Be happy every day!

Make a positive decision to be happy every day! This was but one of many pieces of advice given to me by well-wishers following my recent hospitalisation which included a spell in ICU.

I am now almost fully discharged from medical care and, although full discharge may take some time to achieve, I feel even better than I did before my medical woes began. I won’t bore you with all the details but suffice it to say that I would not like to repeat the experience – the fact that I feel so good today is due to wonderful medical treatment and to exceptionally strong support and encouragement from my wife and from some of our friends.

Apart from the things mentioned in the last paragraph, I have been extremely fortunate in that I know nothing of events during the nadir of my episode. I awoke to find all sorts of medical plumbing attached to me that, as far as I was concerned, was nothing more than an inconvenience and which (to the horror of those concerned) I promptly removed.

I had no pain but I was immobile to a great extent and that, of course, was also very inconvenient as far as I was concerned. It was at about this stage that my long-suffering wife named me “The English Impatient” after the movie based on the 1992 novel by Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient!

So what have a learned from all of this? Firstly, that life can take a very negative turn at very short notice (e.g. from one second to the next) and, secondly, that there are some truly wonderful people who really care. They fight to keep you alive and to cure you of the disease that ailed you at such short notice.

I have visited the hospital many times since my discharge and met some of the people my wife has told me were significant players in getting me back on my feet. Many of them know my wife better than they know me despite the fact I was the focus of their professional efforts. One of the doctors even said to me, “If you have any more questions, ask your wife she knows everything!” – a tribute to my wife’s deep involvement in learning about my disease and pushing hard for my recovery and cure.

Returning to the things I have learned from this, – thirdly, to continue to eat healthily (no ultra processed food), fourthly, to exercise regularly, and fifthly of course, to make a positive decision to be happy every day!