husband | Boneblower's World

to 2007! What a year it’s been. Where does one start – oh I know, I’ll do my 1st ever ‘Christmas’ letter……..

Dear Friends,

The beginning of 2007 saw some major changes about to occur in Boneblower’s World. DH back to work, nothing new there. DS1 starting Grade 1 (2nd year of primary school in Victoria) and DS2 doing a 2nd year of 4yo kinder, 4th year of Early Intervention, 1 day at Childcare and both boys in Speech Therapy. Me, I was about to become a full time student and wasn’t quite sure how the hell everything was going to work.

Everything got under way really well with yours truly having the only real hiccup – how on earth was I going to live in two completely different worlds at the same time? Student vs. wife, mother, daughter, friend, support group facilitator, committee member…………………. OMG – what have I done!!??

Initially I wanted to chuck everything else on the backburner and concentrate on my studies, especially when DH was telling me this was the year to be selfish – words I’m sure he’s sorry ever left his mouth. The content of my dipolma was experential – meaning we got to ‘experience’ most of what we were learning. Lessons about self came fast and furious with not a lot of breathing space in between.

Before I knew it we were in Term 2 and then Term 3 – for them! My course went straight through with 4 weeks off in August which proved to be brilliant timing. We got one of those 4:30am phone calls on Friday 31st August telling me to get to Monash Hospital as soon as possible to hopefully see my dad for maybe the last time. Thank god for auto pilot when it came to driving that morning! He had a tear in his aorta which needed to be operated on immediately if he had any chance of surviving and even then they weren’t giving us any promises.

After 12 hours on the operating table he was in a drug induced coma for 6 days – they were having trouble bringing him round coz his blood pressure kept going through the roof everytime they tried. Eventually they managed it and a week after that we found out he’s a paraplegic from loss of blood flow to his spine during the surgery. He’s currently still in a rehab hospital doing well and looking forward to going home when the reno’s at home are completed. He’s in nappies and been told he’ll never walk again but he’s not letting that stop him from trying.

I’ve found it a little harder to concentrate on my studies since then and have quite a few (6) assignments to complete before the end of January. DS1 received an excellent school report for the year and DS2 is ecstatic about starting school in the new year. DH has completed half of his course in Cisco networking and done really well. He has been a god sent this year.

Reflecting back on the year has been hard – remembering all that’s happened (must be getting old), but I suppose the important things are listed. I know I could not have accomplished anything this year without my husbands love, guidance, patience, support and tremendous help. The highs have been fabulous, the lows have been shit and the somewhere-in-between – where we spent most of our time, has been bearable thank goodness.

Love and best wishes to you and yours,

Boneblower

It seems like a good time of the year to have a look at things that have happened to affect Boneblower’s World over the last 12 months. So in no particular order here we go:

Became a full time student in March.
DS1 went into before & after school care for 3 days a week & coped really well.
DS2 was looked after by one of my girlfriends Tues & Thurs (after kinder) while I was at school. Don’t ‘ohhhh, isn’t she nice’, we paid her and she slept most afternoons!
DH embarked on his own course in the 2nd half of the year (whilst holding down a f/t & permanent casual job).
DS2 had a partial severe language disorder added to his Aspergers, Asthma, bowel & behaviour issues.
We managed to coordinate the household to cope with the changes without totally losing our minds.
The dog seems to have finally got over her need to escape during a storm after she spent a night in the pound and got kennel cough!
On 18th April 2008 I become a fully qualified Transpersonal Art Therapist (counselling thru art). I know, it doesn’t really belong in the achievements for 2007 but it is what I’ve been doing allllllll year!
With the massive extra expenses of studying – we still survived the year. Massive feat!!
We’re all a year older, supposedly wiser and ready to hibernate – oh to be a bear.

All in all a busy year that we managed to get through without killing each other! I wonder what 2008 holds in store for us…………….can’t wait for that one – help!!