Blog 22-November 2013

I haven't written my blog since the lovely Connors left and I thought I better update you on our goings on Down Under!

The past couple of months on the whole, have been very stressful for a number of reasons but things have certainly started to get back on track in the last couple of weeks-phew.

After enjoying some fantastic times with Mich,Tim,Isla and Niamh,we had a couple of weeks before our next visitors arrived in the form of my parents.Mum and dad had come over to spend the boys birthdays with them which was very magical for all of us.

Charlie's timing however,was impeccable and his blood counts nose dived shortly after mum and dad arrived which meant we were unable to fulfil many of the fun adventures we had planned for the school holidays. Thomas was a star and completely understood that his brother was unwell which resulted in his holiday plans changing. The duration of Charlies counts being low dragged on and after being primarily indoors for 4 weeks,I decided to take him for a little walk (in his buggy) whereby he managed to get a tick. This wasn't pleasant as it had embedded itself in his head and had a nice full tummy as a result of feasting on his blood (I'm not sure it chose the best blood to feed off to be honest)! A trip to A and E and it was soon removed and as expected,Charlie was so brave (I'd have been freaking out)! The following week,Charlie went back to Kindy and managed to pick up a lovely rash! This was particularly scary as Cancer and rashes just don't go together! Yet another trip to A and E and a very thorough check to ensure it was nothing serious.Over the next few days, the rash spread over his entire body,so it was time for another check up at A and E. All looked to be OK,although they weren't sure what the rash was. This all happened amongst his usual trips to the hospital for chemo and he still managed to be cheery.

Chemo(not A&E for a change)

Heading ot the jetty to fish

We were given the go ahead to enjoy our weekend trip so long as we had details of the local hospital to hand. The break was just what we all needed and what a great place!We had a jetty at the end of the garden where dad,Paul and the boys spent many hours fishing from and mum and Paul even spotted bull sharks! We visited the infamous Byron Bay, and had a lovely time exploring the local area.

All hands on deck

Whilst on the beach,there were many 4x4 cars zooming by (which is common on designated beaches here). Paul decided to go and get our "new" car from the car park to try it out on the beach...you can see where this is going?! Well,needless to say 10 minutes later we saw Thomas running along the beach shouting to tell us daddy was stuck in the sand! After trying (and failing) to get the car out of the sand ourselves,with the car just sinking deeper into the sand with every

The boys sat watching daddy being rescued

try,we managed to get a local to pull us out with his Ute. Hooray! I bet he was thinking "bloody Pomms"!

The same evening Paul and Tom went fishing in the dark. They took their lantern to the jetty and set up camp. An hour later Paul strolls in with a swollen hand and in a very calm voice says "Can you just check if this type of fish is venomous". It was venomous, but only slightly so off he trots back to his set up on the jetty.  Half an hour passed and he comes in again and calmly asks me to go outside. I look to the left of the house and the whole length of next doors garden was on fire! Considering the bush fires were on the news all the time I was panicking! I ran inside and shouted to get out and ran upstairs to get Charlie from his bed. We couldn't find Paul anywhere! We're all set to drive off when he comes out from the dark to inform us that next door told him its sugar cane that they burn. OMG! Talk about an interesting day.We had a laugh about it and an extra wine to calm the nerves!

Daddys got the car stuck!!

Thomas had his parents evening and we continue to hear that he is doing well. He has the usual challenges any 8 year old has (with a few added from home for good measure) but he still manages to come out of school with a beaming smile and a big hug for me each day.

We had to say our farewells to mum and dad and it had been a strange stay for them,I'm sure. Charlie not being well made me so stressed out so I can only imagine that they couldn't wait to get home! In all seriousness, mum has always been my rock (along with Paul of course) through this and I know she understood where I was coming from.

After having fun!

Having fun!

After a few more weeks of Charlies counts being low (with one week of recovery in between),it was beginning to get me down. Having a sick child for a week is hard,but it going on and on is emotionally shattering. I decided to let myself have a wallow and then soon pulled myself together. The positive vibes came out and I thought about what I needed for ME for a change. I decided to enquire about volunteering in Childcare next year, and also joined the local gym. It made me realise that I really have put my life on hold for the past 3 years (and rightly so) to care for my family. It also made me see that its OK for me to have time to do things for myself and I will be embracing this in 2014! (whilst the boys are at school of course,I wouldn't want to be too greedy)!

This last week was a little mad. We had some of Charlies little friends round for a BBQ on Saturday which was lovely.The kids had a great time (big and small) and I was expecting a quiet evening on Sunday only to be asked by my friend Jude, to go see the British band-Franz Ferdinand which was amazing! I then went out with friends for morning tea in Brisbane on Monday whereby (and Paul doesn't believe me) my shoe broke whilst I was in a shoe shop, so of course,I had to buy some new ones! (this is 100% true btw)!Although my dress didn't break so I have no excuse for purchasing that!

On Wednesday evening Paul and me went to see the comedian Michael McIntyre and he was hilarious!We had such a good night and Kate very kindly babysat for us.

Me and Jude (from nr York)!

