Hi ladies,

Hope your day yesterday was stress free? My 21yr old son kicked off in the morning and refused to take part in Christmas! We did manage to talk him round but he did everything half heartedly and didn't spend much of the day with us. The cat go so high on cat nip, she threw up numerous times under the Christmas tree, I forgot to cook the sprouts and left the parsnips in the oven!! But other than that, it was a family quiet day but am now glad it's over!!! Family day to the cinema today, which I'm hoping goes off without any other hiccups!

Hope you all have a lovely Boxing Day!!! Michelle, let us know when your mum gets her results re lymph nodes. I was lucky that mine were tested while I was in surgery so I didn't need to go back like poor Christine did!! 
Caroline xx

Hi Caroline,

Sorry to hear your son didn't want to take part in Christmas Day. How has he been since your diagnosis?

I may only have a two year old myself but I teach up to the age of 20 year olds and have been at the wrong end of many of their annoyances.

That made me laugh about your cat! Can't remember last time we gave our cats catnip. Even though most of our house is non carpet they always find the smallest scrap of fabric to be sick on.

Hope you had a nice time at the cinema!

I will let you all know how my mum gets on with her results. From what I've read in the groups earlier posts it does feel like a bit of respite for her from the fast paced initial diagnosis and treatment.

Michelle xxx

Caroline,

That sounds like so many of our past family Christmases. It was a standing joke that something would get left in the oven, a dog would steal the pigs in blankets or the wine would get spilled.  The best part would be the dog walk halfway through the meal to make room for dessert. 

By the end of the day I would be a wreck.  Also in those days, I believed women weren't allowed in the pub on Christmas Day lunch time and the meal was always served after they closed!!! Never heard the Queen's speech as I would be in the kitchen.That was after I would spend all Christmas Eve alone doing the Father Christmas stuff, while the children were in bed and hubby caroused with the other men In the pub!

Can you imagine that? When I left him, after nearly 30 years, he told everyone I would come round, because I always had. He was totally shocked when I had divorce papers served on him - five years after I split!!, Still, can't regret those years, we travelled the world with our jobs, had some great experiences and I've got the best children I could wish for.

My son used to be a real bah humbug for Christmas. - they grow out of it!

Happy New Year!

Hi All,

I hope all your Christmas Days were as relaxed and peaceful as mine was. Sorry  Caroline! 

We had a variety of takeaway curries at my daughter's for lunch, followed by lactose free tiramisu that tasted great and we watched rubbish tv right until it was time to go home for bed. It was perfect!  My gifts were all extremely acceptable no unwanted gifts here, in fact my daughter's main gift to me made me cry it was so special.

The only problem happened as I was leaving, walking down her long garden steps in the dark. The exercises I have been doing for my gammy knee had really helped me to walk without pain, unfortunately I haven't learned which muscles to exercise to enable me to go down steps or even downhill and by the time I reached the car I was In agony again, so today has mostly been spent with my feet up, hoping to be mobile again tomorrow for my journey South.

Christine xx

Oh no Christine!!! That knee is giving you a hard time isn't it!!! Let's hope it improves in the New Year! But glad you had a lovely relaxing Christmas - not like the ones in the past!!

Michelle, I have 3 boys aged 21,19 and 15. When we told them about my cancer they were very frightened but once they saw I was fine and I carried on as normal all the way through, they coped fine. The problem with my oldest is that I think he has undiagnosed ADHD/some type of Aspergers. Only mild but enough that it has been something that affects his behaviour. He is also smoking a lot of weed at the moment which also affects his moods. I am just hoping that something causes him to see how bad it is for him but he won't listen to my advice. I was a primary school teacher for 22 years and hence why I suspect the ADHD. He has always been very self centered and struggles to accept other people's opinions. Yesterday he did come out to the cinema with us and joined in fine! Every day is different!! 
We are off on a big family getaway for New Year. On Saturday, 16 members of the family are off to Taunton, where we have a converted barn booked. I have my fingers crossed that there will be minimum fall outs!!! ;)
Caroline x

Sorry to hear about your knee Christine! Hope it's feeling a little better today! Glad to hear you had a nice time at your daughter's.

