REFLECTIONS ON ILLNESS AND PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

For the last 5 years and 2 months I’ve been living in limbo, unable to plan for a future that remained uncertain, and for the large part either too ill or unfit to do anything meaningful or worthwhile with my time anyway. That all changes now that I’m on the brink of a cure. All my reflective and contemplative moments during these past few years can now be articulated into solid plans and actions.

I’ve remained nothing but completely positive about my situation and prospects even through the darkest days of uncertainty and pain on this journey. I presume that’s somehow part of my DNA, but I’m painfully aware that not everyone feels like that. I’ve been enormously helped with my attitude by inspiration close to home, my younger brother Vincent. In 1971 a perfectly fit and healthy 17 year old football playing lad was struck down by meningitis. First the doctors didn’t think he’d live, then when it was clear he would, they said it would probably be in a ‘vegetative’ state. However, with nothing but his own determination to conquer adversity, he persevered and ended up teaching at a local school to work one on one with children with learning difficulties. He worked there for 25 years until retirement, his Christian faith sustaining him throughout. 

He achieved all this despite being left completely blind, having a totally paralysed left arm and partly paralysed left leg, all disabilities resulting from the brain damage caused by meningitis. And since then he’s survived more than 20 orthopaedic operations to correct problems caused by the paralysis, including 5 knee operations, 2 major ankle operations, hands, wrists, shoulders, legs and left toe amputations. I’ve never ever heard him complain.

It’s clearly worked for me having inspiration like that on my very doorstep, it’s allowed me to focus on courage and fortitude whenever it’s been required, and it’s worked for me. So even through the darkest moments of my own personal journey, I’ve always instinctively sensed and been able to concentrate on the light at the end of my tunnel. And now I appear to be approaching the end of this particular tunnel, what have I learned?

• Love my wife more (were that possible)
• Enjoy my family and friends more and surround them with as much love as I can
• Never take my health for granted and work harder to maintain it
• Help others whenever the opportunity arrives
• Do not leave this world with any regrets
• Fill every day with good memories, and be a bigger part of my friends memories
• Travel again to continue enjoying this beautiful planet we live on
• Don’t waste time on unnecessary things