THE end of the school year did not quite go as planned (nothing ever does though right?!)

Don't get me wrong, there have been many positives, my eldest’s very first school report was glowing (more about that shortly)

And we had the best first family day out for the summer. We visited Tredegar house on Sunday. One of our things to do throughout summer is to visit as many National Trust places as possible. We are members and after a couple of visits a year it just made sense to get the membership.

Our favourite is Tytnesfield, not just because of the grand house and the amazing walks or the lovely little shop and cafe but because its quite nostalgic for us.

We used to go there when we first got together, my husband and I, and they used to do Victorian christmasses and act out how a Victorian Christmas would be with songs around the piano and dancing in the great hall...

I digress.

So we went to Tredegar house in Newport and it was our youngest's first time inside one of the houses and he did so well. Most people would worry about a 2.5 year old and valuable things but he didn't touch anything. He didn't run, he didn't scream. Was he even my child? He just had fun and was so inquisitive.

Our eldest loved it, posing for pictures and learning the history. That boy is a sponge that's for sure. What followed was a lovely family picnic (we went with mum and dad), collecting pine cones for Christmas (yes yes, i AM ONE OF THOSE!) and a lovely walk around the lake with my husband and I taking it in turns to have the kids on our shoulders.

There was playing, jumping, climbing, wrestling, and laughter. Sounds incredible right?  It was. 

We got our eldest’s school report which was so good it made me cry with how proud I am of him. I'm feeling emotional with it all coming to an end for a month. But I'm sure I will curse it all again come September when it's raining but still hot, muddy and slippery but your sweating because British summer seems to last an absolute eternity but it's not really summer is it really? It's more like a damp sauna. 

I was however in hospital! I went to work at the gym Monday and I had a horrible pain in my stomach. It wasn't a pain I've had before. It felt like my ovary was about to burst. I did a workout like this and had a meeting, collected our youngest from pre-school, collected our eldest from school and all the while the pressure and pain getting more severe. It was so bad that whilst I was driving to gymnastics I felt like screaming and was about to pass out so I rang my husband and said I must call a doctor.

I did. 111. I waited. I waited until I got home a couple of hours later and it felt like I was going to pass out or be sick. Maybe, probably both. I called them again and because the ambulance service were too busy, they sent me a taxi! I got to the hospital at 7... left at 1.30am!

Triage done, bloods taken.....nope. 

No one can ever find a vain, it takes forever to get anything and then sometimes it's only a dribble. So they took it from in between my knuckles and because the veins there are small and they like to dance, he told me it would hurt. 

He kept looking at me for a reaction but, it's not my first rodeo my friend! 

So after blood being taken and urine samples dipped I have no infection or anything life threatening however, they said It seems to be a burst ovarian cyst and a scan needs to be booked. Which they couldn't do, they sent me home for my doctor to book it and take over the ‘care’.

I still have some pain and discomfort, the result is that I'm booked in for a trans vaginal scan, the one that they go inside. Great. I look forward to that! And suggested tests be done to determine the stage of my endometriosis.

If you don't know what that is, it is a disease for which there is no cure and anything that helps it is a catch 22. For instance, it is a film if you like which covers organs or more commonly most women have it on the lining of their womb which makes for incredibly painful and/or heavy periods.

Stick with me. There is an operation that burns these legions/film away. It only lasts a year or so because it comes back, why? BECAUSE IT STICKS TO SCAR TISSUE, and it spreads. Yup. You can get in in your bowel, stomach, kidneys and even your brain! It's a disease that only women can get! Because it doesn't suck enough apparently. 

But as a woman it doesn't matter if you have internal bleeding, are fresh from an operation or if you have a limb falling off, you continue. You carry on and do the cleaning over and over, you carry on carrying your child who has fallen asleep to collect the other one, you carry on giving to others because that's what you do all the while people telling you to rest and take a break and don't do too much.

It's all meant well and they know that as they are saying it that it ain't gonna happen but what do you say?

Anyway. 

I will enjoy myself and we will have a lovely time. I will, I will, I will. 

Jolene Wilson, Weston mum.