Saturday 10th September

Me and Chris are really looking forward to our first half marathon a week on Sunday. Our lovely friends, the Wilkinsons, are having our children for the day, as we'll be setting off early and coming back late. I did a morning spin today, love the Saturday morning ones as I can do most of it still asleep lol.
Christopher looking 'PINK' today, we've never had a pink boy, he's always been quite blue in his complexion because of his heart condition. I sometimes cant stop stirring at his toes as they're so normal in colour now.
Two of his friends, from the estate behind our house, are playing on the xbox with him at the moment. He's only seen a few of his friends since coming home and this kind of thing does him the world of good, as he spends all day everyday with me. He's a very sweet, well mannered boy, just the other night he turned to me and said, 'at Christmas I'm going to spoil you Mum because you've done so much for me lately', arh bless. Then half an hour later when I was giving him his medi's he looked up at me and said, "I could strangle you at times Mum." Cheeky little charmer! I had to laugh though.
oh, oh, oh if you're thinking about sponsoring me, just go to http://www.justgiving.com/JustineForest every penny counts and, it's an amazing charity, we certainly wouldn't have managed without it whilst we where at Alder Hey xxxx

Wednesday 7th September

Had a really bad day yesterday worrying about this blinking drug no one wants to prescribe for my son. To me it's so simple, I cant believe medical professionals would put my sons life at risk. Something really needs to be done, well, that's when I find a spare moment!

Tuesday 6th September

We didn't go jogging this morning, we went tonight at 10pm in the wind and the rain, god that's commitment for you. We did five miles instead of 2/4, yay! Came back soaked, but it will be all worth it. I don't care about times, all I care about is starting the Great North Run and finishing it without stopping, I don't want to walk any of it. http://www.justgiving.com/JustineForest
It's also giving me something else to concentrate on, as I'm having awful problems getting one of Christopher's drugs  prescribed by our family doctor and I'm now thinking about contacting our MP about the situation. It is ridiculous, Christopher consultant wants him on this drug and if he wasnt he would be on oxygen instead, it's a no brainier for me, but our doctor is having none of it and has refused to prescribe it. Now we either have to go all the way back to Alder Hey every time or Christopher's Cardiac Liaison Nurse is going to try to get his cardiac doctor at RPH to prescribe it there instead. That still is not a perfect solution to this very worrying situation. His cardiac nurse describes this drug as a miracle in cardiac cases and more & more children will eventually be on it. I think it's disgraceful other family, some living in difficult circumstances, without transport or the money for petrol will then have to travel miles to get it. Our doctor did say another thing he wasn't happy about was that it wasn't licensed for children, well 70% of the drugs used on cardiac children at Alder Hey aren't licensed as you cant do clinical testing on children. Alder Hey, in fact, have done their own research into this drug and that's why they call it a miracle drug! 

Monday 5th September

Daddy (Chris) & myself were up at 5.30am this morning doing a 4 miler. Training is going well and I'm feeling good doing it , well I sat on my bum eating for 6 weeks while we where in hospital. By teatime, Christopher was feeling a little better. It's so worrying at the moment, when he first went for his surgery, I thought it started and ending with his heart op, I cant believe all these weeks later we're still no further on in our recovery. I'm thinking now that this may take sometime. Maybe Christmas when Christopher's off some of his drugs and he's settled back into his school and his football, we might see the light and this will all be a distant memory, but for now our lives our made up with nursing Christopher, hospital appointments and running. But, after all we've been through, I know we're extremely lucky that we have each other and we're all at home together once again. I love my family! ♥ http://www.justgiving.com/JustineForest

Sunday 4th September

Christopher started being sick last night straight after his medi's, which isn't a good thing to do. He's been off for a few days and seems pretty lifeless and frail at the moment. It's really hard to tell if it's  because of what he's been through or a bug he's picked up. We rang Ward K2 to ask what they thought and they said it sounded like a bug and nothing to do with his recent surgery and if we got even more concerned we should take him to our local A&E. That did put my mind at rest a little.
Alex (our middle daughter who's 13) returned home with a big solid silver cup in her hand. She'd only just gone and won the Preston & District Ladies Charity Golf Cup, whoop whoop. That certainly cheered us all up, even Christopher x

Saturday 3rd September

Christopher was well chuffed, he was on the front page of our local paper and page 3 hahaha. The story covered all of what Christopher has been through in hospital over the last 6 weeks. Lovely story, very moving,even had me in tears and I lived it!!! He's a star and so brave, have no idea where he gets that from??? xxx http://www.longridgenews.co.uk/news/local/brave_10_year_old_s_heart_op_success_1_3727613

Friday 2nd September

Up at 5.30am today, the fear of running a half marathon is stopping me sleeping lol.
Ran 4 miles, feel flipping fantastic now!