January 1st, 2011 | |
Posted in oneaday
2010 started off really well, as you may remember I got the triple roll-over bonus ball at work, had just been bought a PS3 and finally acquired a home entertainment system. Things ticked along rather nicely until summer time when it all turned to crap.
It started with Kitty‘s nan Lil, who in early May was quite poorly but refused help. After much persuaded and begging she finally agreed to go into hospital. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer a few years back but with medication, she’d been doing very well and the checks all came back clear. Due to her stubbornness she only went into hospital on the saturday before the May bank holiday, which meant there was a delay in her being diagnosed. Unfortunately we were informed that the cancer had metastasized to her liver and she sadly passed away in the early hours of 7th May. Lil was the first person I’ve lost to any form of illness and it was very strange to think that this was someone I saw almost every weekend for nearly 7 years. As you can expect it hit Kitty and her mum Pam very hard and I wanted nothing more in the world to take away their pain. It that situation all you can do is support them as best you can and do everything you can to take any pressure off.
Whilst all this was going on with Kitty‘s grandmother, her uncle Richard who lives in California was undergoing surgery for prostate cancer. Thankfully his operation went well and he’s recently been given the all clear.
My uncle, who had also been diagnosed with Prostate cancer in late 2009, required a second course of treatment as they had not got all the cancer the first time round. Currently he is doing well and is being monitored by his local hospital, though if you ever need to know anything about catheters he’s your man.
For that extra kick in the guts Richard and Jean’s dog Meg had to be put to sleep . She’d become poorly with things getting progressively worse until the kindest thing to do was to put her out of her misery.
2010 wasn’t quite finished yet, my grandfather then passed away after suffering from myelodysplasia, which can be referred to as pre-lukemia. It causes the bone marrow to not produce enough healthy blood cells. He was diagnosed with it a few years ago and the prognosis with the condition varies depending on the severity. With the help of blood transfusions he battled on until the afternoon of August 5th when he was finally at peace. I never made it to the hospital in time and arrived shortly after he’d gone. To make things worse my nan got stuck in the lifts and also never made it, arriving too late. Everyone deals with grief in different ways and so far I have not shed one tear for him. I have at times been incredibly sad that I won’t ever get to see him again and discuss the rugby or football but I haven’t cried. Helping Kitty and her mum, Pam with Lil, I was well suited to help my uncles and my nan with the arrangements for my grandfather. Thankfully it gave me something to focus on and also took the pressure of everyone else. I’m pleased to say his funeral was lovely, with a great turnout and no issues with either my parents or sisters with whom I’ve fallen out.
While my grandfather was getting progressively weaker my nan was diagnosed with bowel cancer and required an operation to remove the part of her bowel that was infected. She was due to go into hospital just before my grandfather’s funeral but postponed the operation so she could bury her husband. The operation was a success and the surgeons were pleased with her progress and she is now awaiting her first 6 month check which should be around March.
So that is my crap 2010 there for all to see. It is quite awkward when wishing my nan, Pam or Kitty a happy new year. You usually say “hope 2011 is a better year than 2010″. There is no way the new year can be better because those we’ve lost are never coming back. We just have to hope 2011 isn’t filled with the same sadness and loss.