the voice is fixed :)

After a mystery virus caused Alan to lose his voice way back at the beginning of June, 4 months off work, and 5 months of speech therapy, he is as cured as he is likely to get.  Its been a long haul!

We were both surprised I think by how much life changed while he had no voice, and how uncomfortable he felt being around  groups of people when he couldn’t join in the conversation.  It was isolating for him (although people understood and tried to make him feel at ease), and awkward for many who didnt know how to react to him.

He’s slightly quieter than he was,  can’t really shout,  and is slightly (ever so slightly) higher pitched.  But for him life is better  - no longer struggling to join in with conversations, no longer avoiding social situations where he knows he won’t be heard.  No more speech therapy.  Great News!

it was 20 years ago today…

kind of. Tuesday of Holy Week (I can never remember the date, but the day and that phonecall I will never forget). I was 19.

The day Dad died.

He was only a few years older than I am now.

We never had a brilliant relationship - in fact at times it was pretty horrible, and I hadn’t seen him for over 3 years.

But today my dad has been dead for over half my life, and regardless of how rocky or non-existant our relationship was, I miss him, and I am so thankful for the last few weeks of his life - a precious time of reconnection and forgiveness.

Rest in peace Dad.

For Alan

WYWG - engraved on the inside of two bands of gold almost 5 years ago.

I meant it then, I mean it now.  Happy valentines babe

Happy Birthdays neice and nephew

Abi (on the right)  is one today, Carrick (2nd left) is four.  Cousins-in-law sharing the same birthday, and living hundreds of miles away from us.  We dont see them often enough, with C enjoying the Costa del Sol, and A enduring a Moscow winter.  Too far away for us to celebrate with them.  And we miss them and their sisters like crazy, so these pictures adorn both our desktops!  Happy Birthday little ones.

More on Mum

Mum is home, and relatively cheerful, though fragile and tired. Retiring from work and putting her feet up for a while, getting away from office politics and stress. Probably not staying still for very long though…

Update

Mum is doing well in hospital down south.  More scans today, results tomorrow, and if all is well back home on Thursday.  Yorkshire has never seemed quite so far away until this week.

Please Pray

Mum had a heart attack yesterday. Please pray for Margaret

Grampa Simpson has left the building…

The voice has gone again.

Completely.

He’s been back at work a week, with restricted hours (9.00-12.00 until Tuesday, then yesterday and today 9.00-3pm). They had hoped he would be back full time next week. His voice seemed to be coping, no change in pitch, tone or hoarseness; his energy levels have been all over the place, but for now we’ve put that down to doing very little for 3 months. The voice vanished mid-sentence in a conversation with a work colleague who immediately assumed he was joking and started laughing. Slowly it dawned on them that it wasnt a joke, and that he really couldn’t talk.

Thankfully he was laughing about it when he got home (I think for him it was one of those don’t know whether to laugh or cry moments), but consultants and GP’s have been phoned in the hope of chasing up that “urgent referral” to the speech therapist.

At least, following the consultant appointment we know there’s nothing too scary going on, no nodules to be removed or nasty growths. Doesnt make it any less frustrating though, especially for him.

“I used up all my sick days so called in dead…”

…was the choice of T shirt slogan he briefly contemplated for dress down day at the office today. Yep, Alan is back at work, today is his second day. Part time for now, as we assess how his energy levels and voice hold out. He still sounds like Grampa Simpson having a rough day, and is still waiting for speech therapy appointments, but was going stir crazy at home. He needed to be doing something more productive. He went in for a visit last week, and his boss was relieved at his decision too - “just give me a shout if you need anything….” If only!

Thankfully he decided against that t-shirt. His sense of humour may have returned, but he wasn’t sure about his boss…

voice equation

mystery virus + too much talking = saggy vocal chords.

Speech therapy excercises + talking a little = beardy one hopefully on the mend, but it may take some time

I wonder how the homeworking/already retired/housespouse spouses of newly retired people cope when suddenly someone who was out for most of the day is home all day and under their feet? I’m looking forward to the day he’s waking me up with a cup of coffee in hand before singing in the shower at 6am again! soon! (he’s been home WAY too long!)