Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwlllantysiliogogogoch

(The longest named place in Wales, UK)

Worry is a terrible thing, it steals the quality of life from right under your nose, reducing your world into a place of doom and gloom. We have been sitting on a massive worry these past six months and have refused to start the new year until we had good news.

I have desperately tried to keep everything normal, finish my WIP and keep the website going, but have to admit it was a poor imitation of the real thing, and I apologise for that.

I have not been sharing much of this with our friends and followers and this may seem strange after all your incredible support when Anita had that massive heart attack in 2020. Your love and good wishes pulled us through that terrible time, but when disaster struck again last year, it seemed far more serious, and we really felt that talking about it might make it worse.

Anita’s heart is still severely damaged, and despite having two stents and a pacemaker fitted, it only barely functions. When a series of lumps started to appear around her neck last year, the alarm bells started ringing again.

Because of the raging virus and all the hospital delays, it took months to have the lumps investigated. The consultant mentioned cancer and after deliberation, they finally decided to remove part of her thyroid. Surgery was a problem as they didn’t think her heart was strong enough, but they said that delaying it was not an option.

A nightmare time for all the family, especially Anita for she can’t abide hospitals at the best of times. My sister has never been ill and to be struck down by two life threatening illnesses almost at the same time seems very unfair. She made it through the surgery without incident, but we had to wait two agonising weeks to get the results of the tests.

By this time, we were all terrified and sick with worry, dreading the news.

The day of the appointment, I felt sick to my stomach but somehow kept a smile on my face. I think I held my breath when she was called into the consultants office, but five minutes later the door opened and she rushed out of the room, a massive smile on her face. We watched in amazement as she ran out of the ENT department to a standing ovation from the nurses.

By this time, we knew the news must be good, but I wanted to know how good. Just before we all reached the lifts, I caught her arm and made her stop walking. ‘Well,’, I said and waited.

She stood there and laughed at me, and I didn’t think she was going to say anything.

‘THERE IS NO CANCER,’ she shouted.

All the way home in the car, she kept saying those words, and her relief was wonderful to see. Despite the odds, her poor old ticker had survived the surgery and she was cancer free.

But four days later, we had to rush back to the hospital, as Anita was having trouble breathing. She is now back home, but it seems that worrying isn’t going anywhere after all.

She is looking better, although still very weak and breathless much of the time. The list of her medications grows ever longer, but … and you may have noticed this, none of what happened has stopped her writing her poetry.

Now all I have to do, is get my own head back together!

Little do they know
Lilliput is a great
Adventure, no matter your age.
Nana said reading it keeps her young
Father frowned in his usual way.
Aunt Mo said she would like to visit,
In another time and space
Round the universe with Gulliver
Perhaps one day
We all should go.
Let’s save that adventure for another day.
Looks like too much rain right now.
Grandma needs her medicine,
Will you take it to her today?
You are going right past her house.
Nothing else to take while I’m at it?
Gravy boat we promised to return.
You sure that’s it?
Looking around quick, I nodded
Lost for words, he went on his way,
Good job done,
Over to the couch I flopped.
Get my ten-minute cat nap.
Energised, I will
Return to work.
Yesterdays plants still need doing.
Catch the last rays of sunshine.
Holes dug, earth turned, I am
Well on my way.
Year ahead full of spuds and carrots
Rhubarb too
Nice in a crumble
Dad will need extra
Rhubarb pie is enough to freeze.
Often keep some back for gran
Better make sure to plant extra
With father john wanting some for the
Lovely village fair
Local farmers ply their wares.
Lovely toffee apples, sticky sweets
Attract a crowd that stay too late.
Nice time of day to walk around.
Talk to folk with smiling faces.
Yesterday’s rain all forgotten.
Sunshine bright, birds singing.
I for one
Like my life
In
 Overabundant, 
Glory
Over again, I would do it twice
Greet new faces that long for life,
On long hot
Glorious summer days
Off to
Catch those words.
Happy smiles that say you’re back again…

© Anita Dawes 2021