Coronation Street's Sammy Winward posing last year for Marie Curie Cancer Care
I had three posts for December written up and ready to post. All three were painful to write. I couldn’t bring myself to post them. I played with the words, toyed with what effect they’d have and then it was Christmas and posting things that seemed glum seemed wrong. Today I’m publishing the first of them, but with a hopeful message attached.
You see in 2012, barring some miracle, a friend, Allayne, is going to die.
A few short months ago, our frequent visitor moorings were blessed with the arrival of a beautiful shiny blue boat, Mischief, owned by Paul and his girlfriend Allayne.
Allayne is a beautiful, neat, tidy lady. And a month or so back they celebrated the anniversary of a year as partners. They have two beautiful cats, Pandi and Phoenix, and have delighted in their dream boat, Mischief.
One Friday in early December, Allayne went to A&E. She had been having pains in her legs. She had previously been to a smaller, cottage, hospital with related problems, and they’d given her painkillers and sympathy. They should have looked harder.
This time, doctors found a lump in her breast so large that it had, if I’ve understood rightly, cracked a vertebrae. Worse was to follow – they found a cancerous growth at the base of her spine. She was admitted immediately.
The following week was awful for them with bad news coming on an almost daily basis. As the tests progressed, it became apparent that cancer has invaded her liver and lungs as well. The news came that the cancer is terminal. Allayne has been given months rather than years, and operations and treatments are for comfort and preventing the cancer’s progress rather than a cure.
Cancer doesn’t care that it’s Christmas.
Aside of trying to help Paul in whatever small ways we can, their drama, combined with another, which I blog tomorrow, inspired me to take some long overdue time off with my family this Christmas – who knows when we won’t be able to any more – and to buy online cards from Marie Curie Cancer Care rather than buy Christmas cards this year.
But it is the New Year, and I want to end on a happy note, so here goes.
Paul and Allayne have decided to get married.
We’ve been teasing Paul – Poor Allayne’s in hospital and he wants her to organise a wedding. And a church one at that!
But jesting aside, how lovely that something so positive can come out of this mess. I’d like to congratulate them on their engagement and wish them every happiness in what time they have left together.
So my wish for 2012 is very simple – no taking on the World. No huge challenges. For once, rather than setting myself a massive goal to start the year, I have two little wishes – that Allayne manages to stay well enough to make that March wedding, and that she can walk down the aisle unaided.
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