A BIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol                                                                                                                                                                             

Sorry but can`t be arsed reading back thru 16  pages!!! Getting back to the original subject when I was young I wanted to be pope. Then my mum pointed out that they only had male popes so I decided to become a nun. Then I discovered boys!!! so`s I  then wanted to study forensic medicine........ but alas I didn`t!!                                                                                                                                                                              

so thats how u become a senior district nurse.... riiiiight!                                                                                                                                                                             

I wanted to be a cartographer..................                                                                                                                                                                             

lol Matt, just call me Gladys Emanuelle!!!!   Well District Nursing could be compared to being a nun..... i`m angelic and god like and caring!!!!! lol blah blah blah                                                                                                                                                                              

You lot do a damn good job ............................                                                                                                                                                                             

Thanks hun..... that`s really nice of you and means a lot                                                                                                                                                                              

I mean it.................got a lot of mates who are paramedics and midwives, bloody difficult job and it was a nurse who saved my little lads life so you all get big respect from me hun.                                                                                                                                                                             

Am so glad your little boys still here and well done to that nurse, what a traumatic experience for you........ have only been involved in resuscitating a child once and it was quite possibly one of the worst experiences of my life! Happily we resuscitated her else I think it would be something i`d have carried with me for the rest of my life!                                                                                                                                                                             

I can quite believe that.............paediatrician had decided to discharge him, good job we were still there! Would never know by looking at him that he came so close   Would do some politicians some good to work in a busy hospital for a couple of months i think..........                                                                                                                                                                             

Couldn`t agree more........ or maybe to have to suffer some of the experiences that people like you have had to endure                                                                                                                                                                             

well got to agree with you diane on this cos i've got so much respect for the medical people in all their different jobs, when my dad had his op he died a few times  while in intensive care and step down, if it wasn't for the dedication of the staff he wouldn't be here.      claire you all deserve much more in respect, pay and recognition than you all get, so a big thanks from me too                                                                                                                                                                                  

Many thanks........ am filling up here cos you`re saying such nice things!   Storm I`m so glad your dad got such good care, quite often the NHS is criticised so much that you only get to hear the bad stories.   Today is one of those very rare days when I hate being a nurse.  I specialise in Care of the Dying (patients with cancer) and today I found out that one of my colleagues has been diagnosed with cancer....... it`s extremely widespread and i`m broken hearted cos she`s such a good friend to me.  Worst thing about it is that with our knowledge both I know and she knows that there`s probably no treatment available to her.  All I can do is be there for her and help her thru this to the very end.  Life can be so unkind.                                                                                                                                                                             

I am truely sorry to hear your friend is so poorly hun.............my heart goes out to her and you and all her friends and family and i hope that any remaining time you all have together will be as happy as you can make it. I've lost quite a few friends to cancer so can sort of understand what you are going through, in my experience the best thing to be done is to help fill their remaining days with loads and loads of laughter. xxxxxxxx

Many thanks for your kind words Di........  after the tears today I told her that I thought she was being very selfish to go to these lengths just to avoid having to work christmas day!!! Many people will be horrified to read that but I know that Liz will have appreciated the humour and that`s how she wants us to be with her.  As you say is fill her time now with not just our knowledge and our support, but also laughter and as I told her today a weekly night of good food, lots of wine, girly gossip and laughter is what I prescribe                                                                                                                                                                             

No, that's the sort of stuff that will keep her going for a bit longer, not mush, doesn't work hun. Kind hugs when needed but then don't dwell, belly laughs all round cos they catching                                                                                                                                                                              

We all need to laugh, it make's us all feel better, no matter how bad things may seem (well maybe not if you're my mother! )

Sorry to hear about you're friend Claire, keep her smiling mate and the hard times won't seem so hard. I know what you're going through as I went through the same with my dad almost 2 years ago, so know where you're coming from.