Tracieisland

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Lewis update.

Just quickly as it's 11.20pm and l've just walked in - heard today that Lewis had his op at 12 and was all done by three - they removed the lump, cysts and 60ml of fluild thats all gone off for tests - he's in intensive care on morphine till tomorrow so martin and claire can't stay with him but they promised claire he won't wake up and miss her, he's got a 5inch scar poor little chap but at least it's all done now - please continue to pray for good results to the tests and a speedy recovery - my mum goes up to London on Saturday to visit whilst we'll be moving.
Great news we've now finished all the decorating and the carpets are being fitted tomorrow and best of all we have hot water and a heating system - No kitchen yet though !! - Good utility room we can use as a kitchen for now.

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

PLEASE PRAY FOR LEWIS
Lewis is now back at Gt.Ormond St.
Tomorrow they will do his op at 11am unfortunately the scan showed that the fluid has returned so it will be necessary to have the drains again and instead of a small incision they will have to open him right up - please pray for him that the op will be a complete success with no complications and that the lump and cysts will be nothing horrible - as you can imagine my brother and his wife Claire are feeling very stressed.
Hopefully have more news tomorrow.

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

MOVING IS GETTING CLOSER.........AAARRRHHH!!!!!
Well the three upstairs bedrooms have now been decorated new skirting coving etc. Just waiting for the carpets. New bathroom upstairs has been fitted. New central heating system has been fitted just need a gas supply, it was funny l was thinking to myself today l really hope that Transco turn up on Friday ( we've had a few problems with admin.) then Andy rang and said they had turned up today to make a start as the gas has to come from the opposite side of the road so apologies if you happen to be held up on Broomfield Road because of a man down a hole looking for a gas pipe!! I was the coldest l think l've ever been in that house painting yesterday even the paint wouldn't dry !! L had to go home and put a second skin of clothes on just to stop shivering- doesn't help coming home to 80 degrees.
My mum is coming over from Spain this Friday mainly because of Lewis's op. he goes in next Wednesday. Our Claire said, Good Nanny can cook us some nice dinners l'm fed up with sweet n sour !! I didn't think we'd had that many take-aways whilst doing the house up. So she spend some time with us in this house and then move into the new house as well !! Don't panic Andy she's got a return flight !!

Friday, November 18, 2005

Hooray Lewis is going home.
Just back from the house and rang Claire and Martin at GOSH, they were waiting to be picked up and taken home with Lewis. They have to go for a check up next week to make sure the fluid isn't building up again. On the 30th November they have to go back so that Lewis can have an operation to remove the lump that they found. Many thanks for your continued prayer support although they arn't out of the woods yet things seem to be going well so far.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

LEWIS:- TODAY
Just spoken to Claire and she said that Lewis was tested for lots of different cancers today in his bloods and all of the results that have come back so far have been negative. - praise God - they are really baffled as to how Lewis appears to be so well in himself, Claire said he's like a different little boy with colour in his cheeks and so much more lively - he was always pale, cold, and very quiet ,we all just thought that was his character.
Tommorow all the consultants get together to discuss all the cases on the ward and decide what action to take - Claire said that if all the tests show nothing then they will have to do a small biospy. They have been told that if all goes well and nothing nasty shows up they may be able to go home for the weekend and return for remaining tests and check-ups but have warned Claire don't get your hopes up too much just in case. Claire said she has had a really good day today. Martin is hopefully staying with Claire tonight at the hospital. Lucy and her grandparents are visiting tomorrow.

