2006 was without doubt the worst year that I've gone through, It was intended to be a year of celebration as I hit the ripe old age 50, on January 5th.

However it very soon became evident that far from celebration 2006 was to prove a year of some serious and sad events.

 

Shortly after my birthday, on January 11th my Mother died.

The details and my feelings are better expressed in the page "In Memoriam" the link for which can be found below.

Most people who have had to deal with a loss like this will be able to understand what this feels like. It would be simple to state that Depression hits you, but it's far more invasive than a simple impact. Simple things have come back to remind me constantly throughout the year. A newly released book by an author my mother liked reading, a piece of jewellery I saw that she would have liked, a cardigan that would have been great as a birthday present. It's all this kind of thing that when you see them and go "Great, I'll get that." .........is when the reality kicks back in and the loss is renewed once again.

My father has coped reasonably well but since we live a good distance apart I have to rely on telephone calls and the occasional visit to ensure how he's doing.

His own health has been the cause for my concern as well, his balance has been an issue and after an MRI scan there was an initial diagnosis that he had suffered at some time previously, a minor stroke. This has eventually proved not to be the case.

 

On August 10th My wife was dianosed as having Breast Cancer, an aggressive nodule which resulted in her having to have a Mastectomey and extensive Chemo-theraphy, which will continue until April 2007.

Much has been written elsewhere about the effects that Cancer has on peoples lives, but it doesn't really prepare you for the all engulfing changes that affect your lifes.

Everything now revolves around the Chemo-therapy schedule, planning work and simple ordinary life is directed around when the doses are given and the resultant side effects. As her immune system is greatly impared simple things like family visits and trips to the cinema are ruled out as the risk of infection is too great. Favourite foodstuffs are off the menu, Yoghurt, Pate, soft cream cheeses anything which contains a Bio-culture or has an aspect of uncooked meat is banned as something like Food Poisoning, which most people would shrug off could prove fatal.

 

So I hope that you'll understand when I say that during 2006 I had a few more important things to think about than this website.