I guess the diet will have to wait til tomorrow.....

Well I've just watched the darts and a bit of Dave ja view and managed to demolish the remainder of a box of M&Ms! Ooops!

It was worth it though! The diet and swimming plan will still happen..... There's always tomorrow!! 😂

Room makover complete!!

So, after lots of (nice) interruptions, Faye's bedroom has finally been finished! After 10 years the Humphry's Corner lemon walls and curtains and the blue/red/taupe/lemon patchwork wardrobes and door panels have gone! 😭With some sadness I have to admit! It seems like of yesterday we were decorating it and getting it all ready as a nursery. Me and bump happily sitting with all the wardrobe doors around me on the floor painting them in the 2 weeks between finishing work and Faye finally putting in an appearance!

The walls are now amethyst (purple to most of us normal people!) and the wardrobe/door panels are Bubblegum (bright pink). No more curtains, instead she has an aubergine (Errr..... Purple again!) blackout blind (Yaaaay no more moaning about it being too light to sleep in the summer! Yes, I did plan this one!) and, to make it a bit more 'grown up', fuschia (you've got it, bright pink!) voiles with some pretty crocheted/beaded tie backs. The only snag being the tie back hooks were too small to go over the tie back holders. Nothing a couple of hair bobbles couldn't fix!!

Her old TV unit has been replaced with a chest of drawers and her drawers/bits'n'bobs unit has been replaced with a desk and pink chair. Unbelievably, the chair was just 'pink'! Not fuschia or Bubblegum or rose or blush etc. Just pink!  We need to get handles for the drawers to match her wardrobes and they're done.

We went internet shopping for Faye to pick out her lampshade, desk lamp plus some other bits and jobs and I think it's fair to say she loves her new room!

The only other thing left to do is to pick up and fit a new radiator as hers had corroded and was leaking.

In the meantime, Billy has been running around dressed as Captain America but being "the red power ranger, what's his name again Mummy?"  "Troy"  "Yes. The red one RRAAAAAAA HA YA!". Cue running, karate kick, falling and cracking the cast on his already broken arm on the floor/the table/me...... Ouch! He has had some calmer moments. He proudly showed me the picture he'd drawn of himself weeing in the toilet! 😂 😂 😂

With all the decorating and work, the house is a complete tip. . Even more so than usual which, to be perfectly honest, I didn't think was possible. Apparently it is!!! 😱

For now though, it's time to snuggle down under our 'teal' duvet! Night night everyone! 😴😴😴

The joys and pains of decorating!

Ouch!!! I have discovered muscles my body had forgotten existed!

The weekend started with Billy discovering Faye's old Barbie toys in the garage while we were getting the decorating kit out.  Oh what a happy boy he was!! Faye also appeared to take a reliking to Barbie and it was a blissful afternoon!  No arguing over the tablet or TV,  Faye dressing all the dolls and doing their hair,  Billy playing with the camper van. The day ending in the sofa bed downstairs with Barbie films (A Fairy Secret (definitely my favourite!) and the Island Princess) while Jay prepped and stripped Faye's room,  at the same time discovering her radiator had gone and was leaking.  At least the carpet was coming up anyway!!

Today the decorating began. Lining paper went up no problem. The ceiling paper on the other hand......... I think I must have ended up with more wallpaper paste on my head and in my hair than on the paper!  It would not stick to the ceiling!! Jay at one end of the room trying to put up one end and me at the other end with my end resting on my head because I couldn't be doing with holding it up for what felt like 3 hours!  After lunch we finally got it finished,  got everything put of the room and the carpet up and out ready for painting.  We made a start,  mainly because I couldn't wait to see what colour 'Bubblegum'  pink actually is!  I love it!  It is only being used on the cupboard door panels though - it is fairly bright!  The walls are amethyst and the two colours do compliment each other really well 😊

Faye is barred from her room until it's all finished.  We've got her a proper desk and  new drawers,  a blackout blind and voiles to make it a more 'grown up' room. 

By the time we'd had dinner,  I could barely move! Bath and bed for the kids then a nice hot bath for me.  I know we haven't done any decorating for a while but I really don't remember it being so painful before!

