Newyear

Happy 2009 everyone! I hope this is a good year.

Today I have signed up to the Mr Motivator campaign to get Britain fit! I am reasonably fit, but could probably do with a bit of a push after Christmas and this awful cold weather (well actually I quite like the cold weather it takes me right back to my childhood, I can't remember seeing icicles hanging from guttering since before 1980?)

I have not been to the gym or done any running over the Christmas break, one to rest my knee and two because I have had the most terrible tight chesty cough, but we have had a real Christmas tree for the first time ever and since we have disposed of it (to a re-cycle site) my chest seems to have recovered very quickly and whats more, I don't ever remember having a cough like that before.

I have two courses to do this month, one of them is an introduction to child care and the other is a first aid course, I also commence my NVQ 3.

Grace will be going on IV's on 15 as planned, healthwise she has been ok, her energy levels have been good but she has been at home and she is always fine when not in school, so this week will tell how she is doing. Coughwise, has been very moist and frequent, however she has started back on toby this month and she always seems to improve on that after a month of promixen.

Grace missed the first day of the new term, we put her to bed as normal, and after a fortnight of no complaints other than ankles (usual) she decided she had a strange pain in her tummy brought on after physio. This pain managed to keep her awake until 1 am. I said that I would wake her in the morning to see if she wanted to go to school but she got into our bed at 7.30 and then slept until 10.30.

We had a little chat about the pain and she did go to the toilet about 4 times during the day and it was quite bulky so maybe it was a slight blockage that we managed to move on and the pain has since gone. I asked her if she didn't want to go to school or she was worried about anything to which she replied that she did want to go desperately but was concerned that she would not be able to manage again (before Christmas Grace managed about 5 days school in 5 weeks because she was so exhausted) and that she didn't want to get to that stage again. During the explanation she was very teary and found it difficult to talk without crying.

School was good yesterday and she has gone today but I am going to speak to her teacher about maybe lessening her week again, obviously I am going to speak to her nurse first, but as far as she is concerned the original shortened week is still in place. It was Graces idea to do the full week at the start of September as she felt she could manage it. Also school swimming lessons commence this week and although Grace is an accomplished swimmer (she has her 50m badge and has done her survival) she stopped going to after school lessons for a while because it was a struggle last year, and although she is a good swimmer her stamina is not what it could be and sometimes I've had to drag her out of the pool because she just sinks without warning.

Christmas was very quiet and relaxing, the actual day itself was a bit manic and a mad rush to manage opening presents, having a shower and making it to the in-laws for lunch at 1.00pm but the rest of the holiday was just eating and sitting in front of the tv, even Newyear we stayed home and saw it in on our own (Mark, myself and Grace).

So reading back on that the positives for the year are to work hard myself towards my goal of passing exams and for Grace to manage her activities so that she can manage the year with less exhaustion.

Its strange that we have always tried to fit in lots of activities for Grace as it has always been drummed into us that exercise is the way to go to keep her lungs clear and healthy etc, but to then have to cut everything so that Grace can just complete a full week sends everything out of the window. I have always hated to be defeated and I think that has been inherited by Grace, but we both have to learn that we can't keep going and its not expected of us. Things as simple as getting to school on time -we have to learn that sometimes it just doesn't matter.....another challenge for the year maybe......