Agoraphobia and more Austrian students

Last year, Marie decided that we should become a host family to students attending an English language learning summer school. So in July, Agnes and Alice arrived. And in August, we got Julia and Anna. Marie liked our hosting experience and decided that we should repeat it this year. Since she's still suffering the "settling in" side effects of her medication, it seemed like a useful diversion for her.

It's an area where agoraphobia doesn't interfere much. It's also an excuse for Marie to spend lots of money redecorating and furnishing a bedroom. And, like last year, it was all carried out in a hurry.

I meet Sarah, Johanna & Karin

First of all, I had to clear out all the old furniture & carpet. Then the workmen arrived for a few days. Next was the selecting of appropriate furniture. Since I wasn't going to be sleeping in the room, I gave Marie a free hand with the design. Everything was ordered online, of course, since Marie is currently not able to visit even small furniture stores. Delivery after delivery arrived - all items needing assembly and/or fixing to the walls. Guess who got the job of assembling the flat-pack furniture? And putting up curtain rails? Yes...yours truly. Now I know why I was given an electric screwdriver for Christmas!

Johanna & Orla became great friends

A couple of days later, our students arrived to occupy our new "Pink Room". It's not all pink - there's a little white too. But definitely not a room for the boys. Well, not the straight boys, anyway. At the last minute, we were asked to take 3 students. We agreed, intending to put the third girl in a different room, but since the 3 were close friends & wanted to stay in the same room (and the room was big enough to accommodate 3 beds), I had to hastily organise an extra bed.

Sarah & Karin about to go on a deep sea fishing trip.

They had a really good time & were very successful.

The girls were a pleasure to have. Chatty, cheerful, good with the kids, clean, tidy, polite...the perfect guests. Marie, the children & I really enjoyed having them stay with us. There were tears from them and Marie when, after 2 weeks, it was time for them to return to their homes.

Here we all are in the "Pink Room".

However, three more are staying here next week!

Syncope and Reflex Anoxic Seizures

Here's a picture of Orla sitting on my knee eating birthday cake. The occasion is the family party to celebrate her 3rd birthday, last weekend.


It's just coincidence, of course, but just after her 2nd birthday I wrote a post about her fitting episodes...and here I am, a year later, writing about them again. That's because she's recently been having them more frequently. Is it also a coincidence that they became more frequent when Marie's anxiety increased significantly?

The fits are all very similar in character. Orla has an unexpected bump/pain/injury; she cries; the crying stops; she goes completely limp, like dead; her breathing and/or her heart stop(s); she turns white or blue; suddenly she comes "back to life" and resumes crying, during which she is inconsolable but requires being held close; there is a recovery period (the length of which can vary from several minutes to a couple of hours); everything goes back to normal. The thing is, I just can't get used to her "dying" in my arms. Even though I know that it won't last very long...but it feels like it is lasting very long. My relief when she resumes crying is tempered by the knowledge that the recovery is distressing for her.

A RAS sufferer called Nikki added a comment to my previous post on this subject and I found it very comforting. (Blogging has its rewards!) Also, since I know that many RAS sufferers go on to suffer from anxiety conditions and/or depression, I can try to make sure that Orla has the best chance of avoiding that.

But I still can't get used to it....

Fighting Anxiety to see the New Baby

And this is the reason that we went to see Marie's sister.
She had just given birth.
And this was the result.
Raphael.
A litle miracle, like all babies.

Marie had almost given up hope of seeing her new nephew any time soon.
Her anxiety level was too high to contemplate a 3.5 hour trip.
But then the citalopram kicked in.

Orla was enthralled.
Her Dora doll was immediately renamed Raphael.
He had his nappy changed, and lots of bottles of milk.

But next day, Dora had become Dora again.
Ah, the vagaries of children!