Just like every other CF  patient I have to go for my regular stay on ward 26.  Sometimes it's a 2 week visit, others could be 5 weeks or more. I enjoy meeting up with other CF's, but you don't always have the opportunity or inclination to chat.  If you are feeling down, or a little weak, you don't even want to leave the room.  We have all felt like that, haven't we.

The laptops are ok, but even they get a little monotonous after a while. The way I take my mind off the tedious, repetitive routine is by doing a scraper foil.You don't need to have any artistic ability as you scrape off a selection of red lines from a black card to reveal a stunningly beautiful picture. Yes, you could rush through one in half an hour, but it would look a mess! The only hard part is restraining yourself, and carefully removing just the right amount of the topcoat, which adds to the beauty of the finished article.

Generally I spend in excess of four hours on each scraper foil.  It may sound a long time, but you can lose yourself in the work, which is great if you are having a bad day! I usually do one a day, which works out a fair few at the end of my stay, and I'm forever on the phone to my husband to bring in some more!

The foils come in a variety of subjects including pets, wild animals, landscapes and buildings as well as being available in a copper or silver colour. It really does help to relieve the boredom. Why don't you have a go?  They start from only a few quid each!

All you have to do is try one.  If you don't enjoy it then it's not for you, however, if you get hooked, like me, you too will become an addict, and time will fly!

Happy scraping,

Debbie Ricketts