Karen and Ian are down here.  They stayed last night and today started a month long tour of the South Island. 

 

Karen and I had a really good talk and she told me everything that happened from the first phone call on.   She says that for the first 2 weeks she considers that she was completely and certifiably insane.  The shock was so severe she just shut down and couldn't/didn't deal with anyone.  Then she told me about the nightmares.  She had a short course of sleeping pills, and this holiday will do her the world of good.   There just aren't enough people in the South Island to crowd her and they are going to explore at their leisure and their own timetable. 

 

She's lost a huge amount of weight but she is feeling better just being away. 

 

Wendy's daughter is down here for the GG jamboree.  I went and saw her yesterday as she got dehydraded and was in the hospital tent.  She is doing alright, just needs reassurance that she is OK and that people are where they should be at any given time.  She has our contact number as we are the closest family she knows down here (she knows the kids from their holidays up there and while she doesn't remember me, she is comfortable with me because she likes Jordyn and Lauren.)  It's not that she wants to run away from the jamboree, just she needs to know she has support if she needs it.

 

I taught her the sign language sign for dickhead because the doctor was pissing her off and she couldn't say anything to any of the nurses about it and felt powerless.  That made her giggle and gave her a tool to use when he pisses her off.  

 

As for the GG's themselves she won't be rejoining when she goes home.  The treatment of her by the other GG's and the leaders reactions has been appalling.   Karen's niece poured glue over one girls (head to toe) for what she was saying to Ashleigh and she got banned - until a couple of mothers got stuck in and shook everyone up.  But Ash doesn't want to go back and so she won't. 

 

She's a gorgeous girl.