Nerve Wracking?

The news today has been led by a story about Gordon Brown's youngest child having Cystic Fibrosis - and that kind of thing is quite nerve wracking as you start to think a little bit.

I guess as we are in health care, we are probably more aware of the risks regarding some diseases than most. Some think that would help, trust me it doesn't.

I guess this subject is a hard one - when we start the battery of tests for abnormalities, what would we do if something came back positive? I think, at this moment in time, that no matter what we would love our child, but.... well, you can guess.


Of my current patient load, I do have some people with downs and learning disability. Though hard work, at times, their care is remarkably rewarding. I guess that each time I see them I think, and the more I think the more my views change.

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On a lighter note, Val told one of her brothers this morning about our babe - Tony is over in New Zealand and will not be about for christmas so would not hear with the rest. He has been sworn to secrecy Val assures me, so the other brothers won't know just yet. The plan is for that part of the family to be told in a couple of weeks time.

Meet the Midwitches time...

So, being a fully paid up member of the supportive husbands club, I get to meet the midwife along with Val tomorrow.

(And no, I couldn't think of an excuse fast enough... actually, in all seriousness, i do want to do this so...)

Now, I am a trained nurse - to be specific, a trained general Male nurse - which is about as far removed as you can get from being a midwife. As part of my training, I did have to do some midwifery... and I hated it. I was treated as a second class citizen - I only made three mistakes on my placement - I was a general nursing student, I was male and I turned up...

Since then, I have always viewed midwitches with a large amount of scepticism - seems to me that a perfectly good nurse goes off to do her midwifery, and changes.

BUT - I now realise that just for a change, I am going to have to be nice to them - they are going to be looking after both my wife and my baby... and possibly me :)

Meanwhile, val has been looking into all the different types of birth.... confused? You bet I am ! Seems to me that there is two types of birth - a caesarian and a normal one - apparently I am wrong and there are all sorts of different things to consider - I await my fate with interest.

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Funniest advice I have had so far? When you go in for the birth, stay at the head end - if you are at the business end it is like watching your favourite pub/bar burn down....

Wilfull abuse

So, I decided to go for a ride on my motorbike - a dangerous activity I am sure all will agree - over here, in healthcare, we call bike riders "organ donors" after all, but it is something I love.

Now I ride a fairly exotic bike - a quite rare ducati, that in simple terms, if I drop it even off the side stand, is a right off - it is that rare....

So I am riding into the local town, and am a little annoyed as it starts raining - i am riding slowly and carefully and taking a lot of care. I approach a roundabout and look ahead - I can see some middle aged lady in a car approaching and I just knew she was not going to stop - hell, she had not even looked to see if there was any other vehicle approaching.

Now I have ridden bikes for a long time and I am old - so that means I take care. I thought she was not going to stop, so I started slowing down - you don't just put the brakes on on a bike as you tend to fall off in the rain. Also, I hit my horn and started working out angles in my mind.

Bearing in mind, I am on a large bright red motorcycle, with my headlight on, wearing leathers that are bright blue - you would think I was visible - but fuck me, no she was amazed - so amazed she slammed on the brakes - I came to a halt, with constipation cured, about 2 foot off her drivers door - and she looked at me like i had appeared from nowhere.

I opened my helmet and let forth a tirade of abuse - I mean every obscenity in the world, and there was a lot of C words flying for a start. If she had been a bloke, I KNOW i would have put the bike on the side stand and slapped him.

Normally I am fairly low key - I accept that most car drivers are twats with no vision, but - why did I respond like that.... Truth is - until this all happened, I would quite happily have accepted that I have had a good life, with some awesom craic BUT - now I have a child I want to see - and that silly bitch nearly stopped that from happening.

Guess I am growing up in some different ways

Decisions... (Part Two)

Hmmm - all joking aside, Val and myself touched on a subject the other night that is a fairly large decision thing - religion.

