Forgive me, I am a bad bad blogger!

I know it feels like forever since i sat here and tapped away on the keys. It seems like a lot has happened to me, to us but i have not had the energy nor the inclination to write. I guess i lost my way in the blogging sense. For a little while i have sat here and wanted to type but nothing sprang to mind. I see a lot of you onFB and catch up or read your goings on from there. And although i may not comment i do still read your blogs! SO i guess it is time to put fingers to keys and reciprocate.
So July.. was it really that long ago that i last typed? Whats been going on here then. Crumbs. Lots!
Ok ok so you want a little more detail than that.
Let's go monthly:

July: Saw me return to work FULL time for the first time in 14 years! I am loving it! Really, really loving it! I am a receptionist at British Car Auctions Europe head office!

August: saw us on the Isle of Wight, a small island off the South coast of the UK. We spent the holiday with Richards family. Oh i got my NEW camera from my Dad! A CanonEOS 350D. I L♥ve it!

September: Saw David turn 10! All the kids settled back in to school well and are still happy.

October: Rae turned 14 and Becky became a teenager! Rae is doing extremely well in school and music! Becky is also doing very well. We are still having on going Epilepsy tests for Becky... (explained more in Nov!).

November:
I am diagnosed with life threatening allergies to some fresh fruits and vegetable (but am OK if they are cooked!) So i am given epipens! It is all good fun!
Becky had a sleep deprived epilepsy test today. We stayed awake for 24 hours (not easy in the slightest!) so that she could sleep during her test! She is currently sound asleep on the sofa. Results in two weeks.

And that is a very quick run through to now!

So now i am determined to be a better blogger! I am back, keen and raring to go.

The blog is a bit sparce but i am working on refreshing it! Watch this space!
For now here are some photos of my friends new baby girl, taken with my new camera this past weekend:

Becky part 1.

Well I sit here trying to make sense of what has been going on with my twelve year old daughter. Where do I begin? How do I tell this story?

I guess from the beginning of her “sickness”.

It started in December 08 when I was called to collect her from the theatre in Guildford, where she was in a show.

She was not well; she suffered all over Christmas with stomach pains and lethargy. In January we went to the doctor who spoke to her about everything it transpired that she had not been pooing having bowel movements since December! Ok that explains it thinks me! So she is weighed and measured, 8 stone, perfect to her height. Given movicol to “help her go”. Back on an even keel.

She still suffered abdominal pains though and lethargy. She was eating well and keeping active. She lost a stone. So back to the doctor who arranges blood tests for her. They all come back clear. No IBS, Celiac, Thyroid issues, Leukaemia, Diabetes or other things that can be told through blood tests. So another blood test is done to rule out some other cancers (I am not told which because I did not want to know unless it happens she has one). A very long wait later and they are clear too. She is finally now referred to the hospital.

Meanwhile by March she has dropped another stone and is now weighing in at a tiny 6 stone. She is still very tired in the evenings after her school day.

She starts having dizzy and fainting spells in April, I put it down to the fact she has lost lots of weight and encourage her to rest in the evenings and take chocolate and coke at school during lunch (school nurse keeps them in her fridge for her!!).

Her dizzy spells have become more frequent over recent weeks and I have had to collect her from school early no less than 5 times between April and May.

On Monday 18 May I got a call from the school nurse who is worried about her. She was taken to the nurse having fainted. The nurse laid her on the bed to rest and encouraged her to eat some of her lunch. Becky was lain on the bed and talking to the nurse. She was tearful and cold. Then Becky’s’ eyes rolled back and “she was out of it”. The nurse said it was like when you give someone a general anaesthetic and just before they are asleep their eyes roll back and lose focus. It was similar to how a patient with epilepsy behaves. I collected her and took her to the doctor (as her hospital appointment is on Weds 20 May) i did not want to rush her to A & E as they would look at the latest incident and not take the past history into account. The Doctor tried to take her bloods for a blood sugar test but she would not give any. Her fingers would not bleed! She spent the day in and out of consciousness on the sofa yesterday. After a fairly good night sleep she woke only to fall over on the landing. She is now relaxing on the sofa and dozing.

Roll on tomorrow. I refuse to believe it is “hormonal” or “puberty”. I never suffered like this in my pre teens / teens. I would rather be told “it is one of those things, she will grow out of it”, than hear it is puberty!

Through all of this i have watched my happy, healthy, energetic child drop two stone, become really lethargic, faint and fit. I’ve seen her prodded and poked and have her bloods drawn. Not once has she whined, moaned, complained or questioned. I want her better. I want answers. I want her not to suffer any more. I’m not asking much am i?

Update on Becky...

Her hospital appt is next wednesday at 11.45, i will be twittering throughout the day!
I am NOT expecting too much from this first meeting though..meet the docs..see whats been going on..tell the story..watch her..bring her back. If it becomes more than that i will be happy to deal with it immediately but don't want to get my hopes up!
So that is where we are! At least the appt is here now!

