After years and years of Grace plaguing for a pet, and the fact that Mark absolutely despises animals......... he eventually gave in, hence the little bundle below on a previous post.
Grace constantly used her CF as an angle to needing a pet,myself also.
Little pussy cat went to the vets today for her very first check up, and guess what??.... she's now on antibiotics for a respiratory infection, and of all the people in the house, Mark is the only one she will go to, it was so funny this morning watching him try to read the horse racing page whilst the cat was walking all over the paper..... cheered me up no end x
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
Monday, 18 August 2008
Wow! August already, doesn't time fly?
Well this is what we've been up to since I last blogged.......
We have been down to Devon for a week, to have a bit of a break and also to check out properties. From the properties that we saw, and also the fact that Faye is still undecisive about her further education at the moment, we have decided to put the move on hold for a bit longer.
Mark is no longer at the bookies, but work is a bit thin on the ground, and we are just hoping that it starts to come in as soon as his advertising goes into the yellow pages at the beginning of October. Currently he is distributing leaflets by the hundreds, but not a lot of work has come in yet. Still I have told him that when the children go back to school everyone wants painting and decorating done..... Its hard though..the waiting, he keeps thinking should I apply for a job or should I stick it out??
After a week in Devon we had a major hectic week with Grace in a 3 day show with nightly performances and a matinee. Rehearsals and photo shoots, costume fittings etc, you name it and we had done it in that week. Still it went really well and all of the proceeds went to purchasing equiptment for the oncology department at University hospital Coventry as 'Emily' a little girl in nursery ballet has been undergoing treatment, and had a kidney removed because of cancer.
We finished the show on Saturday evening and the following day we were off to Dorset for a week, and we had a thouroughly good time at both holidays! We were very lucky with the weather as its been dreadful since.
Grace must have thrived on her breaks as she had a glowing report from her consultant and he was very pleased with her, although I have currently changed her meds to augmentin this week as she was being troubled a little by a bit of a loose cough, but generally very well.
Two days ago we bought a little rescue kitten..... she's so cute, but she's not too good today, not eating or drinking and very sleepy, but hopefully she's just adjusting to the change, but she's going to the vets tomorrow for a full check up. We have been through a whole range of names...but we have finally settled on Bitsy-Binx, this is because after narrowing it down to two, Grace and Faye couldn't choose so now she has both of them.
I'll post some pictures shortly.......
I've not been around much generally due to the battle in my head with Mark having no work and being constantly scared, but i'm learning to see positives and I am working my way through it. I have applied for some jobs myself in Healthcare, but so far have had no repies, other than confirmation emails that the applications have been received..... still it gives me a chance to get the pusskins settled in, but I was really looking forward to getting involved in some training for a new job.
Well this is what we've been up to since I last blogged.......
We have been down to Devon for a week, to have a bit of a break and also to check out properties. From the properties that we saw, and also the fact that Faye is still undecisive about her further education at the moment, we have decided to put the move on hold for a bit longer.
Mark is no longer at the bookies, but work is a bit thin on the ground, and we are just hoping that it starts to come in as soon as his advertising goes into the yellow pages at the beginning of October. Currently he is distributing leaflets by the hundreds, but not a lot of work has come in yet. Still I have told him that when the children go back to school everyone wants painting and decorating done..... Its hard though..the waiting, he keeps thinking should I apply for a job or should I stick it out??
After a week in Devon we had a major hectic week with Grace in a 3 day show with nightly performances and a matinee. Rehearsals and photo shoots, costume fittings etc, you name it and we had done it in that week. Still it went really well and all of the proceeds went to purchasing equiptment for the oncology department at University hospital Coventry as 'Emily' a little girl in nursery ballet has been undergoing treatment, and had a kidney removed because of cancer.
We finished the show on Saturday evening and the following day we were off to Dorset for a week, and we had a thouroughly good time at both holidays! We were very lucky with the weather as its been dreadful since.
Grace must have thrived on her breaks as she had a glowing report from her consultant and he was very pleased with her, although I have currently changed her meds to augmentin this week as she was being troubled a little by a bit of a loose cough, but generally very well.
