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Forum Member
 
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Last Login: 17 April 2010 14:03
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Dear all,
I'm off to St. D's myself today - I haven't told Tony 
God bless
With love,
Lesley xx
Just for today, dear Lord, let me realise that there is nothing that we cannot handle together - and may I pray the same prayer tomorrow.....
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Forum Newbie
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Last Login: 11 July 2010 09:34
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 Lucky Tony! Hope you have a lovely catch-up. I can't make it this time, but here's to the next time.
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Forum Member
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Last Login: 17 April 2010 14:03
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Dear all,
Oh Yes! I did rather enjoy the look of astonishment on Tony's face
Actually, we had a delightful time catching up, and. after he left, I saw NL's daughter - and so passed on our love.
I'm sorry you couldn't make it JJ. St. D's was as magical as always - and I got loads of work done - and a fair amount of sleeping and praying and talking to interesting people as well! Roll on December (which will be the next time I can go back in all probability).
Meanwhile, back in the "real world" life goes on. I'm still afflicted by social workers and hospital appointments (neither of which seem to do anything much to solve the real problems), and two wonderful churches (in different ways) that don't really have any desire to belong in the same Parish. Workwise my clinics are stuffed to the gills and I have more to do than is possible to fit into the time availible - and my hours are increasing steadily. Alas, so does the work! Unfortunately, the pay is not keeping pace....
I now have a date for submission for the Ph.D. - which is terrifying, as I can't remember writing most of it. In terms of writing, I have a couple of paragraphs left to revise before I send the final chapter back to my supervisor for the last time. Next step will be to send the whole thing off to an external reader for their comments. Then I'll edit to those and return it to Ian for his final comments and submit...What next? Well, I've no clue.
Ian says I'll write a book, but I'm not sure about that.
St. D's have asked for a bound copy of the thesis - which is very kind of them. Greg is very keen to read it.
Anyway, I must go and get to work.
God bless
With love as ever,
Lesley xx (and Desmond, who ate far too much last week!)
Just for today, dear Lord, let me realise that there is nothing that we cannot handle together - and may I pray the same prayer tomorrow.....
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Forum Member
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Last Login: 17 April 2010 14:03
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Dear all,
Logging in problems have beset me and I have to log in using a different browser and a specific computer - which would explain why I've not been around a great deal.
Life is as complex and busy as ever. And I'm beginning to realise that in truth I wouldn't have it any other way - in spite of it's undoubted strains and stresses.....
The stuff with the children and the social services does, however, continue to distress me greatly. It all seems so unfair to be effectively punished for having done a good job in bringing them up thus far - and when we get to the point that we do need help for them to take that final step to independence to be denied it precisely because we have done a good job...
It hit me just how happy I am in my new churches today when someone said something quite inconsequential and it catapaulted me back into how I used to feel (let's say twelve months ago). Yes, it's not perfect: but what church is? And if it was, it wouldn't be by the time I walked through the door
Work at the surgery is a blessing (hopefully not just to me) - and I passed my Diploma in Respiratory Medicine - which was a real encouragement to me because it's the first serious thing I've attempted since the radiotherapy. As for the other job - well, I'm still waiting to be made redundant - so no change there, then, but while I've got literally nothing to do, I can fill my time writing and so forth, so I keep busy enough.
The chemo has been increased again, but so far so good and I'm coping OK with that, but I have to work at eating. I do get the occasional nasty headache - but for goodness sake: everyone gets a headache sometimes! Other people are far more bothered than I am usually. I get a bit tired, but I'm allowed that, I think.
Hospital visits and blood tests are an intrusive feature of my life and I do wish folk would just leave me (and my veins) alone sometimes - but I tell myself that as long as they are keeping an eye on me, I don't have to worry, so that's fine - but fitting everything in is sometimes problematical. At the moment, it's working out at two visits and a blood test every week or thereabouts - so you can see that with work and a midweek service it is honestly quite difficult...
Anyway, I must go and wrap mother's birthday present. She's 87 next Wednesday and eagerly waiting her second hip replacement!
All in all, I feel blessed right now. I miss you all. Desmond is pining.
God bless
With love as ever,
Lesley xx (and Desmond)
Just for today, dear Lord, let me realise that there is nothing that we cannot handle together - and may I pray the same prayer tomorrow.....
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Forum Poster
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Last Login: 23 November 2009 22:48
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| Dear Lesley, It`s been a month and I`m wondering how you have been this long time. Are you still visiting the hospital frequently? What is the result of all the check-ups and treatment, I wonder? Can you talk to us again, please? I send you lots of love and wish you many blessings, x x
Sheila
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Forum Member
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Last Login: 17 April 2010 14:03
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Dear all,
I'd like to say that things have been wonderful while I've been away, but they haven't.
