GIDEON AND CAREN

Doing a Happy Dance!!!  My beautiful son Gideon, and his fiancee Caren, both 30 this year, are getting married.  We have known for some time that they would marry eventually. They have been together for nearly nine years. 

Three years ago they took a trip of a lifetime. They were away for two years. They visited Africa, India, Nepal, Singapore, Australia and finally New Zealand where they lived for nearly a year.  Before they left the UK they got 'engaged' and talked about getting married when they returned.  They have now been back for almost a year.

Anyway, the date is set.  AUGUST 31ST. They have found an idyllic setting for the wedding. A walled garden. It is beautiful. They will set up a large marquee on part of the garden and there will be a barbecue (those of you with special powers, please pray for sunshine!!)

I can't wait for this special day. My future DIL is a very special girl and I love her like a daughter.  

Every day, first thing in the morning, I call my Mum. If she hasn't heard from me by 9.05, she's worried!!  On Sunday morning, I called her as usual. We chatted about "Stricly Come Dancing" that was on the TV the night before and I was telling her about my son. Suddenly, I noticed everything quiet at the other end. I started calling 'Mum', 'Mum'. My Dad picked up the phone and told me that he thought she had had 'some kind of turn'.  

 Fortunately, we live in the next street, so threw on some clothes (I didn't even wash). My husband and I were there within 5 minutes. It looked from what I could see that she had had a stroke.  We called the ambulance and they came within 10 minutes. They took her to hospital and after a while she was admitted.  She had had a stroke. She couldn't speak, although she tried. She couldn't move her right arm, barely move her right leg. We stayed at the hospital with her all day while they did tests and finally around 8pm they moved her to the Stroke Unit in our local hospital.  They did a CT scan to determine the extent of the stroke. We left the hospital.

My mum has been through a great deal of stuff but I have never been so scared.

I called the hospital in the morning. They told me she had a reasonable night but still was not talking.  When we visited in the afternoon, however, Thank G-d, she had her speech back. Obviously she can't find a lot of words and can say them properly but at least there was improvement.  Also she had the use of her right hand back.  I think she will be in the hospital for a week at least.

When we went on holiday recently, see my other blog, we almost didn't go because my Mother in law is unwell and may die soon. Thankfully, she is still with us, but if this had happened while \i was away, I dread to think.