How resilient are you? As a person? As a family? Have you been tested, like r-e-a-l-l-y tested? Do you look back on certain times in your life and think 'Phew, that was a bit tricky'? I don't know how you develop resilience really. I do know that it is important to keep your own energy up and 'fill your tank' because if you don't and you need extra to get you through, the tank is easily and quickly emptied. I have spoken about resilience before so if interested, read about it here...
We moved to the beach when Miss T was 7 and Master T, 5. Miss T would complain of an aching wrist one day and an aching ankle on the opposite side the next. She also developed a rash on the front of her thighs which we thought was from boggy-boarding, being new to beach life and all. It got to the stage that by the afternoon she looked like an old lady hobbling around. And she had a temperature every night. Sound ominous? We went to Sydney for my niece's Christening and ended up in hospital where they checked her for e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. She thought having apple juice was pretty cool but it was little reward for all the blood tests she needed. It turned out to be a post-viral form of arthritis which eventually went. She would jump out of bed, right as rain every morning and when she came home just after 3pm we would give her dinner. Then the rash (now covering her thighs and torso) and temperature would start and she would need to be carried around. We would put her to bed for say, 15 hours and in the morning she would jump up to start again. The anti-inflammatories for her joint pain and swelling played havoc with her asthma so life was really tricky for a while.
Today she is absolutely fine and it won't return. We were building, the Silver Fox was working away as well and Master T didn't know we had moved and was furious to say the least (he was incensed that someone else had the remote control to the garage!!). This went on for about 5 months I suppose with Miss T and I still look back and wonder how we coped...
Ciao for now
just Martha
