I was just about to celebrate three months without a fall ...

 ... and this time it was a slightly better fall as it were. He was conscious almost immediately, and I could get him up without help because he strongly pushed with his feet. So not so bad, but it happened. I took his blood pressure right now and it is 125 over 76 and his heartbeat is 64. Could hardly be better, actually. So what's the reason, there is no reason, is what I'm thinking. Heart? Epilepsy?  

Saw Dr Landau on Monday

 I was a bit concerned because some scab was forming on the top of Geoff's head again. I wanted to catch it in time this time. So the doc prescribed Efudex twice a day. That stuff is really good. It seems to have dried it up so even though there is still something there and the thin skin on top of the muscle on his head looks like parchment. In 2024 the fake skull bone on top of his head started corroding, debriding or something, so they just took it off. They replaced the muscle that was on top of the fake skull (it had been removed from his thigh in 2021) so he has no bone or protection for his brain on top his head, just that muscle under the very thin skin. He wears a bump cap all the time in case he knocks the top of his head, and I am very careful about him falling. He hasn't crash-landed on his head yet when he falls but I worry that he might. Otherwise he is looking so well. He walks on the beach barefoot, and throws the ball for the dog. I'm so pleased. 

Poems for Geoff.

 

All out at end of play 

Fall

lump on head

Fall

blood spat up

Fall

metastasis in lung

Fall

growth in cheek

Fall

broken clavicle

Fall

broken ribs

Fall

numbness in legs

Up again.

Who’s the winner now?

You are my Heartland

You're the dark,
you're why I go soul-fishing, 
You're the dark,
You're the get-well-wishing,
You're my cosiest Basotho blanket and hat,
My darling husband: you're all that.

You're our grandson's first laternenfest,
You're the Imam's call to prayer,
You're the reason I made an entire child-nest,
And you're my rocking  chair.

You're the last smash that breaks the pinyata (can't do that a)
You're my one to eight billion and three.
You're my very last pastei de nata,
And of course you belong to me. 

Love means 

Not being able to sleep soundly in case your beloved falls over in the night.

Love entails 

Tending scars and strange bruising.

Smearing ointments over reddened areas.

Bending over old limbs and neck wrack-ravaged.

The weakened body’s still here.  

Flung about by that demon cancer

Who rages about in husband’s head, cheek and lung

(Though momentarily chastened with radiation

 and that other blunt instrument: surgery).

So:

Love means sitting quietly on a bench together

One of us has ice-cream, the other wine.

Gazing out over the same hardwon values

All argument laid to rest behind our shoulders.

Teeth

 Today - after having had radiation which damaged his teeth, Geoff is finally beginning to accept the fact that he will have to have dentures. His jaw bone is too crumbly to hold implants, so dentures it is. The t reatment started today with two teeth being extracted, and then the remains of other teeth might have to be surgically removed before he can be measured for the false ones. Poor guy! 

Geoff fell again. WHY?

 So I was waiting for him to drive to the beach when I got a text from him saying he fell. His head is cut - must have hit something in the passage as he was walking, I can't think what. Anyway, I put washed it with some dettol and left it open. It bled a little but I don't think it needs a plaster - well, I'm not sure. Anyway, I drove us to the beach and he had a bit of a walk and a coffee. So that's it. I just wish I knew what was causing this. I'll check his blood pressure soon. Oh, it's 21st September, so roughly two and a half months since his last fall. Didn't have any beer and had a proper supper last night. 

New doctor, more bloods

 Actually, this wasn't a new doctor, just a locum in the place of Dr Denise Labuschagne. He was very thorough, and checked Geoff for diabetes of all things (because of the numbness in his lower legs up to his knees now). And a little in his hands. I'm sure he's not diabetic, but we'll see. His iron is low apparently. 

Oh dear. Another fall.

I was away this weekend (in Jacobsbaai) and when Geoff came to fetch me he said he had bad news: he'd fallen this morning (Sunday July 6th 2025). He isn't sure whether he fell once or twice. He hit his head at the back of his head - on the occipital  bone - and he also has a bleeding cut on the edge of the scar on the top of his head. (i.e. where there is no bone). He seems alright now ... of course because I wasn't home he had to wake up off the floor by himself and he crawled into bed. His ribs are sore and so is his right arm but it doesn't seem as though anything is broken. He didn't want to go to hospital for a check-up this evening, so I've just dressed the bleeding mark - put a huge plaster on it - and otherwise nothing. The only thing I think he did differently - well, slightly differently from normal - is he had a beer last night. He doesn't usually drink, but does occasionally drink a beer. Oh well, we'll just have to see how he goes. I'm gutted, though, because he was doing so well and I thought the falls were a thing of the past. 

It's May and Geoff is looking better and better

 I am amazed that Geoff is so resilient. It sounds harsh to say, but he is actually still alive. And by that I mean he is walking, he is driving, his memory is not what it used to be and he can't do a lot of things he used to, but he is a dear companion again. And at the end of this month, we will have been married for 49 years.

Whatsapping with Dr Landau

 Dr Landau: Not happy with the biopsy, I'm doing another one. Can you come in?

(We get to his rooms he does the biopsy.) then, the next week:

Dr Landau: Hi Hazel! I've finally hit the histology report for Geoff and there's no malignancy. They're seeing a lot of inflammation.

Dr Landau: How is it looking now? Might be infection or just sun damage.

Dr Landau: We don't need to operate but maybe send me a pic of what it looks like now?

Hazel: Okay, he's just trying to get the plaster off.

Hazel: (pic)

Dr Landau: Maybe I'll give him an antibiotic? Probably secondarily infected, put an iodine dressing if you have and I'll send script tomorrow.

Hazel: Great. I'll look. Thank you. 

(Thumbs up from Doc). 

The all-clear again

 Bloods drawn last Friday, CT Scan on Wednesday and appointment with the oncologist yesterday. All fine, if this stays like this his last scan for five years will be the one in September. He's been left pretty wrecked but he's still standing. His salivary gland seems to have recovered, (mouth isn't dry anymore) his overall itch has become manageable and he hasn't fallen since November. So all good so far.

Could he have MS?

 So Geoff's been fine for the whole of January, no funny turns, no itching, and I've been sleeping back in bed with him since having gone to Mexico about. He's really much better just weak. Today he said he thinks he might be getting MS. I don't think so, but he said well he has numbness in his feet and lower legs and now his hands are starting to feel numb. I said it's probably lack of exercise.