/head> Zuma the Dog: illness

Colourful Clothes for Cool Kids









WELCOME TO OUR BLOG


KEEPING CHILDHOOD ALIVE!





Showing posts with label illness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label illness. Show all posts

Monday 23 December 2019

A Year in Review


When I posted the last update from the world of me, I didn’t expect it to be my last in over a year. Like for many, 2019 has been quite the roller coaster. While December started of with promise, with me being awarded “Best Children's Entertainment Brand 2018 – UK” by LUX Life Magazines Global Excellence Awards of 2018 and the ongoing work towards my animated series, we were all very excited for the new year ahead. But as January took hold it was evident 2019 was to be a challenging year ahead.

Two family cancer diagnoses, one celiac disease diagnosis, one pending, an extreme case of iron and vitamin B12 deficiency, a dementia diagnosis and an ageing dog (that’s me). It’s quite a lot for one small family, but as families do, we drew together in support of each other. While the cancers have been beaten and the autoimmune diseases managed, we still stand by helpless as we watch a beloved member of our family decline and taken away from us due to the cruellest of diseases. Dementia.

An unexpected, rapid decline since diagnosis. Memories are lost, family members and loved ones forgotten as confusion sets in and we all watch, hands tied as our loved one relies on memories of a childhood suppressed. Calling out for their long-departed mother in tears. Difficult to watch as a childhood, filled with abuse are memories most remembered as events are relived. Forgotten family members stand by as we work together to love and support each other. With tides between us all, we cry, console and listen, like blind people In the darkness we feel our way through the endless forms, meetings and legal jargon that comes with a family member in care with dementia. We work our way through the process to make sense of what is right for our lost loved one.  

I use the word “lost” as I feel there is no other word to describe it. A physical presence is with us still, but the rest is gone only for brief moments of clarity, lucidness where the old person revisits before leaving us again with only the body of the loving, caring, beautiful person who once resided in this now empty shell.

What can we do? How do we all live with and manage something so wicked? We live with hope, though I guess time will tell, as a family, together we follow each other down the rabbit hole of dementia.


As we kiss goodbye to an eventful year for all, I can proclaim it’s not all been doom and gloom. While still under non-disclosure agreements, I am limited to what I can tell you. Just that while I take some family time to enjoy Christmas, snuggle under a blanket in front of the fire while the snow falls and winds howl outside, it won’t be long before we, and in “we”, I mean, Mummy will be full steam ahead for some exciting things for 2020.I hope it won't be too long before I can spill the beans on all the exciting things happening.

With much love from

Zuma XX














P.S. I won’t leave it so long next time, I promise.