Sunday, 5 February 2012
Saturday, 4 February 2012
Eleanor
Eleanor is two years old, the fourth child in our family, and most definitely the last! She was our smallest child and without a doubt she is our most willful!
She is, dare I say, her mother's daughter. She doesn't need you to help her, she can do it herself. She won't be guided, she will choose her own path. She is not always right, but my goodness don't you ever tell her she was wrong; but above all she informs me "Mummy you're my world, and I am your world and *hims* (pointing to her siblings) are *he's* (pointing to dad) best friend, not yours, you are mine!"
Woe betide anyone that tells her otherwise!!
She wakes up in defense mode and remains that way until the minute she decides she is going to bed!
You see, you all thought it was me that ruled the roost in the Drummond household, but NO, it is without doubt little Miss Enna!
Thursday, 2 February 2012
A pinteresting link!
Well I haven't written for 2 yrs (almost to the day) and what has dragged me back in to the world of blogging tonight? My latest little obsession is Pinterest, and as I was browsing around I saw a link to my blog! I think it suitably shamed me to get my butt in gear and put my thoughts down again!
It may help me be more organised, with my head being less cluttered of thoughts but somehow I seriously doubt it!
I am still waking up on the "Oh sh*t we have slept in" alarm and I have to be one of the biggest procrastinators, but I suppose I work better under a bit of pressure!
Ted (now aged 4) is almost 23 months in remission, and we are nearly down to 3yr 1 month until he gets his all clear. Until then I will keep living with this cloud hovering over me. It doesn't contain rain, but it contains all of my biggest fears, all the uncertainty and the control panel of my life which I know I don't yet have the password for!
I like to think I have control over everything, but I know with the big C control lies firmly out of my hands!
Today he is well, he is strong, boisterous, noisy and has just overcome a huge obstacle in his life and is now toilet trained. He suffered damage to his insides from chemotherapy, and gaining control of his bowel has been a big challenge, but he took it head on and got to the finish line! It also means he will be able to start school, he should have started in September and I already worry about his lack of social interaction with his peers, so this is a big step!
Be child cancer aware is now a registered charity in its own right, and has now changed directions from the campaign it was initially thought it would be! We still raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of all childhood cancers, and we have to date issued 3.5 million awareness cards to primary schools in the UK, but we also sponsor the beads of courage program here in the UK! We are the sole charity to do this and it is the most fantastic arts in medicine program created.
In 6 months we have enrolled 20 UK hospitals, and this July we hope to at least double, possibly triple this number when we hold our next training sessions. The transformation you see with the children, and families is worth every minute of hard work we put in. When you sit with a new family and go through the program with them you can physically see the change in their faces and where it was initially filled with cynical views, it is quickly replaced with hope, understanding and awe!
Enough from me tonight. I will endeavour to update at least twice a week, and if you havent already, go and check out Pinterest.com It is blogging with pictures.
It may help me be more organised, with my head being less cluttered of thoughts but somehow I seriously doubt it!
I am still waking up on the "Oh sh*t we have slept in" alarm and I have to be one of the biggest procrastinators, but I suppose I work better under a bit of pressure!
Ted (now aged 4) is almost 23 months in remission, and we are nearly down to 3yr 1 month until he gets his all clear. Until then I will keep living with this cloud hovering over me. It doesn't contain rain, but it contains all of my biggest fears, all the uncertainty and the control panel of my life which I know I don't yet have the password for!
I like to think I have control over everything, but I know with the big C control lies firmly out of my hands!
Today he is well, he is strong, boisterous, noisy and has just overcome a huge obstacle in his life and is now toilet trained. He suffered damage to his insides from chemotherapy, and gaining control of his bowel has been a big challenge, but he took it head on and got to the finish line! It also means he will be able to start school, he should have started in September and I already worry about his lack of social interaction with his peers, so this is a big step!