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

BIG DAY FOR LEWIS
claire and Martin was told today that if Lewis's blood tests came back not showing anything too serious they may be allowed home for two days of normality within 20 minutes they decided to pack them all off to Great Ormond Street where they now have a room to themselves with a bed for Claire an en-suite and a direct phone line to the room. However Claire had come to know all the mums in the ward she was in and now says she feels very alone in a side room. The medical team have pre-warned them that tomorrow is going to be a big day for Lewis as they are going to do lots of tests if they still can't find out anything then they will try keyhole surgery to take a biopsy failing that it will be open heart surgery. they have warned them off lots of eventualities. Please pray that God will intervene. I spoke to Claire for the first time today, she said that she is all over the place at the mo and l pointed out that l'm sure that's quite normal in the circumstances; she also asked if our church had prayed, when l asked why she said that her friend's work colleage was talking about it at work and connected the names to the facts and realized it was Lewis , l thought this was really encouraging and shows that people care enough to pray for someone that they don't even know. Once again thanks for your prayer support.

Monday, November 14, 2005

LEWIS UPDATE
Have just spoken to Martin's father-in-law and there has been a turn for the worse - the results came back and showed that Lewis needed further investigation so they anesthetized him and a more intense scan has showed that there is nodules showing they are unsure at this stage whether they are cysts, tumors etc. and whether they are in the heart or connected to the artery. Martin and Claire HAD been told of a possibility of going home with Lewis on Tuesday ,so this sudden news has been quite a blow to them all. The doctors are going to decide what action to take tomorrow.

UPDATE ON LEWIS
It's really late (12.50) so l'll be brief my brother has just left to go home. Lewis had most of his tubes taken out today he just has his heart drain still intact they have drained 400ml of fluid he's not taking much fluid himself so Martin said that they may put him back on a drip tomorrow - he has to drive back up to Brompton in the morning to hear the results of all the tests on the fluid that they drained off, so please pray for good news.Mog seemed to be in good spirits this evening he had taken Lucy to see her brother and mum today - he's driving to Chelsea daily. Thanks for all your prayers we really are grateful - it's a good opportunity to tell Martin that people are praying for Lewis. off to bed now so much for my relaxing bath and much needed early night !!

Saturday, November 12, 2005

PRAYER REQUEST

Hi all you fellow bloggers - please pray for my brothers little 17 month old son,Lewis, he kept having chest infections and they said they wasn't happy with the diagnosis and took him to the hospital where he had an x-ray that showed an enlarged heart so he was taken to Brompton hospital this morning and they found that his heart was incased in fluid he went down for an operation this afternoon and is now in intensive care, they expect to be at Brompton for the next 5/6 days the doctors have said the op went well - l havent spoken to my brother today yet - the news l have is from my mum in Spain who had a quick call just before Lewis went to the operating theartre - please pray for a speedy recovery - and for Martin and Claire and their 3year old daughter Lucy; whose now staying with her grandparents and will no doubt be missing her family.

Friday, November 11, 2005


AMAZING
Everyday when we go to the house to work there, we find more demanding letters and outstanding bills - so much so that there have now been final notices informing us that the debt collectors will be calling, court proceedings are going ahead and another that says bailiffs will carry out reclamation. The property was a rental property before we purchased it and l think all the tenants must have run up huge debts before leaving. This evening l was rounding up all the mail and thought right l must go home and write to all these companies before these debt collectors start calling. I thought to myself l can do without all this and then my mind turned to the thought that because of irresponsible people l have now got to spend out for all these stamps to return all these demands; l then thought just get on with it, then l won't have to keep thinking about it . I then opened what l thought to be the last demand and when l opened it a card was enclosed with 50 1st class stamps that was intended for one of the previous tenants who must have had a connection with the Royal mail at some point; as the card was a Christmas one with the comment inside "Thanks for all you efforts" Season Greetings" Kind Regards"
I was absolutely amazed and saw it as Gods provision ! The timing was perfect.

