Two blogs in one day! Things must be bad ....

It’s been a hell of a week since we got back from holiday!

While we were away, we got a phone call from Daughter One, an unusual enough event in itself. “Mum”, she wailed 2000 miles down the line to Crete, “I’ve broken my leg”.

Resisting the temptation to say “Well, what do you want me to do about it?”, I exhibited suitable motherly sympathy and asked all the right questions.

When we got back, I escorted her to East Surrey Hospital where she spent five hours of her life getting x-rays, a new plaster cast and seeing an orthopaedic consultant with no bedside manner whatsoever. She has broken the bottom end of her tibia, and is likely to be off work until Christmas. She cannot drive, which means that both she and the Granddaughter need to be ferried around to school, appointments etc. She will also go stir crazy not being able to do anything for twelve weeks.

Last weekend, Daughter Two went out clubbing with her friend Rosanna, who she is meant to be going on holiday with next Monday. Unfortunately, whilst getting cash out of a machine opposite said club at 1am on Sunday morning, they got mugged. Stereotypical situation – two young white women assaulted by two young black lads in hoodies, but fortunately no threatening behaviour with knives or anything. Daughter Two is OK apart from losing her stuff, a bit of a headache and a few bruises plus a fair dose of shock, but her friend is still in hospital and very poorly. She was assaulted quite hard and fell with a whack onto the pavement, hitting the back of her head. Apparently they cannot stop it bleeding, and she still cannot answer a full set of basic questions (ie what day is it?). It doesn’t look likely that they’ll be going away and we have to hope that this incident doesn’t have very sad repercussions. Poor Daughter Two!

Sister-In-Law has now also had some bad health news and has to go and see an oncologist. It may not be anything dreadful, but it’s worrying.

Work has deteriorated even further whilst I was away, and now I have to curb my working at home time to one day a week at least for a while to get a bunch of whinging, permanently dissatisfied staff back on track. Working at home two days each week has made the hideous commute bearable, and I am seriously concerned that I will have increased incidences of back and knee pain commuting four days a week. There’s no way I want to return to the days of daily Tramadol and ice packs.

So at the moment, as far as I can see it, the only way is up. Despite having come back from Crete for the third time this year only ten days ago, I feel like I’ve never been away. My stress levels are through the roof and God knows what my blood pressure reading is; I suppose I ought to take it as the next time I go along for my tablets I know Dr Williams will ask for it.

There is, of course, a lot to look forward to in the remaining months of 2013. Chris’s birthday, our tenth anniversary with a couple of great concerts in December and two nights away to celebrate, plus another trip to Crete.

The way things are here, this time I seriously might not come back.