Two days ago we bought a little rescue kitten..... she's so cute, but she's not too good today, not eating or drinking and very sleepy, but hopefully she's just adjusting to the change, but she's going to the vets tomorrow for a full check up. We have been through a whole range of names...but we have finally settled on Bitsy-Binx, this is because after narrowing it down to two, Grace and Faye couldn't choose so now she has both of them.
I'll post some pictures shortly.......
I've not been around much generally due to the battle in my head with Mark having no work and being constantly scared, but i'm learning to see positives and I am working my way through it. I have applied for some jobs myself in Healthcare, but so far have had no repies, other than confirmation emails that the applications have been received..... still it gives me a chance to get the pusskins settled in, but I was really looking forward to getting involved in some training for a new job.
Monday, 7 July 2008
Yesterdays post was short and sweet as I didn't have a lot of time and I have other things on my mind.
We are currently trying to close down our existing business and are ready to move on and begin another one, but, and its a big but - I have always wanted to move nearer to the coast and Mark feels that we should do it now.
Faye has just finished a HNC and is going on to further education. I feel that she should go to a university and stay on campus or move with us and stay at home, but she has set her mind to a very expensive private school of teaching. I have great concerns that she will run up a huge debt and possibly not finish the course (you have to rely on scholarships after the first year and only if the school deems you good enough to receive one). Also she has to find somewhere to stay and although I will have family in the Coventry area, no one feels that they want to put her up for 3 years.
In my opinion if she goes on campus at Uni for the first year, it would put her in good stead to manage her finances better and be able to rent with students for the last two years, and I would feel much better about her doing that and at a fraction of the cost including the maintenance fee that at the private college.
Its not all about the finance, I just think that she has a wider scope at University rather than specialising in one area only.
I have taken weeks to work out in my head that that is the only thing stopping me from coming to a decision now. We will be going there with no work, but Mark will advertise as soon as we get there and hopefully start jobs more or less straight away. He is going into painting and decorating, one because he has done it on lots of occasions to help out his best friend who does that for a living and two because he is very good at it.
This may all sound like irrelevant rubbish, but when you have a very sick child life has to be relatively problem free so that you can devote all of your time, energy and worries to them without other stuff getting in the way.
With all that in mind, I still think it would be a great thing for Grace if we moved, so I must have come to the right decision????
I forgive the person that left a comment yesterday saying that my blog was irrelevant and not at all interesting, but hey you didn't have to read it, and its meant as a release for me, no one in particular, but if they like reading then what does it matter. I only hope you are never faced with the difficulties that a family looking after a sick child has to deal with every day. Hows that for love week Suzie?
We are currently trying to close down our existing business and are ready to move on and begin another one, but, and its a big but - I have always wanted to move nearer to the coast and Mark feels that we should do it now.
Faye has just finished a HNC and is going on to further education. I feel that she should go to a university and stay on campus or move with us and stay at home, but she has set her mind to a very expensive private school of teaching. I have great concerns that she will run up a huge debt and possibly not finish the course (you have to rely on scholarships after the first year and only if the school deems you good enough to receive one). Also she has to find somewhere to stay and although I will have family in the Coventry area, no one feels that they want to put her up for 3 years.
In my opinion if she goes on campus at Uni for the first year, it would put her in good stead to manage her finances better and be able to rent with students for the last two years, and I would feel much better about her doing that and at a fraction of the cost including the maintenance fee that at the private college.
Its not all about the finance, I just think that she has a wider scope at University rather than specialising in one area only.
I have taken weeks to work out in my head that that is the only thing stopping me from coming to a decision now. We will be going there with no work, but Mark will advertise as soon as we get there and hopefully start jobs more or less straight away. He is going into painting and decorating, one because he has done it on lots of occasions to help out his best friend who does that for a living and two because he is very good at it.
This may all sound like irrelevant rubbish, but when you have a very sick child life has to be relatively problem free so that you can devote all of your time, energy and worries to them without other stuff getting in the way.
With all that in mind, I still think it would be a great thing for Grace if we moved, so I must have come to the right decision????
I forgive the person that left a comment yesterday saying that my blog was irrelevant and not at all interesting, but hey you didn't have to read it, and its meant as a release for me, no one in particular, but if they like reading then what does it matter. I only hope you are never faced with the difficulties that a family looking after a sick child has to deal with every day. Hows that for love week Suzie?
