More than just a bag lady

Last week was brilliant. But boy am I paying for it now. I am exhausted. Bone achingly tired. I  spent most of Sunday in bed, but luckily my parents were still here so they kept the kids entertained and Mum whipped up Sunday lunch for us all and Dad did the washing up.  By the time I woke up yesterday Hubby had left for work and Big Girl was already awake. Big Fella had come into our bed in the night after having a nightmare and so hubby had ended up sleeping in his mid sleeper as he's such a wriggler. I was surprised to find Big Fella was still lying next to me but he was watching a video on his iPad which helps him to stay still for more than a minute!  His blonde hair was all messy which has earnt him the nickname of Boris Johnson amongst family and friends.  After nagging the kids about the state of their rooms I thought I had better practice what I preach so I spent the morning tidying my room which translates as picking up a few things off the floor, then lying...

It's been Big Girls birthday this week and I couldn't help but think of how different this year was to last.  Last year I was in St Marks hospital after having had my pouch formed in mid July 2013. I was in a bad way as I'd had infections, complications and was struggling with hydration issues. I was so poorly I wasn't even well enough to leave the ward so it meant that she had to come to the hospital. On her birthday.  I felt as though I had totally failed as a mother. I had already been in hospital for Big Fella's birthday earlier in 2013 but managed a few hours day release. I felt that no child should ever have to spend the day in a hospital on their birthday.  Hubby and I asked her what she wanted to do on her special day. I didn't want to make her come into the hospital if she didn't want to and even though I would be heartbroken if I didn't see her I was willing to do that to make her happy.  She decided she wanted to come and see me in the morning...

I've just got back from my holidays. It's been two of the best weeks I've had for a very long time. The first week was spent in Devon with Hubby's family and the second in Cornwall just the four of us. The sun shone every day but it wasn't so hot that I couldn't cope with it. We were so lucky as it meant that we got to spend lots of time on the beach building sandcastles, flying kites, body boarding and playing boules.  Week 1 was spent in a caravan in Woolacombe. I had never been there before but some of the school mums had recommended it to me and we weren't disappointed. Although the site was a bit hilly, it did mean that you had great views of the beach and out to sea. I would definitely stay there again. They were really helpful with regards to my 'medical condition'. They put a second fridge into the caravan free of charge to store my TPN fluids and when I had to get an emergency delivery of supplies they took the delivery at reception and then...

I'm Natalie's friend Sara - previously referred to in this blog as the woman who scared a car full of people with my terrible driving & lack of basic knowledge of car buttons and thingamajigs.  I'm also the same person who threw up continuously when my husband trod on some open scissors and asked me to get the first aid box from the car. Poor man had to hop to the car and get it himself and pull the scissors out. I also traumatised numerous children once when my son cut his head open and I ran hysterically through the school, with blood spurting everywhere. A member of staff stemmed the small but gushing cut with one finger and all was calm again. Now why didn't I think of that!  You get the picture, not the best person to rely on in an emergency! But if you are Natalie's friend, then it's highly likely you will have witnessed her fall very ill at one time or another and she will have needed help. On several occasions, her calm and collected friends have not...

I was discharged yesterday! Who would have thought it when this time last week they called the priest and I woke up to find him anointing me. I thought I was getting the last rites 😧 but I was only getting the anointing of the sick. Phew. But that's bad enough.  Anyway, I'm home. But not for long. I'm hoping to head off on my summer hols soon. So lots of packing to do. Not just the usual clothes, but medication, TPN, supplies, sharps bin, ensure drinks, hand wash...the list goes on and on. I got a new bikini- what do you think? When I got discharged from hospital yesterday the first thing I did was surprise the kids by going and picking them up from school. The look on their faces when they saw me brought a lump to my throat and I had to try and hold it together in the playground.  Today has been hot, hot, hot so I've spent the day in bed with the fan on. The kids have been fab, even letting me have a little sleep. They know not to cook anything, answer the door or do ...

After I finished my A-levels in Germany in 2008 I decided to spend half a year as an aupair in the UK. When I sat in the plane I was extremely nervous and I would never have imagined to meet such a wonderful family and that they would always make me feel part of the family from the second I arrived in Stansted. I arrived in January and I think it was only about 8 weeks later when Nat told me in the morning she didn't feel well and she might have to go into hospital. In the afternoon Dan came home and told me Nat was in hospital and would have to stay there overnight to get checked through by a doctor. I was really worried because I didn't know how Nat felt and I was struggling to understand all the "medical" English. I remember being told days later that the doctors had to rush Nat in an emergency surgery just weeks before their wedding in May.  When Nat came back from hospital I remember that she sat down with me to explain me like a 3-year-old what ...

I wanted to start a blog during the summer of 2013 but wasn't brave enough to write down all my thoughts and feelings. I am now 1year in remission so it seems fitting to tell my story and show you all how far I have come.   I’ll start at the beginning… My 2013 started sick, in bed, in my mother in laws house whilst all my other 20 year old friends partied hard. I was so jealous! That's pretty much how the whole of 2013 treated me - sick! Between August 2012 and October 2012 I was fobbed off with IBS, stomach bug, celiac and just that I was allergic to certain foods. It wasn’t until one lovely nurse in A&E realised that she had seen me most weeks and decided to put me on the list for a colonoscopy as my inflammation levels were sky high. Alas I was diagnosed! I wasn’t going mad, it wasn’t in my head, I had Crohns disease!   I knew absolutely nothing about this scary thing except that it stopped me socialising and going to work. It was completely debilitating! ...