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Rushing Around !!
I find myself flying around all over the place, yesterday took Claire to school, popped to supermarket and went home and put dinner in the slow cooker, went to house helped put rubble in the skip, went to Chelmer picked Laura up took her home to brush teeth then on to dentist in town then back to Chelmer,then home to butter some rolls then chip shop for lunch for Andy & plumber,scrapped some more walls,picked Claire up then went to Ford End to pick up some blocks then home to drop Claire off back to house to drop blocks in and then back home to pick Luke up to go to B&Q to get sand, cement , rads, etc dropped them back to house then home to dish up kids tea, dropped Andys dinner at the house, helped clear up !! Getting the picture - well in amongst rushing around l must have left my car lights on and someone knocked on the door and told Claire, she shouted upstairs to me a man just said your lights are on. O.K l said and we were just going back out in the car anyway. I asked , who knocked Claire? She said oh l think it was the man next door but one. I said you just 'think'. she said yes he had grey trousers on ! Just then l noticed a man wearing grey trousers up a ladder painting the house a few doors down so said, is that the man Claire? She said oh yes - just then the man on the ladder looked around at the car so l put my hand up thinking what a kind man to get down and tell me that my lights were on ! Then claire said NO. l said 'what'? she said no it wasn't him it was definately the man next door but one !! I thought oh great now it looks like l'm waving to local workmen - l tell you it gets worse - if l wasn't scatty enough without all this rushing around !!

Monday, November 07, 2005



SCRAPPING SCRAPPING !!

I think l'll have to have this surgically removed

it's become a permanant fixture in the palm of my hand the last three days !! Praise

the Lord for wallpaper steamers !!

Friday, November 04, 2005

Got the keys to the house today so be a bit busy renovating it !! Groovy pink and black 70's bathroom suite if anyones interested !! Maybe not, what about the orange stair carpet with large floral brown and orange wallpaper..........mmmmmmmmm nice - smells as good as it looks !!


TRAMPS THEME NIGHT !!This one is a bit scary. You ask people over for dinner - you think they'd make an effort wouldn't you ?!!
Guess who ?
Does he sell second hand cars for a living?
These two make a lovely couple !! This girl is very holy well.... her tights were !!

Wednesday, November 02, 2005


Funny Story !! My dad and his wife,Sylvie live in Spain and have done for a couple of years now. They brought a property and have been doing it up over that period of time, neither of them speak the language, add that to the fact that my dad is a bit of an old cockney being just about as far away from Christian life as they come !
One of the first things they had to sort out was the drainage, so they employed a local builder by the name of Jesus; the Spanish pronounce it a lot differently than it's spelt, and my dad; being my dad, says it just as it's spelt !
Well over time the drainage system has had numerous problems and they have had the builder back on many occasions. The last occasion my dad rang and complained he got off the phone and Sylvie said how did you get on ? and my dad said, " You better get this place tidied up, Jesus is coming back and he's bringing his dad with him !!
This really tickled me when he told me.

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

STAYING NEAR THE SHEPHERD
A lonely sheep without a Shepherd has the potential to be in big trouble. Sheep tend to hang around in flocks; and very often mimic the behavior of the others. For instance if one was to find good pasture it wouldn't be long before they were all at it ! This too can be true in life if you hang around with people that do good or bad; it won't be long before you too could be running parallel with them behaving in the same manner.
People quite often use the term 'black sheep of the family'; don't necessary assume this is a bad thing at times we can learn from the individual doing something not quite the norm, and as long as that sheep stays within the flock it can show its individuality visually and personally and this can be a healthy thing. A good shepherd tends to his sheep knowing that each one is different and knowing them well enough to know how far to let them stray. We know that if one was to hang around the cliff tops then it's inevitable that he'll come down with a bump ! It's much better to listen for the shepherds voice leading you to safer more peaceful places to pasture and be in a good place for good simple guidance. Sure, we can all want to be in high places from time to time; these places can give a rush of excitement but tend to be a short lived experience and always seem to have a price to pay.
If a sheep was cooped up indefinitely; although it would be very safe, it would probably show no signs of life and individuality this shows that we need to have a balance in life that lets us show character and identity but be humble enough to know that we need the leading of our good shepherd and use his hand book on life..............