Did you miss me?

I very rarely act on impulse but last Saturday I packed the car with enough gear for a week for Ray and I and drove it to Queensland. Six days and just over 1300 miles later we are back. And I don't regret it.

Ray's brother and an old friend live within 10 miles of each other in a small coastal town in Queensland about 80 miles north of Brisbane. Both have been sick and had pretty serious health problems and operations since Christmas and somehow I just had to get to see them. It was two days driving each way and we only spent a day with each family but it was worth it. I now have a reassurance that both are in reasonable health and that is a big worry laid to rest.

Ray was good and bad on the journey. At one stop where I couldn't park anywhere near the toilets and he had to walk he had a really bad panic attack and I had to prop him up as he started to go down. Never seen him do anything like it, it was almost like a fit. Another couple of times he got almost as bad. I think the idea of driving to see his brother and his friend was appealing to him but the actual journey threw him for a loop and every little thing seemed twice as hard to him as it does at home. Walking in particular seemed really difficult even for small distances. Maybe now he has dementia just the thought of the trip was so overwhelming that he snapped a little.

By day three he was fine. He really enjoyed the day at his brother's house it was the first time we had been there in four years and they made us so welcome. We had booked into a motel for three nights and they almost insisted that we go and get out bags and stay with them. I thought with some of the less attractive aspects of Ray's health problems it was better to be by ourselves so we just said "maybe next time" and stayed there for the day and well into the evening. The visit to his friends' place was the same, they were overwhelming in their delight to see us. It is so sad to be so far from good friends. They moved north for the milder winters and to be near family but we sorely miss them.

I drove for two full days to get home. Tonight with a lot of nightwork being done on our main highway it was so slow as we went out into open road and back through roadworks again and again. It halved our speed and doubled our time so it was way past dinner time when we arrived home. Ray is sleeping contentedly in his own bed now. He has been very good at night though I have had to help him up a few times through each night as exhaustion seemed to reduce his ability to get himself up.

While on the road in my thinking time I have decided that we will get more driving holidays in while he is in reasonable health. I have two or three spots within a day's drive that I would like to spend a week at, several friends have extended invitations to stay over also so I will see if I can take up those offers too.

For those who would criticise me for taking off so impulsively I have one answer. I have put off a lot of things in life due to Ray's health but some things I have achieved against great odds. And sometimes I think if you really want to do something and think you can't, just do it anyway.