So...
Firstly an apology for taking so long to finally getting a blog up - I have had so many technical issues with blogger the last week I have actually gone grey... well not actually but you get my point! but I am pleased to report tat I am here, not quite back to normal (I can't upload any new piccies) but here none the less!
Now I have written and re written this blog post to try and get it visible so hopefully 17th times the charm. My gorgeous son Mathew broke his thumb on the weekend playing a rugby match. He is the more timid of my boys, but was sooooo brave when we went to the hospital - he can't however write, play Xbox, play rugby, do karate or swimming for a few weeks so he's feeling pretty fed up!
In other news, I am doing really well wit my healthy eating - I lost a further 4lbs this week which makes 13lbs in total, in just 3 weeks! Go Me! My children and husband are very supportive (even if they eat chocolate in front of me!) checking what I can and can't have, and only ever jokingly put food in front of my face sometimes! LOL Seriously though they are a great help,I couldn't do it if I didn't have the support - also all my lovely Facebook followers are supportive too and I get excited every weigh day to tell you all how I'm doing! I'm hoping for another loss this week and will update you on monday.
Now I want to bring a cause that is very close to my heart to your attention, but first the back story as to why.
My son Michael is 7 years old and is fit and healthy - he does karate, swimming, rugby, running, sports and anything else active or outside. He loves animals and drawing and is very good in school. To look at him he just looks like any other 7 year old (excepting that he is super tall!) however under the surface he has a condition called cerebral paulsy.
Now firstly I want to quash any thoughts you had that people/children with it are wheelchair bound, can't speak and are severely challenged in every day life - this is not always the case, it varies to all extremes. When I was pregnant with Michael I had 3 horrid urine infections which have affected the growth of a certain part of his brain (like a stroke) and caused the cerebral paulsy.
As soon as Michael could walk we noticed that his foot in-tuned, this was misdiagnosed and treatment failed. In what feels like 100 different doctor's appointment and tests we finally had a diagnosis. As he has grown bigger and got older his symptoms haven't worsened but more have become apparent. To date he has bladder problems, a seriously high pain threshold (so if he gets hurt it's very hard to tell), falling, over tired,weakness in his left leg and left arm/hand, and finally he feels the cold even when it's hot!. Almost every night after stopping being active his left side droops like a stroke and he is in a lot of pain. He looses strength in his left hand and can't grip properly, he walks with a limp and in-turned foot. In school he can't bend his left leg like other children so he finds it very uncomfortable to sit for any length of time on the floor, so he as a special seat in assembly or during any events in the hall.
Michael very rarely let's any of this stop him - for the past 3 years in school he has won all the running, obstacle, skipping races and sack races he has been in, he is also the star player on the rugby team scoring tries every game and tagging relentlessly, he takes part in weekly karate and is almost ready to go for his first belt, he swims every week (twice from next week) and is on the same stage as his older brother. He is so outgoing and enthusiastic about everything that he makes every day a delight! Of course we have our bad times when he is naughty like any 7 year old but crikey the good outweigh the bad.
Monkey Exploring rock pools Ready to play rugby
I wanted to share this with you just to highlight cerebral paulsy and the wonderful organisation that is Scope which every year raises money to help support families and sufferers of it. Having taken a leaf out of so may stories from them we strive to support Michael to achieve his goals - he wants to play for the Scarlet's rugby team and then the Welsh rugby team when he gets older - and most importantly to keep him active. He doesn't know that e has this disorder, he just knows that something is wrong in his head which makes his leg poorly, but when the time comes we will have to tell him, and explain that he needs to continue the example and path that we have set him on with activity levels - if Michael slows down and stops moving as much he could potentially loose the use of his left leg, and eventually his arm too.
One of the main things we haven't done is class/register him as disabled, even though technically he is I want him to have every possibility possible in his life, I don't want him to get older and feel like he has to live up to the disability, claim benefits and sit on his bum for the rest of his life (If the time comes where he finally needs to then we will be there to help but it is not for us right now). He will never get better, and he may get much, much worse but he is a fighter and strong and whatever happens in the future we are there for him, as are the people from Scope - with support and guidance. We love him more than life, as do we the other 2.
So that is all from me this time - I will be back on Monday for weight loss update and with a super healthy recipe that looks to god to be true! I hope you take the time to have a look on the Scope site, it really is wonderful!
Later's Everybody :D
xx
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