The Health

December was really a month of trying to focus on the glass half full as opposed to half empty 🙂

Obviously, being diagnosed with cancer again, having an operation that took a bit more to recover from than I expected, and then both immunotherapy and colitis infusions, it was all a bit to process.

The overwhelming physical result over the past few weeks since that happened is just exhaustion. I seem to feel wasted twenty hours of the day. I get up, do a few things, and then slink back onto the bed or couch and watch another YouTube clip or ongoing discovery program on the TV.

The next steps for me, on the presumption that the colitis will stay under control, are to continue with immunotherapy every three weeks and be very closely monitored by my surgeon, who will scope the throat to see any signs of the abnormality appearing with the hope that if it does, it can be lasered out. Even though this involves surgery, it is better than other therapies, and if it continues to work, then that is ideal.

Of course, the goal is to not have cancer reappearing again, and I will continue doing all the things I have already been doing and try to improve on them to move the needle more in my favour. Clearly, the fact that the cancer has come back is not a good sign, but I remain positive and keep faith that I can do things to beat it.

The Personal

Although things were subdued, I tried to keep connecting with people and spending quality time with them. To do so involved me doing some celebrity appearances where I would turn up for the main event late and then leave early. As the alternative was to just stay locked up in the house, I felt this was by far the best approach.

Family-wise, with the lead-up to Christmas, the family kept busy. We were fortunate to have a group of local family friends come over and enjoy a relaxed night to celebrate the end of the school year and also made it out to other friends for the same thing.

The girls and I also managed to get out for a game of mini-golf against the Taylor family. Needless to say, the Kotsialos family came out victorious :-).

After a year in the planning, Kirsten put on an extended family event which involved everyone going to Cirque du Soleil and dinner. Although I could not do the dinner, I attended the circus, which was great.

Of course, the main event was Christmas day. It was just us four Christmas morning. The girls were excited to open their presents, which this year consisted of just as many experiences as physical presents, which was great. So I could rest, the girls went to spend time with the rest of the family while I zoned out at home and rested up, ready for a trip to the basketball in the evening.

The basketball was a huge success for the girls, with them winning an audience prize and getting themselves on the big screen repeatedly through the night.

On the weekly adventures front, it was the quietest month of the year with a trip to Taffy’s Comedy night at the Oaks. I did not make it through the whole night, but for the part I was there, it was fun.

The only thing that was a real moment for the month, which the family did their best to act excited and happy for the outcome, was the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Bucks smashing OKC to win the NBA Cup.

I am really looking forward to a more straightforward January that starts in NZ and ends in Perth, with treatments in between.