Thursday 21 April 2011

And thank you Sarah

For your card and gifts - like BBBJ they cheered me up no end. Especially as your parcel arrived the day after Allison's. So this week I have been spoiled with lovely, thoughtful gifts .... and feeling guilty because it simply didn't occur to me to do the same ....

But both sets of gifts have really lifted me this week and as a result I have found myself much better able to cope with Alex's behaviour during the holidays. And because I've relaxed he has too ... so it's all good :) Plus the sleeping medicine is working a treat with him, within one hour of taking it he's out for the count, and I am starting to get my evenings back.

I'm working steadily on Spriteling - had to rip back two rows or so a couple of times as I keep missing YOs by the CDDs - but I'm getting there and it's looking good.

Happy Easter to all - I hope you have lots of chocolate and happy days

Tuesday 19 April 2011

Thank you Allison

You are such a star.

This morning I was sitting at the table knitting and feeling mopey, and a parcel arrived with a selection of Body Shop goodies and a skein of gorgeous yarn in purples and blues. And a little note from Allison to say that she had sent a few things to cheer me up - it so worked ...

In the same post was a charity appeal for abandoned animals, and I was feeling so happy that I phoned them up and donated £15 on the spot. I guess that follows the precept - if someone shows you a kindness pass it on ....

I love the yarn so much that I'm going to ball it up tonight and chose a square from the Nicky Epstein book to start my collection of squares for the jacket/shawl that I have decided to make myself with an intention that it will be finished and photographed by beginning October at the latest - just in time for the cold weather.

Oh by the way I got the sock yarn out and it isn't red, it's fuchsia pink with gold sparkles. Still looks fairly spectacular though. I've cast Spriteling on and completed about 15 rows - had a bit of a problem with the 3 in 3 stitch but after discussing it with my sister, I've cracked it now and it seems to be going swimmingly.

Taking the kids to Wingham Wildlife Centre just the other side of Canterbury tomorrow - loads of birds wandering around the park - swans, geese, ducks, hens, peacocks the lot - and the kids can buy bird seed to feed them.

Although I cannot really call Amber a kid anymore. She has just had her first interview of many to join the army - she wants to join the Royal Engineers, and she has had a list of things she has to do, getting fit is one of them. She needs to be able to run 1.5 miles in 13 minutes - so I have promised that I will support her totally and buy anything she needs as long as she promises to work hard at it.

I've dosed Alex with his sleeping medicine but he is still playing his game at the moment - with any luck it should work within 45 minutes and I can go back downstairs and carry on with my shawl.

I have to say thank you again, Allison for your thoughtful gifts, they have lightened my heart greatly. I also want to say thankyou to everyone who has left me comforting and heartening comments - I'm still battling the depression but your friendship has helped so much.

Maybe we ought to do a parcel swap again soon? Too late for Easter but maybe a mid summer parcel, something like that.

Sunday 17 April 2011

Spriteling

I've taken the plunge and signed up - I've got the first clue but must be short of two or three by now. Has anybody still got them and if so would you mind sending me a copy?

I've just realised that it is sock weight that I need, not lace weight. And I just happen to have a lovely bright red with gold sparkles that threw itself at me from Posh Yarns. Sounds perfect for this I think. :)

Thursday 14 April 2011

Feeling sorry for myself

I'm sitting here typing this with my stomach and guts sounding like a bubbling concerto.

I have been mildly anaemic now for years, and all of a sudden the doctors want to find out what is causing it. So I had to go for an Endosocopy three weeks ago. Camera up the Jaxi type of thing. And it was agony, because they couldn't get the camera to go round into the down section of my large intestine, they kept pumping in more and more air until it was unbelievably painful. So the sadist - sorry surgeon - referred me for a Barium Enema - and that was today.

Of all the most undignified investigations, this has to be the worst. Worse still was that there were two men there but no female chaperone. I had two of those awful hospital gowns, one in front and one behind, but had to keep turning around on the bed as the operator pumped in air and Barium and xrayed me at the same time. It was very uncomfortable and totally undignified. To make matters worse he decided that he needed to give me an injection to stop my bowels from cramping - so he injected me in my left wrist only the first time he didn't get into the vein so he did it again. So now I have a painful bruised and swollen wrist to go with my painful and swollen stomach. And for both investigations I had to starve for two days and take a powerful laxative to 'clear me out'

Sorry for moaning - I suppose I ought to accept these things as necessary to maintain my health, but when you are in the middle of twisting onto your back on a very narrow table with a tube shoved up your bum, it is very difficult to think positively about it. I'm glad they don't video these things :)

Oh well at least that's all over now. I've had the full set - camera down the throat and up the behind, so I don't think there's much more left to investigate :)

Thursday 7 April 2011

And the beat goes on ,,,

Not sure why I chose that title - for some reason the song is running around in my head. I've chased it out several times but it keeps on creeping back in.

I have finally managed to get the specialists looking after Alex, to realise that he has severe sleep problems, and he's been prescribed Melatonin which is apparently a natural substance - secreted by the brain at night, to trigger the sleep reflex. By giving Alex 2mil of this each evening, he drops off to sleep within half an hour of getting it and sleeps through the night.

This is such a change and a relief. Previously he would go to bed at 7pm and spend 2 hours playing, demanding drinks and food, and having to be told repeatedly to go to sleep. He very rarely slept much before 9pm and sometimes would still be awake later. Then he'd wake up once or twice through the night for a drink or he'd had a bad dream.

He's had this for three days now and the difference is incredible. It's also helping his behaviour at school - he's much better behaved now than he has been.

We're getting there ....