It wasn't my intention to leave
such a long gap between posts.
Life
has a habit of getting in the way of our good intentions. Life, in the form of
chronic illness, hospital admissions, and a death in the extended family, has
played havoc with my intention to write a post every fortnight.
The
hospital admission was mine. I was rushed to the ER by ambulance with a
suspected bleed in the brain (in other words a stroke); a
frightening experience, more so for my children than for me. However, after what seemed like
thousands of medical tests included a lot of bloodletting and big pieces
of machinery run by sophisticated technology, it was decided my
problems were caused by a viral infection of the brain. Whew! What a relief.
I'm
still fighting the virus. It's a very possessive one; it wants all my attention
and because it affects my brain it has that attention in
spades. It fights with the chronic illnesses causing them to have temper
tantrums that are as disruptive and painful as any 3 year old meltdown. I sleep
a lot. When awake I drink at least 4 litres of water a day to prevent a return
of dehydration. (The toilet and I are now in a very close relationship. Thank
god for the proximity of the bathroom to my bedroom!)
Still
my medical issues are minor compared to my daughter-in-laws recent news. Her
sister died of an aneurysm in the brain and she was only 43 years old with
a 13 year old son. It has devastated her family. I've spent long
hours with my 3 year old grandson to take the pressure off my DinL so she can get on with the business of
grieving. It is so sad. Her sister died so suddenly that everyone has been
bowled over by her death. My DinL is a wonderful, intelligent and wise
woman who is a fabulous mum to my grandson and great life partner to
my son. All I can do is hug her when she cries, listen when she wants to talk
about her beloved sister and keep my GS as occupied as possible. It seems so
little in the face of such a catastrophe but my sweet DinL says it's enough.
I'm
very lucky to live in a country with excellent, universal health care and where
there are support systems in place for the bereaved, all at no cost to me and
low cost to my DinL and son. I am so grateful for my
family who love and support each other and are there for each other in times of
need. Most of all, I'm very grateful to be alive. Every day is a
bonus to be lived to the fullest with a grateful heart.
Oh, Tez. SO much going on, and so much of it heart-rending.
ReplyDeleteSleep. Stay hydrated. :-) Pop by whenever I you think I can amuse you, and take care of yourself.
Pearl
Thank you, Pearl, for your words of wisdom. I read every post of all the blogs I follow and I am so very grateful to the wonderful people who write them. They feed my atheist soul, heart and body. I don't know how I lived for so long without the bliss of blogs.
ReplyDeleteI love your posts that convey your delicious sense of humour, sensibility and humanity. We must all keep writing.
So sorry for your DinL's loss. Your grandson is gorgeous! Hope you feel terrific soon!
ReplyDeleteEva, thank you so much for your kind thoughts.
ReplyDeleteMy grandson is rather gorgeous, isn't he. I am such a lucky grandma - my other 3 grand children are beauties too.
Your Weird Wednesdays and Silly Saturdays are so entertaining, they brought a sparkle to recent days. Thank you. :-)
I hadn't stopped by in awhile and was horrified to read about your close call! I'm so sorry but glad it wasn't what they initially thought. I hope you've licked the virus by now and are feeling well. I'm very sad to hear about your daughter-in-law's sister's sudden passing. Those types of deaths shake you to your core when they are sudden and come without a hint of warning. Your DIL is lucky to have you to lean on, talk to and hug! :-)
ReplyDeleteLife is so extraordinarily ordinary, isn't it? We live, encounter trauma, bliss, and every experience in between and there is nothing to do except put one foot in front of the other. The wonderful thing that has come out of Ilana's death is that my DiL and I have grown closer together. She is a wonderful, smart young woman and a brilliant mother. I couldn't have hoped for a better mother to my grandson and a loving partner for my son. I am very lucky.
DeleteTez, I know this post is over a year old (how bad do I feel for not seeing it until now?! I am so sorry). I am so sad you went through such a rough time. I hope your current issues are not related and not as serious. Pain and chronic issues are never easy. I am thinking of you! xx
ReplyDelete