London appointment, and other things!

Today has been a day of appointments - well, only two, but it still seemed pretty full! Neil booked a holiday off work to watch the boys who weren't involved in the appointments, which made it a TON easier for me.

This morning I went for some blood tests. On Saturday I went to see my GP about some lumps I have, which have been making me anxious. A few years ago I went to see her (between Arthur and Matthew, I think? Some time before I was pregnant with Matthew? I can't remember. Not whilst pregnant though, I know that much!) because I found some small lumps in my thighs and also in the back of my pelvis. I was so nervous about what they were! But she said they were likely cysts and ran a full blood panel and it checked out fine so she said not to worry about them. Well since then they have been steadily increasing in number, and have been worrying me again for at least the past year. I have them around my ribs now and those ones are sore. I have a lot more at the back of my pelvis, and up either side of my spine too. I am trying to stay at peace about them, but I am really quite nervous about them, because I am thinking they can't be normal, and I'm wondering why there are so many of them and why they are steadily increasing like this. Anyway. So I keep wanting to go the doctor and ask her about them again. I finally mentioned it to Neil and he said I should go, so I went on Saturday. The doctor seemed as perplexed as I am about them, and still thinks they are cysts, but she said she would run a full blood panel on me again. She is also going to check for rheumatoid factors, which I have no idea about, but it makes me nervous all the same! If it all comes back fine, she will send me to the GP within the clinic who does minor surgery there, and he'll remove one to send off to the lab. If the blood test results are not normal then she will refer me to a specialist in whatever area. I'm SO nervous about the result of either the blood test or the histology on the cyst. :S I'm hopelessly prone to LEAPING to the "what if" side, and worrying about having something wrong with me that will rob my children of their mother, or their mother's ability to look after them properly, etc. I hope it's all okay, but I don't like all these cysts!

Soooo today I went to have blood taken, and Neil was at home so I could have gone by myself, but I thought that actually it would be a good opportunity for school with Arthur. So Arthur came with me. He was eager to see the nurse take my blood! We had two funny moments in the busy-yet-silent waiting room - Arthur was standing at the fish tank looking at the fish, and a lady came in with a little boy who was just about toddling. I guess he was about a year old, but he was HUGE!!! Really big for his age! And noisy. He was just RAAAAAARRRRR!ing at everything and everyone, and bashing past people's legs roughly! His mother didn't check him at all, and he noisily made his way towards the fish tank. He body-checked my legs out of the way (!!) and then stopped right up against Arthur. He looked up at him and made an angry face and yelled, "RAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!!" right in his face. Arthur didn't even flinch. He just bent down a little towards the boy and used his sweetest talking-to-a-baby tone that he uses with Benjamin and Nathan, and said, "Helloooo?! Have you come to see the fish?" and then he looked over at me and said, in his grown-up tone, "Aw, isn't he cute?!" hahaha! Spot the boy with three younger brothers! ;)

Before we got called in, Arthur was wandering over to the other side of the waiting area, and there was a corridor leading to a staff area. I noticed there was some clear plastic sheeting on the floor on the carpet there, like maybe there had been a leak or spillage or something, I don't know. Anyway, Arthur called to me (Called. In a busy-but-silent waiting room!), "Uh-oh, it looks like somebody is having a baby back here." Heads went up all over the room and I saw some uncomfortable looks! He said, "There are plastic sheets on the floor so someone is probably having a baby or something." Haha! Spot the boy whose mummy gives birth at home! ;) I reassured him that it was unlikely and there was probably just a water leak or some other reason to need plastic sheets!

In the car on the way, I told Arthur that this outing was part of school, and he should think of a question or two that he might want to ask the nurse, either about the procedure she was about to do on me, or about her job in general. He was really excited about it! When the nurse called me in, Arthur looked hesitant, and asked me if I was going to make noise when the nurse did my blood test. I said no, and then asked him if he thought it would be like when Mummy had a baby - and he said yes! Haha, I MUST finish writing my birth story and post it, but yeah, I did (as usual) make a lot of noise for them all to hear! :S Just at the very end, but yeah. Noisy me. Anyway, no noise during a blood test, so he came closer to watch.