Matthew has been thrown out of College, for no other reason, it seems to us, than he has a severe language disorder and therefore is deemed not to be able to "cope" with an NVQ II next year - despite being qualified twice over (by virtue of having and NVQ I in the subject and the requisite GCSEs) to undertake the course. Consequently, we don't know what to do with him. It's all been handled very badly with the College telling us to tell him, and then denying to him that any "decision had been made" the next day. He's terribly depressed of course and can't work out what he has "done wrong" - to use his phrase. The answer is nothing, of course. The poor lad wants to cook - no more and no less. He doesn't want to serve food, deal with the public or anything else which the College say is such a problem for him. They complain that "customers" cannot understand him - which may be true: but he wants to cook!
Meanwhile, Rachael, bless her, is having nightmares that she is going to be thrown out of her college without warning too. (We had no communication from Matthew's College all year up until this bombshell). There is nothing we can say that reassures her...
Michael passed his driving test (I probably said) and then his car failed its MOT seriously. Consequently he has spent an awful lot of money getting it repaired and I have given him a huge cheque (well a fair amount) to put towards a newer car. BUT he's autistic and this is a major issue for him.
To add to this, Mother is going in to have her other hip replaced so I'm just about to head east again to look after her for a week. Hopefully this will be before I go back in to Arrowe ParK Hospital and Walton Hospital for tests. "They" think there is something going on with my brain following the radiotherapy or something like that. I haven't got the energy to worry about it to be fair.
The Ph.D continues to wonder down towards submission peacefully so I have taken on a Post. Grad. qualification in Nursing for a year or so. It's something I've toyed with doing for a while, and distance learning seems to suit me. But there is a lot of work to do.
Church is fine - and I so enjoy being there. Work is much the same (although Friday was a little traumatic and draining) - but we all have difficult days. It's in the nature of the work.
Thursday's communion was very special. I had a real sense of God's presence with me and began to appreciate in a new way the meaning of the Ascention - and it's very real importance for all of us..."In the same way". It affirmed something for me.
Gosh - what a lot of babble! Things are not easy at the moment, but I have the opportunity to lose myself in studying (which somehow makes it easier for me at that moment). Trouble is, it can add to the pressure, can't it? I'm having trouble dealing with my anger at Matthew's College and at the total lack of support we've received from anywhere (Career's Advice, Social Services, Remploy etc.). Nobody seems to give a d*** about him.
Please do pray for him.
God bless
With love as ever,
Lesley (and Desmond - who has been cried into a lot lately)
Just for today, dear Lord, let me realise that there is nothing that we cannot handle together - and may I pray the same prayer tomorrow.....
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Forum Newbie
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Last Login: 21 January 2010 12:08
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Hello Lesley, it's good to hear from you again, but sorry there are so many problems again for your family.
Matthew really does seem to have been badly treated, and I would have thought you would have some grounds for challenging the college's decision. If he was taken as a student with special needs, then those needs should still be taken into account, and you should be kept involved in ongoing decisions. I do hope you are able to do something there.
Thinking about you, Ann
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Forum Poster
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Last Login: 23 November 2009 22:48
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| I agree with Maya. Meanwhile, Lesley, I marvel at how you manage to hold it all together with so much going on and going `wrong`. So many problems, and with your own health still . . . You really are an example to us all, not that I expect you want to be! Then in your roller coaster life there comes that remarkable moment at the Eucharist. Surely God, too, must marvel at your perseverance and faithfulness. He`s there nudging you along and assuring you of his presence. Wonderful. Stick with it. I don`t know what else to say, save that I hold you and all the family in prayer. Please give your mother my love. My husband has just had a knee replacement, the first of four operations. He`s doing fine. Every continued blessing, Lots of love, Sheila. x x
Sheila
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Last Login: 17 April 2010 14:03
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Dear all,
I'm back after a week at Mum's. She's just had her second hip replacement (run out of hips to have replaced now!). Considering she's 87 she's done remarkably well - although I can't say it hasn't been a little trying at times.
Normal life is what normal life is for me at the moment - basically there's far too much of it! Never mind - I finish one of my two jobs next week (finally being made redundant). I'm back at Walton Hospital for those tests on 1st July and we still haven't sorted out what is happening with Matthew...
Thinking it through, I think my underlying problem isn't anything to do with radiotherapy or anything like that - I think I'm simply stressed up to the gills (and no more than that).
Strange, isn't it? I went to communion this morning and felt...nothing. It's a good job faith is about far more than what we feel at any given moment!
God bless
With love as ever,
Lesley xx (and Desmond - who enjoyed his trip to Newark xx)
Just for today, dear Lord, let me realise that there is nothing that we cannot handle together - and may I pray the same prayer tomorrow.....
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Forum Poster
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 23 November 2009 22:48
Posts: 99,
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| Dear Lesley, I pray you will be uplifted. But it is good news re your mother`s second hip. At 87 that`s wonderful - and with the suspected heart problem not so very long ago. My husband is walking with the aid of one stick just three weeks and three days after his knee replacement op - and there were doubts that he wold be able to be operated on at all. He celebrated his 70th birthday a few days after his op. The second knee replacement should go ahead a few months from now. Sounds like you are in the desert, or is it wilderness? I often ponder the difference. Just know that many of us keep you in our prayers and God`s hand is always upon you and his love surrounding you. Love, joy, peace . . .
Sheila
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