Mom was confused. She writhed around a lot trying to get comfortable, so high on morphine that she was unaware of her broken bones. Her eyes could only open a tiny bit and she couldn't speak. She could squeeze my hand when asked to but it would drain her energy and she'd fall asleep not long after. She learned to communicate by raising her eyebrows to say 'yes' after a while. She could mouthe 'really?', and she'd give us a confused look to say no.

I asked if she was in pain, she wasn't. There were too many drugs being pumped into her for that. It was like caring for a toddler at times. She kept trying to pull her feeding tube out and scratch her head, she didn't understand when we told her that she couldn't do that. This made her moody a lot and she'd refuse to communicate for a while.
The nurses tried every day to remove her feeding tube as she contstantly pulled it out until she was finally ready to eat proper food. Mom had to wear padded gloves most of the time to stop herself from pulling tubes out or scratching her head. She was allowed to have them removed if someone was holding her hand whilst visiting, she quickly learned this and used it as an opportunity to pull her tubes the second the glove came off!

After a few days she was given a device that clipped into her trachea tube and helped her to speak for a short while. It gave her a robotic sounding voice and if she had it in for too long it would affect her breathing. She started to learn phrases like 'that's alright!' and 'it is isn't it' which she would use all the time - even if they were out of context!

Seeing the improvements reassured us enough to return home for a few weeks so we booked a flight. Each day saw tiny positive changes - even if there was a long way to go- until our 14th and final day.

It was finally time to return home to Iceland.

Mom exploring

I'm trying to raise money to frequently visit my mom during her long recovery, I would really appreciate any donations and please share the crowdfunder if you can.
Loppy x

You can donate here...

Read the article here...

Read part one here...

Read part two here...

Read part three here...

My family all started saying their goodbyes to each other as visiting time came to an end. I decided to wait for the last person, and then it hit me - she wasn't coming.
I'd been expecting my mom to burst through the door chatting away and smiling in a brightly coloured jumper, it had slipped my mind that she was the one in a coma.
I stood up to leave, unaware of where we'd be staying. We hadn't booked a hotel and we couldn't afford to either. My aunt was staying at my nan's flat and I didn't think that there'd be room for us but fortunately there was.
On the drive home we stopped at the chippy for dinner, no one had eaten much all day. For that first week we ate takeaways every night as no one felt like cooking (or eating for that matter).

Over the next few days various family members visited and it was nice to see everyone. My dad, who lives in Wales, changed his work location for a week so that he could be closer to me. He took Biggi and I out for dinner most evenings which was a nice distraction.

On the third day I realised that I should let mom's cleaning clients know that she wouldn't be working for them anymore. I looked through her phone contacts and send a group text to every name that had 'CLEANING' written after it. There were over 20 names and I knew that she didn't still work for this many people but I had no way of knowing who I should and shouldn't text. I left my number for anyone who wanted more information and told them not to reply to mom's phone. Over the next few days the messages and calls came. Most didn't reply, some sent their regards and a few offered help with anything we needed. I decided not to reply to anyone who text back on mom's phone. I was already so bored of looking at my own phone! I desperately wanted to turn my phone off to stop the constant messages and calls from coming but I knew that it needed to be left on in case the police called with an update.

After the public police appeal and crowdfunder was launched, my facebook inbox was flooded with messages of support from friends of mine and my family. People whose names I didn't recognise messaged me claiming to be old friends of mom. The police had warned us to be weary of unsolicited message from strangers so I wasn't sure who to trust. I only gave details to those who gave me proof that they knew mom (eg. exact details of where they used to work together etc.)

On the 7th day of mom's coma my nan's oldest brother passed away. He had been fighting sepsis in another hospital.

On the 8th day mom woke up.

The family together under better circumstances (my 21st birthday)
Mom was dressed at Medusa, 2nd from the right

I'm trying to raise money to frequently visit my mom during her long recovery, I would really appreciate any donations and please share the crowdfunder if you can.
Loppy x

You can donate here...

Read part one here...

Read part two here...

Read part four here...

*LoppyLoves is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Just so that you are aware, I may get a small fee for any purchases you make through links on this post.

Quick dry leggings

Photo: amazon.co.uk

The weather is constantly changing here, and with day tours to waterfalls and geysirs it's almost a guarantee that you'll get soaked at some point during your visit. Pair that with low temperatures during the winter and you'll be freezing for the rest of the day! You'll want to be prepared with a pair of quick drying leggings under your clothes. I once walked behind Seljalandsfoss waterfall wearing denim jeans, and it was the first stop of the day! Needless to say my jeans became uncomfortable to walk in for the rest of my tour.
These breathable leggings from Helly Hansen are ideal.

