Tuesday, January 16, 2007

It's all to do with babies really

It has taken me a while to work out how this tagging thing works.

This is my forty fifth post, so maybe because my rate of blogs has finally overtaken my age the dawning has occurred. Something like that. But I have just realised that being tagged is not just something that you are supposed to accept graciously, but something that you are supposed to respond to. And by response they mean telling the world about five things they didn't know about previously.

That's quite hard in my case, as for the last three months I have worn my heart on my sleeve and told the world all about me in my blog. I've told you things that I never thought that I would tell anyone, and I have certainly told you things that hubby thought that I would never tell!

So, with thanks to Beccy who tagged me, what don't you know?

Well let's see........

1. Nothern Ireland

We lived in Northern Ireland for four years from 1995 to 1999. I loved it and I still miss my friends from there, and miss living there.

2. Hospital

In December 1998 I spent Christmas day in hospital due to a burst appendix in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve. Hubby had shown great concern for me that day when I woke up with stomach pains. "I think you've got a hangover Sal. Bit of wind perhaps?" I walked round Safeways' that afternoon for a few last minute bits and pieces, only to be greeted by my neighbour. "Come and see the fish counter" she squealed. "They have prawns at half price." Very fortunately had done most of shopping the day before, so left supermarket VERY quickly with a few green veg.

Later that day when children were in bed and Christmas had been mostly attended to I thought that I was going to die.

In truth it was the closest that I have come to it.

From first calling, it took four hours to get any sort of medical attention to the house, but then was rushed to the hospital and operated on to save said life at 3 a.m. on Christmas morning. No keyhole surgery for me. Have big battle scar to show for the trouble. Christmas lunch was a glass of water, followed by a stay in The Ulster Hospital until almost new year on mind blowingly awful heavy duty antibiotics. Hubby was very remorseful for not taking my pains too seriously until it was nearly too late.

We then celebrated Christmas again on 8th January, and left the decorations up until then. "Oh, I'm sure that the bad spirits will forgive you" said my sister in law. BIG Mistake. Hence the blog about 12th Night this year.

I really think about it every year,

because...........

3. Crash

On January 14th 1999, just three weeks after my appendicectomy, hubby was in a car accident. Broke his sternum and had threatened heart damage so was put into the cardiac ward. Our third child, daughter number two, aged four, sustained internal injuries from the crash. She had to have major abdominal surgery and we very nearly lost her. Hubby was in The Ulster Hospital on one side of Belfast, DNT was in The Royal on the other side. It was a nightmarish ten days. The sort the you don't actually think has actually happened to you after the event. It did though. During that time our friends showed their true colours. So many people came to our rescue and I have never really felt that I have been able to thank them all enough.

4. Breastfeeding

Daughter number three, child number four was six months old at the time of all this. On the night that I went into hospital for my own op, I asked if I could keep her with me. The staff intially said I could, and gave me a side ward. They then realised the seriousness of the damage to my insides, saw what sort of drugs I would need, and changed their minds. So, she went from being an entirely breastfed baby, to hubby going to the maternity wing in the middle of the night to beg some bottles. He then had to scour town for an open chemist on Christmas morning to get some formula.

After coming out of hospital from my appendicectomy I managed to re-establish the breastfeeding. This was partly because I felt that I hadn't finished the job, partly because I enjoyed it, and partly because I WANTED TO CHOOSE when I gave up!

I succeeded.

Then when daughter number two, child number three went into hospital, I was allowed to stay, but the baby, daughter number three, child number four, wasn't. They didn't even allow her onto the ward with us. So she stayed with Grandma who came over to NI to help. I sent bottles of expressed milk home, and got glimpses of her when they came to visit.

When I got home I re-established the breastfeeding again. Probably because I am very stubborn at times!

Ironically the trauma that she suffered by being parted from me twice in quick succession - not that we will ever know how much - was possibly responsible for two molars growing though damaged, we are told. That is why she had to have those teeth removed just before Christmas just past.

