I should be really, really excited....

But I'm not at all ! Dawn has asked me to go with her to the Olympics! She has split up from her boyfriend of three and a half years and so has asked me to go with her instead.
I'm not back at work yet, am hoping to pick up another sick note tommorow all being well, but expect to be back in work by 27th July which is when we would fly out.
So I would need to book the Friday and Monday off work - no idea if I can get them off, but also I'm due to work that Saturday morning, and so would need to find someone to swap with me for that. Feel hard of asking anyone as they've all been covering my Saturday mornings while I've been off.
I've said that I will let her know by the end of the week, but really don't want to go. Hate the thought of flying to London ,hate the thought of all that Underground travel, hate the thought of all the crowds and everyone hiking up their prices to rip peopl off.
Also don't know if I have the stamina for it all ! Will need to be up 5am Friday for the flight,then all day shopping in London with Dawn, then out to hotel out in the suburbs somewhere , think its a travel lodge but I know it's quite a way out. Then on the Saturday up at the crack of dawn to travel to the Oympic Village, then several hours of waiting in line for security checks, once to get into the complex itself and then another to get into the actual venue. We have tickets for the opening games of the Badmington and the Baseball, and it doesn't finish until 11pm at night and then back out into the sticks to the hotel. Sunday is free, for another shopathon knowing my daughter then back to the airport for the last flight home, Monday is recovery day!!
I know it's the opportunity of a lifetime, but I just can't seem to work up any enthusiasm for it all. Would have to send John down to his daughter Julie's for the weekend so I wouldn't be fretting about him, but he says I should definitely go, will have to try and get the days off work.

I think it's quite understandable that after everything you have been through, being away from home and being in the middle of crowds of people who are excited and in party/holiday mode isn't something you would necessarily want to do. The Olympics don't hold much charm for me either, other than I am a British Citizen and they are being held in my country - and its costing us a fortune we dont have John is right, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity, but if its not your thing, and you would be both harrassed with the crowds and and the hustle, then its better to watch what you want of it on TV - which is exactly what I shall be doing, at least then I can turn it off I'm sure Dawn wants you to go with her and thinks it will be a great treat for you after all the stress and worry, but young people see treats in a very different way to us oldies .... I'm sure we were excitable and over enthusiastic in our time How would she take it if you explained how you felt to her ? and is there anyone else she could ask to go with her ? I can also completely empathise with how you feel about asking for more time off work after being away with colleagues covering for you, for so long.
You must do what you feel is right for YOU hun, if its going to be too much, then be strong enough to say so, now. I'm sure Dawn will be disappointed initialy, but she will get over it, and wouldn't want you to be unhappy and stress anyway. And I'm also sure she will soon enough find someone only too eager to take the vacant ticket .... as John said, its a once in a lifetime opportunity. Take a deep breath and just tell them all how you feel if you are quite sure, then sit back, enjoy what you want of the Olympics on TV, and look forward to hearing all about it first hand from Dawn when she gets back xxxxxx

Oh Sal, I'm so torn and really don't know what's best. You've hit the nail on the head when you say she thinks it's a great treat for me after all the upset and stress and she really DOES want me to go with her. I feel so mean for not wanting too, but as you can see am stressing over it already. I have to pop into work this week, so will probably see if I can get those two days off and get someone to swop my Saturday morning with. Hopefully I won't be able to get the time off and that will be an end to it. I'm sure she will find someone else to go with, she's a very sociable girl and has lots of friends. I think she feels it might be difficult to ask them, as they re almost all married now, she seems to b the only single one left, still Mr Right will come along one day for my lovely girl and will be worth the wait. I have to let her know by the weekend so will keep you informed.

Oh heck Linda what a dilema. I can't add more than Sal has said already but like she says if it's causing you stress don't go. If you feel so strongly about flying, noisy crowds, shopathons and queueing don't ask for the days off just tell her you couldn't get them she won't know any difference and it gets you out of it without hurting her feelings.
I can sympathise (sp) with you I am past the shopathons, queueing and noisy crowds myself.

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Well my trip to the Olympics is definitely a no-goer. Went into work yesterday to take my sick note in (signed off for another month) and had a quick look at the leave board , there were 3 people booked off already, so didn't even bother to ask as there was no way Barbara was going to let anyone else off. Such a relief to have been signed off again, not right at all at the moment, I seem to have got through all the really awful stuff earlier on with barely a tear( didn't even cry at Mums funeral) but now am just incredibly emotional and start snivelling at the drop of a hat, must be everything starting to come out I guess.
Anyhow Dawn is asking one of her friends tonight so fingers crossed she can go. She is just pretty gutted with her break up with Chris, it was her choice to split but that doesn't really make it any easier, feel really sorry for her. Chris was lovely and I don't have a bad word to say about him, but he is only 26 and Dawn is 30 now and wanting to settle down and think about starting a family, but Chris still feels he's too young just yet, but they still both really love each other, so hard.

oh Linda what a shame - maybe after stepping back and having some space to think things through Dawn and Chris will reach some sort of compromise and get back together - stranger things happen all the time and its' such a shame if they are still in love - especialy when Chris will come round to "settling down" in a couple of years anyway Will keep my fingers crossed that Cupid will sort them out if it's meant to be
As for yourself young lady, you are getting post trauma reaction and you NEED to snivel, and feel sorry for yourself, and grieve for what you have lost, and only by doing all that will you be able to meet all the challenges ahead and keep yourself sane too Bottled up emotion is the worst thing - thats why god gave us tears - so snivel away whenever you want, and good on your GP for recognising that your stress levels arn't right yet Just do what you have to and relax and rest as much as possible - t'will ll come out right in the end
Tell Dawn to have a great time at the Olympics and in London, and tell her to take her camera so that the rest of us can see second hand what she saw live xxxxxxxx

I'll certainly tell her to take her camera if she finds a friend to go with her Sal, I just hope someone can as she was so looking forward to it. Can't really see her and Chris getting back together again as they split up about a year ago for exactly the same reasons, they both seem to want different things, just an age thing I think. I think Dawn feels she can't afford to wait another couple of years for Chris to be ready to make more of a commitment , as she may find herself doing that and then things may still not work out. Equally it would be just as bad to get back together and then rush into starting a family, maybe marriage , would just be forcing things ifywim, very difficult to know what's best.
You're right about me, I do need to snivel and start to let it all out, have started to write down what I went through to try and get it out of my system, at the time it was very difficult, had no one really to talk to, couldn't burden John with my worries over my Mum, my sister and I were like ships passing in the night as we shared the care with Mum, and the rest of my family and friends were back on the island, so couldn't really talk properly to anyone. Anyhow as I said I am fine, just very emotional and need to try and get my head round things and have a few weeks "being me again" before I face going back to work and the next hurdles with Johns treatment. And yes, I know I can come on here and shout and scream any time I need to !

DONT STRESS LOVE YOU WILL MAKE YOURSELF ILL & JOHN NEEDS YOU TOO HOPEFULLY DAWN WILL GET A FRIEND TO GO WITH HER. SHE LOVES YOU SO SHE WILL UNDERSTAND I REALY THINK YOU WOULD HAVE LOVED IT IF YOU HADNT HAD SUCH A STRESSFUL TIME WITH EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO RELAX LUV XXXXXX