Thursday 19th February 2009

Let me introduce you to Fudge! It was Sarah's 12th birthday yesterday and she got the hamster from Nanny and Grandad(thanks!) We picked him up on Sunday, Sarah named him Fudge because of his colour, but when we got him home we noticed he only had one ear!! I have therefore re-named him Vincent Van Fudge(as in Van Gogh) but Fudge has sort of stuck!!He is really sweet, but because he nipped Katie and I when he was being curious on Sunday when he was first held, Sarah won't hold him! He didn't hurt me, and he hasn't bitten anyone since but she's now scared! She lets him run around on her bed, but I have to be there to catch him if he gets a bit lively!!He keeps us up all night going round in his wheel - I have to take the wheel out of his cage when we go to bed or it squeeks away at 1 in the morning!!
She also got a new PINK mobile phone from us for her birthday and LOADS of money - we went for breakfast at Giraffe-full English and a fruit smoothie, YUM!! and then we went to the cinema to see the new Disney film Bolt in 3D-it was great and quite funny actually, but I would like to see an adult film for a change-I am Disney'd out!!!Anyway, half term has passed uneventfully, with Katie home, and sleeping mostly,but the weekend is a big one for her, with the coach of Katie's prospective University hockey team coming over from America to see her play to see if she will offer her a scholarship to go to North Carolina University-aaaagggghhhhh!!!I'm nervous for her, but I'm sure she will be fine! We are going out to dinner (chinese-mmmmmmm) on Saturday night so we need to be on our best behaviour!
Clinic with Maria is getting nearer(9th March) and now we have an appointment with Mr Pollock, Sarah's surgeon, on 5th March - don't like these appointments, and my breath will be held until we get out with the all clear for another 2 months. I'm sure it gets easier as time passes, but at the moment it is hell waiting for the date to come.I keep telling myself it will be OK - she has no pain, she says she feels fine, nothing hurts, but she felt fine last time. Fingers crossed all will be OK.

Race for Life - 28th June 2009

Hi everyone,
Sarah and I have signed up to do the Race for Life in aid of Cancer Research on 28th June 2009 at Old Deer Park!! I have persuaded Sarah that by then she will be able to walk 5km, and she is going to give it a try!! If you want to sponsor me, click on the link below, and give generously!! Once I have raised my amount I will change the link to Sarahs so she can raise the same or more!!!!
Happy clicking, and thank you in advance!!

Wednesday 11th February 2009

What a great party we had!!! Still recovering, hence the delay in posting this blog!!
Spent all day Thursday and Friday last week preparing the house/putting up the marquee/going shopping, all in the freezing cold, and praying it wouldn't snow again! It was touch and go, we did have about 1 cm of snow overnight on Thursday so we woke up to the garden all being white again, but it melted just in time.Managed to get the patio heater inside the marquee, and although it was plastic, it didn't melt and warmed it up quite nicely!!!
Party got going around 7pm, and we finally went to bed at 2.45am, after a great night dancing, chatting and boozing (and that was just the kids.......!!) Sarah had a good time, and got LOADS of presents!!! She had 26 friends, all in fancy dress - great!! Total attendance - 75 people - no wonder I was stressed!! We are finally slowly getting the house back to normal, although Sarah is still grouchy as she is still a bit tired! So am I!! One good thing - we have enough booze left over to have another party! Might have to have a summer barbecue......if we ever get a summer ever again!

Monday 2nd February

Snow!!! Great excitement, no school (Yippee!!) and even slippery snow drifts didn't stop Sarah going out and enjoying herself today. We set off round the park with the sledge, with the intention of me pulling her round there so she didn't fall over, but it must have been the wrong type of snow because I could hardly move her!! So, not to be daunted, she got up, and walked round there, sticking to the fluffy snowy bits where her crutches were prevented from slipping by the shere volume of snow!! Got to the park and Emily and Sophie, our next door neighbours children, had a great time going up and down the hills on our sledge, and Sarah was wistfully looking on - so she asked for a turn. I was a bit worried about her falling off, so she went half way up the slope, and we pushed gently - and weeeeeeeee!! No accidents, no bruises, and a great time had by all. Glad its all melting now though, or either no one will turn up to the party Saturday as they're snowed in, or everyone will be inside - 75 people will be a bit cramped in my living room............!! More news on the party will follow Sunday - watch this space - if I have the energy to type then!!!!!

