Heavenly Beverley : That Twilight Zone Between Christmas and New Year...

Are you all with me? We are currently navigating that weird period from 26 December to 31 December. Government offices, companies, facilities and a myriad of other organisations have slammed shut their doors completely or are operating with a skeleton crew. All over this Great Southern Land, people are enjoying a well earned break. When they return to the workplace has absolutely no rhyme or reason. The answer is anywhere from early to mid January...

Last Friday (actually knowing which day was a bit tricky) I knew Northam Hospital would have remained more-or-less operational throughout this festive season.Taking courage in hand, I tried to make Michael a specialist appointment through Northam Hospital. My phone-call was answered by switchboard but outpatient clinics will be deserted until they begin to take appointments again on 16 January.Which is a Thursday...Go figure. Bit tricky if we have an urgent enquiry about our health before then.

Most of you are aware that Long Covid was most probably responsible for me developing two utterly unrelated conditions last year. Small Airways Disease (nicknamed SAD) is a bloody annoying term for a litany of symptoms that are present in both COPD and asthma, but actually is a separate entity from either of these other disorders. Confused? Try living with this Bitch...

Then, there is my diagnosis of Pulmonary Hypertension. In November, I was definitively pronounced to have Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension (EIPH) after fourteen months of varying breathlessness. I immediately re-described this affliction as "Being up Shit Creek in a dark narrow tunnel without a paddle whilst attempting to push upstream"...Wordy, I know, but seemed appropriate at the time.

December has proved to be an absolute whirlwind of changing circumstances. Michael became very unwell with pneumonia and was hospitalised at Northam Hospital on Sunday 1 December. The following day, he was transferred to Joondalup health campus under Scott Claxton. There he remained, really sick for the first five days. He battled fever, delirium and an almost rib breaking cough with misery and nausea thrown into the mix. He began to pick up and then was removed from IV antibiotics. Two days later, we were out of there. A brush with COVID (Bronwyn tested positive) illuminated how hospitals still view this disease as a potentially deadly menace. Their protocols took effect immediately and were particularly isolating. We were pleased to go, but understood their measures.

Fortunately, we have both continued to test negative. However, pneumonia is not an illness to be shaken off easily and Michael took until after Christmas to get his energy and enthusiasm back. We also spent a wonderful early Christmas celebration with Cal, Bron and the girls, which was followed by an immensely hot spell in the lead-up to the Gallery closing on Christmas Eve. As a result, I found that my exhaustion and breathlessness were both becoming a bit alarming.

I saw Andre, our Beverley GP on 23 December. He doubled my dose of diuretic medication and I promptly lost three kilograms overnight. He also urged me to make an appointment with a cardiologist. And to go straight to an Emergency Department if I become too breathless.

I have managed to secure a cardiology appointment for 19 March. In the meantime, my symptoms have lessened and I am coping better. What was becoming a tad concerning was my experience of Pulmonary Hypertension was altering from being exercise induced to being present all the time. Which did dampen my mood for a couple of days.

Then, my spirits, as ever, began to rise. Christmas dinner was a wonderful affair with friends who are also very much part of our family. An unexpected delight was a couple of guests in the Gallery on Boxing Day who made it very much worth our while. Being able to pay all our artists and lobbing some money into MasterCard definitely put a spring back in my step.

What has further stiffened both my good humour and my resolve has been watching the Boxing Day Test. I have always adored Test cricket from childhood. In the early 1970s, with three older brothers, growing up in Brisbane summers, the only form of entertainment on the telly was the cricket. Test cricket.

This test has already given the audience a marvellous four days. The Boxing Day test is legendary for Melbourne crowds that flock to the MCG. Melbourne had turned it on once more - nearly 300 000 spectators - over this match. There have been twists and turns, dizzying heights and dismal lows. Michael, my beloved Greek - Australian husband who has never watched test cricket in his life, has suddenly become enthralled, intrigued and animated.

Surprisingly, I think this odd Twilight Zone between Christmas and New Year is just a metaphor of our daily lives, albeit at a less hectic pace. There is bonding and battles, jostling and joy, dramas and delights. We all have expectations of how the festive season will pan out, with the unexpected pooping up at little or no notice. Good and bad, sweet and sour, black and white.

How do I intend to welcome 2025? With my quirky sense of humour and a kick up its proverbial when it misbehaves. Head on at full throttle.

Stay tuned!