5. Miscarriages

As well as having given birth to five children, I miscarried two. One between first and second child, and the other between fourth and firth child. Fifth child was planned, as I had felt devastated by the loss of the previous one, but nevertheless, surprisingly, was conceived very quickly after the miscarriage. I think that I had thought that I would probably not have another chance. But I did. And she's still a joy!

I tag Enid who I have recently come across, and who is very funny. Six Word Short Story which can be found via the Our Albion blogsite, because I think that this is a great mental challenge, and that you should all have a go at writing a six word short story, Meredic, Ignorminious and Nicole.

Enjoy!

13 comments:

Beccy said...

Wow what an insight, thanks for taking up the challenge.

You certainly have travelled a rocky road and I'm so pleased you all came through it with your sense of hunour intact.

You have been through more in a few years than most would face in a lifetime. You sound like a fanrastic Mum and I'm sure daughter number three feels truly loved and there is no lasting damage due to the seperation.

sallywrites said...

Thanks Beccy! And thanks for the tag! It's all thanks to you.

I realised though that I had confused everyone, and may have to change how I name the children for future blogs. I have rewritten a bit of the blog now, to help avoid confusion - but.....

It was third child, (girl) who was in the crash and fourth child (also girl, (now "aged 8"), with the boyfriend!) who was a baby at the time......

Sorry for the confusion and thank you for your lovely comment!

Sally

Anonymous said...

Wow, that is very open for a blog meme! Not many people would choose to go into that sort of detail I must say!

Sounds like you had a hell of a few months back there, and some pretty low points over the years as a whole. Lets hope it's all good news from here on in :)

sallywrites said...

Do you know, it's funny, but at the time when you go through something like that, you don't really think about it as big. You just sort of cope.

But I'm here! Alive and kicking!! And really I am very blessed with five kids. I was just so grateful that DNT was ok after all.

We moved back to England shortly after that - July 1999, to somewhere where we had no family or friends, so because people near here didn't know about us, the impact of it sort of faded.

People have been through a lot worse than me though. It's all relative. Pardon the pun!

Sally

FH said...

That's a lot of roller coaster ride there and you are still smiling!! Good for you Sally.I like a strong woman!:))

Thanks for not tagging me! I still have to do two more tags,I have started to dread MeMes now!:D

ChrisB said...

You have shared some very personal parts of your life with us in taking up this challenge. You have come through all the trauma and your fighting spirit shows through. Good for you.

Anonymous said...

Crumbs I must be about 400 years old then.
Hey I had the big appendix op as well. Opened from ribcage to ...ahem. We must compare scars one day.
I will have a bash at that six word stuff soon.
Cheers.
M

sallywrites said...

Thanks Asha! What a lovely comment! I didn't tag you because I guessed that you would have been done by someone else, being a much more established blogger than me. But I'm glad you are glad!

Thank you Chris. That is kind!!

Meredic, you would only be 400 years old if you still didn't understand what tagging was all about and needed to wait until your blogs exceeded your age...........

Is it that cloudy?? Must admit hubby didn't understand what it was all about...... I'm very impressed that you have written so many blogs though!

Glad you are going to do the six word thing, and interested to hear that you too had the appendix op!!

Sally

enidd said...

enid is very chuffed to be tagged, but doesn't think she can match you for honesty or bravery. she's ever so glad it all turned out all right in the end.

sallywrites said...

Aw Thanks Enid!!

Do go and have a look at Enid's blog everyone who reads this. She is SO funny!!

Sally

Beccy said...

Just want to second what Sally said, go read Enid!

Momo said...

I think people like going with this game of "meme"...they can hear in this way the sound of their own inner bargaining for one more hidden detail. "Meme" is more exciting than an ordinary post I would say...
Oh my God, barely can I wait to hear you on the radio!

sallywrites said...

Beccy - Glad you agree about Enid. She is quite undiscovered to date, but hopefully we can change that!

Oh Thanks Momo!!

Let me know when you are going to listen - any of you in fact - and I'll give you a mention!!

Sally
x

B