worse than an episode of Hollyoaks

I have never seen Hollyoaks but when I was explaining to DC the latest goings on in my family as opposed to our family. He coented that it was worse than Hollyoaks.



It was mid evening on Saturday, my family is different to Eastenders our dramas happen after Christmas day. My mum rang to ask for my advice. My advice!! She wanted MY ADVICE!!!



She had had a call from my brother D who wanted her to take in his step son G (20). his fiancee, and his daughters A (4) and (J) 2 plus new baby who may or may not be his child but the girls are the baby's sisters. (I don't even know if baby is a boy or girl or when it was born). G was just 16 when he became a father, by the time he was 18 he and his g/f had a second daughter. At various times in the last few years there has been drama with this little family. The little girls's mother comes from a family well known by the local police. There have been threats at knife point. Staged burglaries, court battles for custody. It has all been more incredible than any fiction.



Finally after several break ups the young couple broke up last spring. It then transpired that there was another baby on the way although G was certain he wasn't the father. Eventually due to the mother's instability and neglect G was given custody of his two girls. The mother insisted that she wanted G to also have the new baby when it was born. We didn't believe he would or should take on the third baby but apparently he has.



This last drama was because G now has all three children with him at his new council flat where he lives with his new fiancee. I don't know what sparked it but the mother was threatening to kill the family and the police wanted them out of the area. They all live about an hour away from us so my mother was considered to be the obvious place for them to go.



The advice my mum wanted was should she take them in? To me there was no question. If I had room I would have had them here but there is just no way there was room for them here. But my mum lives alone in a three bedroom house although she only has one spare bed (single). The two little girls could have snuggled in there together whilst G and his partner could sleep on the sofa and arm chairs keeping the baby with them. There was an occasion during my divorce when the police had asked me to leave our house for the night and we had slept in the arm chairs/sofa at my mum's. so I know it is possible. But apparently it was the experience of my divorce that has put my mum off she feels she has been through enough family drama and this little family although she is 'great granny' to these girls and they have been to her house just a few weeks earlier, they are not 'our family'.



As it turned out other arrangements were made and the little family didn't need to stay with mum.



If that little drama was not enough there was heartbreak on Sunday when Charlie finished with DC after almost 5 years. He was upset but is surviving (with a few hugs from his mummy).





By the way it is now midnight so HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!




Oh and I had a pleasant suprise this evening when my phone rang ;)

A quick update

I gather that the young family have gone upto the big smoke to stay with another relative.

I have been asked if my unexpected call was from Romeo, the short answer is no, I would have been much more enthusiastic than 'a pleasant suprise' if it had been Romeo. No this was from a possible new man in my life. I have not thought of a name for him yet so I shall just call him 'the man' for the moment. we are taking things very slowly. He is only a couple of years my senior, lives in my town possibly less than a mile from me. I know who he is but he doesn't remember me. We have been in contact every day for the last three weeks apart from a gap of a few days when he was very busy in the run up to xmas.

Souvenir

warning don't read if you are squeamish!

Today was the day, today was written on the calendar in big red letters .......Mum's Knee op.

Today I phoned the hospital to ask if mum was back from theatre.

It was lunchtime so I was sure she would have had her op by now.

I was very suprised when they passed the phone to mum, she hadn't gone down yet and was starving after nothing since midnight apart from 'a gallon of tea at 6.30am'. She asked me to tell her friends not to visit her tonight. Her friend who took her in yesterday was going to visit with another friend. So I rang her to say that mum had not had her op yet so wouldn't be able to see anyone.

I rang the hospital again at about three just to make sure and yes she was in theatre by then. What a relief I know mum would have been so bitterly upset if she had to put up with this pain until another date could be scheduled.

I rang again at about 6pm as I was waiting for my prescription (I have been suffering from eye infections for some time although apart from my eyelids being red they were not bothering me too much. I figured it was down to me rubbing my eyes when our cat gets too close. ) I had finally made a dr's appointment.

To my suprise the phone was again passed to mum. Three hours earlier she was being operated on and now they were handing the phone to her!!! She had not been fully put under for this op, having an epidural, she had been drifting in and out during the op. She could hear lots of hammering and when she heard what sounded like a circular saw she wanted the screen moved so she could watch!!!! ewww how grisley and yes marmie I do remember you taking pics of your op. Anyway as it turned out they didn't need to do a complete replacement of her replacement knee, just replacing the plastic piece in the middle of the joint, also taking away a piece of bone that had grown where it shouldn't have done plus a bit more of a tidy up in there. (this was her 4th op on this knee in 5 years). Only my mum and perhaps marmie too would ask for te bit they removed but it had been thrown away. Can you believe she wanted to keep it as a souvenir. DC says he can't really imagine granny keeping her knee in a jar on the shelf.

On the phone she sounded on the verge of tears but she said she is fine just still feeling the effects of the aneasthetic. She has been bored so can't wait for me to bring her a book tomorrow, she already read one book and half another, but she did say she has been people watching and has lots to tell me about. I can't wait lol.

Tomorrow is OJ's day, my little scholar will be 18. He and DC will be playing five a side football tomorrow night, I have a feeling they will be having a pint afterwards. DC has been waiting for his little brother to be old enough to have a drink with him. He has plans for the two of them to do pub quizzes together.

update on charlie's mum. She is having an MRI scan tomorrow, she has type 2 cancer and is booked in for surgery to have her breast removed next wednesday. DC spent sat evening with the family they had several chats about it and are feeling positive which I know is a good thing. She has several lmps and the largest one has roots rather like an octopus according their description.

Shock

DC has been seeing his lovely girlfriend Charlie for 4 1/2 years now. Charlie has recently gone off to University to do a degree in fashion. She was lucky enought o get one of just 30 coveted places at Brighton. She has only been there a couple of weeks. Yesterday she sent DC a shocking text.

Her mother (just as lovely) has got breast cancer. It is just a couple of weeks since she found the lump but already has the diagnosis.

I am proud of DC, he phoned L to tell her how sorry he is and offer his help if needed. He also asked if I would be willing to talk to her about it if she wants. Of course I would. He is showing a lot of sensitivity. I think this will probably be the time he talks to me about my cancer as at the time he avoided me as he couldn't cope (he was just 13).