Caroline that's so good that your boys have been able to still just get on with their lives. Your can do attitude must be influencing them.

ADHD and Aspergers must be difficult to get an adult diagnosis. Do you have much contact with his friends? Just thought if they could speak to him about the weed? I have also known quite a few students who have used it and just grown out of it. That's really good though that he came to the cinema with you all. Also nice to hear from another fellow teacher!

Hope you have a lovely time at your family get together!

Michelle xxx

Caroline

Your son should be glad I'm not his mother and the world should be glad I've never had any kids ( as should they ??!!??)....not sure I'd have the patience that you obviously & luckily have given his situation. And raw sprouts are very under-rated I find.  My chap, and this year was no exception, serves up everything at a different temperature, luckily the gravy is usually hot to heats things up.  So thankfully managed to stuff my greedy face on both Christmas & Boxing Day ( 2 full Christmas dinners - Adrian, afraid that the turkey that was dated use by 26th Dec would be off by 25th bought 2 crowns for far too many people...I do worry about him!).

Your cat also sounds like a challenge...you drug pusher, you!  My cats are lucky that am sooo tight they don't get expensive catnip and their treat was that they got 1/2 pouch each of wet food (rather than the miserly 1/4 pouch to accompany a modicum of dry food).  How are they so fat I ask myself, and why do all my neighbours know them so well...curious...

And Michelle - my cats have been sick that many times over the year what may have been beige carpets in the mist of time now have leopard spots (maybe something to to with unenthusiastic application of carpet vanish however).

What did you see at the cinema - any recommendations?  Its my pants week next week so may end up there just to stop the cabin fever at some point.

Do have fun in Taunton, hope its dry for you.

Christine 

Blast had - cheers!!

30 years!  Crikey.  As you can tell from my posts I think I'm rebalancing the imbalance that you had in your relationship, Adrian (the dafty-pants - as he is fondly known...amongst many other things the lucky lad) always does all the cooking when I'm at his house (and will never eat at mine for fear I kill him), and thankfully festive fare is not exception, he won't actually let anyone in the kitchen to help.  My job is entertaining the guests (maybe he doesn't want them to stay eh?) until the nosh is good to go.  I've also of late, being quite tired, especially with the chest infection (which is getting better, just a pathetic cough remains) have got him tidying the house too.  He's such a good boy - and I'll be reflecting on this in his annual appraisal!

Can I ask what your daughter got you, no worries if you'd rather not say, I always struggle with gifts for my mother (cricket books were her highlight this year...not very inspiring though for me...I hate cricket..maybe this is where am going wrong).

Your curries sound yummy (my taste buds are still pants), what's your favourite?  MIne is a garlic lamb dish (chunks of lamb with whole garlic cloves that pop in you mouth in a middling heat sauce)...they don't do it in many places though unfortunately.

Stick with your knee exercises and it will improve again...give it time...

Where are you down south? Hope the travelling was OK as know what the roads can be like down here when it should be quiet (once made the mistake of thinking I would have a leisurely journey to Doncaster in between Christmas & New year...6 hours later...never again!) - and don't stay too long...the north needs you!  Hope you're having fun wherever you are.

Michelle,

I may be having radiation therapy at a similar time to your mother (maybe just after) as will have surgery around end Jan and then rads March-ish.

Let us know what the mid Jan results show and am glad she had a good Christmas.

Sam X

Hi Sam,

Two Christmas dinners is amazing! Our food was also several different temperatures all settled with molten gravy.

Leopard spot carpet! Brilliant! I have a chair with similar makings that no matter how much upholstery cleaner still the same a week later!

That's helpfull to know you will have your radio therapy at a similar time. Will also update on the results in Jan.

Michelle xxx

Good morning, ladies,

I am currently in Walton on Thames, being spoiled rotten by my son and his lovely lady. We drove down last night, arriving here about 12.30, no traffic problems and two beautifully behaved dogs.  Charley, their tiny something dog sat and cuddled me all the way. Encouraging me to keep on scratching and stroking her if I stopped, while Archie sat in the special dog seat in the front, gazing adoringly at my son. This morning I have been fed royally, my dog has been walked and I am now about to go and shower, but I had to reply to Sam before I do.

