New year, much the same as the old year

[white_hart]

I don't think I can face trying to write a review of 2021. While I know my year wasn't anything like as bad as some people's, it was a year spent on the brink of total burnout and it seems likely that 2022 will continue along much the same lines. And unless the government bring in further restrictions, in particular around moving university teaching online, it seems likely that I will end up getting covid at some point soon, which I'd much rather not do.

At least this year I was able to spend New Year's Eve at my parents' in Norfolk, thereby avoiding the midnight re-enactment of the Somme that has become the norm in built-up areas. And I'm very glad to have got to spend time with my parents (we more or less isolated for a couple of weeks beforehand, to try to avoid bringing covid with us - by the time we got there on Thursday, neither of us had been in a building other than our house since the previous Wednesday, and that was the Kassam Stadium when I went for my booster. Though my brother's partner has just tested positive having visited them on Tuesday, so we're all hoping that she picked it up at work on Wednesday or Thursday and wasn't incubating it then), though every time we visit them my dad has visibly declined and that's very difficult.

So I'm not feeling at all optimistic about 2022, even by my normal standards of not liking New Year. I do hope that it treats all of you well, though.

Comments

[mountainkiss]

I have never forgotten my mother describing my sister going to Oasis play Knebworth in torrential rain in c. 1996 as "It's going to be just like the Somme."

I am so sorry about your father. That is very horrible.

[white_hart]

He's got no energy at all any more - he just sleeps most of the time, and when he's awake he's confused and sleepy. And walking is really hard - he stood up yesterday and got so dizzy from low blood pressure that he couldn't stay on his feet Fortunately I was sitting right next to him and managed to catch him and help him back into his chair, but it is really grim to see it.

[mountainkiss]

Oh this sounds really really hard. Am so sorry. What is it that's wrong with him? (Don't answer that if you don't want to talk about it.) Sending you lots of love xxx

[white_hart]

Heart failure - he had myocarditis in 2014 which left him with severely reduced heart function. They fitted an implanted defibrillator which let him live an almost normal life for a few years, but in early 2019 he had a massive heart attack and spent about six months in and out of hospital (including at least two nights in ICU when no-one really expected him to come out again). And since then his blood pressure has to be kept incredibly low for his heart to be able to handle it, which leaves him with no energy at all, and the other medications he takes make him tired and affect cognitive function.

[mountainkiss]

Oh this is horrid and so so difficult for you and your family. Am so very sorry. Sending lots of love and good thoughts xxx