You can get them here*

Don't wear jeans behind a waterfall!

Waterproof over trousers

Photo: amazon.co.uk

An extra layer of protection is always useful, especially on day trips.
These trousers pack away into their own pouch, perfect for keeping in your backpack - just in case!

You can get them here*


Pack-a-mac

Photo: amazon.co.uk

I´m not sure if this is just a British thing as my foreign friends have never heard of them, but a pack-a-mac, cag-in-a-bag, mac-in-a-sac or packable parker as it's known is invaluable on hiking trips. I took an 8 hour hike last Summer, the weather was beautiful but about halfway through there was a heavy rain shower that came from no where! Luckily I had a packable rain mac in my backpack so I didn't get drenched.
I love this floral print one* but if you'd prefer something simpler then this plain black one* is perfect!

Pack-a-mac emergency on Reykjadalur hike

Windproof Jacket

Photo: amazon.co.uk

In the winter the winds are very strong, if you don't feel too confident about a pack-a-mac keeping you dry then I'd suggest a windproof jacket.

You can get one here*

Knitted Accessories

Photo: amazon.co.uk

Reykjavík has plenty of shops to buy locally made hand knitted products from. Just in case you'd like to come prepared, I'd recommend this cable knit set of hat, convertible gloves and neck warmer from Heat Holders.

You can get them here*

Hand Cream

Photo: amazon.co.uk

Yes it might sound strange but with harsh winds here during the winter your hands will dry up very quickly! O'Keefe's Working Hands is the cream that I used when I was a goldsmith to repair my hands and I swear by it.

You can get it here*

Swimsuit

Photo: amazon.co.uk

There's so many thermal pools here, you have no excuse not to visit at least one! You can usually rent a swimsuit at the public pools but it's best to be prepared. This one from Speedo is described as 'black and lava red', perfect for Iceland!


You can get it here*

Plenty of chances for a swim

Sunglasses

Photo: amazon.co.uk

It might be hard to believe but sunglasses are a must during the Icelandic summer! If your heading to an outdoor pool you'll notice everyone wearing their sunglasses while relaxing in a hot tub!

These aviators are perfect*

Hiking Boots

Photo: amazon.co.uk

Finally one of the most essential items to bring to Iceland - hiking boots! There are so many hiking trails around the country that you don't want to miss out on! I personally use Karrimor hiking boots as they're reasonable quality and inexpensive.

You can buy them here*

One of the many hiking trails around the country

So that's my list of essentials for travelling to Iceland. What did you find the most useful on your trip to Iceland? Let me know in the comments below!
Loppy x

My family was in the waiting room. Two members of another family waited outside the door not wanting to disturb us. It was nice to see everyone and my boyfriend finally got to meet everyone that we hadn't seen on our trip the week before. It was his first time meeting a lot of them and it can't have been easy under the circumstances.

We were told that a nurse would come to get us as soon as mom was ready for visitors; that never happened. Every so often we would ring the buzzer to the ward and ask if we could see her. 'Not at the moment' was the reply every time.

Finally we were allowed to see her. My boyfriend and I made our way through the doors to the ward. We were greeted by a nurse who asked who we were here to see and what relation we were to the patient. They took me to a bed with an unfamiliar person lying in it. I thought there had been a mistake and gave my mom's name again. 'Yes this is Lesley' the nurse replied. I felt sick to my stomach, this was not my mom. I would never have been able to identify this woman as my mother. Half of her head was shaved and swollen, a bandage that had NO BONE emblazoned across it covered the shaved side. She was on a life support machine and was connected to more than a dozen tubes. She was on a couple of drips and 5 large syringes of painkillers and sedatives were being pumped into her. Her normally olive-toned skin was now paler than my ivory tone and she had a slightly yellow tinge to her. Her breathing, only possible with the aid of the machine, seemed too forced and unnatural. I dissolved into tears in Biggi's arms.

I sat by her bed for a while, talking to her and hoping that she could hear me. I constantly checked for signs of life, or any response that let me know that she was okay but there were none. I wanted to hold her hand but there were so many tubes in her that it was impossible. I stroked the part of her arm that had the least tubes connected and she was cold to the touch. It felt very surreal, she was barely warm enough to feel human.

