Used by date showing

Those products that show the used by date - just how reliable are they? Thats the dates I mean, not the products. Sometimes I wonder if they bring the date forward by a few days/weeks, knowing theres still plenty of life left, and they are keen to get buyers to discard the old ahead of time, just to get a replacement sold as possible. Or is it a case of genuine concern for the customer, or not wanting to incur any unnecessary class action if anyone gets sick after eating their nosh a day after the expiry date?
Who knows?

Well, I feel a bit the same. My expiry date has come - and gone- and I'm living in that time-warp that tells me that my time is up. its a strange feeling waking up each each day knowing full well that this could be the last day you spend on mother earth. Amidst the routine of checking on pain relief, constant fatigue, juggling the side effects that come with all this, watching what you eat, and when, if you're able to eat at all, watching as the appetite plummets and the food you used to enjoy you suddenly have no taste for - yes, the message is getting through.
Thats why I still enjoy the visits, cards, emails, txts, calls - as tiring as they are they help me keep  my mind off the fact that the 'expiry date' has long gone, and its the routines including my little health supplement regimes that are helping me focus and stay as positive as I can. Even reading, emailing and the VERY limited walks I can do aren't all that stimulating, particularly as most of it is done in a morphine induced haze.

So don't give up on me just yet. And continue to pray, not only for me, but for Fay who is bearing an intolerable burden, being my caregiver in every sense of the word. Between her, my wonderful GP and the hospice, the huge help from friends and family, I am in the best possible hands.
So we can help stretch that expiry date out till its absolute maximum.
And who knows what might happen in the meantime?

Where would we be>

Where would we be without friends and family.? I have this wonderful pic on my screensaver - one showing ALL the family at our end of summer jaunt to Pauanui - all 14 of us, plus 1 to to come in late Sept. our prayer is we'll be around to see this one born, get to hold it, get to see the look of wonder in its eyes, the eyes of mum and dad, keep praying with us this prayer becomes reality.
But even if not, lets thank God for a wonderful journey. we've been given over a year more than we were told at our first diagnosis back in Jan 2011, so thats how we are living it - one day at a time.

So we love getting those texts, those emails,those phone calls, those personal calls which offer so much comfort, support and encouragement. Not to forget those who come around to help us out on a practical level, cleaning cars, doing lawns, leaving meals - you guys are the true 'salt of the earth', and how blessed we are to have you in our lives!

Forgive us if we don't get around to answering all these txts etc, but believe me, they are so all very much appreciated, and as the old song says 'dont get around much anymore', well, we don't! Fay has become my chauffeur now (as well as everything else). We spent a weekend at at Pauanui recently, as our 'farewell trip'  to our home away from home, very precious, very emotional,

Love you guys, so keep hanging in there with us, The cocktail of drugs i'm on is a pretty hard regime, and i can feel its effects daily, but one thing is for sure, I'm  not giving up.Neither should you.

Countdown - to a New World

It was only a few weeks ago we were enjoying the beauty of Pauanui with ALL the family, all 14 of us squashing into tiny bach, and Mike and Ginas even tinier caravan. And since then, a fabulous road rip to Wanaka to deliver a car to some old friends. To be frank that trip was not without its medical challemges! But we enjoyed it, and lapped up the last of a beautiful summer at Pauanui, and all the splendour of autumn
on the way to, and at Wanaka.
Since then, reality has hit home big time. The reality of the lung and bone tumor explosion has taken its its toll on the old body, and pain relief has had to increased to morphine level, and a fairly high level at that. The combined side effects of all the pain relief also has to be controlled, so its a juggling act throughout the day, playing Russian roulette on the drug control dosage. Such fun!

Friends/family have really stepped up which is wonderful, bringing meals, spending time with Fay, Knowing that I'm not the best company right now. Hospice is also involved (that shows you're on the road with the' no exit' sign showing). We'd love to get down to Pauanui one last time, but that could be a couple of weeks away, with the 'to do and to see' list growing by the day..

I'm not even too sure I'll be able to keep this blog going for long - the pain relief drugs do weird things to your head, and concentration levels, writing abilities etc are certainly not what they were. But yes, I'm saying strong to the supplement and ever tweaked diet changes - no point changing back to what was, and besides, I've gotten so used to them its become  part of my regular lifestyle now.

So keep the texts, emails, calls, cards coming - we can't always guarantee you'll get an answer, but we always love and cherish the thought behind them. As I've said often, it can be a lonely fight sometimes, and to get the unexpected encouragement of YOUR message helps the journey, even in these final stages, helps make it just that much more tolerable, that much more bearable.
Almost home - its going to be a GREAT celebration, that much I can promise.