Well all is back to our normal, school and work routine. Both Matthew and myself went back last week. Heather now has also started "big girl" school , this week only mornings. From Monday its all day, that will be strange as I only work part time and I am usually with Heather of an afternoon.

Last week we had a much welcomed appointment with the physio dept at Alder Hey for Matthew . Both Ian and myself have always had concerns about Matthews legs and general development. He finds it near impossible to ride a bike, he runs like a child with arthritis, and has a lot of leg pain especially after prolonged walking. There are other things too. We have been seen in the past by our G.P who has put it down to growing pains . I have taken him to the hospital myself as the pain was so server, at first it was thought he had Perth's disease but that was dismissed. The community physio dept have seen him to do an assessment for dyspraxia the result being he was given a pair of insole and we were told he was flat footed. So as you can imagine this felt like our last hope in some ways.

The lady we saw was fantastic. She talked to Matthew and listened. Talked to us, asked the right questions. Matthew was X-rayed and examined. After long talks the doctor decided Matthew will need extensive physio on his lower body to develop his muscles as this is what the main problem is thus resulting in poor co -ordination, difficulty with gross motor movement, poor handwriting . I felt so bad while she was explaining this to us. I think mainly as I feel as a Mum I have somehow failed him. He's had difficulty with so many things for so long and at age 8 its only just getting sorted. The hope in our minds now is that although the physio is going to be a long process, and mean a lot of commitment from Ian and myself to help Matthew but that it will help him, he will walk without looking like he's in pain. Lets hope anyway.

The people who read regularly will know that my sister Donna died over a year and a half ago due to massive cancer, mainly in her bowel but also lungs and kidneys. But it was only diagnosed by chance when she was rushed into hospital one evening with severe stomach pains, the hospital thinking it was an ectopic pregnancy. Scans were done the next morning and Donna was rushed to theatre with a ruptured bowel, during surgery we were told the prognosis was poor as the cancer had spread rapidly. We were devastated as cancer had not even entered our minds until then.

Two weeks later Donna died, leaving two children who now live with my Mum and Dad. As things settled in the months to come we all began to ask questions, why was the cancer not picked up earlier, why had no examinations ever been done. Mum decided she wanted answers and went to a solicitor to seek advice. He suggested on behalf of Donna's children,Mum take the hospital to court on grounds of neglect. Obviously I have missed bits out or this would go on and on . Well today mum rang me crying to let me know the solicitor had been in touch, the medical examiner had picked up from Donna's records that in 1993 Donna was diagnosed with endometriotis and a mass was found in her lower abdomen. But no treatment was offered or further tests or examinations. Donna was disabled and most doctors would not examine her, as it was "too awkward". Needless to say Mum will continue with the case, but today brought so many feeling and what ifs.