Monday 29 August 2016

Lazy Days

Didn't find very much at the car boot sale yesterday. Just a couple of blankets for Dot and a couple of Dvd's for me.
Had a lazy day then went to the Sizewell (sports and social) club for their "fun day" it wasn't very fun. It was mainly aimed at people with kids. Punch and Judy, bouncy castles etc.
I didn't stay long, then went out for a bite to eat with R and her partner.
Cleaned the flat today then carried on with my Harry Potter marathon, I've been watching all the films in between trying to keep busy while B was away.
6 down, 2 to go!
B got home and fell asleep within half an hour. He's definitely had a busier weekend than me.
I'm off to watch number 7.
Lazy but enjoyable bank holiday weekend done. Back to work tomorrow.
A xx

Saturday 27 August 2016

Sports direct haul!

Got up nice and early today, to go to Ipswich, to find some more stretchy 3/4 length trousers for work. Missed the Saturday traffic and the crowds and went to sports direct first. Managed to find everything I needed plus a few extras and accidentally spent £63!
3 pairs of 3/4 length trousers.
1 pair of funky leggings
2 pairs of boxers, 1 for B, 1 spongebob squarepants pair for me.
2 sports bras
1 head band
1 pair of sunglasses for B, he's always losing his.
And 1 exercise ball (I'll be using it as a birthing ball)
I've not really looked at much in sports direct before but I'll definitely be going back they had loads of nice things.
Because I was there so early I finished shopping and still managed to get a McDonald's breakfast afterwards.
Then met mum at hospital to visit my dad. He was feeling a bit brighter after feeling pretty rubbish yesterday. They're doing more tests to try and find out why he's feeling so crappy so hopefully they come up with something and get him back on his feet and home to my mum soon.
Better go and tidy up before my friend S comes round for a drink.

Early start again tomorrow for the local car boot sale. Is it sad that I'm excited about going to a car boot sale? Probably. Oh well.
A xx
Beautiful sunrise, love a good sky pic!

Friday 26 August 2016

Afternoon at the Beach

As there was no one testing this afternoon at work I thought I'd have the afternoon off as it seems to be the only nice day of the bank holiday weekend (surprise surprise!) With B at Reading festival (I didn't fancy a weekend with 4 drunk lads) I took myself off in our lovely new car to mum and dads beach hut in Felixstowe. I did plan on going for a swim but it was so nice just sitting in the sun with the cool sea breeze I didn't bother. I was only there for a couple of hours as the dog needed walking but it was a thoroughly relaxing afternoon. I can't wait to take Dot there in years to come. When they bought it it was kitted out with everything you'd need for a day on the beach. Buckets, spades, dingy, boogie boards and even a camping hob for a cup of tea. I must remember to take sugar when I go next time as tea with no sugar is disgusting. That's the only thing the hut is missing so can't be bad.

Just heard from B he has managed to find a stall that sells phone charging packs that you can swap as many times as you like which means he'll be able to get lots of videos of all the bands I'm missing. He's lost 2 of his friends but him and M were having a brilliant time this afternoon "skanking out to some awesome grime" which I'm glad I'm missing. That's one music genre we definitely don't share a love of.
After I got home I went to visit my pregnant friend R at the fish and chip shop to get my tea. Don't know how she copes with the heat. Makes me very thankful for the air conditioning at my work!
A xx

