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I'll stick this here as it seems the most appropriate place.
Family funeral yesterday. Larger than life husband of Mrs M's uncle who had friends all over the world and in stage and television. Typical funeral but full of hilarious stories of some of the outrageous things he got up to (wearing fishnets and high heels when he was cabin crew in 1st class to see if any celebs noticed...), tributes from friends and more laughter than tears. Uplifting more than sad. The wake was something else.
But the thing is, as family while we knew and laughed at that part of his life we'd never really seen it. We saw a different Phil, who was quiet, kind, thoughtful, strong, great in a crisis and the first to offer support. His outrageous camp persona was real as was the quiet family man we knew, though.
He was just so comfortable and happy in his own skin no matter where he was. He had it sussed and maybe that's the secret.
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@Victor-Meldrew sorry for your and your missus’ loss. Her uncle sounds like a legend.
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I've arrived...
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@Victor-Meldrew said in Happiness Scale:
I'm working with a woman in our village on a fundraising project and she sent me this WhatsApp Thursday:
I am so sorry but I am going to have to postpone our meeting tomorrow until Friday if that is possible. It’s just that we have to sign our wills tomorrow as George has heart surgery on Friday, so we need to cover our bases
Hope this is ok
DawnFound it profoundly affecting, but her cheerful, "worrying won't make anything better" attitude when we met Friday (she insisted) was awe-inspiring. Surgery went well, BTW. The human spirit, eh?
Privilege to know her.
Posted the above July last year. This amazing women passed away today.
Bugger.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in Happiness Scale:
@Victor-Meldrew said in Happiness Scale:
I'm working with a woman in our village on a fundraising project and she sent me this WhatsApp Thursday:
I am so sorry but I am going to have to postpone our meeting tomorrow until Friday if that is possible. It’s just that we have to sign our wills tomorrow as George has heart surgery on Friday, so we need to cover our bases
Hope this is ok
DawnFound it profoundly affecting, but her cheerful, "worrying won't make anything better" attitude when we met Friday (she insisted) was awe-inspiring. Surgery went well, BTW. The human spirit, eh?
Privilege to know her.
Posted the above July last year. This amazing women passed away today.
Bugger.
That sucks mate. Sometimes life isn't fair, but it's how we deal with adversity that counts. And clearly she was an example of how to do it
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Sometimes those losses of people that are not actually close, but are just clearly good people, can often hit harder.. commiserations my virtual friend.
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@NTA said in Happiness Scale:
Without going into detail: it has been a fluffybunny of a fortnight.
However, tonight Mrs TA and I saw Andrea Bocelli sing Nessun Dorma to a packed SCG.
So everything is a little better
You know NTA, I pleased when I hear someone when having a not very flash time, can find joy in some music , and help buck them up.
I hope things keep looking up mate! -
@NTA said in Happiness Scale:
Without going into detail: it has been a fluffybunny of a fortnight.
However, tonight Mrs TA and I saw Andrea Bocelli sing Nessun Dorma to a packed SCG.
So everything is a little better
As my dear old dad says, ‘music is a friend for life’
It has an amazing ability to improve moods.
Hope you’re doing ok
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Well, just to fuck life up when things seemed to be getting on track after the recent episode:
Boxing Day 2023 I woke up with a bit of vision loss in my left eye. Hospital is always fun that time of year (not) and after spending most of the next day there and running all sorts of tests, they decided to pump me with steroids and sent me off to see a Neuro-Opthamologist.
The diagnosis was optic neuritis. But they wanted to know what was causing it.
And today - after over a year of mostly waiting between tests - the same specialist reckons the diagnosis is Multiple Sclerosis.
Now for another MRI to see if it has advanced, so we can look at treatment options from there.
Given the extended and repeated kicks in the balls our family has received over the past 8 years, I fully expect to win the lottery any minute now.
On the plus side, the doc said it was caught very early and treatments were becoming more and more effective. We're a long way from people being wheelchair-bound by the time they're 50 (I'm turning 49 in June).
He's talking 10-20 years before any impacts to lifestyle at the moment, but needs the next round of tests before being sure.
I've got 5 caps to get for the rugby club to get above two other blokes (absolute peanuts) who don't deserve to be there TBH, and then refereeing. A trip to Europe and other shit once my daughter finishes school this year.
Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'
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I recall your mentioning the eye problem mate and thought it had been put to bed. Very sorry to hear your news and as you say, yet another kick in the balls for you all. Get those caps mate, you’ll be kicking yourself in the balls later if you don’t.
Best of luck mate and keep your chin up.
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@NTA My wife was diagnosed with MS over 30 years ago.
The understanding of how it works, and the most effective treatments are light years ahead of where they were in those days.
A majority of sufferers especially with modern interventions manage life without it overly impacting. You'll be inundated with advice and treatments. Take it all with a massive dose of cynicism. The well-intentioned advice is usually deluded and improvements down to the placebo effect and the relapsing remitting nature of the disease. Very east to mistake causality for correlation with MS. Spoiler alert: Bee Venom (and the like) doesn't work
Listen to your body. The two biggest things that can lead to adverse progression are trying to push through and not managing stress. If you feel a bit knackered, you need to rest. Not just take it easy but proper do fucking nothing rest.
All the best mate. Happy to yarn about it any time.
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@barbarian said in Happiness Scale:
Thinking of you and the family Nick. I know I speak for 90% of posters when I say that although I/we find you personally repulsive on many levels, you are a good bloke at heart.
Mission accomplished.
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@NTA Shit news mate, hope it all goes the good for you!!
Regardless of what that @barbarian joker says, most of us figure you a top bugger, for an Aussie of course, and bugger me there not a lot of spare ones to go round. ie barbarion??
In all seriousness mate, go well mate, and chase those things you want to do!!!
Happiness Scale
