#thisisAmy

I am a mam of three boys. Some of you may be familiar with Ezekiel, my middle son, as he supports PINNT activities and raises awareness of his tube feeding. He has had many difficult times, like many people, but he has such a positive attitude and copes amazingly well.
 
My boys keep me busy with family life and juggling hospital appointments and those “oh no” unexpected times when a trip to the hospital changes our plans! We enjoy outdoor activities and make the most of our locality, living in Durham. People often say how well I juggle everything; to me it is how life is and it needs to be balanced and realistic. Honestly, it can be stressful.
 
So often in life a picture is painted (particularly on social media) of what looks like the perfect set up: the perfect house, the perfect garden, the perfect family, the perfect car and the perfect holiday! The picture is often very unrealistic. It is a snapshot in time. Family life has been manic lately and I decided we needed a break to recharge our batteries and have quality family time. No housework, shopping or children’s activities to squeeze in and juggle, just time to relax and recoup.
 
So, feeling brave, perhaps a little bit crazy, I decided to book a family holiday to Zante earlier this year. Just me and my boys, aged 13, 9 and 5. I decided to book via a travel agent to help with the process. They were able to organise airport assistance and ensure the extra baggage for Ezekiel’s medical trundle trunks (provided by his homecare company for his feeds) were added to the booking. I contacted Ezekiel’s dietitian to get the medical letters, purchased appropriate travel insurance and ensured that all the family’s needs were covered. I had ordered extra medical supplies and the medical trundles from Nutricia. Tick, everything done and now we were ready to get excited about going on holiday!
 
The volume of luggage was enormous as we had two large suitcases, two small suitcases, two large medical trundle trunks, four pieces of hand luggage and two medical pumps, along with pushchair for Ezekiel’s younger brother – quite a challenge! Sitting on the plane waiting to take off was a moment of satisfaction, we were on our way. Fingers crossed all the suitcases and trunks arrive in Zante!
 
We managed, we survived and we had an amazing time – but it took time, patience and a lot of organisation. Seeing my boys having fun, having new experiences and being able to spend time with them without the usual daily pressures was simply worth every moment.
 
My priority in life is to show my boys that, despite having medical conditions and treatments to juggle, life goes on and we need to adapt and enjoy each day. I may be seen as brave; the reality is I am committed mam who wants to show the reality of life despite unexpected obstacles and hiccups along the way.