For the next few hours we all took it in turns to sit with mom in pairs until visiting hours were over. Members from other families came in and out of the waiting room and we all exchanged stories of why we were there. These conversations and daily updates from each other would keep us all going for the next couple of agonising weeks while we were all waiting for news...

Family selfie, mom on the far right smiling as always

I'm trying to raise money to frequently visit my mom during her long recovery, I would really appreciate any donations and please share the crowdfunder if you can.
Loppy x


You can donate here...

Read part one here...

Read part three here...

Read part four here...

In February I encountered a situation that I wished I never would, neither in Iceland nor the UK. I finished work, got home, put some rice on the stove and sat down while the rice was cooking. Then I noticed a missed call from my aunt and a text which read 'Lol call urgently!' (Lol being the nickname my family use for me). I tried to remain calm thinking it must be something to do with a distant relative or a family pet or a small crisis everyday which is easily amended. I called back to hear my aunt crying, the first words out of her mouth were 'Lol it's really bad, your mom's been run over and it doesn't look good. She's in a coma and you need to come home.'

It took a few moments for her words to set in. My mom is fine, she's always fine. I'd been in the UK 6 days before and she'd waved us off at the airport. She's a very strong woman and it's impossible that she's in a coma. There'd been a mistake and somehow my family had been made to believe it was true. I put the phone down and called my boyfriend. 'I know, Lauren, I know. I'm on my way.' were the words that I was greeted with. When my aunt hadn't been able to reach me she'd called him to let him know. It was starting to feel real. In tears I walked to my room mate who immediately wrapped her arms around me as she asked what was wrong. She reassured me that everything would be fine and made me a drink. I grabbed my phone to contact my boss, panicking that returning home would mean that I would lose the job I'd only worked in for one month.

My aunt called again. She told me that her and my uncle would pay for flights if I couldn't afford it. I couldn't. It was a relief not to worry about that.

I loaded up my laptop to look for flights, none of them left that night. The cheapest flights left in the afternoon the next day, I worried that I might not get to her in time. My uncle called and told me that it doesn't matter how much it costs, just to take the one that would get me there the fastest. I found one to Manchester, unable to get a direct flight home, and I would get the train from the airport.

My boyfriend arrived and my flat mate very kindly went out to bring us chocolate. We started booking a flight, only to get stuck at the payment page. We had all of my uncle's card details, just not the security password. My aunt and uncle's phones had both lost signal and I couldn't contact them. Frustrated and worried that the flight will sell out, I contacted my cousin to ask if he knew the password. He didn't but immediately send his card details to me, he's a student so this was a major act of kindness that was very appreciated, fortunately I managed to contact his parents before resorting to his card. The flights were booked.

We went back to my boyfriend's house to collect some things and decided to stay the night, his brother would drive us to the airport in the morning. That night was agony; waiting for phone calls, checking my phone for updates and sleep never came. The morning finally arrived and the weather outside was awful, I prayed that the road wasn't closed. The drive was terrifying, every so often the car would hit a puddle that covered the windscreen with a huge wave; blocking out all visibility for a few moments. We eventually arrived at the airport and I burst into tears - I didn't feel strong enough to make this journey home.

The 2 hour journey felt like the longest flight I'd ever been on; every minute I worried that I would receive a call saying that I was too late. We got to Manchester and I got held up at passport control; I looked suspicious with tears falling down my face and struggling to catch my breath so the guard didn't know whether to let me through. Another guard behind him asked if I was okay and I shouted in her face 'No I'm not f*cking okay there's a family emergency and I need to go now!' She nervously giggled and told me that everything will be alright and I responded that it wasn't at the moment. The guard who was holding my passport froze in shock and without saying a word I ripped my passport from his hands and stormed through the barriers. We jogged to the train station to catch the train, I was worried that we'd miss it due to being held up at passport control. The ticket machines weren't working properly and we had to join the long line to get tickets. We missed our train by 1 minute. The next one wasn't for an hour. I cried for most of that hour and most of the train journey, constantly worried that each minute could be my mom's final moment.

Finally we arrived to Birmingham New Street where my uncle picked me up. He prepared me to see my mom and explained that everything looked scary but all of the tubes and machines were there to help her.

I finally got to the ward after and exhausting journey. My mom had just been sent for another scan and I couldn't see her for another 2 hours...

The last photo of mom before the accident, she's seeing us off at the airport

I'm trying to raise money to frequently visit my mom during her long recovery, I would really appreciate any donations and please share the crowdfunder if you can.
Loppy x

You can donate here...

Read part two here...

Read part three here...

Read part four here...