would probably return at some point a changed young woman. It was also a very very very proud moment for C and I as parents...I don't think I've ever been so chuffed I could burst, and so sad at the same time.
We've had a couple of phone calls and some text messages, plus the omnipresent Facebook contacts (which C now has as well by the way). All seems to be going well - she's made friends with some of the girls on the course, is tired but happy and seems to be thriving in her new role.
Bang....(there, I burst). :D
So where to start this post? Well....Romilly I guess. You know that back in January she was offered a job with Thomson/TUI Travel...well that start date crept round so quickly! It's been a manic time since she got her start date that we've been trying to organise stuff ready for her to go. Which has involved visits to college, shopping, ordering stuff, getting the car checked out (C's insistence), booking ferries, hotels etc etc. Daniel organised a surprise evening meal for her, at which both sides of the families met up. It was lovely - Dan's family are lovely people and I'm so proud and pleased that they've taken her in as one of them, as we have Dan, so it was nice to meet up as a group. Rom didn't know anything about it (yes, for once, we got one over on her and she was speechless) and as she walked past the window she looked in and apparently thought "Ah, nice, someone's having a party." Yes, you muppet, you are!!! She cried...ahhh!!! That was the Sunday, and then of course half term was upon us..,
We had a bit of drama over half term week - not Rom, but my littlest nephew Toby. Kealy had said he had been under the weather for a few days, and he had a lump on his leg which to start with she hadn't been to worried about, but it started to worry Toby and he seemed uncomfortable in using his leg. She went to the GP, who said they'd refer to the paediatrician, but unfortunately Keaz was worried enough the next day to take him to A&E - and that's when the lightningly quick situation kicked off...they admitted Toby to the Children's Ward, did some tests etc and admitted they didn't know what it was...so they sent them over to Southampton General to get it looked at properly. During the explanations they said there was a possibility that it could be an abcess, a cyst or a tumour...which of course scare you completely witless as you imagine, naturally so, that it's the worst. A couple of days of high anxiety followed, plus a few days stay in Southampton, but thankfully it was only an abcess, he had an minor operation to drain it etc, and is now home safe and sound.
While all this was going on Rom stepped up to the mark, along with Dan, and they were surrogate parents to Oli and Libby. I'm not sure who enjoyed it more....but suffice it to say that they had a nice time together, and I know that Rom and Dan made Oli's tenth birthday as nice as they could, considering his parents couldn't get home for it. I can't believe he's ten already.....
And so to Monday. The day our baby girl flapped her wings and flew the nest. I was supposed to go on a training course but frankly I couldn't leave C to see her off alone, plus there was still stuff to sort out and I didn't want her to leave having spent the morning getting wound up. So I stayed, we unpacked and then repacked the suitcase (Do you really need six black tops Rom? Yes, apparently) and before I knew it the time had come to put stuff in the car...back seats had to go down to accommodate the huge suitcase (I have to confess it is mine, I bought it back in the summer to go to France, and it IS huge), the smaller suitcase full of shoes (well she is MY daughter), the large toiletries/cosmetics bag (again....) the mirror, the pile of electrical stuff (all essential - hairdryer, straighteners, mini straighteners), iron and ironing board (and there was me thinking she didn't even know what these were - now she's bought her own!!) and the food box I made up for her - well, come on, who knows when you might fancy a midnight pot noodle in a strange hotel? And off she went - there were tears from all of us, much excitement too, and a little apprehension. But generally I think we handled it quite well! It was such a poignant moment watching her little car disappear down the lane, knowing she was off to a new phase in her life and would probably return at some point a changed young woman. It was also a very very very proud moment for C and I as parents...I don't think I've ever been so chuffed I could burst, and so sad at the same time.
We've had a couple of phone calls and some text messages, plus the omnipresent Facebook contacts (which C now has as well by the way). All seems to be going well - she's made friends with some of the girls on the course, is tired but happy and seems to be thriving in her new role.
Bang....(there, I burst). :D
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