Be child cancer aware is now a registered charity in its own right, and has now changed directions from the campaign it was initially thought it would be! We still raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of all childhood cancers, and we have to date issued 3.5 million awareness cards to primary schools in the UK, but we also sponsor the beads of courage program here in the UK! We are the sole charity to do this and it is the most fantastic arts in medicine program created.
In 6 months we have enrolled 20 UK hospitals, and this July we hope to at least double, possibly triple this number when we hold our next training sessions. The transformation you see with the children, and families is worth every minute of hard work we put in. When you sit with a new family and go through the program with them you can physically see the change in their faces and where it was initially filled with cynical views, it is quickly replaced with hope, understanding and awe!
Enough from me tonight. I will endeavour to update at least twice a week, and if you havent already, go and check out Pinterest.com It is blogging with pictures.
Thursday, 4 February 2010
Keeping it going!
The diet has started really well! I have lost 21lbs in 4 weeks, but last week and this, I have been having doubts that I can do this, and my own stupid negativity sabotages my determination!
Of course I can do it, so why do I always get like this? I need a good swift kick up my very ample rear!!
It has been a hectic week, but not actually getting the things I had planned done, because other things happened which needed to come first.
My dad has been incredibly unwell from his chemotherapy. He has Chronic lymphatic Leukaemia, and has had for about 6 years. It had been dormant for about 5 years, but started becoming active over the last year, which resulted in him needing chemo.
Whereas Ted's Leukaemia is aggresive and will kill a person quickly, chronic leukaemia can be lived with for years without needing any intervention!
Last sunday my dad was taken to hospital with a probable infection, and like with Ted, these can be life threatening.
I popped up to the hospital to offer support to my dad and his wife Liz. We had a good chat, and I nagged him to make sure people wash their hands before touching him.
Then also this week my washing machine broke AGAIN!! It was only fixed in december. We have paid for an insurance policy that ensures they come out 48hours after reporting the fault. If you report it on a saturday, they will come out to you the following tuesday. We reported ours last saturday and our appointment is for the 8th of february!!
Not quite 48 hours, and when this was pointed out we were greeted with a take it or leave it attitude!!!
4 kids and 2 adults = a lot of washing!! My step mum has been fabulous and has been doing a bit each day for me!
I may have mentioned we are involved with a group of oncology parents, in the setting up of a Be child cancer aware charity. We aim to raise awareness nationally of all childhood cancers.
People always refer to childhood cancer as a rare disease, yet 1 in 300 children will be diagnosed with cancer each year. That is not rare. You have a 1 in 13.9 million chance of winning the lottery....now that is rare. If someone told me I would have a 1 in 300 chance of winning several million, I would certainly think about buying a ticket :o)
The government currently put absolutely NO funding whatsoever in to childhood cancer awareness, yet cancer kills more children in the uk than anything else. Even the next 2 diseases combined doesn't kill as many children!!
Last year a budget of £122+ million was given to fund a road safety campaign, with an additional £18 million on the THINK! campaign, yet more children die of cancer than on Britains roads!!
Go figure!!
We plan to change that!!
Of course I can do it, so why do I always get like this? I need a good swift kick up my very ample rear!!
It has been a hectic week, but not actually getting the things I had planned done, because other things happened which needed to come first.
My dad has been incredibly unwell from his chemotherapy. He has Chronic lymphatic Leukaemia, and has had for about 6 years. It had been dormant for about 5 years, but started becoming active over the last year, which resulted in him needing chemo.
Whereas Ted's Leukaemia is aggresive and will kill a person quickly, chronic leukaemia can be lived with for years without needing any intervention!
Last sunday my dad was taken to hospital with a probable infection, and like with Ted, these can be life threatening.
I popped up to the hospital to offer support to my dad and his wife Liz. We had a good chat, and I nagged him to make sure people wash their hands before touching him.
Then also this week my washing machine broke AGAIN!! It was only fixed in december. We have paid for an insurance policy that ensures they come out 48hours after reporting the fault. If you report it on a saturday, they will come out to you the following tuesday. We reported ours last saturday and our appointment is for the 8th of february!!
Not quite 48 hours, and when this was pointed out we were greeted with a take it or leave it attitude!!!