Sunday, 6 July 2008
Graces school has had an international week this week, and Graces class were French.
They had food tastings and dressed up and Grace played Au Clair de la lune on the piano in front of the whole school! I don't have a photo of her playing piano in school, but the one above is her practising at home.
Whilst in photo mode, does anyone want to buy my car? Its been up for sale for ages.... its got 15000, miles on the clock and I have been its only owner.... I can't even get 6000 quid for it :( .................. my poor little car.
I have tried to make a film, well I have made a film of Grace doing IV's, but I just can't manage to upload it. I was inspired by Athies 'Great Escape' which is hilarious by the way and you can see it here. Hopefully as soon as I have managed it, it will be uploaded.
Thursday, 26 June 2008
Coming together
Grace has had her port re-accessed by the nurse and is back on IV's until Tuesday, she seems pretty well albeit still getting joint pain despite the steroids. This makes me wonder is it worth doing them as nothing else but anti inflammatorys seem to work.
I am still waiting for my friend to work out how to email me photographs from BGT. I took some which I will post today, but the zoom wouldn't work on my camera so they look a little like a Lowri painting.
I went to Fayes end of year performance and was very entertained, although the drama group performances always shock me with their swearing.
Today Harry 'O' (my Dad) went to surgery and had a pacemaker fitted and when I phoned at 12.00pm he was sitting up having lunch! Blimey there'll be no stopping him now, the squirrels in the garden had better run for cover.
I've been to the gym and did 26 mins on the treadmill and a further 20 on the cross trainer - Suzie try level 12 for 2 minutes, phew!!
I have requested details for a house in Devon and Mark and I (and Grace of course) are planning on travelling down on 12 July to have a look at a few on the market. I'm still very undecisive about this, but I've always wanted to move to the coast one day. I have to take into consideration that we will be going down jobless until Mark starts advertising and getting jobs (painting and decorating, we have put some money aside to cover us during the first couple of months. Mark has worked on and off with his best friend in the trade, and completely knows what he is doing, but it still really scares me.
Graces cf care is another consideration and I have emailed relevant hospitals. We have looked at schools and I would need to find a nice pharmacist and a GP that is happy to add Graces stuff to his budget.
My home here is complete and perfect, well more or less, I would probably have the front garden converted into an off road parking area. This makes it hard to give up, so I am looking for a property that needs nothing more than cosmetic surgery and I am totally happy with bathrooms and kitchens etc, those builders certainly left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
Grace says she will miss her friends but is sure that she wants to do it, Faye is off to Uni anyway so she wouldn't be around for a while and Kristi just said "great, free holidays"! Adam is of an age where he has started to be a little independant and feels obliged to turn down days out with friends because he has to spend the weekend with his Dad, so we felt that if he visited monthly he gets 3 weekends out of 4 where he can please himself so making it less pressure, and obviously school holidays, well Adam and sea are 2 words that are difficult to separate.
So why then am I turning this over and over in my head having days when I'm absolutely going and then days when I'm absolutely not? (In the voice of the Grinch) Errrrrrrrrr thats a tough one! I am going to have to ask for help on this one from my friend 'God'
Click on the little box to see George, its the only way I could do a big enough picture, and Faye is on the far right of her picture.
Monday, 23 June 2008
I had planned on going for a run this morning, but Graces line was out when she came home from school on Friday. We went up to the hospital and they made 3 attempts to access it, but couldn't. During this time Grace had a lot of entinox and needed a wheelchair to go to xray (to make sure there was nothing wrong with her port). Her Dr was on call so he said to leave it until her Cf nurse returned to work on Monday.
This morning I text her at 7.30 and so far we haven't heard anything. She may be waiting to talk to the consultant so I haven't contacted her as yet. I will give it a little while longer then give her a call to find out what the plan is.
Generally she appears a little better, but that could be just because the IV's have been stopped as thats how they make her feel.
Because Grace is so compliant they had 3 attempts with entinox to access the port, so it looks a little like a pin cushion and very bruised presently, so they might decide to leave the extra week of IV's. She hasn't complained of joint pain for the past two days so the 25mg of prednisalone daily is obviously having the desired effect.
