Happy anniversay

29 Today

The glorious 29th

Wedding Anniversary

 The 29th wedding anniversary isn't one you usually celebrate with a big occasion, but to us it means a lot. 

 Death's door 

 I'm not joking when I say I spent the first two weeks of our marriage at death's door. As a treat for my stepson we visited Bristol zoo, on the Monday after we got married. 

 The day started wet, and by 1200 I was so wet, and cold, I was visibly shivering. I tried to stay as long as possible for the sake of my stepson - to make him feel part of the family - but the longer I stayed, the more worried my wife got about my health. 

 We arrived home and my wife phoned our doctor; as a rule doctors don't like making mid-afternoon house calls, but our doctor came out. Doctors won't admit you to hospital unless they feel it's urgent, our doctor wanted me hospitalised immediately. He spent the next two weeks visiting me each afternoon - I had developed Pleurisy. 

 At the time, I didn't realise I already had various genetic flaws which made breathing difficult (Ehlers Danloss syndrome, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). 

 I would go from short breaths to struggling to get any air within one breath; we could hear the wheezing, and I felt like I had a veil of mucus over the top of my throat. 

 Even now, I suffer the after-effects of that trip.