Love, family, friends, community, security, serenity, peace and security are but a few.
I am truly blessed with all of the above and the reason I am so bountifully endowed is central to where I live.......Sandy Lane.
For all it's irritating vagaries and in fighting at times, there is no place in times of trouble that I would rather be.
When Daniel was diagnosed with Testicular Cancer at 15 we as a family were devastated, to find that it had invaded his lymphatic system as well was a double blow. I was working full time as a Midwife but travelling to and from Worcester at the time. Daniel went through his initial operation to remove the damaged testicle and then commenced on chemotherapy. All through the summer my darling boy had poison pumped through him to try to eradicate the cancer. Our wonderful friends and neighbours on The Lane did so much to support us, small gifts and loving gestures almost every day. Special things to eat, made with love and received gratefully. Collections to pay for herbal remedies and tonics and visits from his fairy godmothers when we were in the hospital to leave something in the house for our return. The ongoing support over the months as they rolled by was awesome. When Dan got e coli infection from a dirty nurse's poor practice, it nearly killed him and I became aggressively protective. This will come as no revelation for those that know me! Finally after 6 full rounds of chemo, 2 more than he should originally have had; the bloody growths were no smaller. We were devastated and distraught when told there was no-one who would remove the tumours because they were the size of two large grapefruit, one wrapped around his spinal cord the other around the inferior vena cava. He was only 15 and officially a paediatric patient. We searched the net and found a surgeon in Japan willing to operate but at a cost of £30,000.We arranged to see the estate agent the following Monday but on the Friday before the Oncologist called to say he had arranged for a review by a surgeon in London at The Royal Marsden, we went for the appointment and the surgeon took one look at the size of Dan and agreed to operate. We then had to sign the consent form with all the risks spelled out. Death from haemorrhage, heart failure or seizure, brain damage, Quadraplegia, paraplegia, impotency etc etc. We signed because there was never really a choice.
Before we went all our friends and neighbours got together and helped us with money and positive thoughts and love. We set off knowing that they were all thinking of Dan. The op took nearly 8hours during this time we did not know how to get through it, but somehow we did and Dan eventually came round from the anaesthetic in ITU just as the fireworks went off outside the window for the dedication of the Albert Memorial! He was out of bed 12hours later,walking down the ward 24hrs after and back home with 47 staples in his scar in 4days!!
He went back to school, took his mock GCSE's and on 17th January 1999 he was 16, a day we thought we might not see. We had a big party to celebrate and at that moment I realised we had come through it. I didn't loose control or really cry about it all for another year when after far too many 'stellas' I lost it completely and couldn't stop. Suddenly I realised how blessed I was...my lottery won, my prayers answered. I am forever thankful for the gift of my son's recovery and also for the love and support of my family,friends and community.
Sandy Lane is a special place, always has been and always will be.....as long as there is breath in my body I will fight to preserve it.
I am truly blessed with all of the above and the reason I am so bountifully endowed is central to where I live.......Sandy Lane.
For all it's irritating vagaries and in fighting at times, there is no place in times of trouble that I would rather be.
When Daniel was diagnosed with Testicular Cancer at 15 we as a family were devastated, to find that it had invaded his lymphatic system as well was a double blow. I was working full time as a Midwife but travelling to and from Worcester at the time. Daniel went through his initial operation to remove the damaged testicle and then commenced on chemotherapy. All through the summer my darling boy had poison pumped through him to try to eradicate the cancer. Our wonderful friends and neighbours on The Lane did so much to support us, small gifts and loving gestures almost every day. Special things to eat, made with love and received gratefully. Collections to pay for herbal remedies and tonics and visits from his fairy godmothers when we were in the hospital to leave something in the house for our return. The ongoing support over the months as they rolled by was awesome. When Dan got e coli infection from a dirty nurse's poor practice, it nearly killed him and I became aggressively protective. This will come as no revelation for those that know me! Finally after 6 full rounds of chemo, 2 more than he should originally have had; the bloody growths were no smaller. We were devastated and distraught when told there was no-one who would remove the tumours because they were the size of two large grapefruit, one wrapped around his spinal cord the other around the inferior vena cava. He was only 15 and officially a paediatric patient. We searched the net and found a surgeon in Japan willing to operate but at a cost of £30,000.We arranged to see the estate agent the following Monday but on the Friday before the Oncologist called to say he had arranged for a review by a surgeon in London at The Royal Marsden, we went for the appointment and the surgeon took one look at the size of Dan and agreed to operate. We then had to sign the consent form with all the risks spelled out. Death from haemorrhage, heart failure or seizure, brain damage, Quadraplegia, paraplegia, impotency etc etc. We signed because there was never really a choice.
Before we went all our friends and neighbours got together and helped us with money and positive thoughts and love. We set off knowing that they were all thinking of Dan. The op took nearly 8hours during this time we did not know how to get through it, but somehow we did and Dan eventually came round from the anaesthetic in ITU just as the fireworks went off outside the window for the dedication of the Albert Memorial! He was out of bed 12hours later,walking down the ward 24hrs after and back home with 47 staples in his scar in 4days!!
He went back to school, took his mock GCSE's and on 17th January 1999 he was 16, a day we thought we might not see. We had a big party to celebrate and at that moment I realised we had come through it. I didn't loose control or really cry about it all for another year when after far too many 'stellas' I lost it completely and couldn't stop. Suddenly I realised how blessed I was...my lottery won, my prayers answered. I am forever thankful for the gift of my son's recovery and also for the love and support of my family,friends and community.
Sandy Lane is a special place, always has been and always will be.....as long as there is breath in my body I will fight to preserve it.
There are those of us who would like to take some drastic action and give some instant karma to certain people who determinedly try to mess with the mojo of the lane!
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