Charlie then had his prep transition day on Thursday which was to get him and the other children ready for starting school. He was fine  spending the morning there, though very tired after just 2 hours (we'll see how he lasts 6 hours,5 days a week in January). 

I attended my twice weekly bootcamp with Lori on Thursday evening, to get my mind and body focused and loved it-though I will admit,it was difficult to make myself go as I was shattered from all my socialising earlier in the week!That'll teach me for being a social butterfly.

Yesterday, Charlie and myself joined his Kindy friends for a trip to a beach just outside Brisbane called Bribie Island. Charlie got to interact with some sea creatures which had been brought along for the children to be educated on the local environment (sea stars,urchins,sea cucumbers,baby shark..).Charlie was very confident and spoke up a few times to input to the talk which was for me,AMAZING. It may sound silly,but as Charlie has interacted primarily with adults all his life up until this past year,seeing him so capable and confident makes me so proud of him.

Thomas has been our local superstar (well,in our eyes anyway)!If you hadn't heard,Thomas has been on an Australian TV show called Pipsqueaks. He isn't too bothered about seeing it but has now been on 4 episodes so of course we're super proud of the little man for interacting so well with the puppets!

This brings me to today. Well, Thomas and Paul have gone camping with a few lads and dads whilst me and Charlie catch up on some chores and rest (respectively)! Charlie has had a lovely week but is completely shattered. His counts are unfortunately still low but he's happy.

I'd like to mention this as I think its important,especially for when the boys possibly look back and read the blog in future years. I am aware that most of my blogs focus on Charlie. This has no reflection on Thomas at all as we are super proud of him too. The reasons I'm sure you'll understand are due to Charlie's situation being so (unfortunately) unique. Thomas is told everyday (to his annoyance I'm sure) how proud of him we are and how much he's loved. He gets to do lots of fun things that Charlie can't do and this is why I mention all the "little" things we are thankful and proud of with Charlie. He is amazing through all the obstacles he has to deal with. The boys (for now) continue to be the best of friends and yes, that includes arguing.They are no angels but are 2 boys to be so proud of as nobody should have to experience the difficulties these 2 little fellas have had to. They really are our superheroes!!

Blog 21-Winter 2013 Connors Visit to Oz

During the past few weeks,we have had the pleasure of family visiting from the UK in the form of Michelle,Tim,Isla and Niamh. It has been a very chaotic and fun few weeks where the kids,particularly Thomas and Isla,have had a whale of a time playing.
It was the first time we had met Niamh and she has proven to be very cute-just like Isla I may add. Due to us having minimal "girls toys" in the house, Isla is now trained in playing Skylanders,Ninjas,Ben 10,Bionicles,Hero Factories...the list goes on. All of which I'm sure will come in handy for when she goes back to school! Charlie has been trying his best to keep up with the other kids and is doing well. However,he pushes himself too much sometimes,then gets beyond tired. He is unable to walk distances whenever we go out and still rides in his buggy/pushchair for any outings which can be hard to watch when all the other children his age are happily running around and he's either flat out, or reserving his energy for the important stuff. For me and Paul there are clear differences in his inability to do things that the other children naturally do, but so long as Charlie is comfortable and happy,then that's fine with us and his time will come!

We ventured up the coast for a few days and stopped off in Noosa then went onto Rainbow Beach.We were met at both places with sunshine and beautiful accommodation. Tim and Michelle were amazed by the apartments we'd hired and they were in the outdoor pool in the blink of an eye (though it was chillier than they expected I think)! Charlie had to watch on from the balcony whilst the others frolicked in the water so we decided it was probably only fair to pop to the beach where Charlie could join in this time (less germs).
After hiring a boat,doing a spot of shopping at the markets and playing on the beach our time in Noosa was up and we headed up to Rainbow Beach. Isla held her 6th birthday at this gorgeous spot and we all got up early and went to feed some dolphins on her special day,which was amazing.

The day prior, the Barratts had booked in to do kayaking with the dolphins and whales whilst the Connors went exploring Fraser Island. Unfortunately we were unable to do the kayak tour as Charlie was too young.We didnt waste our day though and headed to the beach where Paul "fished" (I'm sure that Oceans empty) and the boys and I played on the beach. A few more adventures and a couple more BBQ's later and we headed back to Brisbane.

Charlie's treatment day loomed and the Connors headed off to Sydney for a week to do more sightseeing. They travelled by sleeper train and had a great time in Sydney once they arrived. That week gave us the opportunity to manage the side effects of Charlies treatment which were BAD! I never want to take steroids in my life after seeing what they do to his little body and mind. He was a crazy little monster that week and it was a very stressful time. Once its over with,we're on with the next stage,no time to dwell but it was another difficult week. Charlies next treatment day is Thursday the 5th September and instead of taking part in his school transition day where he would meet teachers,peers and learn a little about the school he's starting in January, he will instead be in theatre having a lumbar puncture,chemotherapy,steroids...

