Archive for the ‘Owen’ Category
Birthday’s are all done for now – the next comes on the day before Owen starts his University phase of life, we hope.
I’m glad we finally got Owen’s DSA done – though when I say we, I mean Kathryn as I was sleeping. Anyway, Owen had his disabled student assessment today and now we just need to wait for the Council to respond to any recommendations. One major benefit for Owen is that a long time friend and member of our Church did the assessment.
Prior to all this thought we are all away next week at Faith Camp 08 and for me I’m just looking forward to being away from work and not having to do anything I don’t want to do. I’m also looking forward to spending more time with the children and just chilling – conferences were never my thing so I’ll likely as not avoid most of the sessions and just read … bliss.
Then comes the wait for Owen’s A level results – 3 weeks tomorrow.
All this aside, please do remember Owen in your prayers as the glandular fever is still causing him rapid and sudden energy drops along with an associated lack of food intake – neither of which are normal in a teenage boy.
In all the hassle and frenzy of life and the usual merry go round of things I’ve completely forgotten to update one and all on Owen’s future choices.
After many hours of agonising, asking lecturers and listening to his parents Owen has decided on his future place of learning ….. Aberystwyth on the wet and windy west coast of Wales! The choice of course is a joint (or double) honours in Computer Science and Physics.
Owen, according to his computer teacher, is the brightest computer student he’s ever had and he is allowed to do what he wants these days as his knowledge has, in his teacher’s own words “far surpassed that of mine” to which he said it’s not surprising considering what I do. However he also loves Physics and was loathed to give that up which made the choice of Uni’s somewhat easier as only three of the seven we went to do the joint honours course and two of those are in Wales with the third being in Scotland. To be honest it only matters where he goes in terms of will he enjoy it and can his mother get reasonably quick access to him! Mothers!
The two things that helped push his choice to Aber was the whole “Welsh” life thing they have going there and Owen is hoping to re-pickup his Welsh. The second aspect was that his current stated ambition is to leave Uni as a Dr. Dyckhoff and we pointed out that he doesn’t have to do his doctorate where he does his degree. It might be prudent but not necessary and as his big love in Physics is particle and nuclear physics (currently) then Swansea has a really good setup for these and also have a large part to do with the Hadron Collider at Cern. So realising he is able to change locations after his degree and loving the Welsh aspect and I guess the fact that Aber got Number 1 Student Experience of the year last year all helped make dis decision.
Now we just need to organise him to get there, claim the relevant support he’s allowed, apply for this, apply for that … thankfully one of his good mates at school is also doing Comp Science at Aber and is telling him what he needs to be doing and by when.
Keep praying for him though please.
Yes, glandular fever has hit one member in our household in a big way and what a time to do so!
Owen has been on and off complaining about a sore throat and a couple of courses of penicillin have seen that off each time – however it keeps coming back and worse each time. Three weeks ago the doc suspected glandular fever and had bloods taken. Negative – however this is, so we are told, very common for GF and a week or so later and yet more blood is being taken because he’s taken a turn for the worse.
Going in for the results though showed that these were inconclusive but this time the doc (different one this time) was convinced it was GF due to the pervading sickly sweet smell of Owen’s breath. Fortunately you quickly adapt to it but the initial hit is amazing. Anyway it would seem this is atypical of GF. Another check of his throat and it would seem he’s also got tonsillitis GF and a throat that is pumping out puss and red raw is not good for anybody let alone a teenager.
That was Thursday. After two very stressful days and nights Owen was just not coping with the pain and to be honest neither were we – so we phoned the out of hour docs and an hour later we’re in A&E and Owen is admitted to hospital suffering from severe dehydration. A three day stay, intravenous drugs and saline solution and he’s home looking much better than he has in a long time.
Today we know he’s well and truly on the mend as the lip and sarcasm have returned with full teenage venom. Oh and the mobile has been stuck to his ear like glue talking utter rubbish with his girlfriend – whom we also believe to have GF but due to her phobia of needles refuses to have any blood tests. Silly girl.
All of this with his A levels but three weeks away and our trip to meet his Uni tutors had to be postponed – fortunately everyone has been very understanding right down to the B&B lady whom refused to take even a cancellation fee from us. Now we just need to push him off the chair he’s been stuck to and to get him back into some semblance of studying – we are semi-resigned to the fact that he may have to re-sit his A’s if he isn’t well enough to concentrate but will cross that bridge when it comes.
In all of this the littlies disappeared down the road to their Nana and Grandad’s and have been extremely well behaved and very understanding.