Something happened on the recent trip to Lourdes I hadn’t mentioned yet. For the first time in my entire life, someone who wanted to know my age and who I asked to guess said: around 60. Can you believe it? How wrong can you get this??!!

I had to think about this today, as I realised that over the past few weeks, I’ve saved the Irish tax payer, more precisely the HSE, thousands of euro by doing the work of the four PAs who are usually helping Pádraig, never mind doing the work of several therapists. Not out of choice. When I asked the HSE about paying PAs in Germany, they started to look into this possibility and, as far as I am aware, they are still doing it.

Pádraig and I visited a friend’s house this afternoon here in Pforzheim which was great because it took us out of the therapy environment dominating our days. For a few hours we talked about anything but brain injury, rehabilitation, and An Saol. As if life was ‘un-injured’. Pádraig had cold drinks and a huge home made strawberry ice-cream, and didn’t cough even once. He tried so hard that he managed it all perfectly.

I’ve decided to follow Pádraig’s example to defy the laws of physics, chemistry, biology and whatever else, as Pádraig a true dreamboater, and that I will be strong, fit and confident – most of the time:) – as he is.

Even when I’ll be 60 one day (in the distant future) or even older!