The Christmas present that made me cry was a ticket to see Andre Rieu in Liverpool next May. The reason it was so special is my daughter doesn't like what she calls his "oompah pah" music, and she has "lent" me her lovely best friend and hubby to go with, so I don't even have to drive.  I have been totally envious of my best friend for three years because she took her husband to Maastricht to see one of his concerts for his 65th birthday and it has sort of been on my bucket list to attend one of his concerts ever since, with no expectation of ever achieving it. I have lots of his concerts on Now TV that I love to watch time and again. Please believe I am not usually moved to tears by such things and I was as surprised as she was that I just sank in to floods of tears, unable to speak when I opened the envelope with the ticket in it. 

Its interesting to see three of us have been teachers.  I have been involved in teaching and education for most of my life, even toward the end of my working days I worked with people with learning difficulties helping them to find work and delivering adult ed courses. I taught in secondary school in the 60's, first year infants in a dual language school in Saudi Arabia in the 70's. I was a nanny for a royal prince in the Middle East in the 80's and a governess in America in the 90's. By the time we returned to U.K. Things had seriously changed in the teaching world so I diversified, but later spent seven years as a school governor until I retired.

Sam, I think you are sounding like your old self, I was howling with laughter at your last message, you do me a power of good.

Now for that shower!

C xx

Hello gang!

All good here, as always am on the pills provided post chemo, though deffo won't miss the odd sleep patterns ( thanks steroids) and constipation (luckily think I've enough dulcoease to see me through).

Am thankful that my (Southampton, maternal) Mother departed Saturday, it was lovely of her to accompany me to my last chemo Friday - think she'd felt left out as northern pals all wanted to attend a session (the crazy loons) but spending 4 days with her is quite tiring (am such a terrible daughter).  And have the northern (ex) step mother (also a teacher!) down on Weds, she's very entertaining as is only 13 yrs older than me (my father has oodles of Irish charm - can you tell??), if am feeling ok quite fancy a trip to Brighton, we'll see.

Am having an easy week this week (i.e. Planning on being a lazy a**e and doing no work) as Tues onwards will be my pathetic time of the chemo cycle but hopefully will enable me to get out & about (missing my cycle rides & gym visits of late) still.

Bought some button up tops & cardigan tops yesterday in anticipation of the next stage of the adventure as realised most of wardrobe requires contortion of upper body to get into...bring on that op!  

Christine, 

Hope Walton on Thames is treating you well (despite being darn sarf and all), I have actually feel a renewed northerness in surrey over the past days...

You were lucky with the traffic, my mother got stuck in loads of M25 traffic Saturday, that road is terrible, and I do anything to avoid it.

Good to know I am a priority over cleanliness (and am humbled)...most things in my house/life are also for me, I do hope my bad habits aren't rubbing off.  Think we're probably on for a midday shower today, always am very successful at getting distracted from whatever am trying to do (apart from food, never get distracted from that funnily enough).

Ah, Andre Rieu tickets, that was a very well thought out gift that obviously had the desired impact.  I must say that the more thoughtful the better with gifts and reflects how well the giver knows & loves you. And so well organised with chauffeur & friends in tow....your daughter has done very well indeed, she will however struggle to top this one I fear!  I think given what you've been through such a thoughtful present deserves an appropriate reaction.

Sounds like you've had an interesting career, am sure there's many tales from travels and those you've reached & worked for eh?  Its strange but many people think I'm a teacher if I ask what they think I do, unfortunately am a (very interesting!!) accountant (I lie in the previous brackets), it does however pay the (expensive southern) bills and I do, generally, enjoy it.  

Hope that knee is improving!

Will be doing very little for New Years Eve but do hope others are making up for my lack of enthusiasm.  Will probably go round to a pals house with Adrian for nibbles (will miss the fizz though...boo!).

Sam X