Wednesday 24 August 2016

My story

So as promised this is my story.
9 years ago I had 1 ovary removed and chemo therapy to treat ovarian cancer.  Sorry if this is very long and rambling but it was a long time ago so I have to remember how and what happened, and when.
I first noticed something wrong when we were staying with B's mum and dad at Christmas 2006. I was getting really bad back ache no matter how I was sitting. I also noticed swelling in my lower abdomen. My first thought was that I was pregnant. So after we were home I did a pregnancy test, or 3. All were negative but I looked pregnant so booked in at the docs for another test. Which was still negative. After feeling my belly he referred me for an ultrasound. After the ultrasound where they didn't tell me very much I very quickly received a Gynaecology appointment. The consultant told me I had a large cyst on 1 ovary which they wanted to remove as soon as possible. There wasn't any mention of cancer so I wasn't that worried at that point. He booked me in for the op and, at the start of February on a Wednesday, I had an op to remove the cyst, ovary, and fallopian tube. The cyst was 20cm so about the size of a melon!
After the op I was in hospital for just under a week B booked the week off work and got the bus 2 hours every day to see me. The other ladies on the ward loved him and luckily the nurses didn't mind him staying all day outside normal visiting hours. Then he'd get the bus home again or a lift with my mum and dad when they came to visit.
While I was in hospital the consultant mentioned cancer. He said he got it all and he was very happy with the procedure. The cyst was being sent off to pathology to find out if it was malignant. I was a bit shocked. There hasn't been any mention of the C word. I think the consultant thought it was obvious but I was only 19 so I just didn't think about it. I was obviously scared at this point. I associated cancer with dying. Everyone I knew who had cancer had died.
At my post op appointment a few weeks later I found out that my cyst had been all over the place. From Ipswich they had sent it to a hospital in Birmingham then on to another in Belfast. They decided that it was, this might not be exact as I never wrote it down, a large cell variant of a small cell carcinoma. Which basically meant that it was malignant.
After much deliberation and an appointment with an oncologist they decided that I should have chemo, just in case. I was told that the chemo could mean that I could struggle to have children and may not be able to at all. But I would be able to have IVF on the NHS if I needed it later as long as it didn't wreck the 1 ovary I had left.
The chemo wasn't as bad as I expected.
I would have a blood test on the Monday, as long as that was all
Ok for the next 3 days I would have 2 different bags of chemo by a cannula in my hand followed by 2l of saline so it would take 5-6 hours each day. Then I'd have 3 1/2 weeks of then it would all start again.
My mum and dad were amazing mum would come with me to hospital appointments when I needed her to and dad would pick me up each of the 4 days drive me the 25 miles to the hospital then pick me up later and take me home. I didn't want anyone with me for the chemo sessions because they were so LONG! I re-read the Harry Potter series. And many, many magazines.
I think I had 10 sessions of 3 days in all. After about 2 sessions my hair started to fall out. I had it cut very short (from shoulder length) because it was disgusting when it was coming out. I didn't lose it all. It went very thin and tufty. I shaved it even shorter at mums one night with their hair clippers and started wearing bandanas. Which I felt much less self-conscious about.
I was lucky. I didn't feel too bad. After the chemo earlier in the week I was still going to the pub but by the Friday I'd start to feel a bit crappy. That wouldn't last long and I was still working full time in between treatments. Everything tasted rubbish and I'd get tired very quickly but that was about it.
After the 10 treatments I was told that my CA125 blood test which is used to monitor certain cancers during and after treatment was at 7. Instead of about 130 when I'd started treatment.
To say I was relieved was an understatement. I still had 5 years of appointments every 3-6 months and a blood test each time before they finally gave me the all clear but after the chemo they were happy that the cancer was gone.
Everyone told me how brave I was but I didn't feel it because none of it was that bad. Scary at times but that's about it. I wouldn't have been as "brave" without B. I had times where I'd be scared and he would tell me everything would be ok.
And it was. He was amazing, so positive. If he was ever scared he never showed it and that was exactly what I needed.
They told me once that if it didn't come back in the 5 years of appointments that it never would but I still worry. I guess that's normal.
They were wrong about the chemo making it hard to get pregnant though. After only 3 months I was pregnant, it was such a relief. After years of not wanting to think too much about having children, not wanting to get my hopes up. I was pregnant. I didn't realise how much I wanted children until that moment. Me and B had always said that if we couldn't it wouldn't be the end of the world but we're so happy that we can. I can't bloody wait.
I'm actually looking forward to the sleepless nights and dirty nappies because I didn't know if I'd ever have that. Ok maybe not the nappies but you know what I mean.
A xx

Tuesday 23 August 2016

32 Week Scan With A Camera Shy Baby

I had my 32 week scan and antenatal appointment today. Dot looks healthy and a good size at approximately 3lb 15oz. My consultant wasn't entirely sure why I was there and I was with him a whole 3 minutes. He said I should have had a scan at 28 weeks and that's it. But he said we would stick with the other consultants advice and have another at 36 weeks. At least it's another opportunity to check she's healthy and get a good scan picture. The sonographer today couldn't get a good view. Dot is definitely going to be an awkward little miss! At 2 of my previous scans I've either had to go for a walk or come back for another appointment for them to get all the measurements they need. She obviously doesn't like having her picture taken like her dad! I keep saying she, but the sonographer still couldn't say for definite that she is a she! I hope so or HE will be in a lot of pink until I can get anything else.
Even though I didn't get a scan picture this time I'll add my other 2 onto the end of the blog if I can get it to work today.
While I was at the hospital I popped in to see my dad. He's not feeling great and struggling to find anything that doesn't taste odd, which I remember being a real problem when I had my chemo. (I'll tell that story tomorrow.)
They're keeping a close eye on him and hopefully he'll start feeling better in the next few days.
I'm sure he'll be glad to go home when they do eventually let him out.
Our friend also dropped off our new car today so we went for a little drive. Lovely car. So glad i'll be able to go somewhere while B is at Reading festival this weekend. I'm not jealous at all, honestly!
A xx
12 week scan

20 week scan

Monday 22 August 2016

Missing pictures



Not a happy chappie 

These are the photos that were supposed to be on yesterdays blog. I'm sure i'm doing something wrong. It shouldn't be this hard to add pictures, should it?

Sunday 21 August 2016

Busy weekend doing not very much.

Tad annoying. The car broke down on a test drive so we ended up selling it to the bloke for £50 as we would have only got about £40 if the scrap yard would have come and picked it up. He's coming back for it with a trailer at some point this week. Just glad to see the back of it now.
The Tesco beef ribs yesterday were disappointing and I have gone off wine. So only had a few sips of my 1 glass. I hope it's just because I'm pregnant but it wasn't nice!
On the upside the chocolate torte was amazing.

