Red Letter Days - Paperblog

Aged 28 I was diagnosed, in Oxford, with Ulcerative Colitis, which would not respond to treatment and aged 30 surgery was suggested. However I didn't fancy the idea of that and sought help from a homeopathic GP. The course he suggested worked within a week and I mange s to go four years with no problems. An impending marriage break up and pressures of full time teaching brought the disease back with a vengeance, although I continued to follow the doctrine of the homeopathic approach plus I took tablets each day. Still the disease hung on . Finally aged 43 and remarried we moved to Scotland . I gave up teaching, changed my lifestyle and the Colitis went into remission within a year. I've remained in remission since then ( apart from a three month spell following bad advice from a consultant - he told me I was cured ! ) . However the disease is always there, waiting to flare up again. I am lucky though to be able to pursue my hobbies, interests....my life as it can be a distressing and debilitating disease. For me every day is at least ROSY...if not always red ! Today ( Friday ) I have my annual review at Preston Royal Infirmary . This consists of the consultant asking me how I've been this year, taking a blood sample...and off I go ( hopefully for another year ). Yes I've been very fortunate.
So how do I better than that and make " red letter days " ? The day I married my second husband was very special. The day we found a home in Buckie...dilapidated but destined to be ours ..was pretty fortuitous. The day trip from Uig ( on Skye ) to the Outer Hebrides ...the Minch ( known for its roughness ) was smooth and gleaming blue...the sun shone all day ...the beaches were like Caribbean shores. An anniversary never to be forgotten ! My flight to Switzerland after years of wishing to walk in the Alps. That first peak Neisen that towered over my sister-in-law's house . I thought I'd died and gone to heaven, I was so happy ! Perhaps that HGV driving experience that I treated myself to after passing my Advanced Driving Test. Ah, but then there's the first cruise I took to Norway . Gosh I'd wanted to live in Norway when I was younger... No, the pinnacle could be the reddest days of all..going to Estes Park , Colorado to follow in the footsteps of Isabella Bird whose book " A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains " I'd read when I was 18, and finally got there aged 64 ! Then to make even more red days we traveled down parts of Route 66 and viewed the Grand Canyon ! But hey I'm not finished making " red letter days". To everyone reading this....keep on making those special days, keep them in your heart and memory.

Photo is the La-al Ratty train . Taken recently on another red letter day !
Thanks for reading. Kath Email This BlogThis!Share to Twitter Share to Facebook

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