Both of us have been christened, confirmed into the Church of England. As adults, Val used to go to church, and I think was a fairly committed christian. As for me, I used to go to churches to admire the architecture...

One of Val's brothers is a skypilot in the Church of England - has his own parish, church and collection of dresses etc, and a fair few others in her family are christians. My family, IF they attend any church, only go for Hatches, Matches and Despatches....

Now I am not saying that we are not christian, but christian with a small c - ie, we do try to live how the new testament tells us to - we do genuinly care for the people around us etc. Now as a moral guide, I don't think we can do better for our child - so, maybe we should raise the child as a christian, but to do that does that mean we should start to go to church ourselves? I know that that would be a lie for me - I am bitterly opposed to any religious organisation, and I am probably a pagan at heart - but for my child should I live a lie?

I think that we may well have the child christened, and just try to compromise as best we can - perhaps with our broad differences, we will be able to give a good moral upbringing and broaden the child's mind

Decisions... (Part One)

Well, amongst all the fun and games, i have started to think about a few things, and they are the kind of things that I never expected to think about.

Lets start with the simplest one - do I raise the child properly, as a Leeds United fan, or do I encourage a love of the beautiful game and allow them to choose their own team?
This is a problem - knowing my luck they would ignore either of the local clubs and decide to follow Manchester United - who as any self respecting Leeds fan will tell you are scum....

BUT - I like the idea of taking the child to any and all available games, at all levels just to enjoy the beautiful game - guess that is a father like thing to do LOL.

One thing I do know for sure - I will be buying the appropriate Leeds romper suit - and I will take lots of photographs... then if the little bugger does grow up supporting the manx scum I will have some good blackmail material ready....

One set of crinklies told.....

So, wandered over to see my folks - both around the 60 mark, and not at all old.... lack of hair from my father, and my mother who is definitely not grey.... or if she is, her hairdresser will be shot at dawn :)

So we told them - what actually happened was my mother invited us to have a meal, and suggested Beef Wellington...
"Ah, we said, can't have Pate...."
"Why" said mumsie, "are you on a diet?"
"No... can't have any pate or blue vein cheese etc" we replied.

She sat there in silence for a few minutes before I delivered the coup de grace

"Well, granny, why do you think?"

She got quite emotional then.
My father stayed quiet - just looked at me in sympathy - or shock, or delight..... either way I reckon we will chat about it together when we have the time alone.

((e did mutter something about me having to redecorate the spare room, and move all my computers out of the study etc.... I thought he would be on my side!)

Over the next few days and weeks, we have to tell the assorted friends and work colleagues - will be amusing I expect.

Bit early for talking about Sex...

Strange, but true I think - I am already hoping for a boy.

(Actually, I am hoping for a healthy baby, with all fingers and toes, no port wine stains and all faculties intact, but I digress).

But, maybe because I am at the end of the family line - only child, and no other male heirs with in the extended family, I really do want a boy.

It is hard to explain - but I am looking forward to kicking a ball around the garden, teaching the little toad how to play conkers etc.... yes I know I could do that with a baby girl but it wouldn't feel quite right, to me at least.

I wonder if other chaps feel like this - and in our modern society is it because we get all caveman about such things?

Oh My Word

Well, 0810 on 26th October was certainly a fun time. Personally I prefer 0809 when i was still just a normal chap, contemplating my next cup of coffee and chewing over my next smoke.

What had brought about this earth shattering change? A small bit of blue

In some 30 seconds my life changed immeasurably - My Wife, Valerie, quietly told me that I had to book two weeks of annual leave for the end of june next year. Now that is around my birthday, and I do normally take a week off, but apparently is not for my birthday - but for for our child's birthday.

To say that I was shocked, delighted and amazed is an understatement :)

So, having been thinking of doing some writing, or even a blog of sorts, I thought that this would be a great place to start - so expect a few thoughts and musings over the next few months.

I apologise in advance - my sense of humour is wierd at the best of times, but bear with me