Bye for a while

[Sprites]

I've requested a month's ban from here effective from midnight tonight but I feel I owe some people on here an explanation for my absence and I didn't want to go without saying bye, I've left myself with time today to leave this thread and then apart from here I probably won't reply to any new posts or threads.

I've not really been that active recently at any rate, my appearance in the chat thread has been rare, I'm not posting much and my appearance in skype is pretty much non-existent these days. I need a break from here and probably the net in general I guess and I don't want to be distracted at the moment which is why I requested the ban.

As I mentioned a couple of days ago in the ruins thread, my granny had a bad fall and broke her foot.

Right now she needs 24hr care and it's not something that some of my mother's siblings are entirely helping out on so it's falling on her shoulders and my uncle who lives with my granny. My mum is really stressed with it all and is taking time off work to help care for her as my uncle needs to be back at work in order to provide for the house. In the meantime I'm off work this week and from tomorrow also helping my mum out with my granny and taking care of things in our own house while my dad is out at work. Moving out and apartment hunting is on hold until things are bit more stable and to be honest I don't think it's the best for me right now, I'm really stressed myself and tired right now, I've been feeling this way for a while now but things that have been happening recently have been the tipping point for me.

At the end of May my dad is taking my mum away for her 50th birthday for a well deserved holiday so on the days I'm off work or finished an early shift I'll be going up to my granny's to do any jobs for her and help her out, somehow I don't think the family issue is going to be resolved by then so I'm preparing myself, I don't mind because I love my granny and I'm really close to her but it's my mum and her stress levels I'm worried about and I just know I won't have time for much of anything else.

Lex I've a little note for you.
I'm sorry I've not been great for contributing to the site, on this note I think you should hand anything I was working on over to the people here who have the time, if they're happy to do it and when I return we can see where I go from there. I know we talked about before what I was working on but if you need to double check PM me on Facebook or email me over the next couple of days.

I'm sorry I haven't got a chance to finish my FFIX playthrough write ups or finish it, things have just come in bad timing again when I return I might finish them up but it was fun when I was available for it.

I'll miss you guys a lot, especially the ones I chat to regularly on here, skype and IRC but right now I've gotta do what's best for me.

Take care everyone and I'll see you around
Gemma xxx

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

I wish I was half as good a daughter as you are. Good luck Sprites. I hope your Granny recovers swiftly and that things get better for you.

 

[Cookie Monster]

Take care Sprites. You're a top lass, I'm sure you'll handle everything in stride.

 

[Fangu]

Good luck with everything Gems, take care. Join on on Skype at any time if you feel like it, but I understand if you want to put Internet life on hold for now.

PS, you can apartment hunt and take care of your granny at the same time. Should anyone say it's egocentric of you to use your spare energy on getting an apartment, they'd be wrong. You must take care not to fill all of your time with duties - you're entitled to some free time. Having your own place would only be beneficial if you're going to be a lot more around family - because family, although we love them, can be a large reason for stress.

My grandma got ill (broke her hip, they did surgery but it failed etc) and my mother was the one mostly taking care of her, and it was a huge burden for my mother. I helped out as much as possible (mostly visiting and shopping) during the year and a half it was going on and I really needed that extra breather getting back to my own apartment. Had I not had the chance to relax I would have snapped at both of them.

I'm not saying it's the same with your family and you, just... take care of yourself. Planning your future doesn't have to be on hold, you can do both. You're not a bad daughter if you think about yourself too.

Hugs xxx

 

[Pixel]

Take care Gem. Take all the time you need. We'll be here whenever you decide to come back.

 

[Octo]

Take care Sprites, I hope your Gran recovers soon.

 

[Kermitu Kleric Katie]

 

[Ⓐaron]

Take care an' shit

 

[Ami]

I completely understand your decision. I hope your gran recovers well soon and don't feel obliged to return after the month is over; do it when you want to. Take care of yourself!

 

[Gym Leader Devil]

Take care of yourself and your real life stuff Sprites, we'll be here waiting when you're ready to return

 

[PhantomSephiroth]

It'll get better, don't worry.

 

[Arianna]

I hope everything turns out for the best. *hugs*

 

[Carlie]

Take care Gemma, I hope everything works out. With all the shit we had to deal with our grandfather in the last past few months I understand what you're going through, believe me it'll get better. We'll miss you.

 

[Alex Strife]

Good luck for this coming month. Punch life on the stomach and keep your chin up.

You're a top lass, and you'll manage to get through. If you need anything from us all, you know where we are.

Hope your grandma gets better, although with such help, I'm sure she will!

PS: I don't forgive you being away during my birthday.

