It's been a while

Yes it's been a while since I visited the blog... far too long in fact but I have had many a good excuse for my absence.


It started with my Dad being diagnosed with bowel cancer. This came as somewhat of a shock for the family. He had been cancer free for a couple of years after a dice with Non-Hodgekins Lymphoma and a very nasty bout of septicemia the result of which was the loss of several finger-tips.


He went in for surgery so I flew down to Christchurch after he returned home to help him & mum during the recovery process. The first weekend was busy with my sister and her family, including her three-week old baby boy and two other toddlers also there to help out.


My two and a half week visit was extended when mum ended up in hospital as well with a bout of pneumonia. When she finally managed to escape I stayed a few more days before finally flying back home to Auckland nearly a month after I departed.


The week I got home, my mother-in-law, who lives with us, went into hospital for surgery on her back. Some 2 weeks later, and her bout with pneumonia, she  came home with a walker, crutches and other additional pieces of furniture.


Less than two weeks after that, I found myself once again trolling the corridors of hospitals, this time with my step-children's maternal grandfather. Unfortunately this time the news was not quite as good as he was diagnosed with an aggressive and inoperable brain tumor. As he is divorced and only has our kids as his only family, it has fallen on my shoulders to be his rock during this time. 


In the past three months I've spent more than my share of time in hospital visiting, talking to Doctors, wandering the corridors, discussing treatment options and contemplating the uncertain future of someone else's life.


The only thing I can say is thank goodness I haven't had a job during this period so I have been able to give the people in my life the time they have needed, wanted and deserved to help them through these life changing moments.