Hi Hope

Have just returned from some retail therapy (hubby gone into old workplace to offer words of wisdom following them phoning for advice) whilst had a free day (strange but welcome).

Hope you are feeling a bit better.  These bugs seem to be taking time to go once you get them  and am sure your immune system may be a bit low at the moment.  Hope you can get some rest and maybe give yourself a treat (rather than a hard time) to give yourself a chance to recover.  Is your school on half term next week.  I am planning on helping out my daughter when required over the next 10 days as her hubby goes back to work tomorrow. Already booked in to assist with school run tomorrow and Friday (she cannot lift pushchair in and out of flat as yet) Also going to a kids birthday party on Sat p/m as that extra pair of hands and then onMonday she has midwife check up at local clinic and it will  be more relaxing if I am at her place to play with the elder grandson!!!  Have just had my first lot of photos back since the new baby arrived so now have to get a couple into frames.

I managed to fit in my blood tests yesterday so in a couple of weeks will find out if all my good work at changing the diet has had any affect on my cholestrol levels!!  I am telling you if it hasn't I will be having a chocolat-fest.  Mind you I am very happy with the new slimmer me so at least there has been an advantage.

Take care my virtual friend and don't push yourself too hard.  Jules xx

Hi Jo

Lovely to hear that you have a partner that can cook (that was one of my dreams but did not happen - bit like a win a bingo, very rare these days).  Certainly helps you to relax if you do not have to plan meals!!!  Having said that mu hubby has never been fussy about food (even less so now as I constantly have to remind him to eat - managing small meals three times a day and fills up in between on milkshakes and chocolate bars which at least has kept his wait stable-ish the last six months).  Though he is not 'talking about how he feels' - no change there - I am noticing more and more grimaces when he moves and he has more limited movement in his top half so need a bit of assistance to put on shirts, coats etc.  No word of complaint from his though - sometime wish he would have a good rant (and make me feel human!!!).

The weather cleared long enough on Sunday so I did make it to my markets and getting out for a couple of hours here and there helps with my frustrations (cant stop the feeling so trying to curtail it).  Hubby popped into his old firm today (they need to pick his brain so gave him a call and its amazing the difference in him for a few hours!!).  I took myself off for retail therapy and solved a couple of birthday presents and also began the dreaded Christmas shopping.  Why is it so easy to buy for woman but a nightmare when you try to think of the males - ha ha.

Tomorrow I am going to help out with my daughter as her husband goes back to work and she is not allowed to lift for a few weeks!!  Have to say though the little one is doing very well (has been doing four hours between feeds during the night which has really helped her cope).  We are also going to dinner at my Son and his girlfriends on Sunday along with her parents.  We all get on like a house on fire (over a bottle of wine!) so really looking forward to a night out. 

Hope you are continuing with a good recovery and look forward to chatting again soon.  hugs to you and yours   Jules xx

Hi Jules,

Well after still feeling ill with the dreaded bug last night (seems to make a comeback in the evenings), today I feel a little better; which in turn has made me feel a little brighter overall - day off as well so that always helps. Really hoping the roller-coaster of emotions will become easier as time goes on.

Glad to hear you've had some retail therapy, that is what I intend to do tomorrow on my next day off.  Bet hubby is loving going back up to his old workplace, I bet the phoned call for advice made him feel good.  I'm on half-term next week and hope to really get to grips with the rest of the house clearance.  Have arranged for the local hospice that helped Mum and Dad to pick up some bigger items that they can sell in their charity shops.  Apart from that I hope to have a relaxing week as this bug thing seems better when I rest a bit, hopefully will be gone by then anyway.  So much for getting back to the gym everday, I went Monday and felt worse again afterwards so probably best to give it a rest until fully recovered.

Bet you can't wait to help your daughter out, and how fun to be going to a kids party at the weekend, only seems like yesterday I was planning my own kids ones, I used to love it so much.  Good luck with the blood tests and as you say hopefully cholestrol will be lowered, if not then a Cadbury diet may be in order!

Hi Hope23,

Sorry to hear you've been suffering from this bug thats doing the rounds. From what I can gather it seems to hang around for at least 3 weeks.

I do hope you start to feel a lot better soon.Just feeling physicaally lousy is going to upset your emotions, as if you  haven't got enought o cope with anyway.

I think you are right to try and take it easy until you are completely better. My husband , parents and friend have all had this in the last 3 weeks. I am hoping I don't get it but you never know.

Take care

Best wishes

Annabel. xx

Hi Annabel,  Thank you for your kind wishes, and I must admit I'm quite relieved to hear that other people say the bug hangs around for about 3 weeks since I usually shake things off quickly and was beginning to get a little worried.  I know it's only a bug ad usually wouldn't take a lot of notice but there have been so many bad things this year I almost seem to be expecting something else bad!.  I hope things are going OK for you and that you manage to avoid the dreaded lurgy.

Jules, sorry to jump in on your thread, I have left you a message earlier.  Take care both of you.   Hope x

Hi Hope

No problem with people jumping in when they fancy a chat, thats what so good about the forum, you just catch up where and when you want - no pressure.  Sorry to read you still suffering but from what Annabel says sounds like its doing the rounds. Am praying I  steer clear, really do not need that when I am doing 'granny duties' from tomorrow.  Heard from my daughter this afternoon (needs me to take in milk in the morning on my way round) that baby has been fractious during the day but very good at night so she is grateful he has got it the right way round!!

Would certainly recommend pacing yourself and not trying to do too much until your body has had time to recover.  It can be very lowering in itself without your added emotions playing a huge part.  As to going to the gym that would send me straight round the bend - manage to walk past regularly but never considered actually going inside.

