Today (Thursday) Phoebe has returned to Sheffield Children’s Hospital for the second cycle of chemo to begin. I am back on duty with Reuben and Rachel and Matt will spend most of the day with Phoebe, taking it in turns to return home for tea and sleeping, and taking Reuben to nursery next morning.
It was very special to have Phoebe home for a few days, there were no medical problems apart from having to pop back to the hospital to have a new nasal tube fitted. There was a continual refrain of “have a drink Phoebe”, and sometimes Reuben needed reminding why Phoebe is asked “what would you like to try eating?” while the rest of us eat what is put in front of us!
Rachel and I have both had preliminary appointments with Cavendish Cancer Care, a Sheffield based charity that supports cancer patients and their families. They offer counselling, relaxation classes etc, and the client can choose (free of charge) what they feel will help. As they have specialist help for children, I am hoping to be advised on how best to play and chat with Reuben to help him express his no doubt mixed emotions – confusion, fear, anger?
Having learnt (the hard way) while I was helping my sisters care for our elderly mother that I am not superwoman, I am seeking to be wise and not aiming to achieve much more than caring well for Reuben. I was feeling rather defeated by our garden where the weeds are taking over, until kind friends in our church Life Group started doing some weeding – and even planted beetroot! This has inspired me to do the occasional ten minutes myself and I feel less daunted now.
Thank you so much for following the blog and supporting us all with your prayers, I cannot tell you how much this means to us.
