The world is upside down, even if you’re not living in Australia. You listen to the news and wonder: “Did I just hear voices, or was there really just an Irish Government Minister saying that the country needs more houses?” Or did the Turkish Prime Minister really just say that “mining is a dangerous business, there are no two ways about it”? There are people wondering when we are going on holidays. We should take a break! Others wonder how we can deal with mundane stuff like ‘work’ when our world is in turmoil? When I rise in the mornings (like a Phoenix:) I try to clear my mind running a few kilometres around the block – which works for a (short) while and only until I start gasping for air. Like I’m gasping for air when I think about Pádraig being injured and getting hurt.

Today was a good day: I graduated from theory of suctioning to practice. Pat will try it next week. Once we have shown that we can do this properly, we’ll be allowed to put on Pádraig’s speak valve ourselves. Later, the physio and OT (who have a good German sense of humour!) sat Pádraig out into the borrowed wheelchair (yes, the new deluxe model is still on its way from Denmark which, if you look it up on a map, does not seem to be that far away, surprisingly). That was followed by an intensive music therapy session. And rounded off by just over 30 minutes of Giro d’Schön-Klinik ‘cycling’. Pádraig stayed ‘awake’ during all of these sessions and did not need any additional oxygen. Amazing. He is working so hard, he is giving all he has, and he is completely focused on getting out of this bed and getting well. To see so many people around him (and away from him, geographically) doing all they can to help him, is what gives him the energy and the conviction that he is able to get out of the ‘place’ he is in now.

Our plan is that when he does, we will turn the world upside down. There will be dancing and singing; talk, lots of talk; long nights until the dawn breaks; there will be happiness and Lebensfreude.

Have to go: Good Night. See you tomorrow!