Throw out the baby books…you’re on your own
No child comes with an instruction book but for most new parents a good book can get them through those early months. But when your child has a terminal illness, there is no book, no instructions and...
View ArticlePlanning for the big day
In 4 months Aidan will be turning 5 and Anthony and I are busy making plans. We’re asking ourselves all the usual questions… How many guests? Venue – where and how big? Self-catered or hire a caterer?...
View ArticleThe crisis hangover
After a stint in hospital last week including two very close calls, Aidan has bounced back from the brink of death as if nothing has happened. One day we were watching the monitors as his poor heart...
View ArticleTop 10 things never to say to a parent of a terminally ill child.
Most successful blog posts seem to start with a top 5 or top 10 list…. Five ways to sell your home sooner, Ten best dating tips, Five must have fashion items, etc, etc Well here is mine… ten things...
View ArticleMother’s Day: a rollercoaster of emotions
Earlier this week, I drafted the post below. “This weekend is Mother’s Day in Australia and like all other major holidays, I am starting to feel anxious. Instead of being excited about the day, I feel...
View ArticleColds and parenting don’t mix
It’s day 4 of my cold and frankly, like all parents, I don’t have time to be sick. There’s laundry to be done, dishes to be washed and nappies to be changed. And like all working parents, I still have...
View ArticleWhy parents of sick children still need to work
Today I am at work and Aidan is in hospital (don’t worry I’m writing this in my lunch hour so as not to use up company time!). Most people are shocked that I could possibly be at work when Aidan is so...
View ArticleAccepting the inevitable
‘Accepting’ Aidan’s death is two-fold for me. First, there’s an intellectual acceptance and then there’s an emotional acceptance. For a while, after the shock of the initial diagnosis, I had moments of...
View ArticleWhatever you do, don’t use the ‘D’ word – terminology of dying.
Did you know there are over 200 euphemisms for death in the English language? Whenever we go out it is inevitable that some stranger will approach us and ask, “what’s wrong with him?” Talking about how...
View ArticleDo all roads lead to divorce after the loss of a child?
I’m not one to air my dirty laundry in public but it goes without saying that Aidan’s diagnosis has certainly put a strain on my marriage. We all know that relationships are hard work, so when I read...
View ArticleFeeling the sorrow across the miles
It was during lunchtime at work, sitting alone in the tea room that I decided to quickly check Facebook on my phone. It was then that it happened. Whack! Like someone hitting me in the stomach. My...
View ArticleWhen dreams become reality
This blog is meant to be about the ups and downs of parenting a child with a terminal illness and up until now it’s been all about the downs. Well this week, we had an up. My completely football...
View ArticleAnother baby? Is it wise?
For the last 3 years my husband and I have been thrashing this topic around – to have another baby or to not have another baby. I have read numerous books on the subject and spoken to many, many...
View ArticleWhen colours leave you feeling blue
As most parents of any child with a disability will tell you, the feelings of loss come in waves. Following any diagnosis of a disability, there is a feeling of enormous grief for all the things your...
View ArticleBlessings of a skinned knee
When I stumbled across an article on the web today called, Are our Kids Too Fragile?, about how overprotective parenting is having a long term effect on children – I thought ‘alleluia!’ There are...
View ArticleChoosing between health and happiness
Life this week hasn’t exactly gone to plan, a common occurrence when Aidan is involved. After dropping Aidan at preschool on Monday morning and doing the mad dash to work, I received a call letting me...
View ArticleIf I had the choice?
There’s a quote that did the rounds on Facebook recently for parents who have lost a child – it simply says “I would still choose you” and it got me thinking. Would I still choose Aidan if I had the...
View ArticleThe physical impact of stress
As Anthony and I both struggle with sore throats this week, I am reminded of the continual sickness that has plagued me since Aidan’s diagnosis. To be fair, our current sore throat has most likely been...
View ArticleLimping to the next milestone
In a few days it will be August, Aidan’s birthday month. As I mentioned when it was Mother’s Day, all major occasions are anxiety provoking, but none more so than Aidan’s birthday. I remember for his...
View ArticleProudly sponsored by…
There’s no doubt we live in an imperfect world with imperfect systems. When it comes to getting financial and physical assistance, many families sadly fall through the cracks. However, for us, the...
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