4 kids and 2 adults = a lot of washing!! My step mum has been fabulous and has been doing a bit each day for me!
I may have mentioned we are involved with a group of oncology parents, in the setting up of a Be child cancer aware charity. We aim to raise awareness nationally of all childhood cancers.
People always refer to childhood cancer as a rare disease, yet 1 in 300 children will be diagnosed with cancer each year. That is not rare. You have a 1 in 13.9 million chance of winning the lottery....now that is rare. If someone told me I would have a 1 in 300 chance of winning several million, I would certainly think about buying a ticket :o)
The government currently put absolutely NO funding whatsoever in to childhood cancer awareness, yet cancer kills more children in the uk than anything else. Even the next 2 diseases combined doesn't kill as many children!!
Last year a budget of £122+ million was given to fund a road safety campaign, with an additional £18 million on the THINK! campaign, yet more children die of cancer than on Britains roads!!
Go figure!!
We plan to change that!!
Monday, 4 January 2010
New year full of optimism.
This new years was the first time in a long time I haven't been filled with dread. In the past it has been worries such as lack of money, infertility, jobs etc. Last year as I stood alone in a hospital room in GOSH, holding my desperately ill boy, trying to show him fireworks to cram in as many experiences in to such a fragile life 2009 was just filled with dread.
It was a difficult year with Ted's health for the first half of the year, he was rushed to intensive care, and we experienced a whole new level of fear that we didn't think possible.
However, he got better.
This year isn't going to be plain sailing as my dad starts chemotherapy this week for leukaemia which is now not controlled. He has COPD, so the chemo is going to be especially hard on his breathing, and we have all got to be able to do that,but at the moment I feel quite peaceful about it.
I decided this year was going to be a bit more about me. Not in a selfish way, but for the last 10+ years, everything I have done has been about the kids. I have always put their needs first, and I have become really unhealthy in the process.
I have taken on the challenge of a sponsored diet, for the liberty rose trust and I am determined I am going to lose up to 5 stone in the next 3 months.
http://www.justgiving.com/Sarah-Drummond
I feel so ready to do this, and very positive. Over the last couple of years my weight has gotten worse, but I justified it by doing my best by the kids.
Not any more, I need to do this to be healthy and also happier. I am going to do this so I am not going to miss out on life anymore through self consciousness.
This year is also going to be the year a lot of us oncology parents get people to sit up and take notice of childhood cancer, through the childhood cancer awareness charity. I am so incredibly excited about this, and how we can move forward with this.
If you haven't signed our petition yet, then please do so, it is so important and we need 10,000 signatures!
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/child-cancer/
It was a difficult year with Ted's health for the first half of the year, he was rushed to intensive care, and we experienced a whole new level of fear that we didn't think possible.
However, he got better.
This year isn't going to be plain sailing as my dad starts chemotherapy this week for leukaemia which is now not controlled. He has COPD, so the chemo is going to be especially hard on his breathing, and we have all got to be able to do that,but at the moment I feel quite peaceful about it.
I decided this year was going to be a bit more about me. Not in a selfish way, but for the last 10+ years, everything I have done has been about the kids. I have always put their needs first, and I have become really unhealthy in the process.
I have taken on the challenge of a sponsored diet, for the liberty rose trust and I am determined I am going to lose up to 5 stone in the next 3 months.
http://www.justgiving.com/Sarah-Drummond
I feel so ready to do this, and very positive. Over the last couple of years my weight has gotten worse, but I justified it by doing my best by the kids.
Not any more, I need to do this to be healthy and also happier. I am going to do this so I am not going to miss out on life anymore through self consciousness.
This year is also going to be the year a lot of us oncology parents get people to sit up and take notice of childhood cancer, through the childhood cancer awareness charity. I am so incredibly excited about this, and how we can move forward with this.
If you haven't signed our petition yet, then please do so, it is so important and we need 10,000 signatures!
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/child-cancer/
Friday, 25 December 2009
Monday, 21 December 2009
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