Swimming is back on!!! 🏊🏊🏊

Woohoo! It's been 6 months but I've finally made it back to the pool!

I have to admit that I was quite nervous and self-conscious about getting the cozzie back out but with the help of Skinny Tan (more about that later) I had enough colour to not dazzle everyone else in the pool with my bright white legs!

I checked the timetable several times, half of me willing the times on it to change so that I had an excuse to back out! They didn't. Damn!

After scanning my card to get in (it took 3 attempts, surely that was a sign that this was a bad idea?) I made my way to the changing rooms, feeling quite sick at this point......

5 minutes later and I'd done it! I was IN THE POOL!!!

Now, before I started I knew I couldn't stay in for my usual hour as I had to pick Faye up do I decided not to count lengths (I used to do 40 in an hour so didn't want to put myself under pressure!). That lasted all of... Oh, let me see.... Errrr...... 2 lengths! 

So I counted. I also worked out completely pointless facts in my head whilst trying to distract myself from counting lengths. It didn't work. I just counted lengths And made a mental list of rubbish. Still, who doesn't like a good list?! I Iike lists. My list was a something like this:

1. The pool is 25m long (OK, OK, so I didn't work that one out, I already knew that)

2. If I timed my swimming strokes right, I did an average of 1m per stroke (weirdly this was mainly 23/24 strokes on odd lengths and 25/26 on even lengths. Nope, I couldn't work that one out either. Believe me, I tried!

3. One of my legs is wonky. It's true. I do breast stroke and my left leg did what it was supposed to. My right leg on the other hand (or I suppose that should be foot) did this weird downward, diagonal thing.

4. If I consciously made my right leg for what it was supposed to, my left leg and the rest if me went wonky and I was likely to drown.

5. From the poolside I must look like a duck with a dodgy leg.......

6. I should stop making random lists.

7. I really should stop my brain from thinking sometimes. For my own sanity.

Anyway, with random list making and all, I managed half a mile (32 lengths) in 37 minutes so on my calculations, and yes I worked this out whilst swimming too, if I'd stayed in for an hour, I would have made my kilometer (40 lengths) easily!!

Basically I'm pleased with myself and I actually feel pretty good! I was even almost half an hour early to get Faye! Hence having time to write this blog!

Reading and blogging!!

Well this is a rare opportunity! Two hours on my own to blog, read (We were on a break by Lindsey Kelk if anyone's interested!) , and freeze......... 😂

Jay is running the Adidas Silverstone Half Marathon today so we were up bright and early, we'll maybe not so bright, it was raining! Nevertheless we were up, even the kids got up!

How do kids manage to do that by the way?? On weekdays, when they have to get up at 7.30, I'm shaking them, pulling the covers off them, turning the lights on full and STILL have to physically drag them out of bed. Yet on a weekend, usually when we actually want a lie-in (with the exception of today), they're out of bed and running around full of beans at the crack of dawn!!

Anyway we were all packed up and ready to go when Amy and Kie arrived to babysit for the day. Made good time and we're here in plenty of time. I have to say, and I know it sounds really obvious, but Silverstone is huge!! It's also full of vans selling burgers, hog toasts, doughnuts, waffles.... Yummy........ Think I'd better just stay in my seat and blog/read away!!!

My biggest mistake so far is that I forgot my glasses so can't see a damp thing (or anyone), although it is very colourful!! I just filmed everyone start, then filmed again around the time I figured Jay should be passing again, and I think I did actually see him that time!  Another 40 mins and I think he should be passing again round the other side. I've picked a nice front corner seat in the grandstand so I can see all round. Purely by accident as I didn't even realise they came the other way til I checked the course map!

The sun is starting to break through now thankfully so it might start warming up a bit so I can eat my very healthy picnic (🙁) and carry on reading - only just started it but I've loved all of Lindsey Kelk's other books so I'm sure I'll enjoy this one too!! 📚📖

Running for Papworth 🏃🏃🏃

Not me, obviously!!

My amazing Fiancé has just told me that he has been in contact with the Papworth Hospital Charity for a little while now to arrange fundraising for them through all the running events he is taking part in this year.

This is a fantastic hospital and all of  the staff have always been lovely, helpful, and reassuring and so he is hoping to raise some money so we can give something back to help them continue to offer their specialist treatments to others.

If you are in a position to help in any way, please click on the link to his JustGiving page to make a donation. Thank you Xx

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Jason-Tyler-1968

Stuff the diet!! Times like this call for chocolate, and lots of it!

Well the time has finally arrived for our childminder to leave us for pastures new!

I obviously wish her all the very best in her new life (miles away!) but we will miss her! She has been an almost daily presence in our lives for nearly 4 years, first looking after the kids when Faye was 7 and Billy was just 9 months old!

Faye made a memories folder - she added a couple of really sweet poems and also researched their new home to put an info section on places to go (I haven't had the heart to tell her they already know the area really well!). I've been through and added some bits for Billy along with some photos. It's been quite emotional! Seeeee, I'm big softie really!

We'd already shared a tear when I picked the kids up tonight as she'd given Billy the "nee-nah racing car" he'd made out of Duplo when he was about 2!

Not only has she been a great childminder, she's been a great friend too. We've had lots of laughs, lots of moans, and done lots of plotting! :)

Tomorrow is her last working day, well today actually (I've just noticed the time!) and it's going to be very sad. We're going to miss her!

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!!

😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