Greetings from deepest,darkest Scotland

I am home at the moment for some well needed R n R.

Jack has had a better week and his pain seems to be under some sort of control. Still getting used to him sleeping with the soft collar on but I am still amazed by how much quieter his breathing is when he is using it.

Jack in Aberdeen before he became really ill

I have met some lovely people on the ward this week. Dennis is a lovely boy who has severe cerebral palsy, is blind but can speak a little. He is in the bed opposite Jack. Very apt really, two teenage boys causing mischief....Dennis the Menace and Jack the Lad. His mum Margaret is lovely as are his dad and sisters.

Dennis looks very fragile, has severe scoliosis, his limbs are permanently fixed in a bent position, is 18 but looks about 10 but despite this, he is often to be seen smiling and being cuddled by the people who love him while his favourite singer, Rod Stewart plays in the background. He has the most beautiful eyes and the longest eyelashes and his smile can brighten the darkest day.

You'd think he had been in and out of hospital a lot right? Apparently not! He has been in the hospital a week and this has been his longest stint ever. I was shocked to say the least and even more shocked when I saw the doctor go away with his clinical notes which were only about an inch thick as opposed to Jack's which look a bit like this......

and that photo was taken a year ago!

So yes, he looks more fragile than Jack but looks are very deceiving and in actual fact Jack who looks so much healthier, is actually the more fragile of the two because he has far more health problems! It just goes to prove that you should never assume anything about anyone because most likely you will be wrong.

I also met a little boy named Oscar and his mum. They were on the ward because Oscar had kicked his high chair and the side had collapsed giving him a rather nasty bump on the back of his head. He was such a little cutie. His poor mum was very stressed as this was his first major fall as he was only 7 months old and you know that the first little tumble they take is always the one that traumatises you the most.

I don't normally get to know many people when Jack is in hospital, mostly because I am so focused on him that I hardly take in my surroundings and it used to always amaze me when Granny Mac could tell me all about the other kids on the ward and what had happened to them. I would ask "so where was I when they told you that? or when did you get the chance to speak to them?" cos everywhere I went, she went!

Although I am loving being at home with my girlie, I miss Jack. The house is not the same without him and I can only go into his room for minutes at a time before I have to come back out again. Silly really but you can't help your feelings.

Holly's prelim exams start on the 1st Feb so wish her luck and rehearsals are in full swing for Joseph and his Technicolour Dream Coat so I can't wait for that in April. 

Hope you are having a good January, if not, things can only get better my friends.