The nurse didn't take any notice of him until she was prepping my arm and I decided to say, "Arthur is home-schooled and he's here to learn!" She seemed suddenly really interested and didn't act like why in the WORLD do you homeschool, or anything typical like that! Which was so nice. She called Arthur over and showed him how she was putting the needle in my arm. I was careful not to flinch at all because I don't really want to put Arthur off needles and such. He watched right by her elbow, while she explained that the tubes have a vacuum and that sucks the blood into them. She had to take 3 or 4 tubes so he had plenty of chance to see. He asked her what the different coloured tubes were for, and he was really excited to see my blood filling the tubes! In the interest of being encouraging of his excitement, I did look as well, but quickly looked away again! I don't mind blood tests, but I can't look at it otherwise I get a bit lightheaded. Weird.

The nurse explained that the blood was dark red because it was healthy and full of iron, and he asked what iron was and she tried to explain it. After the blood test, he pulled out the scales and stood on them, and told us the number it pointed to. He weighs just under 3 stone (what's that in lbs?? about 40lb?). The nurse came over and told him he weighed 18 kilos (slap wrists - I guess I'm supposed to be teaching in metric!), and said that was normal for his age. Then we walked the long way back to the car to chat and have a bit of a walk together, which was nice!

When we got home, I pulled out the "SCHOOL ONLY!" felt-tip pens and a new exercise book, and said he could draw a picture of something he learned about today. Here's his picture:



It's a nurse wielding a HUGEAMONGOUS needle with like a BUCKET of my blood (with appropriately coloured "cap" that he remembered from the last tube the nurse used). There's me looking very dark and tiny on the realistic-coloured chair (it was that blue!), clearly shrivelled up like a prune after all that blood was removed from me. And there's Arthur (with all his fingers and toes showing, bless!) being "the star of the story" at the front - because he learned new things today! He drew some black clouds and lightning and rain (and puddles) but it was actually a dry, cloudy morning!

Arthur was still just scribbling patches of different colours only a few months ago, and I was starting to wonder about it, thinking he should surely be drawing THINGS by now! And then almost overnight he started to draw object and people, and at the same time he was able to colour in pictures neatly without going over the lines much at all, so maybe it was just a late motor-development thing? I don't know. Anyway, he's drawing now :)

When I gave him his snuggle in bed at bedtime, we talked about the appointment again, and he asked why he was 3 stone and also 18 kilos. *sigh* Complicated different measuring systems!! I know we'll be covering that in maths soon enough, so I explained that they're different ways to measure the same thing, and that we'll do it in maths soon so he will understand it. He's prone to starting epic discussions at bedtime (he might possibly take after *cough* his mummy in that!) so I need to keep the answers pretty concise! I LOVE homeschooling! It's exciting to see opportunities for learning open up EVERYWHERE in everything around us, everything we do and everywhere we go. And the opportunities present themselves all the time for all children, but it's so much fun to take him somewhere in school hours, when he'd otherwise be in a classroom, and experience some real-world stuff. I don't mean to bash classroom learning by that, I am just excited about what we're able to do with homeschooling, that's all! :)

After he finished his picture, I had to hurry and get ready for the next appointment - another jaunt across central London in the car with Benjamin for his orthopaedic appointment. Now, you remember I said that before his last appointment, I took him forward for prayer at church when we had a guest speaker who had a particular healing ministry. At his next appointment they were so surprised with the change in his back and head shape, but said he should still have a few more treatments just in case he tended back to the twisted "torsion" he had before.

So today we had a TRAUMA-FREE journey!! Woohoo! I drove from our house to the clinic in east central London in exactly an hour! No break-downs, no running out of petrol, no getting lost or taking wrong turns, nothing! :) I only had to glance at the map a couple of times at red lights to make sure I was on track, as I was familiar with the whole route this time, and Benjamin slept the last 45 minutes of the journey. Something lovely happened! I actually ENJOYED driving through central London! Without the stress and the anxiety and not knowing which way to turn or which lane I was supposed to be in, I could relax and enjoy it more, and I have to say, I much prefer being above ground in London. The architecture is stunning and I love cruising past the landmarks and things in the comfort of my own vehicle! :) I was in a bit of traffic on Shaftsbury Avenue with people threading their way across the traffic between cars, and Jo Brand crossed in front of my car! She looked smaller and more insecure than I expected (she's a brassy (and rather mouthy) comedienne who has been on the TV a fair bit over the years). I noticed things that I hadn't had chance to see the other times I have driven there - like all the theatres in the West End and things like that. And more amazing architecture. I love that kind of thing!

