Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Displacement

I've a thousand things I should be doing, but i'm struggling with a restaurant review and i'd rather be talking to you.

Have had a busy few days so haven't really thought too much about our conundrum. Not a lot we can do anyway until I get my next period and have a better idea of when treatment dates are likely to fall. Am definitely giving it another month for the other appts and then probably going to go with Big Hair the next month. This may change if our interim consultation at the mother of all clinics gives us food for thought.

Something that happened at the weekend made me stop and think how lucky we are though. I was working (chef-ing) at a wedding and the husband of the girl I was working for - keeled over just before whilst they were loading up at home. He passed out but came around quickly. She insisted he go to hospital and dropped him there on her way to the job. She had to keep going as there were 150 guests to be fed. Halfway through service she came down to see us in tears - he apparently had 2 brain aneurisms (bleeding to you and me) and needed emergency open brain surgery. He's 30 something, in perfect health and had had no symptoms untl then. It makes you think - life can turn upside down in a second. It really threw me and i'm still really upset for them. She had to rush off and we finished the job - 2 chefs for 150 people - which was a bit mad.

Getting back to work and having something else to focus on has helped me get a bit of perspective. I'm still disappointed that I spend most of the time i'm out looking at children and pregnant women and thinking about my situation. I'd be 6 mths pg if my first IVF had worked. IF.... I'm gettting a little bitter and twisted and I don't like that at all. Obviously the previous paragraph's news hasn't affected my selfish self too much.

Things are brighter though - I'm enjoying teaching again too. Made up a gorgeous recipe for Thai Chicken Filo triangles which I taught to last night's pupil. They were delicious. Shame she had to take them all home.

Oh! Forgot to mention Sunday's MAD phone call. We write for a newspaper about our IVF. I think i'm giving too much away at this point, but i'm sure it's unlikely that anyone who reads this blog will be a reader of this paper. Anyway, we got an e mail from a reader asking us to call him. He turned out to be a devout rabbi who wants to help us in our plight. His suggestion was that we live by the Orthodox Jewish rules for a married couple - which involves abstaining at certain times of the month and then my visiting a ritual bath to cleanse me post period. He offered to come and visit to discuss the rules etc. I was standing in our garden listening to this (very kind) man wondering how my life became this IVF theme show. It gets madder each week.

Time to get on. It's Mr G's 40th birthday tomorrow and i've lots to do. Have still to buy him a gift and card but am taking him and our parents out for a posh lunch and then he and I are staying at a London hotel for one night. I'm more excited than him! I really want to make this birthday special because he so wanted for us to be expecting our baby by now and it hurts that we're so far away from it.

Thanks to those of you who've commented recently - i love reading them and knowing that someone out there is sharing this with me.

5 comments:

Becks said...

It certainly puts life into perspective when shocks happen like you mentioned. A similiar thing happened to my brother in law a few years ago, he very suddenly just collapsed and was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour. He is fine now and has an annual check up, which is very stressful but at least he is around to tell the tale. I hope the man you refer to is ok.

The rabbis tale is ever so sweet - bless him for trying to help!

Glad you are enjoying your teaching, and I hope things workout on the hospital front.

Take care.

JJ said...

Wow, I am always humbled and thankful when I hear about things happening at the briefest of moments--life is so precious!
Glad teaching is going well, and have fun with Mr G's b-day! Lots of celebrating!

Anonymous said...

I would like you job. And tips on getting there?

It is always an eye opener when things happen like an anuerism, they are so unexpected and really give you perspective on how short life can really be.

Baby Blues said...

I would love to take lessons from you. Wonderful job. :-) I'm a frustrated chef.

It's a sad reminder that life is short. So we should always live our lives to the fullest and be thankful for our many blessing.

Hope you and Mr. G enjoyed his birthday bash. Life begins at 40!

Baby Blues said...

Saw your comment at Repro Jeans. You were a lawyer. That rocks! I'm happy with my job but I just find it too stressing. I don't mind hanging my stetoscope for a toque.