Remember Me???

Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I last updated here. Yikes!

Anyway, just in case anyone ever stops by from time-to-time, here's a quick summary of what's been happening in the land of moi over the last 6 months or so:

May 2006:

My Uncle was diagnosed with cancer and underwent an operation to remove a tumour from his colon. Thankfully the operation was as much of a success as it could have been, although he's still receiving treatment and will be for the foreseeable future.

June 2006:

This month was full to the brim with various hospital and therapy appointments. The pain I was experiencing in my lower back and legs wasn't getting any better, so I was referred to a specialist Spinal Assessment Unit for further tests. In the meantime I began another medication in the hope that this would make me feel more comfortable. It didn't.

I also came down with a severe chest infection and tonsillitis, and ended up on antibiotics for the umpteenth time this year. And months later, I still don't feel that much better. Sniff!

July 2006:

I became an Auntie for the first time. Well, I suppose that's not strictly true, as it was my cousin overseas that gave birth to her first baby. But being an only child, this is the very next best thing. My cousin also asked me to be her baby's Godmother, and I immediately said yes. What an honour!

Back in July I was also interviewed by an highly-respected and popular M.E/CFS/PVFS/CFIDS charity, and featured in an article that appeared in both their e-newsletter and subscription magazine publications.

August 2006:

This month I attended my appointment at the specialist Spinal Assessment Unit, and had various x-rays and scans carried out. And couple of weeks later I learned that at least one or more of the vertebrae in my spine is misaligned. Before any definite treatment is decided, though, the doctors want to carry out some more tests to see if there's any muscle or nerve damage. I'm still waiting for a letter confirming my appointment date.

A couple of weeks later I was stunned to learn that my Aunt had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. It was a complete shock for my whole family, as my Aunt had no symptoms or warning signs - she just collapsed one day and was rushed to hospital, where a few days later the diagnosis was made. Because of the location of the brain tumour, surgery wasn't an option. And although chemotherapy would've shrunk the tumours and given her a little more time, she bravely chosen not to prolong the inevitable. To say I was heartbroken was an understatement, as I was very close to my Aunt.

September 2006:

Whilst hunting around for my birth certificate, which was necessary for some paperwork I needed to complete, I came across my Mum's marriage certificate. Curious, and hopeful of perhaps learning a little more about my father, no matter how small a snippet, I decided to take a peek, only to find the words 'previous marriage dissolved' next to my father's name. I think I must've gone into shock, as nobody had ever told me my Dad had been married before he met my Mum. And I immediately felt angry that such an important piece of my history had been kept from me. So, I did the only thing I could and approached my Mum. It turns out I've two older half-sisters. I'm still reeling from that revelation.

I was also fortunate enough to have my DLA renewed in September. Usually, people with M.E/CFS have a fight on their hands whenever they claim state benefits, more so since the stricter guidelines were brought in to combat benefit fraud, so I was fully expecting to be turned down and had mentally prepared myself for that as much as possible. But luckily I was re-awarded it without too much difficulty. Hoorah!

October 2006:

Emotionally, October was a very difficult month for me. My Aunt, who had been diagnosed with cancer in August, passed away quite unexpectedly. It may sound strange me saying that, especially as we knew she had terminal cancer. But she'd been to visit me just a few days before she died and she was doing really, really well; she certainly didn't appear to have deteriorated to the stage of being on death's door. So, of course there was the funeral to attend and so on. And seeing my cousins so heartbroken and not being able to do anything to ease their suffering was unbearable. They're like brothers to me and I felt their pain as acutely as my own.

What made things more difficult, in a way, was that the same day my Aunt passed away, my other cousin overseas gave birth to her first child. So on the one hand we wanted to be happy, to celebrate the arrival of our new family member and embrace all the baby goodness. But on the other, we were devastated at the loss of my Aunt. Yes, it was a very emotional time for us all.

October was also my 'sickiversary'. Many of my friends and family can't understand why this date is etched in my brain, why it's so significant to me, or why I dread it rolling around each year. But how can I forget??? The 16th October marks the day my life began to change beyond all recognition. And every 16th October is a reminder of that fact.

November 2006:

And that brings me to now. Nothing noteworthy has happened yet this month, but there's still plenty of days left before the month's out so who knows what might happen???

If by any chance anyone does read this and would like to keep up-to-date with the strange world of moi, I am still keeping a diary/blog. Please do leave me a note or send me an email, and I'll let you know where to find me!

Pee Ess: Apologies to the people who've left me notes... I changed my email address and didn't think to update it here, so I've only just read your messages. I didn't mean to ignore anyone. Promise!

Pee Pee Ess: Are any of you guys on MySpace??? I just wondered.


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