In gratitude and thankfulness

Thankful and joyful

Gratitude is a feeling that words never really find the breath and scope to express. Yet, one must never fail to be thankful for the mercies large and small that form the basis for lasting gratitude.

Eight weeks ago, I entered a regime of medication that was to treat an ailment that was discovered over three years ago. Doctors and committees disputed and vacillated in three different cities about the prognosis, the options and invariably the cost.

Blog - Thought Picnic: Facing it alone again but it is well

Fear and fair

New treatments were coming on-stream to replace older therapies that had been tried and tested, but were gruesome and difficult to handle, that was the prospect I faced just over 8 weeks ago and I was not particularly ready to suffer the ordeal.

When I got to the hospital on that day, I learnt that I had been considered for the new therapy, just a pill a day for 8 weeks with check-ups at Week-2, Week-4 and the end of treatment at Week-8.

The tests at Week-2 showed an amazingly dramatic improvement of my condition, the Week-4 result that I received today also showed such markedly improved progress in my condition, my organs recovering as a result of the treatment.

The expectation is that the visit to the phlebotomist today will indicate a complete eradication of the condition. Though, the assurance of a cure will only be determined at the twelfth and twenty-fourth week after the treatment.

Done and gone

I am very hopeful that this situation will become a part of my history as well as a heart full of thanks to the doctors, the nurses and the institution of the NHS that has given me many opportunities to survive since the day of my birth and consequently, I have thrived thereafter.

For all its many failings and problems, I have been blessed with option and opportunity in the NHS, sometimes slow and sometimes late, but still working, helping, encouraging and supporting the healing process.

Thanks and gratitude

There is no doubt that without the European health services I have availed myself of in The Netherlands, The UK, and Spain, I probably would not be writing this piece.

Beyond this, I am also grateful to my friends and family, my various acquaintances on social media who have offered support, prayers, encouragement, consideration and succour.

Thank you all, I am blessed.