but I get up again, you’re never gonna keep me down’*  Now, the other lyrics in this may suggest the self-indulgent reason for being on the floor -‘pissing the night away’ taking  whisky, Vodka, Lager and cider drinks have something to do with it, you would think!  But, ignoring that, the two lines at the beginning always bring a smile to my face.

As you know, I’ve had my fair share of being knocked down by my poor health – sometimes literally.  The times I’ve fallen, there has been a split second where I’ve thought, I can’t pull myself up again, but always, I have managed it.  Some days, having no workplace to head to, I have to shake off the urge to just go back to my bed and hide there until it’s time to get the kids again.  That, to me, would be another instance of getting knocked down by this pesky illness.  And it would not help either.

However, this blog is not mainly about me.  It’s about everyone who thinks they’ve turned a corner, only to find another massive ton weight dropping on their head, driving them down again.  My mum, for example, broke her hip and was nearly safe to drive when she dislocated it.  A couple of months later, when she was sure she was recovered, it happened again.  That’s one sure fire way to send you into a terrified despair.

Cancer is most definitely the master of this – fooling you into believing you’re better, and then sneaking up on you again.  Even those who make a great recovery are never free from the fear of its return.

So what to do?  Steel yourself, set your hands on the steady ground and get back up again.  A world of people lying down is a world that’s already dead.  You’re alive, so lift up your fists, and get ready to fight another day.  As the Japanese proverb says,

‘Fall down seven times, stand up eight.’

*Chumbawamba, 2007