3 weeks ago...

Three weeks ago (13 Sept to be exact) I went into hospital for a relatively "minor" operation. Since March this year i have been suffering with a bladder prolapse and was heading off to have it repaired! I was operated on at 3pm that afternoon (a Monday) by my wonderful consultant and moved up to the ward by 5.30pm, so i was only in theatre a short time. When he came to do his rounds on Tuesday I was fit as a fiddle and told i could probably go home on Wednesday. Delighted is not the word, while the care was great, there is nothing like being at home. I was also on track to be back at work the following week. Hooray! However things conspired against me. I went into retention, this is where the bladder fails to do it job forgets what is is meant to do, meaning you need to go, but can't. Then it backs up to your kidneys. OUCH! So I was given a catheter Golden Hand Bag for another 24 hours to "rest" some more after surgery. Obviously golden hand bags can lead to infection, guess what.. yup you got it.. I got an infection. So now it is Thursday Mr D, my consultant does his rounds and is shocked to still see me here. We laugh some and he says it will come! Tomorrow is my sons 11th birthday. I have got to get home. I cannot miss this day. I missed it. Tears galore and a pity party in full swing was how I spent the day. Still my wonderful hubby bought him to see me and he was having a great day. I was happier. So Saturday comes round and i am told, you can go home. You can have lots of antibiotics and pain meds and a carry out strap-to-your-leg golden hand bag! Still at least i will be at home. I am to return to the hospital day surgery unit a week on Monday for a T.W.O.C (trial without catheter!). I arrive, and am relieved of my porta-bag but still my body fails to do its job. Am sad. So they ring Mr D and he comes to see me, he says we will put a Super-pubic Catheter in through my abdomen. Eh say what? So he continues to put anaesthetic in my tummy and cut me open. I can see everything. OMG. Two nurses are with us, one to help him, one to cheer me on! So he tried 3 times to put this long tube into my bladder form the outside, it was incredibly painful, I winced and tensed up but bit my lip, not wanting to make noise in case I made him jump! It was hard. He tried 3 times (yes my friends 3) before holding my hand and saying "I think i should do this under general anaesthetic next Monday. I can do some more surgery then and make things a bit easier for you." So he stitched me up re-united me with my hand bag and sent me home again with the promise to ring me with my operation details. I was ok, a bit sore but ok. Homeward bound again. I had to go to my family Dr on Wednesday as i was having the most awful pains, he was great gave me yet more meds and the pains stopped almost immediately. Ok so I rattle a bit with all the meds but am pain free! Mr D rang me on Thursday to ask if I could come in "tomorrow", he would like to try something else prior to operating. Erm ok, so I go along and he spends time in a cosy room telling me how he wants to give me a chance to get things going with more surgical intervention as I have been through enough and he has been worried about me! I am so touched by his concern about me. So the new plan is to send my home with new "speedi caths". This means that I can "go to the little girls room" and try before assisting myself. His nurse W taught me what to do and I left to go home knowing I can return to work and have 6 weeks before they even consider more surgery. Phew! So hows it going? Currently I have NOT had to assist myself to go in any way. I am so glad that we went this way and did not leave the hand bag in, going straight to surgery on Monday. I am now a free(er) woman. It's been a long road to recovery but I got here. I'm not going to be upset if I go into retention within the next 6 weeks, I'm keeping a diary as instructed and hopefully when i go back and see him on the 27th October (interim appointment) he will sign me off.

Sweet and sour.

Well I had my pre op today at the hospital. My op is planned for Monday 13 Sept. I have been waiting 6 months for this, and cannot wait till it is over and done with. So i can go back to being a Mum that plays with her kids instead  of watching them. You see i had a prolapse of my internal organs in March (14 to be precise, it was mothers day - in the UK). So i am pleased it is being done finally. I am a bit saddened though as it is David's birthday on the Friday and it is touch and go if i will be home with him. I will be so sad to miss him turning 11.  So i am torn between being honest about my health and any pain or lying my butt off to get home! I am not cancelling the op, but i really have to be well enough to be home on the 17th! Heres hoping i can do it.
Speaking of David, he is back to school tomorrow. His last year at junior school.  This time next year he will be sporting a blazer and tie for school, i have a year to prepare for this. Somehow i do not think that will be long enough!                                    

Ok so a bigger update (with pictures) on all of us!

Ok so i have shared to ups ans downs, highs and lows of Becky's flying life, I guess i better let you all know what the rest of us are up to or you will start to think she has hijacked my blog!
So get yourself a coffee (maybe a Thermos) and a biscuit (or four) then take some time to catch up on the rest of us!
Rich has been working SO hard. He is an amazing husband and father and takes his role as a provider to his family very seriously! There was a point we really were ships in the night. And I missed him. Lots.   
Still in August we went on holiday together, with the children... my parents, my brother, his wife and their two children! Time together in a converted barn in Devon. It was lovely. The weather was kind to us, if you don't count the thunderstorm on our arrival nor the fog on our departure!
It was so lovely to spend time away from home with Rich. Seeing him relax a bit. Watching him enjoying time with the kids. Snuggling with him at night, hearing his relaxed breathing.  

