Best birthday present ever

Today was my birthday and what a great day it was. We had Herbie's first hospital follow up appointment at the John Radcliffe Hospital since he left over 3 weeks ago. Meningitis is still so very much in our minds as are those three awful weeks when he was in hospital. It was odd returning and so many memories and emotions were stirred up. We talked about how Dan felt as he arrived in the ambulance with a lifeless Herbie and how frightened we were during the first few days. To look at him today you wouldn't begin to comprehend how ill he was. We saw his consultant Dr Shelly Segal. She was thrilled with his recovery. We honestly can't thank her and her team enough...what a fantastic Dr she is. She said she would see him in 6 months if needed!! Then he would be discharged. She also said it was NOT the HIB meningitis as originally thought but that they would now never actually know which strain it was...who cares, he's well again!

To top it all he took more unaided steps in the hospital waiting room.

Tonight we went out for a meal. The two of us just talked through the whole illness, hospital stay again...

To talk is to heal :) What a great day.

He took steps!

The title says it all! Herbie stopped walking on March 10th 2010...he took his first unaided steps today, over 45 days later! It was only a few steps, a few times but they were so significant! We are back to the hospital tomorrow to see his consultant and I am actually quite excited because he is such a different child to the one they last saw at the hospital 3 weeks ago! When he arrived home he had been in hospital for 17 days being treated for bacterial meningitis. He couldn't sit for long without support, he slept loads & he cried a lot too. Now he is back to his tricks, cheeky as ever and almost walking again! I'm not adding much more today...this is enough...it's what matters. Big smiles here all round :)

They grow up so fast...

My 7 year old twins have gone to their first sleepover birthday party tonight. I miss them and they are only just down the road :( When did they grow up? How did those 7 years go by so quickly? When you hold your first born in your arms for the first time you can't imagine them being a toddler, talking, going to school and suddenly they are doing it all! Suddenly , 7 years on, I am worrying about how quickly they will be driving, sleeping over at friends houses and oh so many other things that I can't bring myself to even type! Once a parent you are changed forever.

Rufus didn't like them being away either...he's a sensitive soul :)

We have had a great few days. Rufus is now potty trained at 2 years & 4 months, my little boy is also changing so rapidly. I see what all of the people who were parents before me meant when they told me to cherish every moment with them and NEVER to wish my own or their lives away. Immerse yourself in every stage of their development, however trying it may seem and most of all fill their days with happiness as they fill yours. A friend recently posted this on her Facebook status...

Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles; it empties today of its strength."

They are so right...

Road to recovery

When do you know that your recovery is well and truly complete? Herbie is probably 95% back to the old Herbie, pre meningitis. I watched with a warm heart as he played with Rufus today, babbling away and then the two of them singing and doing the actions to Wind the bobbin up!

I sleep well at night even though he is now back in his cot in his own room. We need to get him back to being put up to bed awake, something he was very good at before he was ill.

Monday we have his first consultant appointment at the JR hospital. I have no idea what to expect but as it's my birthday that day I hope that the appointment will be positive! Then on Wednesday it's back to work for me!

My sister and 2 of my sisters in law are running a 10K run in London to raise money for the meningitis trust and my twins are holding a cake sale to raise money for the PHDU at the JR.

So much of our day to day lives at the moment still revolves around what happened and I am retelling the story at least 3 or 4 times a day!!

Life is returning to normal but not an hour goes past without a reminder of what happened...

Days like these

A short piece today. Another fabby day with just my boys (all 3!). Girls at school then to Grandma's for tea! The weather makes life so much more enjoyable. Herbie went on the swings for the first time since being unwell and he giggled so much. It was great. The biggest excitement though was when I caught him standing holding a toy, and not holding on or leaning against anything...he seemed oblivious to my elation! We are getting closer to walking...I just know it. 4 days until World Meningitis Day. I can't believe that this time last year, in fact this time 6 weeks ago, I wouldn't have known it existed.

Back on my feet

Back on my feet but still need a little help :)

4 became 2 for a few hours

So back to school for my older children today...the first time since we were reunited. I was surprised by Ru's reaction (my 2 year old) who cried and said 'No Lily & Kitty gool...please...make them come a home'. Perhaps he was as unsettled as I was by the first separation since we returned from hospital? The girls however couldn't wait to get there. School life for 7 year old girls involves lots of gossiping and planning, they had much to do! There were the new haircuts to show off, the celebrity little brother to parade to friends now he is out of hospital, brand new shoes and holiday escapades to recount. All this AFTER copious amounts of hugging and jumping up and down excitedly as they were reunited with best friends.

What milestones today? Herbie spent his first night in his own cot in his own room since being ill. It wasn't as bad as I feared and I didn't even have to get up to him in the night! 7pm-6.30am...almost back to normal! He did lots of cruising of the furniture and there was a look in his eye that seemed to say 'I want to walk...I will soon'. His strength is returning and so is his confidence but my favourite thing is to see him returning to his sociable self. He is smiling at other people more readily and waving at passers by. He held out his arms to Grandpa to take him for a cuddle which I know warmed Grandpa's heart!

Todays biggest fear? That it will happen to one of my other children, that meningitis will strike twice...I try to push the thought to the back of mind but it keeping popping out unexpectedly, like an old jack in box :(

The sun is shining, all is right with our world at last

There are days when life with my children & husband is so idyllic that I want to burst! Today is such a day, a day I wanted to spend just with them and so we did! We've shopped a little, watched the narrow boats lazing on the canal, eaten heartily and just enjoyed one another's company. My camera hasn't stopped snapping!

It's a far cry from 5 weeks ago (Mother's Day) when we were torn apart by an ambulance arriving around 6am to take our youngest, 14 month old Herbie, to hospital where he was urgently treated for bacterial meningitis. If your child has ever been whisked from your arms by a paramedic as you screamed hysterically after them you'll have some idea of what I went through that morning, if not I hope you never ever do.

Meningitis ... what do you think of? Rash? The tumbler test? Loss of limbs? Death?

None of these, thankfully, feature in our tale. (which you can read here...http://www.meningitis.org/book-of-experience/herbie-taylor-36892). Meningitis hit us like a free rolling truck and dragged us along for almost 3 weeks before finally letting us go. Our 3 other children, 7 year old twins Lily & Kitty and 2 year old Rufus were split up, living with our respective parents and we ate and slept in the walls of the hospital.

So today we feel like we were almost the family we were BEFORE meningitis. I say almost because Herbie is still not walking (he was before) but he's cruising again. We will also never truly be the same family...it's changed us despite the happy outcome. For a start I'm blogging...here is where I will note things about our family as we leave the Meningitis detour and head out back on our journey .