All I can say is,  Faye had better like this room when it's done, because it's not getting done again for a looooong time!!!

😖😖😖😖

Bad Mummy!!

What can I say?

I don't think it would have mattered what I did today,  the kids were going to hate me anyway!

I made them get dressed.

I made them have breakfast.

I let them watch what they wanted on the telly.

I let Billy empty toys all over the room I'd just tidied.

I made Faye put her clothes away (Ok, ok,  I'll give her that one!)

I made them have lunch.

I let them have chocolates /sweets.

I let Faye go on the computer.

But then,  if all of that wasn't enough, of all the wicked and evil things to do.......

I DARED TO WASH BLANKIE!!! 

Both of them actually.

They were filthy and disgusting!  But they got washed and then came out of the dryer all nice and fluffy, clean and warm. 

I gave them to Billy,  who promptly sniffed one and started crying,  shouting "it smells horrible now!!"  before throwing them on the floor in disgust!

Err....  nooo,  they smelled horrible before, now they smell nice!

I don't know why he's bothered anyway.  A day of dragging it around everywhere and it'll look and smell as bad as it did before it crawled into the washing machine! 

Oh well,  there's just no pleasing some people!!

So that's the end of another day as another Monday rears it's ugly head......

Short and Sweet (the blog, not the children, although.......)

Another play day!!  I could get used to these!  I mean,  really,  how often can you get attacked by Chase (from Paw Patrol) with a cutlass, a police man with a big fluffy duck,  and a beanbag sheep all at the same time,  in between acting as a tissue and bib for a baby who flatly refuses to have her nose wiped under any circumstances?!  😂

I also had my hair cut (with the cutlass, obviously), my foot eaten by Zuma (Paw Patrol again...and I thought they were supposed to be Rescue Pups! ) and turned into a slide / piece of general play equipment!

The lorry with the big grabber bucket at our neighnours' was a nice distraction and instead of shouting at the kids to get put of the windowike I normally ,  I was throwing them in to watch and get a 5 minute break!

If nothing else,  the kids had a great day and it got me out of clearing Faye’s room ready for decorating!!

At least our two power rangers finally ran out of steam,  as have we.

As such, today's blog is short and sweet, night night all 😴😴😴

Play day!!

What a lovely day back home!  I spent the the morning playing Humpty Dumpty's wall game (not necessarily by the rules!), mended a bean bag juggling frog,  although didn't get around to finding / clearing up the escaped beans 樂,  and generally enjoyed cuddles with Billy.  Well cuddles and the odd clonk from his plaster arm!

Then,  after a trip to get his hair cut (he now looks older but just as cheeky!), we cuddled up on the sofa with lunch and watched Wall-E.  I love that film!

Faye came home quite excited about it being the last day at school, slightly less excited about her Valentine gift from someone she hadn't got anything for and isn't intending on getting anything for,  and very excited about her Pamper Evening at Guides (mainly because it meant she was allowed to wear makeup!).

Billy then also wanted to wear makeup so he was jumping around,  wearing an old leotard lion dancing costume of Faye's,  pretending to be a monkey,  telling us not to spoil his lip gloss!!   

Seeing as I'd had a lazy day,  I took Faye to Guides and then went to Asda to get the shopping,  a much more attractive prospect than going tomorrow!  I was done and back home by 8.30,  feeling really smug and pleased with myself!

The evening got a bit busier after that, hence why I'm still up now Blogging,  even though I have nothing interesting to blog about!  Suffice to say, life is never dull around here!!!! 

Home sweet home 🏠

It's good to be home!

After a nice relaxing afternoon playing chess and cards etc.  I got a visit from my Consultant and team to let me know the surgeon has decided I am "an attractive candidate"  (very flattering, thank you very much! 😂) "for surgery" (oh,  not that kind of attractive then!  Never mind 🙁) . Letter will be in the post,  we'll still monitor you in the meantime, thank you very much and bye bye 😀

So that's it.  There is a cunning plan!

Downloaded the leaflet about the op,  read it 😱, deleted it 😆

Dressings were whipped off,  cannula taken out,  bags packed and we were out of there! 

