4 years on...

Hello friends

A non-crafty post today about my boy...

Yesterday was 4 years since Elliott's brain surgery and 

I wanted to write a post to mark that, a diary entry if you like.

I would like to say it has gone quickly but truthfully it feels longer and Elliott agrees.

It is difficult to remember a time when there was no 

injections, scans, medication and appointments but given a choice

there is no contest...

His tumour is still there but dormant, I often talk to it and tell it to stay that way!

I've mentioned before we are a family with rather a dark sense of humour

but without it I think we would have drowned.

The photo above is the night before his surgery in 2013

 and he wore his favourite t-shirt.

That's now become a bit of a tradition...

2015

2016

This year so far marks two special events:

The publication of Paperhearts and Summer Kisses.

Discussing 'our story' meant revisiting a difficult time but 

chatting to Carole was a cathartic process.  

Carole captured the close relationship I have with Elliott, that was

very important to me.  Following publication I had people

question whether that is true, surely no teenage boy would behave like that?

Well, you don't know my Elliott :)

My family asked why a lot of the medical details were not included 

but that would have made it exceptionally heavy reading.

Those who have been following my blog for all these years may

recall the radiotherapy trauma, sitting every evening at home with 

Elliott next to me wearing a huge blue mask to try to become accustomed to it!

That mask is still in his room - he does not want to part with it...
And him laying in a cardboard box for hours on end to try to come
to terms with MRI scans - those felt like long days for us all.

Another special event ...

Elliott being accepted at Greenwich University.

At the point of Elliott's surgery he had just sat his GCSE's.

The surgeon told me that he could not imagine how anyone could get through 

them knowing what was about to happen. 

Not only did he pass but he applied for college to study further
and has now been accepted at Greenwich University.

Since diagnosis he took just one year out for being unwell.

So here he is today over 6 feet tall, towers over every other family member.

The 'Blink 182' t-shirt really is too small for him now but we cannot part with it.

He still has to take a cocktail of meds every day, still has scans, blood tests,

injections, eye tests but never complains. 

Honestly - I don't know how he does it but I couldn't love my boy more.

Crafty stuff resumes tomorrow :)