Thursday 29th january 2009

Another ordinary Thursday has just turned into something ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR!!!!! Guess what?! Sarah has just walked from the living room, to the kitchen, up the kitchen and back again, WITH NO CRUTCHES!!!!!!! Oh My God!! I cannot tell you how excited I am, how happy I am, and how much I just cried my eyes out!!!! I told her on the way home from school today that I was giving her a month to practise walking with one crutch, and then on 1st March, I was taking one away, so she had to walk with one crutch all the time. She moaned, said she couldn't do it, she would have to take 2 crutches to school as it was all bumpy and slippery, and I despaired a bit that my idea wasn't going to work.She had her tea, and went off to Guides, with the promise she would walk on 1 crutch round the church hall until I collected her. She came home, and for some reason, she started to try and stand on one foot at the bottom of the stairs. She said she felt hyper and managed to stand on her bad leg for a second, and she did it a couple of times. Dave asked her what it felt like when she did it - her answer was it felt fine and no different than the other leg! I challenged her, and said if she could put her weight on her foot standing still, then why couldn't she do it whilst walking? So, without prompting, she got up, and took a step - admittedly more a limp than a step, but there was no crutch. She realised it was OK - she wasn't going to fall over - and she took another one. Great excitement filled the air - I started cheering her on, and the look on her face when she got to the kitchen not holding on to her crutches that have become part of her life, was an absolute picture!. She then pushed on, walked all the way to the end of the kitchen, and back again. She has gone to bed now, after giving me a big cuddle as I wept buckets of tears!!! She thought it was hilarious that I was crying, but all the stress of seeing my 11 year old daughter, who should be running round with her friends at school, stuck indoors with crutches welded on to her hands, melted away. I can see light at the end of the tunnel . I can see her dancing at her party next Saturday, which I was hoping would happen when I organised it, but realistically didn't really believe would happen.I know the walking is more limping, and I'm sure we are a long way from a proper step yet, but I cannot tell you how proud I am of her. GO SARAH!!!!!!

Friday 23rd January 2009

Everything has been ticking away quite nicely this week. Sarah is feeling well and full of energy - she's been at school all week, swimming on Monday night, Guides on Thursday doing Boxercise of all things!! She's been to a birthday party at the tenpin bowling alley and is now having a sleepover - normal service has been resumed!!Only thing missing is the walking! Still bumbling along on 2 crutches not in any hurry to do any more actually, but we seem to have got a bit used to it, and unfortunately, because Sarah is now used to it, she's quite happy. She is able to swim and go to school and parties and has even mastered stairs at school to go into the artroom instead of having her lessons by herself in the canteen.Because she hasn't been prevented from doing anything, the hoped for incentive to walk is yet to happen. On the plus side, the physio says she can now feel a muscle forming above Sarahs kneecap, so her exercises must be working.If we can build up enough muscle to hold her leg straight, she will hopefully be able to eventually take that first step and then she'll be off. Its almost as if she's forgotten how to walk a proper step with that leg.If we can train her brain, muscles etc to do the right movement again, then maybe we'll have success.In the meantime, we have to just carry on with the school run in the car instead of catching the bus with her friends, and shuffling slowly from the changing rooms at the swimming pool on the walking frame.Even a slip over on the wet floor at school yesterday didn't deter Sarah one bit. Quite happily she stayed at school, sat in the school wheelchair because she twisted her ankle, for the last 2 lessons!!What is the point in me banning the wheelchair at home, if all she has to do is say her ankle hurts for them to sit her in the emergency one at school!! Aaaaagggghhhh!!!!
We are in full swing in our organisation of Katie and Sarahs joint birthday party on 7th Feb. Sarah is mega-excited and her friends are too!I sorted my fancy dress costume out this week - you will have to wait for the photos to see what it is, but it should be great!!! 60 people are coming to this thing at the last count, so I am getting a bit jittery!! I'm sure it will be fine, but there is so much to do. All will be worth it as my 2 girls deserve a great night. Sarah for obvious reasons, and Katie too for being the greatest 18 year old ever.I hope they have fun!!