We went out for lunch yesterday and had to sit in the garden because we didn't book and there were no tables available until 4.30 (this was at 1.00pm). Yes it was gail force winds in the Midlands yesterday, but we took our chances as it was a warm wind.
Firstly when they brought out our starters Marks garnish blew away before the waitress reached the table!! Generally lunch was very nice, but trying to eat roast beef through your hair is interesting, the worst thing was that the children take ages to eat and I decided to have a massive hayfever attack right in the middle. I was a sorry sight by the time we left and it will be a lunch we will never forget, its a good job we have sense of humour.
My Dad is currently in hospital waiting to find out if he needs to have a pacemaker fitted. He's been unwell for some time but put it down to old age and wouldn't go to the DR's (typical man thing) anyway he fell off his stepladder and had to go to casualty which turned out to be bruised ribs, but they were more than concerned with his heart and lack of blood pressure.
Anyway, the point is that a lady on another ward with cardiac problems and severe confusion, won't leave him alone, she thinks he's her husband and keeps turning his tv off and saying he shouldn't be watching it and if he's trying to sleep she keeps touching his face and adjusting his covers etc, but its really getting him down and he now seems more poorly than when he went in.
We have spoken to the sister but they said there isn't much they can do, he has been instructed to buzz the nurses if she steps foot in the room, but he is on edge all of the time and he can't sleep because she wakes him up as soon as he nods off.
He is ready to sign himself out and we have worked hard to keep him there, but surely they should be doing more to keep this lady out of his ward? especially as a cardiac patient needs to be kept calm. They can't move him as there is no other beds available, but he is very fragile and its frightening him...... poor GrandyPandy.....hopefully we get some better news later on today, but until then I have to just hover around all day waiting for update phone calls from everyone.
This morning I text her at 7.30 and so far we haven't heard anything. She may be waiting to talk to the consultant so I haven't contacted her as yet. I will give it a little while longer then give her a call to find out what the plan is.
Generally she appears a little better, but that could be just because the IV's have been stopped as thats how they make her feel.
Because Grace is so compliant they had 3 attempts with entinox to access the port, so it looks a little like a pin cushion and very bruised presently, so they might decide to leave the extra week of IV's. She hasn't complained of joint pain for the past two days so the 25mg of prednisalone daily is obviously having the desired effect.
We went out for lunch yesterday and had to sit in the garden because we didn't book and there were no tables available until 4.30 (this was at 1.00pm). Yes it was gail force winds in the Midlands yesterday, but we took our chances as it was a warm wind.
Firstly when they brought out our starters Marks garnish blew away before the waitress reached the table!! Generally lunch was very nice, but trying to eat roast beef through your hair is interesting, the worst thing was that the children take ages to eat and I decided to have a massive hayfever attack right in the middle. I was a sorry sight by the time we left and it will be a lunch we will never forget, its a good job we have sense of humour.
My Dad is currently in hospital waiting to find out if he needs to have a pacemaker fitted. He's been unwell for some time but put it down to old age and wouldn't go to the DR's (typical man thing) anyway he fell off his stepladder and had to go to casualty which turned out to be bruised ribs, but they were more than concerned with his heart and lack of blood pressure.
Anyway, the point is that a lady on another ward with cardiac problems and severe confusion, won't leave him alone, she thinks he's her husband and keeps turning his tv off and saying he shouldn't be watching it and if he's trying to sleep she keeps touching his face and adjusting his covers etc, but its really getting him down and he now seems more poorly than when he went in.
We have spoken to the sister but they said there isn't much they can do, he has been instructed to buzz the nurses if she steps foot in the room, but he is on edge all of the time and he can't sleep because she wakes him up as soon as he nods off.
He is ready to sign himself out and we have worked hard to keep him there, but surely they should be doing more to keep this lady out of his ward? especially as a cardiac patient needs to be kept calm. They can't move him as there is no other beds available, but he is very fragile and its frightening him...... poor GrandyPandy.....hopefully we get some better news later on today, but until then I have to just hover around all day waiting for update phone calls from everyone.
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