Hubby was ok about going up to the factory (am sure secretly delighted they still need his imput) but unfortunately a 1hr journey turned into a 3hr nightmare when they shut the motorway because of a lorry fire so he did not get there until 1 p.m. thus missing lunch and returned home very weary about 4.  Has been asleep for the last hour or so, so have put dinner on low and it may be supper as I do not like to wake him just yet. Strange how things work out, originally he should have been going tomorrow but they changed their plans.  I expect tomorrow he will be glad to take it easy but may come and visit our daughter later in the day depending on how he feels. I am sure a cuddle will bring a smile back to his face.

Look after  yourself. Bye for now. Jules xx

Hi Jules,

Just catching up again with you.

Glad to hear you've had a bit of retail therapy recently, good time to do some when you are off from work.

Hope your daughter and family are all fine and your elder grandson is coping with the noise from the baby.

I am planning a bit of xmas therapy when I go to see the consultant in November.An excuse for a day out.!!!!

Have a good friend coming with me so we can have lunch out as well.

Your husbands loss of self identity is classic. Long may they keep asking for his advice at work.

You are absolutely right about it being easier to buy presents for women than men Jules.Maybe there's just more stuff we women use/like/want.!!!!!LOL.

Had a lovely email from my son in law recently thanking me for the crumbles I left for him in the freezer, I gather he has now run out of them!!!! Do you think thats a hint.?

Busy here until the Visit England inspecter comes in November, looking forward to a little more personal space after that to prepare for Christmas.

Hope you have a good time at your son's Jules.

Annabel. xx.

Hi Jules,

Glad to hear hubby made it to work despite the nightmare motorway journey!  I bet he does like giving them advice and it probably makes him still feel part of everything.  I did laugh about your comment on walking past the gym but never going in, I usually find it theraputic at the gym (that shows how mad I am!), but am definitely going to wait until fully recovered until I go again,  planning some retail therapy  today instead. Hope you have fun with your grandsons today, I'm sure a cuddle with baby will make your hubby smile.  Have a good day.  Hope x

Morning Annabel and Hope

Quick catch up before I head to my daughter'sfor the school run.  Thankfully she is slowly returning to normal.  She is managing to do most things albeit a little slower than she would like!!  By the time I got there yesterday both children and her had had their breakfast and her eldest was getting dressed for school.  So it was just a case of 'keeping an eye' whilst she got ready to go out and then we all did the walk to school.

My daughter needed a 20 min sit down by the time we got back to get her enegy back.  I have now learnt the full extent of the trouble she had after the birth, the report basically saying we are still lucky to have her because of the level of blood loss/blood clots.Once again a reminder of how life is so precious.  Anyway no need for any cooking on my part (phew) as she already prepared the freezer with meals and her hubby is also cooking. Concentrated on hoovering and washing up (along with a cuddle along the way).  The new baby has so far been pretty good and is mostly on a good four hourly feed routine which fits nicely round the school runs!!!  Now that he is home my eldest grandson is coping with the 'crying noise' (sleeps through the night undisturbed by it and says if its too bad he goes into his bedroom and wears the ear defenders Grandad gave him when he went to watch the drag racing!!).  The baby also has no problem sleeping through noise of hoovering/thunderstorm and children playing around him so fingers crossed it stays this way.

My daughter thankfully pretty laid back second time around despite the scary start for the new family.

Yesterday morning she decided to take her first drive so we took the new edition to see his great gran (my Mum)..  Not much interest (none expected knowing her feelings about children!!) from her but other residents and the staff were lovely and we stayed around half an hour (and had a photo taken of the four generations).  She felt happy enough doing short drive and has been told not to take long journeys for at least six weeks.  She has clinic check up on Monday and they are hoping the iron tablets/antibiotics she is on will all help her recovery.  Still taking mild painkillers three times a day.  Grandad came round in the afternoon and after we all walked round to pick up the eldest boy (he had a friend coming to play for an hour) he took me home (and then he slept for much of the evening).  No doubt my hubby is enjoying the new edition but also feeling more discomfort and showing his usual withdrawn self as we get closer to his check up.

Annabel, hope your parents and hubby are beginning to feel a little better and that you are still managing to steer clear of the bug and Hope keep that recovery/rest going and both take care and have a peaceful weekend.

Hope, I know today is a difficult one for you but still wanted to send you good wishes for your Birthday.  Thinking of you and sending virtual hugs.  Bye for now.  Jules xx

Hi Jules,

So very sorry for the late reply to this message, but just wanted to say massive congrats to you, your daughter and all the family on the arrival of Baby Zack.  Sounds like your daughter has had a pretty hard time, but glad all seems to be getting better, and hope she will be fully recovered soon.  Sounds like you have been giving her masses of support which I'm sure has been much appreciated.

Sorry to hear as well that your hubby has had a few ups and downs, but am sure the arrival of his new grandson is helping keep his mind distracted - I hope his pain has eased a bit now.

All ok here - it was my birthday last week, which I spent as a quiet, lazy day off work, for obvious reasons didn't want to do too much this year.  My husband and I then had a long weekend away, and left our daughter with her grandparents at our house.  The weekend away was not really for my birthday, just ended up being coincidence that it was so close, due to work commitments and availability of babysitters!  It worked ok, except Elizabeth has been suffering with recurring ear infections, which came back whilst away so she was a bit miserable (and not sleeping well) the last couple of days.  I think it took Grandma back 30 years or so....!!

Well, like I say, huge congratulations again and hope to hear from you soon,

Catherine xx