Hi, just coming back in to say a really huge and heartfelt thank you to everyone who gave me support, guidance and hand holding a couple of months ago when I needed it very much, and to let you know that I'm doing well.
My H has stopped drinking altogether, and has been going to AA regularly since it all happened. I believe he is totally committed to staying sober now, and we're taking it slowly and working on our marriage. I am going to Al Anon - big thank you to posters who recommended this and pm'd me with their experiences. It's been fantastic for me, I can feel my happiness and confidence growing and I'm getting lots of support from people who have been in the same position as me.
My face healed well and though I have a little scar on my nose that is permanent, it's not noticeable especially with make up. I've started going running again and enjoying feeling strong. The domestic violence support sadly continued to be pretty useless; the police community safety team never turned up after my H got his Caution, and the service I self referred to filled in a massive form then didn't get in touch. After four weeks I rang and chased it up several times. In the end I spoke to someone, counselling was only available one weekday daytime, which is a day I work, so I couldn't take it up. So they closed my case. I have got in touch with my local authority though and have raised the paucity if the service for women who have experienced violence.
Social services visited, saw me and the DCs and wrote quite a nice closing summary saying there were no safeguarding risks and I was clearly fully able to protect my children and take necessary action. My H didn't lose his job, VicarinaTutu hats off yet again to you. His boss told him that he has a lot more than his job to lose if he messes up again, and said that if they have any suspicion of him drinking again it goes straight to disciplinary, so all the more encouragement for him to stay sober. He has had nothing but respect for me for calling the police right from the start, and says it ws totally the right thing for me to protect myself and the DCs, and also for him to get the wake up call he needed.
And I wouldn't and couldn't have done it, if it wasn't for the advice and support I got. The professional knowledge of Vicar and all the caring comments, offers to ring the police for me, virtual hugs and solidarity through the darkest hours of my life were just amazing and I can't ever possibly thank you all enough for what you did for me. I read every single comment and still think now about things people said to me. My life is transformed from how it was, and it will never revert back now. You gave me the strength to take a stand.
I'm still around on Mumsnet but I'm not NeedAdvice any more. I did have a bit of a break in the middle of everything so I'm sorry that there were messages I didn't respond to. I've name changed back to let you know that things worked out really well for me, and to thank you. Mumsnet had done a lot for me before all this (dragon butter googling aside) but in this situation it really did change my life. I love you Mumsnetters!