Strange Notations From a Laborious Life

Hello. It’s hard to believe but we stand once more at the gates of Christmas. Four days to go. Christmas morn will be here before we know it, the relatives will be up early, blurry eyed to hand out presents, hearty breakfasts will be cooked, kids will suffocate under the weight of the numerous presents they have received, and the smaller ones will prefer to play with the wrapping paper. Yes, we have all been there before.

I shudder to think what our neighbours will give their kids. Last year it was a drum set(!) and outdoor climbing apparatus and they were up early trying to be the new Ringo Starr and Nadia Comenici, unfortunately right under our bedroom window. Ahh, the joys of living in a society that celebrates Christmas. I hope you all have a fabulous time with your family and friends. And most importantly, give some ground. If things don’t go your way, if people disagree with you, just let it go. If your loony left wing sister or hard nut conservative father want to talk politics, go grab your nephew’s new water pistol he got for Christmas and play with that. It’s a time to be happy, especially this year where the world appears to be going to hell in a handbasket.

The second thing I have to bring to the attention of anyone who regularly reads this blog (and there are a few), you will notice the layout to be somewhat different to what it was the last time I published a post. A friend was having trouble reading the blue on black and suggested I change it so one night, with nothing much productive to do, I fiddled around with the WordPress settings. Now, I kid you not, trying to navigate the settings on this thing is like getting into an F-35 without any flight training. I fiddled a bit, got a new theme up but it’s not quite what I was looking for. Alas, I don’t have degree in graphic design or computer science so I didn’t muck around too much more and will leave it for the moment. Feel free to leave me a comment about it.

So, many will be here to find out how Linda is going and the answer is, quite well. The chemotherapy drugs are obviously draining out of her system, and she is actually getting stronger and feeling better than she has for months. Side effects have dissipated somewhat, and she is getting out of her lounge chair under her own steam and walking to the bedroom without the aid of her walker. All this is a major improvement and makes her feel better. It is of course, a false dawn.

You do second guess yourself with such an improvement. Somewhere at the back of your mind you think the oncologists have got it wrong, she is improving and maybe we should have another look at treatment. Alas, reality bites and we realise that Linda has simply plateaued, the cancer is still surging through her body and the fight for the Alamo has not yet begun. It’s surreal and appalling to think she may not be here in a couple of months.

Things start to get a bit more serious on Monday. The Palliative Care team from Clare Holland House will be here to take over management of Linda’s illness. We will find out then exactly what the plan is over the next few weeks and months as Linda begins to deteriorate which unfortunately she will do.

But for now, we concentrate on the happy things in life. Christmas, family and friends. Linda has been receiving friends on a regular basis. She is like the Queen of Wanniassa and I am her private secretary ensuring everything runs smoothly for Her Majesty. But it is fantastic for her to see people, she enjoys it and it is great for her friends to connect with her and we both appreciate the effort that is made.

So, as the last vestiges of 2025 drain away, I will see you all on the other side where fate awaits. Take care and have a Merry Christmas.