Back to the grindstone

I survived my first day back at work and it was easier than I thought. I didn’t burst into tears at any stage and I only had 497 emails to go through!

I am always surprised at how little things change when I am away from work for a week or two or even a month. Prior to going on annual leave I always spend the last few days working like crazy to make sure that everything is in order and that all my colleagues know where all of my deals are up to, what all the clients are up to, just in case.

Even this time when I got out of hospital I went into work late on the Monday evening to check my diary, put my out of office on and distribute my current workload amongst my colleagues.

The funny thing is that when I get back to work nothing has changed. We still have the same issues with the same clients, the same frustrations, just as many outstanding reports to complete and it feels like I was never away!

I hope you don't mind me sneaking in pics of my Mother's Day gifts, I wasn't much in the mood for blogging then but I did want to share my new cushions and birdcage with you.

I included the one of Jemima just because ......

I was very spoilt on Mother's Day and every day since! My boys also bought me a Nespresso (unfortunately it doesn't come with George, but my Hubby is much better anyway!) and I have at least one yummy coffee made for me everyday.

I hope you had a great start to your week!

xx



Grieving

Grief is a multi-faceted response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or something to which a bond was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, it also has physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, and philosophical dimensions. While the terms are often used interchangeably, bereavement often refers to the state of loss, and grief to the reaction to loss.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There are stages of grieving and everyone grieves differently.

 

As part of my grieving I wrote my last post. I wasn’t being particularly brave or strong when I wrote it. I cried as I typed and at times I had to stop writing and let my tears flow free before I could continue. Putting my experience in writing was a step that I needed to take so that I could move on a bit further through my grief.

 

Once I had written about my experience I was able to stop remembering every detail just in case I forgot. I knew I could go back and read it whenever I needed to.

 

Each day gets easier and each day I have been feeling stronger physically, spiritually and emotionally. I am so thankful that I was able to take time to be alone and to rest, to heal. I am glad that I didn’t have to rush back into society and act normal!

 

Next week I am going back to work and I am ready to try again!

During these last weeks the Lord has shown me how much I have to be thankful for and how blessed I am. I have discovered just how much good there is in the world and how important relationships are.

 

Thank you for all of your kind words, your thoughts, support and prayers. Each and every comment helped me along in my recovery and made me feel cared for,

it has made me realise how important a kind word can be and I pray that I will be able to bless others the way that you have all blessed me.

 

Nellie

xx

Good Bye My Precious

It was the first Thursday of the school holidays and Nicholas was at work with me, I was looking forward to having lunch with him but first a quick toilet break.

Something is not right, I felt something stretch and then pop and clear fluid starts leaking into the toilet. There was no pain and no blood. I tried very hard not to panic and rang the doctor. They told me to come straight in. I left Nicholas at work with a brief explanation so he wouldn’t worry too much and walked around the corner to the doctors.

I relaxed a little, the fluid stopped leaking and the doctor saw me. He checked on you and it was the first time that I heard your heart beat. It might be ok, you’re still alive and the leaking has stopped. Don’t panic, I will have an ultrasound and we will find out what happened.

Given that the next day is Good Friday the doctor recommends that I go to the hospital to get an ultrasound, that way they are aware of the circumstances just in case.

As I walk back to work I am devastated to feel that I am losing a lot more fluid. I call Dad, he collects Nicholas and me then we head to the hospital.

We get to the hospital around 1.30pm and we’re informed that there a few people before us and the couple waiting the longest have been there just under 5 hours, so we settle in. Despite the fact that the Dr spoke to the gynaecologist on duty we have to be seen by a rostered emergency Dr first.

Just before 4pm we are hustled through to have an ultrasound as they finish at 4pm. I get to see you again and my hopes rise a bit. You are alive and kicking however there is no amniotic fluid around you. I’m not told a lot at this stage and I have to go and wait for the Dr to see me.

It is not good news, there is not fluid around you and without the amniotic fluid your lungs can not develop. You are not quite at 18 weeks and your lungs don’t develop fully until 24 weeks. There is a very small possibility that the membranes will repair and the fluid will be replaced but we need to wait and see. The Dr’s main concern is for me as I am at a great risk of infection and they want to put me on antibiotics straight away and monitor me.

The best chance you have is for me to be on bed rest in order for the ruptured membranes to heal and for the fluid to be replaced so I am admitted to hospital.

We are all praying that God will grant us a miracle and that you will survive.

I am resting and Dad and Nicholas visit us every day. They have Easter Sunday lunch in the hospital with us and your Babooshka. We joke that it is a memorable Easter lunch and definitely a first for us.

We get to hear your heartbeat again and this time it is a first for Dad and Nicholas. I am able to feel you kicking more and more and I love it.

The public holidays are over and on Wednesday morning I am booked in for an Ultrasound. The results are not good. You’re still with us but you still have no fluid around you, your leg is down in the cervix and it is starting to open.

The Dr’s don’t want to induce if they can avoid it, it is much better for me if I go into spontaneous labour, I have until Friday and then they will reassess the situation.

I am so upset, we don’t know why this has happened, there was no sign of infection and you seem to be healthy apart from your lungs not being developed. We continue to pray for a miracle.

It is Thursday night, I know you are still with me because I can feel you kicking. I saw you again this morning and both of your legs are moving down. I am praying now that I don’t need to make a decision tomorrow and that the Lord either heals the membranes or starts the labour.

I say good bye to you. I know this is it and I am so thankful for the extra week I had with you to feel you kicking and moving around.

In the morning I wake up without pain however when I go to the toilet I notice that your cord is coming out. The Dr confirms that it is the umbilical cord and it is not pulsating so you are now dead. He can also feel your leg on its way out.

I am given some drugs to help with the labour and you are born at 12.03pm. We are given time with you to say good bye. You are perfectly formed and I can even see your toenails. I love you and I am so sorry I was not able to bring you home with me.

 

Good bye my precious little boy.

I will see you in heaven one day.

Mum

xx