A very quick update on Annie
I thought it was about time I put my secretary hat back on and post an update on how Annie is doing. Firstly though, I have to pass on Annie's thanks for all the emails, e-cards and snail mail cards she's received from you all since I posted her 'be back soon' note. There have quite literally been hundreds and, while we've fallen a little behind in replying to them all, you will have replies as soon as possible.
In particular, deep bows of appreciation must be made to those readers who have offered to start donation drives on their quite substantial blogs. Annie was brought to tears when she read your suggestions that several of you raise money to assist her in coping with her not inconsequential costs. I knew when I read them that she would probably decline with thanks and so she has, suggesting that a cheesecake drive would be better! It's been an amazing thing to see so much offered up by readers of the jammies. You're a great bunch to care so much for the well being of someone most of you have never met in person.
And to answer a couple of recurring questions...
1. The comments are closed on these posts because, as you know, Annie likes to reply to all comments she receives and didn't want to have commenters left without a reply while she's not able to come online.
2. She hasn't been reading blogs for some weeks... in fact there are over 400 posts in her bloglines alone, waiting for her to read. She'll get to them when she can or if not, I'll be printing them off for her to read at some point.
3. I don't have the passwords to her IM accounts so any 'offlines' left there may not get through... just so you know.
On to the update (finally).
Annie doesn't want me to go into alot of detail here, since most of you have been checking in on her several times a week so already know where she's at with all of this. I'm sure you'd agree how disheartening it is that the bad days well and truly outnumber the good ones now.
The main piece of news is, since the last posting, we almost lost Annie for the second time this year due to a blood pressure emergency that brought about internal bleeding whilst she was under general anesthetic for an MRI. She makes it sound like a small thing, however I have it on very good authority that it was really serious and could quite literally have gone either way. The threat of a stroke is now almost as constant as full paralysis. They knock her out for every MRI so as to keep the pain inflicted on her during the procedure to a minimum and so that they can position her as needed. It's risky but necessary.
Also, she was recently pushed down the last couple of steps of an escalator by two young dickheads who, after kicking her walking stick away from her, called her a 'crippled spastic' before running off. Unfortunately she was alone when this happened but several passers-by saw and heard the incident and came to her aid and one called a friend for her and explained what happened so she could be collected rather than having to drive herself home.
At the time of posting, she has 5 out of 7 days per week taken up with various specialist appointments now, as well as the extra-curricular activities of her kiddies and helping some of her friends cope with dreadful experiences they're currently having. One was assaulted at work one night, another lost his 4 year old son to a drowning accident, and still another couple were in a car accident. And all since the last posting. Personally, it worries me that she continually drops everything to help others rather than concentrating on herself. Especially since I've noticed that it's not always reciprocated. But it's her choice and not something I'd change about her.
Anyhoo, that's more than enough from me so I'll wrap it up here.
Annie misses reading your blogs a great deal and asks that you please all take excellent care of each other.
She sends her love.
Cheers,
H*M (Heat Miser - STILL the Worst Secretary On The Planet)
In particular, deep bows of appreciation must be made to those readers who have offered to start donation drives on their quite substantial blogs. Annie was brought to tears when she read your suggestions that several of you raise money to assist her in coping with her not inconsequential costs. I knew when I read them that she would probably decline with thanks and so she has, suggesting that a cheesecake drive would be better! It's been an amazing thing to see so much offered up by readers of the jammies. You're a great bunch to care so much for the well being of someone most of you have never met in person.
And to answer a couple of recurring questions...
1. The comments are closed on these posts because, as you know, Annie likes to reply to all comments she receives and didn't want to have commenters left without a reply while she's not able to come online.
2. She hasn't been reading blogs for some weeks... in fact there are over 400 posts in her bloglines alone, waiting for her to read. She'll get to them when she can or if not, I'll be printing them off for her to read at some point.
3. I don't have the passwords to her IM accounts so any 'offlines' left there may not get through... just so you know.
On to the update (finally).
Annie doesn't want me to go into alot of detail here, since most of you have been checking in on her several times a week so already know where she's at with all of this. I'm sure you'd agree how disheartening it is that the bad days well and truly outnumber the good ones now.
The main piece of news is, since the last posting, we almost lost Annie for the second time this year due to a blood pressure emergency that brought about internal bleeding whilst she was under general anesthetic for an MRI. She makes it sound like a small thing, however I have it on very good authority that it was really serious and could quite literally have gone either way. The threat of a stroke is now almost as constant as full paralysis. They knock her out for every MRI so as to keep the pain inflicted on her during the procedure to a minimum and so that they can position her as needed. It's risky but necessary.
Also, she was recently pushed down the last couple of steps of an escalator by two young dickheads who, after kicking her walking stick away from her, called her a 'crippled spastic' before running off. Unfortunately she was alone when this happened but several passers-by saw and heard the incident and came to her aid and one called a friend for her and explained what happened so she could be collected rather than having to drive herself home.
At the time of posting, she has 5 out of 7 days per week taken up with various specialist appointments now, as well as the extra-curricular activities of her kiddies and helping some of her friends cope with dreadful experiences they're currently having. One was assaulted at work one night, another lost his 4 year old son to a drowning accident, and still another couple were in a car accident. And all since the last posting. Personally, it worries me that she continually drops everything to help others rather than concentrating on herself. Especially since I've noticed that it's not always reciprocated. But it's her choice and not something I'd change about her.
Anyhoo, that's more than enough from me so I'll wrap it up here.
Annie misses reading your blogs a great deal and asks that you please all take excellent care of each other.
She sends her love.
Cheers,
H*M (Heat Miser - STILL the Worst Secretary On The Planet)