The Connors arrived back from Sydney and we all headed off to see Paul finish his second Ride to Conquer Cancer cycle. Knowing that all the money raised on the day goes directly to the research centre to help find a cure for Cancer, makes the ride so worthwhile. Thank you so much to each of you who supported the cause financially or otherwise. Paul and Kevin did a remarkable job and Paul now has the cycling competition bug,argh!!

This last weekend, we went to Sea World where the kids had the best time but seemed pretty shattered by the end of it.

Michelle and myself took ourselves off for a long overdue massage yesterday (seen as Paul bought me the voucher 5 months ago I thought I better use it)! We had a quick trip to the Lookout at Mt Coot tha then headed home for dinner.

Today is the final day of their visit and I hope that they have felt welcomed and enjoyed their stay with us as it has been jam packed with fun and mayhem! xxx

Blog 20-April/May 2013

Yikes! I haven't blogged for a while so here I am, ready and raring to give you a little insight into our goings on in Oz for this year.

After our initial concerns regarding Charlie starting Kindy,he is loving it! He is having the best time and making lots of new friends and having heaps of fun. They go at his pace and don't rush him to do anything which is so reassuring.It's such a positive,nurturing environment where he is so happy. Today we popped by,it wasn't his usual Kindy day, but the teachers had asked the police to come in to chat to the children.I was just praying he didn't mention all the cussing me and Paul do about the cops hiding behind trees to catch you speeding! I made it out alive and no secrets revealed,phew!

Thomas is really happy at school and managed to get himself a Merit Award last week for all his hard work. He's as helpful (and excitable) as ever and Charlie and him seem to continue to be the best of buddies which we love to watch and see their relationship flourish.

Easter proved to be a tricky time this year as my good friend Kate (who's also from the UK) had the sad news that her husband had blacked out and lost his memory.Andrew was taken to hospital and underwent various tests to establish what had happened. During this unbelievably scary time,we 'pinched' her 8 year old son Che, and added him to our brood until Andrew was able to return home to be cared for. Andrews diagnosis was Encephalitis and Kate is doing a fantastic job of juggling hospital appointments,school runs and her own sanity, with the tricky job of supporting her husband in his recovery!We do joke that we could write a book about the dangers of moving to Australia and how bad it is for your health. We try to keep each other positive in such surreal circumstances and it seems to be working!

Thomas,Charlie & Che on egg hunt

Things both here and back home are a little full on at times. On top of the Charlie saga we also are trying to sell our home in order to keep afloat during this tricky period in out life. My grandad has just taken a turn for the worse and is currently in hospital after being diagnosed with Lung and Liver Cancer so things are still very much up and down for us. It was extremely hard for me last week finding out about him, as in any normal situation,I would have boarded a plane to be there with him and my family at such a sad time. The decision was finally made though and I wont be coming back as its just not feasible to leave Charlie here with Paul, in case he becomes ill too (then where would we be)!

On the whole,Charlie is doing remarkably well in dealing with the Cancer and all the horrible procedures that go hand-in-hand with fighting it. He is continuing to have his daily Chemo and regular steroids,bloods taken, hospital visits for more chemo and after 2 years, it is becoming the norm-though he still gets distressed at the thought of the visits but who can blame him? He has been experiencing headaches lately which the Consultant is concerned about so this will be monitored at home and fingers crossed, he'll be fine. Here's a snapshot of Charlie's daily medication,him in hospital having his port accessed for the chemo and a must do shopping trip the day after chemo which I felt so guilty about as he was so weak but we needed food!

It was Anzac Day on Thursday and the boys have been learning about this important occasion at school/Kindy and showed their respect to the fallen soldiers and those still fighting to keep us safe. Later that same day, we took off for a little break which was relaxing,refreshing and lots of fun.

Our adventures took us to Noosa which is a beautiful coastal area approx 2 hours drive from Brisbane. We went with our friends Kevin,Lori and their son Ben and met up with Kate,Andy and Che whilst up there. We all had a great time and Paul did a spot of fishing (and he won a fishing rod in a raffle on his birthday!)whilst I snook off and went to the famous Eumundi markets with Lori-no kids!! We all hired a boat later in the day, and dreamt about the million dollar mansions we'd purchase along the Noosa river,if won the lottery. They were breathtaking properties and not bad as a second home!

Tom & Ben sailing

Paul and Kevin did an 85km cycle in preparation for the big Ride to Conquer Cancer cycle they embark on in August. They did really well, although they were understandably shattered afterwards.



 Paul enjoyed his birthday celebrations and as you can see,loved his Leeds Utd top! You can take the boy out of Leeds,but not Leeds out of the boy!

I'll leave you with a few chosen pictures from our past few outings and hopefully you'll come back to read the next installment of Barratts in Oz!

As a bit of a cheeky reminder,Paul needs to raise $2500 in order to compete in the Ride to Conquer Cancer cycle in August and he isn't doing well with sponsors so far (partly because we hate asking for money)! If we can be cheeky and ask if you can put the word around via email about the cycle,we'd be so grateful. If he doesn't reach the target,he can't take part.

Thanks so much xxx

This is the address for any donations/sharing of the event.
http://br13.conquercancer.org.au/site/TR/Events/Brisbane2013?px=1077539&pg=personal&fr_id=1110