I’m sorry to have to admit that I have deprived you of an update which you are entitled to yet again. There are two main reasons for this a) when I last did a lengthy update the system shut down unexpectedly and the draft wasn’t saved which left me a little, well, unhappy! And b) I have lost the will to keep it all as up to date as I would prefer. Maybe I feel that there is less of a need to rant, put down my ramblings and share the many mini events that have occurred since Dom finished treatment. And then again, maybe not. It is harder to do it these days but not because there is less to say necessarily. Anyway, it’s my fault, as ever.
On to the important stuff and the reason you continue to tune in regardless …. you will be pleased to know that Dom is doing well, all things considered. You will probably already be aware that he returned to school after the half term holidays and got straight back into it with a help from his teachers to ensure that he was able to catch up. Since then he has made rapid progress, despite interruptions for physio and single appointment with his consultant’s stand in (Maria is off on maternity leave). I’m pleased to tell you that he has made excellent progress at school and Ngawang attended the parent’s evening where he was able to hear it directly from his teachers.
Dom’s hair has grown back over the past few weeks with his eyebrows being the first to show. His eyelashes soon followed and then the hair on his head which came through as soft as a hamster’s though he won’t be pleased with me for telling you. He has grown this goatee thing on his chin, because he can and probably because his mate can’t and it winds up his mother (yep, I don’t like it at all but in the great scheme …..?). The hair on his arms and legs is also starting to return. No doubt I will be mother to a guy resembling Mr Tumnus in the not too distant future.
As you would expect there has been the odd setback to his progress and his contentment which has included disappointment at not being able to jump straight into a kayak at the first opportunity, warned as he was by Sue (the whizz of a phyz) that he needed a proper support on his knee and a bit more strength before he tackled that. Long face and misery ensued for a little while but he threw himself into the school play and before term was out, he has performed his part admirably on stage despite missing the first weeks of rehearsal as he was still in treatment. He did good.
He has had the odd slip and either made his leg or his hip uncomfortable but in Sue’s capable hands he has made remarkable progress. So much so that by the time we went to see Mr Pollock (all hail!) his surgeon for his follow up on the 29th November, the doctor was delighted with his progress. He has been fitted with a support which helps to keep his knee in position by Sue and this has speeded up his rehabilitation.
He has secured a job and lost same in the space of a few days which was due to his inability to bend down properly (he sticks his leg out causing a possible trip hazard) but although disappointed, he has realised that with his ambitions to be in the big school musical next year, especially since he was cheated of it this year, it would have been difficult to work and have rehearsals, and school work and a social life all of which he plans to cram in.
For various reasons we were unable to go abroad for a holiday this year after treatment as we originally planned. Ngawang was keen to save holiday for the trip he and Dom are planning to take to Vietnam next summer and it got complicated trying to find anywhere that did a funny numbers of days in the sun. I gave up in the end and booked a lovely villa at Centerparcs in Longleat from the 10th – 14th December. Dom was encouraged to bring a friend and decided on Matthew.
There was no sun, of course, but we had a great time. The boys went off and did archery, laser clay shooting and quads which they thoroughly enjoyed. I indulged (worshipped) at the temple of Aqua Sana where I was pampered to within an inch of my life and spent a blissful 3 or more hours whiling away the hours in the spa in peace and quiet.
The only disappointment from the trip (apart from having to go home as far as I was concerned) was Dom not being able to have the massage he had booked because of having had chemo in the past three months. Unfortunately that was his lasting memory of the trip and not the rest of it. Bah!
I will add in some pictures in the near future. Patience requested again!