I have been ill pretty much all of this year, well since March 14th (UK Mothers day to be precise!). I need surgery. I am getting my surgery. 13th September is my planned date for it.  It feels like it's been a long time coming! And i will be able to blog more, what with being off on "sick" leave. I will be home for between 10 days and 6 weeks depending what they do to me. ha ha.don't you just love surprises?
 I am still enjoying my job and we are now planning to move house. hooray!
  
So what can i tell you about Rae? Well she is still doing amazingly well at school. She took one of her GCSE (UK exams) exams early and has chosen 13 in total to study over the next two years. The average is 8 or 9. I hope she can find time to a) fit it all in and b) still have fun being a kid. I guess time will tell.
She is now playing the Sax, Flute and guitar as well as her singing lessons oh and doing her music theory exam.
It was great to see her relaxing on holiday:

Laughing in the garden in Devon.

    

Walking along the shore.

Becky has also been doing well at school. She is choosing her GCSE options this year. Eeeek! I am NOT ready to go through ALL that AGAIN!

She has a beau in her life, the lovely C. He is good for her. I like him. He keeps a close eye on her at school for me with regard to her blanking out. 

Becky and her beau C.

She spent a LOT of time in the sea while we were on holiday...

About to start a water fight with Uncle Andy.

Losing at the water fight!

So we move to to youngest member of the clan. David, has surprised me lately. He is thoughtful, helpful, caring, funny and about to enter his final year at junior school. That's right I am nearly the mother of 3 children in senior school. YUK!

He is still my baby. He cannot be nearly 11, despite what his birth certificate says. In typical boy fashion, when we asked what he would like as reward for a good year at school, he asked for... drumroll.. wait for it..

2 Giant African Land Snails. Oh dear Lord.

So welcome to the family... Dory and Crush! (Photos soon of those two!!)

David thoroughly enjoyed our holiday and spending time with Dad and Grandad. With all the girls at home he does like some "man time".

Surf Dude!

First Geocache find of the holiday!

Looking good kid.

And so that my dear friends is you all caught up with the comings and goings of me, him and them! I will really try harder to post more often. Promise!

                                        

                                           
  

Update on Becky.

You may remember THIS.

Just when I thought that Becky had “out grown” her episodes of absences. Having been seen by a lovely paediatrician at the royal Surrey hospital and signed out of his care last October. He had given her EEG tests, ECG tests, blood test and a whole plethora of other tests it was deemed she did not have Petit Mal Epilepsy and we put all her absences down to “hormones / one of those things!”

She has not had one of these episodes since last October. I was sure she was in the clear and could happily get on with her teens like everyone else.

So she joined the Air Cadets, (you can see by previous posts and photos she loves it!) and got on with enjoying life, absence free.

We recently sent her off with the Air Cadets on the annual summer camp. She, like with everything else, went into camp life headlong and got involved with everything the week had to offer.

Imagine my surprise to receive a phone call on the Wednesday night from her commanding officer telling me that she was unwell and needed to come home.

He was very reassuring telling me that a Dr was with her and that she was ok.

She had been flying, doing aerobatics and after returning to camp for dinner she had a running episode of 12 absences.

He then had the unenviable task of breaking the news to her that she would not be staying at camp but would be returning home.
Obviously she was crushed but it was the right decision. She did need to come home.
Prior to leaving she became very hyperactive, rushing around saying goodbyes and packing up.

So three hours later when she was bought to my door she looked exhausted. I have never seen a child so tired and drained of energy. It was a good 48 hours before she looked more like herself.

The RAF Dr that saw her wrote me a letter to give to the hospital (who, I am grateful to say, had given me a one year window to return to their care for this “illness”). The letter has been faxed to her paediatrician and she now has an appointment to see him again in the 21 September.
She has had no more episodes since returning home, although I have been adamant in getting her to rest!

Perhaps it was bought on by exhaustion and the fact that during her aerobatics she was pulling 3 to 4 g’s.

Lets hope we get some answers soon.

Ever wonder how a pilot is born?

Since joining the Air Cadets just 5 days after her 13th birthday Bex has come an awful long way. She is now a first class cadet, and has gone from being a future air traffic controller to wanting to be a pilot. Want to see what changed her mind? You sure? Ok, her are some pics of what she has been up to:

Flying suit and parachute? Ok lets go.

Ok you are clear for lift off! Great gliding and in control of the plane!

And she is in the air.

This is the view.

And another arial shot.

Back on terra firma.

strike an Air Force pose!

Yes she flew this for 20 mins too!

So I hope you feel fully briefed on what she has been up to!!
I never get fed up of hearing how amazing it was Mum, so peaceful. Oh and I FLEW IT, did i tell you that Mum? I FLEW IT! BEFORE I AM OLD ENOUGH TO DRIVE, I FLEW A PLANE... How cool is that Mum?!


So that is how a pilot is born.

I guess it was just one of those nights.

