I just want to thank everyone for their kind words and best wishes for my health and speedy recovery. It has meant the world to me. I have made steady improvements since yesterday and I'm even managing food - reasonable quantities! Massive step forward I say!

Unfortunately, my parents don't see it the same way. They have rescinded our invitation to come and stay with them over Christmas. We were due to drive down there yesterday but clearly I wasn't well enough and had put off the drive until tomorrow. I had a really good night last night - plenty of unbroken sleep so we thought we would be fine to drive tomorrow. Halfway through packing my suitcase this morning my mother called and said she thought it would be best if we made the choice not to come.

I don't want to get into "she said he said" because the whole thing is so hurtful and nasty but after countless phone calls and oceans of tears, the upshot is that we are not welcome at their house because I have been sick and they are worried about how that will impact their holiday and plans for January.

I honestly don't know what I can say to that. My heart is breaking. After all I have been through this year I thought that other than Mr Kitty, my parents were the people I could truly count on. As it turns out, they prefer their own company rather than spending Christmas with their eldest daughter and her husband. And to top it off, not only have they ruined our Christmas, they have also ruined the Christmas of Mr Kitty's Aunt because she was due to come along as well and now she clearly feels uncomfortable spending Christmas with people who don't want their daughter with them on Christmas Day so has to make other arrangements.

So it leaves Mr Kitty and I at a total loss for something to do on Christmas Day. We'll cobble something together I suspect but all I can imagine is how sad and alone we are going to feel without the celebration that we had planned with my family. They have disappointed me more that I could ever have imagined with their selfish choice.

And the other quandary we are faced with: how can you possibly forgive someone for doing this to you? For breaking your heart and ruining what you have been looking forward to for months?

Apparently parental love is not unconditional, but I know this for a fact: If I am ever lucky and privileged enough to have a daughter I would never treat her like this.

Devastated Kitty