PPS: I lie, how could I not forgive you for that?

 

[Mage]

Go forth and be your wonderful self offline, we'll still be here chatting shit when you return. Take care an' shit, and Magely hugs are yours. xx

 

[Lex]

Crap, I've only just noticed this because I've been in the uni library all day studying for upcoming exams.

You're doing a great thing for both your granny and mum, years ago I went through something similar so just a little bit of advice: stay strong and don't let it stress you too much. I know that sounds crazy, but like you my main worry was my mum's stress levels and how it was affecting her and you just have to keep remembering that although you're taking the responsibility, it's not all on you to do so. It sounds like a selfish thing but that's honestly the only way I got through it without having a mental breakdown, so just keep doing what you're doing you amazing girl.

You've said before you really want to do those projects so I'm not assigning them to someone else until a certain amount of time has passed - they're not exactly urgent anyway. Honestly take your time and don't stress about it.

And know that you will be missed greatly. You have my number, text me if you need to talk about anything but I'm sure you've got a lot of friends back home who'll support you too. Obviously pop into Skype or the IRC or whatever if you need to sound off about something, but if you need a break from the internet altogether that's completely understandable.

Just remember we're all here to listen if it gets to be too much and you need to sound off. We love you Gemz, I hope everything goes OK.

 

[Geostigma]

Take care sprites and I hope your gramma makes a speedy recovery

 

[Ghost X]

Take care, Sprites. If you want support n' all that, we're always here.

 

[Tennyo]

If you come back to this thread after your month is up, take care!

 

[Sprites]

Ohh Look at that, I'm back...well sorta

I have an update for you guys

Well what can I say? A hell of a lot has happened since I've been gone. My Granny is doing a lot better, she's still in a cast but she's perked up a bit since the beginning although she is getting fed up with not being able to do things on her own, understandably but we're hoping the cast will be off next Friday.

My mum is still my Granny's main carer at the moment, she's had a sick line at work so she could take as much time as she needed off work, though her boss apparently took one look at her and said if she didn't need to come back until after the summer that was fine and she's still pretty tired, she did go away to Portugal for her birthday with my dad for a week and my granny stayed in my uncle's house so that gave us all a break hence as some of you noticed, my couple of appearances on skype.

As for the family situation...one of my mum's sister's told my mum she was dead to her, they had a massive argument(well it was more shouting on my Aunt's part and my mum throwing her out for doing it in front of my Granny and upsetting her) and haven't spoken in the last month, my mum's other sister hasn't been to see my granny once since her accident 5 weeks ago and is also not speaking to my mum. My uncle that lives with my granny is still working away and doing his best and my mum is no longer staying in my granny's house at night, it was getting to much for her to constantly be sleeping on an uncomfortable sofa. My mum's other three siblings have been helping here and there including my uncle that had my granny stay but not as much as my mum so really it's all on her shoulders and I can't blame her but she's starting to get fed up too.

As for me, I'm definitely feeling more relaxed than I did when I requested my ban, I was off for a week from a work and honestly the stress was horrible, I felt tired, sick and wanted to cry quite a lot that week, I think a lot of it was because I felt so bad for my mum and I was running up and down to my Granny's house a lot.
This time, I'm off work for 2 weeks holiday, I've got used to taking care of things completely in the house while mum isn't here but I'm also taking time for me when I'm not helping my mum. I'm heading to Galway this weekend to catch up with my friends and then to Dublin the following weekend to go see Bon Jovi, I must say I'm really looking forward to getting out of Belfast for a while. In the meantime the weather is gorgeous and I'm currently writing this post in my garden in the sun, then meeting a friend of mine I haven't seen for a while later this afternoon.

Also while I'm here, thanks to everyone who wished me well in this thread, it was very appreciated. Also Happy Birthday to everyone who had a birthday while I was gone, I noticed there was quite a few so rather than writing a belated post in each thread i'll just leave a HB to all of you here And a welcome to all the new people who've joined since and enjoy your time here.

So I guess I won't be back posting really again until next week considering I'm out most of today, packing tomorrow and sorting the house out before I leave and then off to Galway at the weekend but I thought I'd nip in and say hello anyways

See ya soon x

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

How did I miss this thread? I had wondered where the hell you went.

Glad things are improving. Enjoy the well-deserved downtime.

 

[Carlie]

It's good to hear things are improving and it's great to have you back Gemma. :

 

[Pixel]

Glad things are a bit better. I popped into the shop on the way past a few weeks ago to see how you were, but you were off that day. Oh well.

 

[Lex]

Good to have you back

 

[Gym Leader Devil]

wb an' shit