Dear Pied, Tina, Loo and Win, thank you for your posts. I am rather overwhelmed by your kind words. I am glad to be able to say that I am still feeling peaceful and calm. I was able to describe this morning (to some dear friends with whom I used to work about 15 years ago) how Brian had hung on for me at the last - I shedding only a very few tears and able to smile a little and say "Dear, dear Brian." I am not sure what it is that sustains me, but it is doing a very good job.
Was it only last year, Tina, that you and I sat out in the back garden? It seems such a long, long time ago - I suppose because so much has happened in the meantime. Nothing much has changed, except perhaps it is a little less well tended than it was. I will be getting back to it in earnest presently.
Dear Dotty - thank you for your little message too. Do indeed treasure every moment with your man - when I first joined here I thought my Brian sounded so much less ill than a lot of other people I read about. But TIAs, seizures, nosebleeds and falls all took a pretty rapid toll and they come along with no warning.
Dear Bronwen, I too used to stay away sometimes from TP because sometimes the sad stories became almost too much to bear. So please do not apologise for being late. How am I? I have asked the boys if it is all right to be quite so "all right", so calm and so full of peace, and they assure me it is and that I am doing very well.
And dear Vonny, it was so nice to hear from you as well. You were particularly kind and understanding when we exchanged a few PMs quite some time back. Thank you.
And dear Saffie, Bastan and Anne, thank you for your posts as well. I am so very glad I joined TP: where else would I get so many lovely and loving messages and all from people who know and live with dementia, whatever form it comes in.
After a fairly recent post of mine, Sylvia posted a little picture of people all standing in a circle holding hands. We are all making up the circle, hand in hand, and at this particular time it is my turn to be held and supported by the rest of you. And I do so thank you for it.
My love to you all,
Nan XXX