It was so nice to get my little uns back (big thanks to Mum and Dad for all their help) and get back to my own home and bed.  The house was tidy and there was a welcome home 'banner' on the stairs as I came through the front door ❤️

I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful family who are always there for me.

I love you all so much! 😘

Anyway,  back to reality,  although unusually the kids haven't started arguing again yet,  admittedly they are asleep! 😂

No more of the alien reject look for me!!

Well day 3 is making a good start!!  I had a lie-in,  still woke early but stayed in bed dozing until about 7am. Then I was brought an early breakfast so thought I should drag myself out of bed and get ready for my MRI.

The porter arrived with a wheelchair (!) to take me (Err.... No thanks,  I'll walk) - as it's in another building you have to go by ambulance!  🚑 It was freezing outside, shame they didn't have a blanket in the wheelchair!  Following the ambulance ride,  I realised the early breakfast was nothing to do with the time of the scan,  it was to give it time to go down before the ambulance journey to prevent it making a reappearance en-route!! 🤢

Once in the MRI suite I had something laid over my chest and was told it might get quite warm during the scan (as if they thought that might be a problem!) so to buzz if I wanted the fan turning up.  That wasn't going to happen,  I was really looking forward to the warming up part!!

Now I know a lot of people don't like the MRI scanner because it's quite a tight fit and noisy but, in between all the commands to not breathe, I actually found it quite relaxing and almost nodded off a few times!

1st test of the day over and back to the ward to psych myself up for my second exercise test - cycling endurance!  😱

This test was explained to me on Tuesday.  You get all wired up etc. again,  the same as for the first test I did (lovely,  REALLY looking forward to that bit 🤣).  Freewheel for a couple of minutes,  then they whack it up to,  I think,  60% of your full capacity and see how long you can keep going for.  At least it won't be a long test........... 😂

I tried hiding in the loo but they found me and dragged me kicking and a screaming to the waiting area.  Then returned 5 mins later to say it was lucky day as due to my angiogram results yesterday I don't need to do this test anymore!!  Woohoo!!! 😂 😂 😂

Cure definitely wins this round!!  In ya face Kill!

I now have the day to relax and chill until the MDT meeting finishes at 5/6pm,  find out what their plans for me are and go home!

And to top it all off,  it's lovely and quiet on the ward today.  Yaaaaaayyyy!!

😊😊😊😊😊

Headphones required 🎧

OK,  so I survived Day 1,  just!

Day 2 started bright and early,  well,  early anyway,  not so sure about the 'bright'  bit,  it wasn't a particularly peaceful night ! I thought I'd better beat the crowds to the shower in case the hot water ran out. It was more drizzle shower than a power shower (my hair REALLY needs a power shower!) but it was nice enough and hot.  I think everyone else had worn themselves out during the night so I was out of the shower,  dressed and watching telly before any of them even woke up.  Breakfast arrived,  as did the Dr who was going to do my right heart catheter,  who promptly told me I shouldn't eat my breakfast until after the procedure 😭

She got me to sign the consent form (I mean,  what's the worst that can happen [read form] oh!  All of that!!  😕), and handed me a lovely gown to wear for the special occasion!  I have a sneaky suspicion day is going to end Kill -  2, Cure -  0!!

As it was, it wasn't too bad,  slightly uncomfortable and apparently they only made a 2mm hole in my neck and jugular vein and it was a 'clean puncture'  so Woohoo!  Bring it on!!

It turns out that I do have pulmonary hypertension anyway so there was no need to do the cycling test with the catheter shoved through my neck into my heart / lungs....  Every cloud!...... I never thought that sounded like a good idea anyway!

I finally got my breakfast and was on bed rest for 2 hours with a lovely pressure dressing on my neck. Slightly uncomfortable and restricting but hey ho....

We did some more puzzles and crosswords and admired how well I'd done not to smother anyone. Yet (there's still time.........) . In order to prevent such a terrible thing from happening,  it was strongly advised that I wore headphones for the rest of the day!

I did.

And so far it's worked!!

😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

Papworth 'Spa' Hospital

Well,  the staff are lovely,  the food isn't too bad but it's a shared bedroom/shower/toilet 😂

There isn't a pool and the gym isn't what you'd usually find.  Instead of being made to feel better about yourself,  it appears they do everything in their power to make you feel as ridiculous as possible!  I kid you not!!

Today was the first of my tests - cardiopulmonary exercise test 1 (incremental).  Sounds sort of impressive. 

First bit was just a few breathing tests.  No problem at all,  felt more relaxed thinking 'this is going to be a breeze!'.  Next,  blood tests from the wrist,  I was warned this might be more uncomfortable than usual blood tests but,  again,  this was fine.  Yaaaay getting into this now!

Then the fun began.  So it started with wiring me up to the ECG.  OK,  no biggy.  Hop onto the exercise bike and a blood pressure cuff was put on.  Fine.  But then some monitor thing was strapped to my forehead with a lovely head harness 😕.  It has to be said,  I've looked better!  But nooooooo,  they've not finished yet!!!  Just to complete the look,  let's just add a bright blue face mask with attached pipe to breathe through!  Now they're just taking the mic!! The final touch was to ask how I was feeling........ Seriously???!  You REALLY want to know?!!!

Finally the test began,  looking like some sort of alien reject 👽 I then have to start pedalling,  easy enough for a while but then it got harder and harder until I began to think they really were trying to kill me..... 😱. Seriously though they were very encouraging and apparently I did really well.  Couldn't breathe,  talk or stand up but, apart from that, great!! I asked for a sticker but apparently the budget doesn't stretch that far 😭

At least that was it for the day and back to my bed to relax, have a game of chess, do some puzzles, and listen to all the other patients...... Now that DID make me feel very healthy and well!!

I've been thinking I should have brought a Facepack with me to wander around through the night to see how many people I could scare 😂😈

Unfortunately I didn't think about that when I was packing so I'll just have to think of something else to do to pass the time......

Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!! 😁

Time for a break!

It's been a busy old time since Christmas with birthday parties and leaving parties,  well one leaving party anyway (honestly,  some people are so selfish,  swanning off down under to a gorgeous Australian summer and leaving us behind....... ). Still it was a great party and I'm only joking.  I'm not good with crocodiles and spiders 🐊🕷️😱

Work has been manic but trying to keep on top of things due to my impending spa break at Papworth Hospital this week 😂 Bag sort of ready for packing,  although I've still not found my kindle.  The kids had it last....... Hmmmmm🤔

So it was planned to have a relatively relaxing family weekend.

Of course, this is my life, so things can't possibly go that smoothly!

All was going well, even the kids were getting along OK and even asked if they could sleep together and have a dvd seeing as it was a Saturday.  After the 10 minutes of messing about,  laughing and screaming doing their teeth they finally settled in bed. On checking a while later they were both cuddled up in bed watching a film.  They looked quite sweet! Not long after there was crying and footsteps on the stairs.  Faye was being very reassuring to Billy but there was a note of panic in her voice that had me off the sofa and out of the door quicker than I thought was  humanly  possible.  Billy had apparently been jumping on the bed and fallen,  his arm was bending the wrong way from the middle of his forearm and he was begging us not to take him to the Dr. So the Calpol came out it was off to A&E.  Poor Faye was sobbing the whole way,  Billy was alternating between crying and almost nodding off. 

By the time we got there his arm looked straight again but it was still hurting him.  After getting him booked in he sat quietly and we read books.  The nurse saw him and checked his arm,  he said it hurt when she touched his wrist but nowhere else and,  although when she was pressing along his forearm he was fine,  I jumped a mile and flinched for him when she got to the part that had been bent!   I didn't know a 4 year old could give such a scathing 'what are you doing Mum!'  look - I'd assumed that was reserved for teenagers! Although on thinking about it,  it could have just been shock at not only having his arm prodded but then,  for no apparent reason, being practically launched into the air by his own mum! 😲

Soon after, the Calpol kicked in and he was off.  Whizzing around from table to table, colouring,  playing with the toys,  cooking on the kitchen,  chatting away the whole time and amazingly adapted to using one hand for everything brilliantly!  He told me his arm felt better so he didn't need to see the Dr now so could we just go home,  please? Just then the Dr arrived.