So we were ON TIME (!!!!!!!!!!) for Benjamin's appointment, and the osteopath didn't even need to undress Benjamin this time. She didn't know what to make of his back, neck and head, and after a long examination, she called a clinical tutor to double check him. The tutor said she didn't know what to say about him! They said he was an excellent patient and had responded amazingly well to treatment, or something! I feel daft for not saying about God healing him, I don't know why I didn't :( But they said he didn't need to come back!!! The tutor suggested it might be a good idea to check him again in March or April, something like that, just to see that he wasn't "tending back" in any way. She said that sometimes growth spurts or vaccinations (interesting!....) can trigger regression in osteopathic conditions, but resilient children often do fine despite triggers. I told her I am delaying his vaccinations (Oh! I haven't had chance to write about this here yet! Oops!) and March will probably be when he has some, so I booked an appointment for early March to take him back again.

BUT YAY! How awesome is God?!?!?! Real, and true, and just soooo wonderful! There it is, a statement of fact, that Benjamin's back and neck should NOT yet be better, but professionals have checked and they ARE better! He has no tension, torsion or strain in any part of his pelvis, back or neck, and his head is almost completely normal and symmetrical in shape. He has the sliiightest little bit at the back of his head on one side where it is a little flatter than the other side, but the osteopath said that would resolve soon by itself. I'm just amazed. And I shouldn't be surprised! Because I already know about God's goodness. But I still am, every time.

The journey home was not so great. We had an hour of solid (barely crawling) traffic and Benjamin screamed (window-shattering, hearing-distorting screaming) the entire time we were in traffic, and I couldn't pull over or stop to comfort him! :( It was awful. And then he went to sleep as soon as the car was going fast enough and consistently enough. But all in all, a GREAT day! Thank you Lord! :)

Benjamin has not had any vaccinations yet. I read a report about vaccinations given in the early months being linked to wheezing episodes and asthma before age 7, and how the link disappears if the first vaccinations are delayed by at least 6 months - it's as though the body isn't ready to deal with them yet, but it is a bit later on, like with solids. So, it's not widely researched, and my GP surgery is not impressed and keeps sending me reminders, but both Neil and I have allergies (Neil has asthma too) and none of our kids are out-and-about at school, so we decided to delay his first vaccinations till 8 months (they usually start at 2 months). All the kids are behind on their jabs, except Arthur I think. Arthur is only due the pre-school Hib booster (which isn't all that necessary given that he's not at school, I guess), and Matthew has yet to have his 2nd MMR. Nathan hasn't had MMR at all yet, but I do plan to get him vaccinated and to finish Matthew's last dose as well. Those are nasty illnesses and I want them protected, but I choose not to give them MMR just after they turn one, when they're called in for it. I delay it until at least 21 months. It just seems too early to me. Anyway. Those are my choices for them :)

Tomorrow we finally have our new referral to the children's orthopaedic surgeon for Arthur's feet, at the hospital (local, thankfully!). Neil has the morning off work but he is only taking a half-day, and will be back to work in the afternoon. It's sooooo much easier to focus on what is said at important appointments without all the little ones there, so it's wonderful that he can help out this way. So Arthur and I will go the appointment, and we'll see what she says. We have only seen a physiotherapist for Arthur's feet before, since he was a few months old. For those who haven't been reading me for years, Arthur was born with very "curly" feet. Neil has a foot deformity (semi-corrected via surgery) which his siblings also have and his mum too. Arthur's feet are stiff and stubbornly curl inwards towards the big toe. He has had plaster casts on both legs many times as a baby, to try to correct them, and it has vastly improved matters but they are being stubborn and curling back again :( I am concerned he's going to end up needing surgery like Neil had back in the day, but according to the physio, that kind of surgery is barbaric to feet and results in further stiffening of other parts of the feet (Neil's achilles tendon is ridiculously unflexible now) and referred pain and wear to the joints above like the knees and hips. Neil's mum just had a knee replacement, is waiting for another one, and has hip pain now on both sides :( Since his early 20s, Neil has been having quite bad knee pain in the winter months. So I don't want poor Arthur to go that same way! I hope the orthopaedic surgeon can give us some answers, and that she'll be wise and know what to do about it!

Okay, crazy late, but I'll finish with a few photos of Matthew Binks! The first two are from a time during the week when I put him in the porch for a time-out, and he made a huuuuuge fuss which I ignored, and then went rather quiet. After a bit, I opened the door and this is what I found:




Little sweetie! He went to sleep! He was not impressed to be woken up in the LEAST, but it was almost 5pm and it would have made for a disasterous bedtime if I hadn't woken him!

Here's my sweet little green(ish!)-eyed boy the other day! I love my (challenging!) 3-year-old boy-boy!