On a happier note, my dad is starting to feel a bit better(just a little) after his last lot of chemo and stem sell transplant. He's just finished his treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. So hopefully in a few days after some antibiotics and a lot of rest he will be over the worst.
My nephew Baby J has just had a successful op to correct his pyloric stenosis, which, if you didn't know (why would you?) is when the passage between the stomach and small bowel becomes narrower. This stops milk passing into the bowel to be digested.
Yes I copied that from google.
Poor little man was puking lots after every feed and wasn't putting on weight.
He's eating better now which is a major relief for H & J (my sister and brother in-law)

Other than that it was a pretty uneventful weekend. We watched the fireworks on the park opposite after the "cinema in the park" which were quite impressive. Which of course completely freaked the dog out for a good half hour afterwards.
We got up too late to go to the local car boot sale as planned. Im making the most of what few lay-ins I have left before Dot arrives.
I guess it's bed time for me before another week of work.
Night
Xx
Pretty fireworks
Not a happy chappie! :(

Saturday 20 August 2016

Meal Planning, Gumtree and Free Stuff


So, in a bid to be more organised before Dot arrives, I've been doing a Tesco order every week. I used to do one every few weeks (or few months) and just go to the local co-op every other day to get things for meals and stuff we'd run out of. That was getting quite expensive and I found I was spending around £20+ every couple of days. I was also struggling to lug it all back after popping in after work. For the last 3 weeks I've made a meal plan and done it online.
Meal plan for this week is:
Breakfast - cereal or scrambled eggs.
Bacon sandwiches on Sunday
Snacks - Tesco value cereal bars and yoghurts
Lunches - cheese or ham and coleslaw and crisps, yoghurt
Saturday - Tesco finest beef ribs in ale and chunky chips and chocolate torte dessert (2 dine for £10 offer)
Sunday - roast chicken and chorizo roasted potatoes
Monday - chicken pie and mash
Tuesday - spaghetti bolognese
Wednesday - sausages (to be bought from the butchers later in the week)
Thursday - fish cakes and bean salad
Friday - undecided!
2 dine in for £10. Going to treat myself to 1 glass of wine.



We have someone coming to look at (and hopefully buy) our old car later today. It's been off the road for months due to various problems that we have been reluctant to sort out, not knowing if any of them would actually solve the main problem, the battery dying when left for more than a day. I put it on Gumtree with a list of all its problems and hopefully someone who knows a bit about cars can make it into a lovely car again.
We'll be buying a friends car in the next couple of weeks so won't be without for much longer. Which is a nice relief considering I'll only have 8 weeks left on Tuesday!

While replying to a few silly offers for the car on Gumtree (one person offered us a rather ridiculous £100.) I had a look so see who was selling anything nearby. I noticed a space saving cot on for £0! I obviously sent them a message and they're dropping it off shortly! We're still in a 1 bed flat so need something small and I think it's the same size as the one id seen online for £60.
So far the things I've been given or bought cheap from eBay/car boot sales are:
Moses basket £0
Cot £0
Moses basket sheets £0
Hooded towels £0
Disposable newborn nappies £0
Assorted baby clothes various sizes £0
Changing mat £1
Pre-loved cloth nappies approx £50
Baby bath £5
Steriliser, bottles, dummies and Breast pump £20
Pre-loved nappies, washed and ready.

Bargain changing mat

Apologies if there is a random N somewhere on this blog. The first time I added the photos, the photo of the nappies wouldn't go where I wanted it. After deleting I was left with a random N that will not go away.
I'll get the hang of this eventually.
N
Bye bye!
A x


Thursday 18 August 2016

Now how does this work?

Hello!
So this is my first blog post. Im not entirely sure what I'm supposed to write. Maybe I should start by telling you a bit about myself?
I'm 28 years old living in a little town called Leiston with my fiancee   (B) (also 28) and our dog (D) (9 1/2).
N
We've been together for 11 years next month. And engaged for around 10 years!
 I'm 31 weeks pregnant with our first. We're having a girl, currently called Dot. Proper name undecided although a few people have said that Dot itself would be quite cute.
I'm currently working full time with 6 weeks left at work before I go on maternity leave.
N
Today was the first day I've struggled at work other than just being tired. Dot, who apparently weighs 1.5kg which is about 3lb2oz if I've got my conversion right, decided that she was going to move head down after I'd had quite a big lunch. Which made me very uncomfortable and a tad sick. Luckily after laying down for an hour after I got home Dot shifted positions again and I felt fine. As I write this she's happily kicking away at my bladder like always.
I've been quite lucky so far.
No morning sickness.
No weird cravings.
Not a lot to tell really. But I guess that's a good thing. I've got my next scan on Tuesday. I'm consultant led because of my dodgy medical history. (That's one for another day)
I'm hoping B can get time off work so he can come to this one. He works away, all over the country and was in Manchester for 2 of the 3 scans I've had already. He's working closer next week so fingers crossed he can make it.
I can't really think of much else to write at the moment and D is waiting to be let out for a wee  before bed so I'm off.
Night night
A xx