Full Time School

It's Friday and Lucy has completed a week of full time school for the first time since November 2013. Actually it's probably longer because she was having regular hospital appointments, so the last time she had a full uninterrupted week of full time school was July 2013.

It hasn't been an easy week, but it could have been worse. She woke up every morning not wanting to go. We would have lots of tears and begging. It didn't help that she had developed a cold this week too. She wasn't  poorly enough to warrant a sick day but she still wasn't feeling well. It was hard but I had to be tough.

Monday wasn't too bad. She asked that Daddy would be there to take her to school as well. After her initial worries and tears she calmed down and went in bravely. She came home all smiles. We had a few more tears at bedtime but over all it wasn't a bad day.

Tuesday was not so good. There were many more tears and a complete refusal to get dressed. She went into complete meltdown and we had to give her half an hour to calm down. We don't really have half an hour to spare and we were late for school.

Wednesday we tried without Daddy. We had a meltdown as soon as she got up, mostly uncontrollable sobbing. Once she calmed down she was fine and even dressed herself and helped me make her lunch. Today we were early for school.

Thursday was the best day of the week. She was a little upset when I went to wake her but soon calmed down and we had a peaceful morning.

Friday was also going well but when I couldn't find her sister's shoes Lucy jumped on the computer while I was looking for them. I told her there was not time and we had to go to school right now and she went into meltdown resulting in us being later than we'd been all week.

Her teacher said she is doing well at school, she has had a few hiccups but nothing too bad. It's nice to see her smiling when we pick her up.

She is really enjoying her lunch. She didn't want school dinners so I am making up a lunch box for her. She chose the box herself and we made a list of the things she would like in it. We are keeping it really healthy and changing the food every day. She loves seeing what's in her lunchbox each day.

I have really missed her, I have really got used to having her at home so much. I've found this week really hard, I hate to see her upset and unable to control her emotions. I just hope that things get easier.

Back to School

Today, after being off sick for eleven months, Lucy went back to school.

She's now in year five. She only spent eight weeks in year four. She was already poorly with her neck when she started, her problems had started at the beginning of the summer holidays and she'd already had one spell in hospital and was visiting weekly for physio therapy.

Then early December 2013 she went into hospital again for a manipulation and was first fitted with the dreaded halo. 

She was provided with a home tutor, who has been lovely, and has kept up with the same work her former classmates were doing.

The halo was removed in March, but it hadn't worked.

In June Lucy was given surgery and her neck is now held together with metal plates and pins, and a bone graft. Again, the halo returned.

Just before her birthday in August the halo was removed again and we had our little girl back. She can now hold up her head by herself, although she has lost fifty percent of movement in it.

After talking with the school we came up with a plan to ease her back in gently, so she's going three mornings this week and if that goes ok she'll do five mornings next week. When she is ready she will go back full time.

This morning was very emotional. She was really scared and cried so much. None of my children have ever cried to go to school, even when they first started, so it was also really difficult for me. She still went though. We met a little girl who remembered her in the playground and then her teacher and everyone was really nice. When I picked her up just before lunch she was a lot happier.

I am so very very proud of my little girl. She didn't have to go back, she could have stayed with her home tutor until next year at least. She was very brave. She has always been brave. She's a true Star!