Tuesday 11 January 2011

It Could Have Been Worse...


It's been a strange few days.

On Friday, I received a phone call letting me know that my uncle (a cantankerous but charismatic chap) had been rushed to hospital and was lying in the HDU, and that if it hadn't been for my aunt's instincts getting him there so quickly, he would've apparently died within two hours. As it was, on Friday we were told that it was 50/50 whether he would make it through the night.

On Saturday, my mother was staying with friends at their beach house (in South Africa) and whilst they were on the verandah drinking cocktails and enjoying the warm evening, burglars broke into the house and were ransacking the rooms.

On Sunday, I started to feel achy and realized that my beloved had very generously passed on the virus that's been making him miserable all over the Christmas/New Year period. This was apart from New Year's Day, when he rallied and made it to a friend's house party where he knew there would be the best curries in the island, only to have a relapse the following day!

The positive side - hence the rainbow picture taken two days ago - is that:

My uncle: though still not conscious, is out of danger and we can all breathe a huge sigh of relief and look forward to him being back to his amusing, eccentric self.

My mother & friends: despite losing jewellery, money and various other bits, didn't even see the burglars, which is a relief as they usually carry guns, and so no one was hurt.

Me: I may feel like someone has hit me across the back of the head before bulldozing me, but at least I can spend my time getting better lying in a warm bed with a guard dog snoring next to me, who only grumbles every so often to be let outside.

27 comments:

Sherri said...

Blimey! What a weekend!

I'm pleased that things didn't turn out as badly as they could have and good that you can see the 'positive' side - but I think you've had more than your share so far this year.

I hope the rainbow is a sign of better fortune for the rest of 2011.

Hope and Chances said...

Goodness that is a lot to cope with in one go! I do hope you feel better soon.

Queenie said...

Good grief, what a rollercoaster. I hope you'll be back to full health very soon.

Melissa Amateis said...

Oh my goodness! It HAS been a strange few days for you. So glad your uncle is doing better and that your mother is ok! My brother's house was broken into one time but luckily they weren't home. Scary, scary stuff.

Cait O'Connor said...

So it's not all bad. I hope you feel better soon.

Jan Jones said...

Crikey, Debs. Never rains but it pours. So glad you can see the rainbow.

Look after yourself.

Anna Scott Graham said...

You poor duck!! My goodness...

All of you and yours are in my thoughts and prayers. But I LOVE that rainbow... :)))

Faye said...

What is it they say about troubles coming in threes? Looks like that's what's happening in your family, Debs. Glad things are on an upturn. Just to clarify--your mother and her friends have drinks on the verandah with their sidearms close by? :-)

Karen Jones Gowen said...

Why is it that things often come in three's like this? So glad it wasn't as bad as it might have been. Yikes! Esp. about the burglary! And glad everyone is feeling better as well.

Jen said...

Crumbs, scary stuff - I suppose if one is to be burgled, having it happen while sipping cocktails is a safe way for it to happen.

Sounds as if you've had quite enough to contend with so far this year. Hope things settle down and you feel much better very soon.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

bernadette - it's a relief that they are ok, as things could have turned out so differently.

christine - thank you.

queenie - thank you.

melissa - it's horrible to think that something like that can happen even when you're in the building. I'm glad your brother was out and okay.

cait - it's not bad at all thankfully. Such a relief.

jan - rather a surreal weekend, but thankfully one that ended on a positive note.

anna - thank you. The picture was taken from my step-son's bedroom window and was even better a few seconds before I took the photo.

faye - I'm not sure about the sidearms to be honest. I do know that the first thing my previous step-father did when I went to stay with them on a farm in the 80s was to teach me to shoot though.

karen - I know, I was so relieved to hear that they hadn't heard the burglars and therefore were no where near them when they were in the house. It could have been so much worse.

jen - I love that my mother was sipping her cocktails on the verandah and completely oblivious to what was going on. It's so like her and a relief too.

Chris Stovell said...

Berlimey! Thank goodness you are all coming out the other side. Sorry to hear about your grim start to the year - I hope you feel much better very soon.

Pat Posner said...

You sure found the silver linings in those clouds, Debs!

Hope you're feeling better today.
Take care
xxPat

Sue Guiney said...

A great, upbeat perspective. A lesson to us all. I hope you're feeling better soon.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

chris - hopefully that's all the bad stuff out of the way :)

pat - still not feeling very good, unfortunately, but I'm sure I should do soon. Poor Rob felt just like I do now, but over Christmas/NY.x

sue - thanks.

Bluestocking Mum said...

Well Debs, it can only go onwards and upwards.

Hope you soon begin to feel better. Stay tucked up and be kind to yourself.

Big (gentle) hug
xx

Fee Roberts said...

Blimey - it comes in threes as they say! Thank goodness your uncle is on the mend! Good grief about mother and her friends - and as for your poor - thiught the marriage bit was in sickness and in health! At least Rob shared!

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

Bluestocking mum - many thanks. I'm glad you're on the mend too. x

fee - I know, I think I'd have preferred Rob to keep this one to himself.

Kat W said...

What a horrible time. But I'm glad things are on the up.

Get well wishes for your Uncle. What a relief that your Mum & others weren't hurt. And to you I'm sending a big get well HUG. I sympathise because we've all had this bloomin horrible virus. Even the cat has been croaky!

Take care & rest up.
Kat X

HelenMWalters said...

Oh you poor thing. What a rough few days. Hope everything looks brighter soon.

D.J.Kirkby said...

Oh poor you. Glad Divadog is taking good care of you. Great news about your uncle though.
P.S. Your caption was a winner!

sheepish said...

Ooooh what a horrible start to the New Year. Fingers crossed that the worst is over and that you and all your family will stay healthy for the rest of the year. The only way is up. Stay tucked uo nice and warm for as long as it takes.

Flowerpot said...

What a start to th eyear Debs - my God! I am very glad that things aren't as bad as they were and hope that you recover very soon - and enjoy the process! Take care x

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

kat - thanks for the good wishes. The thought of your poor cat being croaky too made me giggle, poor thing.

helen - it's been a little surreal, but we're all fine, and uncle is now moaning and so on the mend.

dj - ooh, lovely. Thank you.

Divadog has had the occasional bout of hysteria when he's had to go outside into the drizzle!

sheepish - I'm looking forward to the rest of the year, hopefully it'll all be better from now on.

flowerpot - thanks so much, I hope you're all right. x

~SwAmPy~ said...

Thank goodness my life is boring. I've been lying in bed for 3 days coughing.
But, more importantly, thank goodness your uncle is improving, your mom is safe, and you are on the mend.
SWAMPY

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

swampy - thank you, we're all much better.

I hope you start to feel much better soon. My sister has a dreadful cough too and sounds so unwell.

Phillipa Ashley said...

What a time your family has been having - glad that things were okay in the end. I sympathise with the burglary but it could have been so much worse.