I am a heavy sleeper. I am a keen sleeper, in that I like love my sleep, my bed and everything about being in my bedroom sleeping. I sleep well and I sleep long. Not a lot wakes me once I am asleep. So why oh why did my mind decide that 3.30am today was a super great time to be wide awake? I went to bed at my usual time of 10/10.30pm. I fell asleep fine. But then at 3.30 my internal alarm clock went off (without even having the excuse of a newborn or small child in the house). Not a little alarm bell, not a chance of finding a snooze button in sight either. Nope. My internal alarm went of like Big Ben on New Years Eve. I was awake. Not just awake but wide awake. I am never wide awake when I do decide to rise. It usually takes me at least 3 or 4 hours to resemble anything even slightly close to a human female! But oh no it seems when the alarm went off it was so big I was up and raring to go.  Hearing my lovely husband snoring so gently from the bedroom ( I was now in the lounge having a cuppa!) and listening to the kids moving in their beds, jealous? You bet I was. So today was spent popping pro plus like they were smarties as directed on the box.
I hope with all the energy I can muster that tonight I sleep like big sleepy thing.

A bit of what you like.

Well today has been spent relaxing at home. We walked to the park (photos later) and played football (soccer). Rae and I decided to show our Croatian visitor just what home made fudge is, he had never heard of the name, seems he knows it as caramel but has actually never had what we Brits call caramel!

Here is how it turned out:

1lb Castor Sugar

1/3 of a can of Carnation Milk.

Add together and bring to the boil,

Pour into tray to set.

Cut up and enjoy!

Before pouring i added a teaspoon of vanilla essence!

And here we are at the park:

Rae Jumping around.

David reaching for his ball, trying not to get wet!

A hug with my eldest.

I think i need therapy!

I have been terrible for blogging (or not as the case may be) this year. I have been too darned lazy found it really hard to get my mojo going since going back to work full time. Not that i am complaining, I love my job. I think they like me, after all I have been there over year! But I am increasingly finding myself sitting here at my blog, mooching through all your blogs and wondering how or where you get your inspiration, and can I please have some? I love blogging, it is great for my creative outlet.. when it is working! So I click on all your blogs and read all you are up to and whats going on and then I lose track of why I sat here in the first place.
I am determined to get back into being a good blogger, to give you all a reason to stop by. Not sure how exactly I am going to do that yet but i am gonna try.
So this weekend between housework. laundry, making fudge with Rae (who just returned from the school music tour to Holland) and collecting Bex (who has gone gliding with the cadets) and playing with David (who is just getting over measles, even though I had him inoculated against it!) and studying for a promotion at work (new IT job, check me out!) I want to blog, blog hop and get inspired. So brace yourself blog buddies I am coming in... again!

Photo shoot:

I popped over to the home of a workmate at the weekend. He had asked if i would photograph his son.
It was a pleasure to do, little Logan was so well behaved, not a single tear and so happy.
Wish all children were this easy to work with!!

What a week...

Well it has been an interesting week for us. Rebecca has decided it is time to start flexing her teenage wings, unfortunately she flexed a little hard and i had to get the clippers out.
It was hard to deal with it all really, she is normally a fairly easy kid to raise but i have issued a punishment this week that is aimed to reel her back in... no going out, no PC and chores as and when i demand request with no questions asked! She is hating every minute of it, as am i for making sure i stick to my guns. Still if it hits my point home, it's a job well done!
Rae has now taken on learning another instrument - the guitar to go along with the flute, sax and singing lessons!
She has a bit of a Midas touch when it comes to music and I cannot claim she inherited any of it from me or my husband!
David is going to Swanage from the 7 - 11 June, with the school, so today we bought him some summer clothes and walking boots i had to get him age 12 / 13 clothes, he is only 10, he is so tall.
I helped a friend T to buy some bits for her new house was nice to see the new pad and be able to offer her the help she needed.

Tomorrow i am booked to do a photo shoot of a friends little boy L so will post photos when i have taken them.

So i currently look around the house and cannot decide whether to ignore the housework and read a few blogs or get off my butt and do something!

I like her style!

I have a wonderful friend with whom i have a "deal" of sorts... I drive her to and from work and she allows the kids to stay at her house after school so i don't have to pay a taxi to take them home. It works for us. Becky collects David from school and they walk to my friends house where Rae meets them later after whichever music club she has attended.
So it is Friday afternoon, I'm counting down the last couple of hours when my daughter rings..with a due sense of fear and dread i take the call and i have the following conversation:
"Hi Mum, i have picked David up.. but well he is REALLY hyper, i think i should take him for a walk through town to calm him down!"
(just a minor point to note: David is not a child we could ever describe as hyper...the word i would use is more like lethargic!!)
"Oh really, and just what would you do in town honey?" I reply trying not to chuckle at my darling daring daughter.
"Uh, you know Mum.... just, you know... walk, to wear him out.. after all i don't want him being hyper in B's house.. it might upset the goldfish!!!"
Well you know what i caved in... I let them walk in town for a short while, giving them a time to be at the house. I just had to admire her style and tenacity on this one. We have talked about how David is NOT now, nor has he ever been, hyper, so i can't wait for the next request application to be filed.

Life was so much easier then:

Pics of the girls.

Happy Easter everyone.
Rae and Becky are always keen to have their pics taken so i took some today and here are the few i really loved.