A phone call from my niece
She rang up at about five o'clock this afternoon, and it was
good to hear her sounding strong and in control. She said it had everything to do with the amount of
support that she was getting from friends and family. Her children were also getting total support
from school.
She thanked me for the message I left on their phone on Friday, wishing them well and promising that I wouldn't be bombarding them with phone calls because my brother was going to keep me posted. I hadn't expected a reply. I'd rather thought that they would be running around like headless chickens (they were) and they might just manage to listen to messages but certainly wouldn't have time to answer them.
She thanked me for the flowers I'd ordered. Everyone who'd come in had said "wow" - even the nurses. They'd looked OK in the photo, but not wow, particularly. Shows that a glossy photo in a ring-binder in a flower shop doesn't do them justice.
And then she told me what was really happening with her children. Her sister, who has three of her own (not counting the overgrown child she married), is picking them up from school and taking them to her house. There they eat, do their homework, and do whatever else small children do after school. Only when it's near their bedtime do other aunts and uncles fly in to take them home with them, just to sleep. That's a much better arrangement! And it also demonstrates that my SIL is not the most reliable witness.
Earlier, I had spoken to my 17yo nephew. My brother and SIL had left for the hospital before he'd got home from school, which was OK, because he thought she had her husband yesterday and her parents today, and anyone else would be exhausting. Runescape? No chance. He's got his A level exams in November, and he's swotting. No Runescape till the exams are over! Good luck with that - and would he please ask my brother to ring me when they got home.
My brother rang later, although he couldn't for the life of him think what I wanted him to ring about.
Er - the hospital visit?
"Oh yes - that."
I said how delighted I was that they'd gone, and what a big difference between the fear-based things SIL was saying yesterday, and the fact that she'd gone to visit today. He said there was no doubt that she would have visited, but she just needed a bit of a push. I said I don't normally tell other people what to do, but yesterday I made an exception, and I told him what I'd said to her about not seeing the tubes, and it's not about you.
I also mentioned one or two of the more bizarre remarks she'd made, which I'd thought were a bit melodramatic, and he said she's a drama queen. Ooh - brave!
We even managed to get onto the subject of my husband, and how he was gunning for my bro (true) and once exploded at him for not caring about something he didn't actually know because nobody had ever actually told him. We were also able to compare one specific thing he'd told me my bro had said, with what bro really said. Interesting. And good to be friends again.
She thanked me for the message I left on their phone on Friday, wishing them well and promising that I wouldn't be bombarding them with phone calls because my brother was going to keep me posted. I hadn't expected a reply. I'd rather thought that they would be running around like headless chickens (they were) and they might just manage to listen to messages but certainly wouldn't have time to answer them.
She thanked me for the flowers I'd ordered. Everyone who'd come in had said "wow" - even the nurses. They'd looked OK in the photo, but not wow, particularly. Shows that a glossy photo in a ring-binder in a flower shop doesn't do them justice.
And then she told me what was really happening with her children. Her sister, who has three of her own (not counting the overgrown child she married), is picking them up from school and taking them to her house. There they eat, do their homework, and do whatever else small children do after school. Only when it's near their bedtime do other aunts and uncles fly in to take them home with them, just to sleep. That's a much better arrangement! And it also demonstrates that my SIL is not the most reliable witness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Earlier, I had spoken to my 17yo nephew. My brother and SIL had left for the hospital before he'd got home from school, which was OK, because he thought she had her husband yesterday and her parents today, and anyone else would be exhausting. Runescape? No chance. He's got his A level exams in November, and he's swotting. No Runescape till the exams are over! Good luck with that - and would he please ask my brother to ring me when they got home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My brother rang later, although he couldn't for the life of him think what I wanted him to ring about.
Er - the hospital visit?
"Oh yes - that."
I said how delighted I was that they'd gone, and what a big difference between the fear-based things SIL was saying yesterday, and the fact that she'd gone to visit today. He said there was no doubt that she would have visited, but she just needed a bit of a push. I said I don't normally tell other people what to do, but yesterday I made an exception, and I told him what I'd said to her about not seeing the tubes, and it's not about you.
I also mentioned one or two of the more bizarre remarks she'd made, which I'd thought were a bit melodramatic, and he said she's a drama queen. Ooh - brave!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We even managed to get onto the subject of my husband, and how he was gunning for my bro (true) and once exploded at him for not caring about something he didn't actually know because nobody had ever actually told him. We were also able to compare one specific thing he'd told me my bro had said, with what bro really said. Interesting. And good to be friends again.
6 Comments:
Sounds like good news, all the way around. I'm especially glad to hear the kid (17yo) isn't what he appeared.
You seem to have everything in control. They are lucky to have you.
Always good to be friends, again. Family is important...sometimes!
Good luck, and I'll hope for the best!
By veronikkamarrz, Sep 15 09 10:42 PM
So good to hear that family is mending fences. And what a relief about the children! Still keeping your niece - and your family - in my thoughts and prayers. Keep us posted, okay?
By bionic4ever, Sep 15 09 11:03 PM
Nice to see you breathing Lesley! :)
Nothing like having your information from the source - Chinese Whispers has nothing on families passing on messages or information!
Good to hear your niece sounding so upbeat and that her family is in good (and thoughtful) hands.
Nice to be friends with family - they always tend to be such nasty fighters! :)
By MarchHare007, Sep 15 09 11:19 PM
Thanks, you lot! I had lunch with an old friend, and we had a few hours of catching up, which was nice. But since I got home, I've been on the phone for what seems like forever. My SIL rang up at 10pm, sounding very droopy and borderline weepy. She couldn't understand why she was strong one minute, weak the next. Because she's normal? and perhaps because there are fewer people she can talk to when it's getting a bit later? After 45 minutes talking about all sorts of things, and a bit of a rant about pharmacists, she sounded positively cheerful, and decided to ring her No.2 daughter to ask her how her hospital visit went.
At 11pm, No.2 daughter rang me, and we talked about all sorts of things, including family medical history which she didn't know about, and will be useful when medical people ask her about her family history. A lot of "no" answers will now have to changed to yes. For instance, she thought my mother had liver cancer. No, she had BC, which spread to her liver. Just as I thought that my aunt in America had lung cancer. No, it was BC but it spread to her lungs. She has already seen her GP, who said that the norms (every 3 years after 50) won't apply to her, and he has referred her for screening immediately, and frequently.
I asked if she and her sisters were talking about it now. Silly question. "We're talking about nothing else!"
By lesley153, Sep 16 09 6:32 PM
Lesley, my heart goes out to your patient. You are strength to her. May all go well.
By garrysouders, Sep 17 09 8:36 PM
Thank you, Garry. Today was calm and quiet.
At about 8pm, I had a fun exchange of silly texts with No.2 daughter, for each of her children in turn. She said they had her sons in hysterics, and now she could get them ready for bed, but there was nothing else from anyone.
I hope all the days are like this now.
By lesley153, Sep 17 09 9:06 PM