Happy New Year Everyone! We hope you had a fantastic time celebrating the festive period and have recovereed from those hangovers!
The last month has been a very hectic time for the Barratt's in Oz. Thomas completed his first year at school after settling in well and making lots of lovely new friends. Charlie has caused us more grey hairs than I care to think about, and we are now hoping 2012 is going to be a much easier year than 2011.
Being so far away from all our lovely friends and family has been hard throughout the whole year and this was made especially harder at Christmas time. Paul's parents were on hand to help us celebrate our very first Christmas in Australia and I think they managed to withstand the hot conditions very well as a 25 oC Christmas isnt the norm for us Brits! Well done Pam and Frank.
The week before Christmas, Charlie managed to give us yet another fright by developing a rash all over his body which sent me and him on a mad dash to A&E the day before we were set to go on a short break.(which I'd planned since March and we were all looking forward to). After being checked over by various doctors,(who were clearly all being extra cautious) we were finally visited by our consultant who believed it was a reaction to the chemo-phew (I think)!We were sent home with strict instructions to return back if he developed a fever etc overnight and with some medication just in case it was chickenpox (if it had been,then we would have had to stay in hospital to be treated). To say we were relieved was an understatement and this kind of fear is an everyday possibility when living with a child with cancer.
Our trip to Noosa on the coast was lovely. We all tried our hand at fishing and Thomas even managed to catch something within the first 5 minutes,not bad for a first timer. The boys had numerous swims in the river (which is more like the sea as its so pristine) and we spent our final day on the beach catching some waves. Paul enjoyed an early Christmas present and went kayaking which he thoroughly enjoyed and is now talking about buying a kayak of his own. Pam and Frank got to visit a pretty village in the mountains whilst we were there and the break was very enjoyable.
House hunting is top of our agenda at the moment as we really need a house with more space!The current rental was taken as there wasnt much choice at the time with the floods hitting Brisbane and the situation with Charlie so we took what we could. I went to look round a couple of houses with Pam (Paul's mum) and fell in love with one of them.It had everything we wanted (maybe not needed,but wanted)! The swimming pool and outdoor area was amazing and the space inside was equally so. Unfortunately the competition out here is so fierce for renting that we missed out. I will keep looking though and that pool will be ours!
The last month has seen us spend time with friends and family alike and it has been most enjoyable. The living space (as mentioned above) has been limited and challenging at times (Frank taking his time doing his hair in the bathroom on a morning,well what can I say, hehe)! We were very kindly loaned a house for a few days over christmas which gave us the extra space we needed and we even had Christmas day out on the decking as it was a beautiful house, over-looking a park.
Charlie has been consistantly tired and energyless most of the time, then he manages to have a mad 20 minutes where he will drive around on his "little red tractor" (aka trike) only to tire himself out and need a couple of hours rest before starting over again! Thomas has been noisy and excitable with having grandma and grandad here but nothing a quick trip to the park doesnt solve.
Last Thursday was hospital day and as usual, the build up to this was immensely stressful for me and Paul. No one likes to take their child to the hospital/doctor at the best of times but when its for chemptherapy, reality strikes every single time and it dawns on you why you're going. As it coincided with Paul being off work,he took Charlie for his treatment and spent a few hours waiting to see the Dr and have the dreaded chemo. Meanwhile, I frantically packed a bag for us to have a couple of much needed days away in the Rainforest. Charlie was exhausted for the duration of the break,with Paul carrying him most places. It was the rest and relaxation we needed after a stressful week dealing with the hospital.
I had a wonderful facial this morning whilst the boys went on a trip to the zoo with their grandma and grandad. It was a lovely peaceful morning which I could have enjoyed forever! "Time out" is timetabled into my diary from now on as I know I dont look after myself well enough (and am constantly reminded of this by you guys)!
After nearly a year of stress and unease about what will happen with our precious Charlie, I am completely exhausted and really feeling the strain of it all at the moment. We try to fit in fun outings which keep the family as "normal" as we can but the fact that we are unable to come home to be "looked after" and supported more closely, is hard. The support everyone has offered to us hasnt gone unnoticed and we appreciate it so much but being here alone,is bloody hard work and also theres a feeling of being trapped at times. To have someone come in and give us a night or 2 off from this rollercoaster would be immense. Living so far away doesnt allow for this and the near future is in Charlie's hands for now.
All we ask for is that 2012 brings us the luck we deserve. We have worked so hard as a couple to support one another through what can only truly be felt by someone going through the same experience and one which we would never wish upon anyone else to have to go through. We like to think of ourselves as naturally positive people which I feel has helped us get through this. At times you do question why? and "what have I done wrong for something so horrible to happen to my child". Realistically you know the answers but they still pop into your head.
We hope to go from strength to strength this year and are looking forward to seeing Charlie get stronger and keep away from any bugs that may be lurking around the corner! Fingers crossed to a happy new year for everyone and thank you once again for the continued support you've shown to us through this crazy,mad year.
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