Time To Be Grateful

It’s January 1^st 2014 and I’ve hit another target, happy New Year world!

Although I’m tired and the chemotherapy is definitely tiring me out I try to restrict myself to a nanny nap mid-afternoon but I know I nod off on the sofa of an evening with Andy besides me.

January is a busy month Birthday wise and up until now I’ve beavered away making my own greetings cards all decoupage style, as in I spend hours cutting out layers and layers of the same design and then with special glue build them up on top of each other to give a three D effect. They take ages, people have said to me over the years “You should set up a shop & sell these”. The problem is they are so labour intensive it probably takes four to five hours from the start of making a card until it’s ready to put into the envelope. I even print out the verses and the message inside. Never mind the cost of the materials and printing to break even on these you’d probably need to charge around £30 a card!  hehe like that’s ever going to happen! I do them for the love of it not for the money, I know the emotional value they bring to the receiver and it helps fill my days, I’ve been making them for years, it’s something my dear Mother in law Maureen and I have in common along with both being sticklers for detail and perfection. I am finding it more tricky to make them these days as I explained in the last blog I get tingling in my arms and fingers, as I concentrate I do shake a little, but I won’t be beaten.

Gemma
 

Harrod The Gardener

Birthday’s in January include my Brother Howard or as I’ve named him the last year ‘Harrod the gardener’ lol… He was here on one occasion when Aaron my son was here and they’re so darn alike I was calling Aaron Howard and Howard Aaron, talk about confused dot com! So suddenly Howard became Harrod, sounded posh so he was suddenly Harrod the Gardener. You don’t have to be mad to live in my head but it sure helps lol. Back to the Birthday list, my first husband George, we remain on great terms his family (especially Woon) have always welcomed me and Andy. My dear dear friend who I am still to tell you all about Letty Spoghetti, yes I’m off again lol. Vicky, Aaron’s very pregnant partner, My brother Andy, daughter’s best friend Beatles mad Gemma, my Mum and Woon’s grandson Charlie! So it’s fair to say I’m keeping busy and in the words of a dear friend and comedian Jimmy Cricket “There’s more”. I’d say to anyone in my shoes, never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. One day I know tomorrow will never come so I’m living for the moment as exhausting as that can be.

Mum & Dad

Letty

 

Vicky B'day gal & Mum

 

The second week of January and yes we are back in Grimsby at the Premier Inn, I can hear Andy muttering under his breath as I type this, “You’re ill but we are visiting”… I have no idea how to break this cycle, I have to be thankful that despite his cursing I know Andy will do all he can to give me time with my family.

The next weekend well ‘Mr Lucky’ had struck again! Andy won another competition on ‘Preston’s 97.4 Rock FM’, this time it was a one night stay at The Marriott Hotel in Preston, Dinner, Bed and Breakfast and two Massages included!

I love massages it’s my idea of heaven, I had them regularly before I was taken ill. Now I had a problem, a lot of beauty treatment companies won’t give you a massage if you have cancer, I think, they think, that the intense but soothing strokes may aggravate cells or cause damage. I spoke to one of Dr Haylock’s registrars about it, she was quite laid back and her view was “don’t tell them it will be fine”. I couldn’t do that, I can hardly lie even if I was prepared to with my head looking like a classic cancer patient, plus it would not be fair on the masseuses. A couple of weeks later still well in advance of the prize I saw Dr Haylock himself, I explained everything, he was fine about it all and had a letter prepared for me to explain I was fit enough for a massage. Yayy! Result!  I also mentioned to Dr Haylock that I was about to become a grandma again, the look back was like “You mistake me” (for someone who cares)… I quickly added, “will I be ok to hold and touch the baby, being on Chemotherapy?” Thankfully the man from Clatterbridge, he say yes! Eeek!

We checked in to the hotel and headed to the beauty suite. Andy isn’t into massages so we asked could I get two treatments and they happily obliged. I filled in their questionnaire and gave them my letter from Dr Haylock. To me honesty is always the best policy. Dinner that night was a posh affair; it was like having your own butler serve you. We had a most romantic evening, thank you Rock FM and Hywel and Jamie.

Towards the end of the month Jooie was back to lend me moral support and her friendship. She lives near Southampton, she visits her family in Grimsby and she goes home via Merseyside to fit me in… a true friend is Jooie.

So I made It through January and it’s February, NOW I am truly excited, my first Grandson is due this month! We’re having a quiet month Andy had caught a flu like bug, it poleaxed him for 48 hours and he lost almost a stone lol not that he couldn’t afford to lose it hehe. Because I was on my chemotherapy Andy took up temporary residence in ‘the red room’ more of my quirkiness, all of our bedrooms have names. We didn’t want to risk me catching ‘germans’ as the twins named ‘germs’ lol. I knew Andy was ill, I don’t think he’s had more than a handful of days off sick in all the years I’ve known him, well except when he shattered three vertebrae falling off a ladder and ending up in hospital for a couple of months, even then he was working from his hospital bed!

I had a day out with Jeanette, she’s fun and we can chat heart to heart.

The 20^th and I’m back at Clatterbridge for another scan, I feel ok, I’m just so tired.

I’ve had my scan now where is this grandson of mine!! Evan Arthur Bartlett arrived Into this world on February 23^rd at one minute past midnight! Weighing in at 8lbs 12 ½ ounces and he’s 56cms long!   I am truly excited I want to be there! I have to be patient.

The next Friday we are back in Grimsby and the Premier Inn. Andy has bitten his tongue he’s excited to meet Evan too.

I’ve hit another vital goal, I get to meet my grandson, I cry with joy and relief I am sooo grateful for this weekend; we now have five granddaughters and one grandson!

 

I cannot describe the feeling of joy as Vicky placed Evan in my arms, I just want to ‘squish him’ & nibble him & smell him… nothing smells so scrummy and sweet. I don’t want to but if I died today I’d have been content.

It’s time to be grateful….