Blog | frasergo.orghttps://www.frasergo.org/blog/2009-01-21T20:46:09+00:00BlogSettling and School2009-01-21T20:46:09+00:00david/blog/author/david/https://www.frasergo.org/blog/2009/01/settling-and-school/<p>It's been a month of refocusing and recovery...</p>
<p>Danielle and I have still felt lots of <b>residual stress</b> from November and December ... I've been <b>struggling to sleep</b> very often and we've both been tired ... Positively we feel like this whole period has pushed us to think through what's important in life and again, and actually <b>prioritize</b> what we need to like never before. Putting the <a href="http://www.kmol.online.pt/humor/200105/jarro_e.html">big stones</a> in first - for us that means <i style="color: #000050;">time with God</i> in prayer and the Bible and worship, <i style="color: #000050;">quality time</i> with each other and the kids, and having time set aside to <i style="color: #000050;">planning</i> and <i style="color: #000050;">decision making</i> and <i style="color: #000050;">sorting out finances</i> (the things we naturally avoid), as well as good time with friends and family. This has been an encouraging process - we're engaging with life in a new way, and we know that in the long term it'll make a great difference to how we live. One step at a time.</p>
<p><b>James</b> is <b>starting preschool</b> tomorrow - five mornings a week! It's a wonderful place run by an amazing woman - just 2 classes of 8 kids each, and she has a special place for children going through health issues so she has some understanding of the kinds of challenges he has been facing... He's a bit nervous but mostly excited (when we visited the school with him he was surprised that there were no desks to write exams - in his head school was school and he's heard about exams from our matric friends...) This is going to be a big adjustment to the <b>daily schedule</b>. One implication is that hopefully <b>Charis</b> will have good quality time with Danielle in the mornings - something she's lacked.</p>
<p><b>James's liver</b> has been a lot better over the last two weeks - there's still discussion about whether it was caused by his drugs or a virus - he's stayed off his anti-convulsant and they've adjusted his chemo slightly, and are investigating what they would need to do if it turns out to be the chemo that's the problem (this could be fairly serious if it developed).</p>
<p>It was also sad to say <b>goodbye</b> to Anni and Richard, Debbie and Jonny and Sammy (going back to Joburg and Bedford), and then Andy and Louise and Mia (moving to the UK). James and Charis really bonded with Sammy and love Mia (as well as the grownups!) so this was hard for them. (We're buying Andy and Louise's <b>car</b> through a deal with my work, which is great, but no compensation!)</p>
<!--break--><br class="clear" />Joys and blows2008-12-26T07:23:10+00:00david/blog/author/david/https://www.frasergo.org/blog/2008/12/joys-and-blows/<p>This last few weeks it's felt as though emotions ranging from joys to griefs have been running hand in hand...</p>
<p>We had a <b>week away with David's family</b> in Vic Bay. The first time we've all gone away together since we all got married... it was really special to all be together.</p>
<p>Unfortunately we all seemed to contract a <b>stomach bug</b> while we were away, one by one (with the except of Andy and Louise and Mia) - on the Friday night James was throwing up half the night, and again once on Saturday evening; Danielle had it on Sunday afternoon (very relieved that we all made the trip down OK); Charis threw up on Sunday night, and David and James's stomachs have both been out of order most of this week... (they finally seem back to normal now)</p>
<p>On the way back last Sunday we heard the <b>shocking news</b> that <b>Tori</b> (one of James's few fellow child patients at the hospital) had a massive cardiac arrest and <b>died</b>. It left us all reeling... she had an infection and was put in ICU but then seemed to be stabilising - this was totally unexpected and hard to understand.</p>
<p>James still seemed very lethargic after he was over the worst of the bug so Danielle took him back to the paediatrician - his blood tests showed that his <b>liver function is abnormal</b> again, and his white blood cell counts were low. So they've taken him off all his oral chemo for this week (to help his blood recover before his intravenous Vincristine due next week) and his anti-convulsant as well, which should help us see if the liver is being affected by either of those drugs.</p>
<p>James also had an <b>ultrasound</b> of his liver on Tuesday morning and it showed no structural problems which is good news. And Charis and Danielle both went for blood tests at the same time so it was a family outing!</p>
<p>In between all of this we were <b>celebrating Christmas</b>. We had a great time on Christmas morning with the kids reading through the story of how Jesus was born - right from the angel appearing to Elizabeth until John the Baptised baptised Jesus. Charis is convinced that <i>Jesus died on the cross for our fins</i> - you know, the things on a fish like a tail - although she is gradually admitting that that's a joke.</p>
<p>Danielle and I are both feeling quite <b>exhausted and stretched</b>. It's felt like there are months that are easier and harder and this last month or two has definitely been harder! We had some good talks while we were away about how to recharge in times of stress - both of us get our energy from keeping our eyes fixed on a big vision of God - but didn't expect to need that battle to intensify straight away! I've been reading <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/OnlineBooks/ByTitle/1593_Dont_Waste_Your_Life/">Don't Waste Your Life</a> by <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/AboutUs/JohnPiper/">John Piper</a> which has been a refreshing and challenging stimulus.</p>
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<br class="clear" />How to swallow pills2008-03-05T07:01:33+00:00david/blog/author/david/https://www.frasergo.org/blog/2008/03/how-to-swallow-pills/<p>A small but very helpful victory for us - for the last few months James hasn't wanted to swallow tablets so we've had to crush them up and mix them with his vitamin syrup. His steroids he has to take (for 5 days a month now) are very bitter and he hated the taste...</p>
<p>But since Monday he's been taking them coated in syrup and washed down with juice... making the amount of time to mix them up and persuade him to take them a lot less.</p>
<p>Also we took Charis to the paediatrician yesterday as she wanted to check if there was some ongoing problem that had been interfering with her sleep ... the good news is that there doesn't seem to be, and she also has slept a bit better the past few nights (apart from Saturday night which she was convinced was not a night at all!)</p>
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