I apologise for my recent absence from most social media.

The first reason is that I have been incapacitated – first in hospital then at home. I’m now gradually recovering. This is the short version. Anyone who happens to be interested can read the long version below but you can just ignore it!

The second reason is that I have not been able to post to FB. Still can’t. I can read other people’s posts, leave emojis, comments, etc. and in theory I can post photos to my timeline. I shall try doing a photo of this post and we shall see. I did manage one post to my ‘story’ which of course disappears after 24 hours, but when I tried again FB had got wise to my trick and would not oblige… I did seek help. FB ignored me. I tried a so-called FB help group but they wanted $85 to rescue my account and I just refused on principle. I think I’ve DM’ed most of the people who might be actually concerned but if you aren’t among them, well, now you know!! The only way round the situation is, I think, to scrap my account and start again. So if you read this and find yourself getting a friend request from me, it really is me, not a hacker. I think I’ll use the ‘Author Jay Mountney’ name and leave the present account with (hopefully) this link, and then just cross my fingers.  I should have posted to e.g. here or Dreamwidth but till this week didn’t have the energy, either physical or mental.

Watch out for my summer reviews which I hope to post soon, and to news about my writing.

Long version of my tale of woe (stop reading at this point if you like!!)

I was already feeling fragile. 2025 started with a severe cold snap which coincided with our boiler breaking down and our immersion heater thermostat also dying. Result – ten day of being mostly frozen apart from time spent beside the wood fire, and occasionally boiled when we forgot to add cold water to the bathroom and kitchen sinks.

February arrived and that began the cataract saga involving visits to the optometrist, pre-op investigation, first op, a month of eye drops and no stooping, then an optometrist’s assessment followed by the second op and following drops etc. then the final signing off and the prescription of new glasses. All very successful but it seemed to take for ever, and meanwhile a close friend had a less successful experience and still can’t drive. So I have to be thankful.

A month later… I have had a ‘bad back’ for years, ever since helping to nurse my mother. One day in July I stood up and had to sit again and let husband apply ice packs, massage and painkillers. Eventually I was able to stand and I staggered through the next week or so, with a visit to my usual physiotherapist. All seemed to be well then one morning I woke up totally unable to stand… Also, apparently I screamed if anyone touched me. An ambulance was duly dispatched and after some time in A&E being assessed I ended up in a ward. They did a lot of investigations but ended up with my own diagnosis – muscular spasm in my lower back. Imagine a ball of fire behind your right hip and the pain radiating from there. No fractures, no slipped discs, nothing wrong with e.g. bladder, kidneys, etc. So I spent a fortnight on a cocktail of painkillers including morphine until they were able to get me standing and walking a few steps, after which they said there was nothing more they could do medically and they needed the bed… I came home with a new cocktail which only really left out the morphine. At this point the side effects from the various meds were almost as bad as the pain. Husband rose to the occasion and one of a team of carers arrived in the mornings to help me wash and dress. A bed was moved down to the lounge where I am still confined though I do walk up and down with a walking frame and sit in a chair. There are steps to the rest of the house and I have managed to negotiate them with a rail but going upstairs is beyond me. I’m improving – I can walk with the frame and can wash and dress provided everything is put close to hand. We do have a downstairs loo accessed via the lounge, but the basin only has cold water so someone needs to bring me the heated kind. I have also abandoned the drug cocktail and just take ibuprofen from time to time. The pain has died down but lurks as a kind of ghost of itself.

The carers stopped coming – they were only really handing me things. Husband said he could cope.

Then this week has been a nightmare. Husband is suffering a severe allergic reaction – investigations are still ongoing – and is really quite poorly himself. Daughter has been a rock but has fibromyalgia and asthma herself so I can see her collapsing next. Then her husband was rushed into hospital with a badly infected abscess and high blood pressure. He has had an operation and a diagnosis of diabetes.

I am taking heart from the fact that every day I can do a little more. I am able to use the laptop though at first I could only concentrate for a short while.

Cautiously saying I think I’m back!! Hi!