The Dr was really good with him and he again said nothing hurt apart from his wrist.  The Dr felt he was OK but sent him for xrays anyway. We had to follow the trail of skeletons hanging from the ceiling around the corridors to X-ray,  which he thought was funny.  He was fine until we got into the xray room, then got really upset for the first time.  He wasn't going to have photos,  wouldn't sit on the chair,  wouldn't sit on my knee.  The poor little thing was terrified and refused to move.  We eventually convinced him and when he realised the machine wasn't going to touch his arm he was fine and we were laughing and saying 'cheeeeeese'  when it took the xrays.

Walking back he was swinging his arm as we walked and went back to play,  although still didn't use it much.  He tried a couple of times but stopped because it hurt,  but never made a fuss.  The Dr came to find us and said he was really shocked because the xrays had come back and showed a fractured ulna.  He showed us the images and it looked quite nasty.  Billy sat on the bed and had his hands on the bed,  the Dr was laughing and shaking his head coz he was leaning on his arm and showed no signs of being bothered!   Billy got plastered (I was tempted myself!)  and resprayed, then we could finally go home.

Our neighbours had very kindly taken Faye in for a sleepover so we could just get back and crash, but no, our brave little boy was still chatting away ten to the dozen and wanted Paw Patrol on!  We let him seeing as he'd been so good and,  after another dose of Calpol he snuggled up and was fast asleep in about 5 mins!

When he started to wake up this morning ,  he was wriggling about and muttered 'mum let go,  get off me!'  I laughed and waved my hands at him 🤗 He looked really confused and looked down at his arm,  which he'd obviously forgotten had a cast on it!

He said his arm hurt a bit and was heavy when he first got up, but once he had his sling on he was off as normal!  Faye eventually decided to come back home and they played with the neighbours' girls for a while until we got a phone call asking us to take Billy back to fracture clinic for a new cast and xray.  I tried to convince Faye to stay with her dad but she was having none of it!  Far too nosey!  So another 3 hours were spent between fracture clinic and xray!  Happily though,  the bone has realigned really well and you can't even see where the fracture is 😀

I feel so bad I'm not going to be around this week for mummy cuddles but will give him plenty tomorrow and Friday when I'm back 😢

For now though it's bedtime and I think we're all going to sleep well tonight!!

Night night...... 😴😴😴😴😴😴

Santa's on his way!!! 🎅

To be precise, according to Santa Tracker, he's currently in Venice and will be here in about 3 hours!!  Woohoo!!!

For the first time I can remember,  everything is done!  Baking was done last night,  we iced and decorated the Christmas cake today and I'm now watching TV and painting my nails waiting for the kids to be fast off before Santa can make his delivery 😁

To make it even more exciting,  Faye's expecting a double visit tonight,  Santa and the tooth fairy!! Faye's worried the tooth fairy might crash worth Santa,  I'm more concerned she'll forget in the excitement of Christmas!! 😕

All that's left to do is to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas 🎄🎁🎅🎄🎁🎅and very best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year!🍾🎉🍾🎉

It's Christmas!! 🎅🎄🎅🎄

That's it,  my brain has officially declared Christmas! 😀

I am more organised this year than I have ever remember being before, although no doubt I will still be rushing round doing last minute things on Christmas Eve that I've forgotten about!

It's our work Christmas do tonight,  which I think we all need this year,  it's definitely time we had a party!! So I've had the day off relaxing at the hairdressers thus morning and now sat in the church waiting for the school end of term service -  I've even managed to get here early instead of trying to sneak in through the big,  heavy,  clunky,  noisy door......  What is going on??!

We had the elf party at my sister and brother-in-law's last week which was fab,  as always, with lots of elfing going on!  Santa 🎅 is doing well with getting all the presents wrapped and ready for the Big Night,  only a few more to go then it'll just be the baking left to do!  Get me!

I will apologise to work now,  as I can already tell I'm going to be next to useless next week,  but full of festive spirit!! (not the alcoholic kind,  well not at work at least!)

Who knows,  I might even find time to blog again before Santa arrives!