Update on Becky!

Numerous people have been on touch asking how the little lady is getting on!
Well the good news is the cancer(s) they were looking for are ruled out..what a load off my mind that is. She also does not have diabetes. So where does this leave us now?
Still very much in the dark as to what is causing her weight loss and lethargy. Still waiting for her hospital to come through. Still plying her with chocolate and coke! She is rapidly going off chocolate though!!
So all in all she is ok. She is plodding along, still being upbeat, still eating like a horse, still tired and worn out and still as funny as ever. She certainly has managed to keep her sense of humour through all of this. Even when her favourite clothes are falling off her. She has dropped from 8 stone to 5 stone 13 lbs since January.

I do promise to keep you all informed about when her appointment is and what any outcomes may be.

Thanks for asking about her. xx

Sick still or again?

You got it! I went to bed a t 5pm on Friday...surfaced on Sat at 10pm...sore throat and ears, you know the one. You can't eat, hurts to speak, move or drink.
Seems not only did a cyst burst but now i have a viral infection so i should be better in 3 -6 days! What?! 3 - 6 days? Haven't i suffered enough this week? So i am here to quickly say i've not forgotten you all..i just feel like death warmed up right now! Watch this space i will be back :)

AWOL

Hi all, i am currently playing catch up. PLease do not think i have been ignoring you all. I spent the last two days in hospital. My cyst on my ovary burst! Yeah i know, NICE!!
I am home and i am now dealing in pain management! So if you tagged/e mailed/ or threw me a question i will get back to you as soon as i am fully able to concentrate.xx

Happy Birthday to my lovely man!

Yes indeed it is Rich's **th birthday today!! (Even i am not daft enough to post his age which is a bit different from mine!).
Hope you have a great day off with the kids and I. We have opened presents and will be cake baking shortly!

But before our day even began Becky and I were at the doctors getting her bloods taken. She was so good! She laughed and smiled all the way through, was fascinated by the vials filling up! And bless her heart even managed to thank the nurse on the way out!! haha yup "Thanks for stabbing me in the arm and drawing my blood before i have even had breakfast!" Gotta love a pre teen with a sense of humour!
And guess what? Yep i was allowed to take my camera! So being the caring loving Mum i am i took the mickey out of her, laughed at and with her and kept her laughing while i took pics of this special moment we were sharing. And since we are sharing here you all go...(I'd hate to think you were left out in all this!)...

Going in..

Drawing the bloods (she found this amazing and funny!!)All over!

Results should be back for Thursday so i will be sure to keep you all posted.

Please keep Becky in your thoughts today.

Some of you are aware that Becky (the middley one) hasn't been too well since pre Christmas. I found out part of the cause and posted about it here. She hasn't really made any health improvements of late though. When on the medication she was "going" but was losing weight f.a.s.t
so the doctor stopped her meds to "as required". She has had it twice since then but still gets terrible stomach pains, loss of appetite even though she is really hungry ( like when you are pregnant and you really want to eat because it smells so good while it is cooking, but when it is in front of you, you just aren't hungry anymore!), going to the toilet, not going to the toilet. She has confided in me that she is frightened. Frightened of being like this, of what it might be that is causing her to be like this. She is really scared she may need to go into hospital, she doesn't know why she is scared, she just is. Since coming off the meds she has lost another stone in weight so now weighs 6.6 stone. Even my un-medically trained mind knows that not good. So this evening we are back to the doctor to see if there is anything more he can do. I will keep you posted as to how we get on.

On a brighter note, when the postman came today he bought a postcard from the school. Seems Rachel is not the only one trying her hardest :) Becky's science teacher was so pleased with her homework she wanted to share it with us :) Becky is delighted to have recieved a postcard and i am just so very proud of her :)
In case you are wondering the homework was to create a leaflet about an animal and how to look after it. She created her's as a leaflet on how to look after "her good self" titled...
"What to do with your Becky when you get it home!"
Apparently it was original, witty, informative and very well thought out!
****Update on Becky****

She has lost 2 stone in two weeks, she is a lot underweight and we are doing a fasting blood test in the morning. The doctor is checking for e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g he can in a blood test. Results should be back by the end of the week.

Poorly kid

I was called to collect Bex from school today. She is sooo poorly :(
She has a rash all over her face, neck, shoulders and torso. She aches all over to the point i cannot touch her and she has a sore throat.
The Dr. saw her, (when i rang to ask for an appt he told me to bring her in as he would see her right away!)he said it might be allergies or viral so he gave piriton and wants to see her in the morning!
So far the pirition isnt working and the poor girl keeps crying because she aches so much. My heart breaks for her.
I guess she will be off school tomorrow, a day on the sofa with her duvet is in order I think!
On a happier note i met her tutor tonight, she has settled well into senior school and they are pleased with her. Her guitar teacher says she is making really good progress! I'm really proud of her and can't hug her :( She looks awful and is currently fast asleep in her bed. Hope she is better in the morning. I hate seeing the kids ill.