I moved from the uk to Geneva last week.

If you want people to ride with, particularly on the Saleve, check out the Geneve VTT/MTB Facebook group.

Sadexpunk; wasn’t aware of that update. Don’t think I commented on your original thread (not much I could have said) but that’s great news. So chuffed for you (all).

Finding out so called “relatives” were harming my family members.

Within the last 5 years-Got divorced,lost my Father to suicide,met the woman of my dreams,got divorced again,lost good mate to drug overdose,currently recovering from removal of 4th case of skin cancer(only basal cell carcinoma,but still …)and have just taken redundancy at the age of 49 years old with no real marketable skills.Currently struggling massively with motivation,or it could just be self-pity.I have good family and friends but spend a lot of my time avoiding them lately,genuinely feeling that life could go either way at the moment.
Just an average story though going by this thread so far !

Not spoken to my mum in 20 yrs, found out she died last year… but found my birth dad about 2 yrs ago and despite everything we get on great!!
So a bit of a happy ending…

Losing my (our) Mum in 2013 six weeks after finding out she had liver cancer. Things happened too fast to grasp, but I still got my distinction in my Diploma which I’d started a month and a half before we found out.

The darkest of the darkness has started to lift this spring, and I think I’m a kinder person than I was, gentler with other people from knowing that one can’t know everybody’s back story, that people might be a having shit day and not letting on about it or why.

Am possible a little bit less patient about time feeling wasted when trying to organise things too, if multiple people are having to make a collective plan. I try and remember that it’s my problem rather then their’s, but how long do people really need ‘to ponder’? Hey ho. 🙂

I definitely appreciate the simple things more than I did, that I have friends, and fruit and veg to eat and healthy food, and can cycle out the Peak, my nieces etc. Grand Plans and career plans are cool, but they’re not the essence of life quite like they used to be.

Illness and death really

Makes you realise how fragile we all are

Tried to kill myself 3rd September 2015. Came very, very close to being successful.

Got a puppy I’m training to become a Search and Rescue dog April 24th 2016. She’s ace.

It’s been an interesting couple of years….

Suffered a stroke while riding my bike home from visiting friends. lost all feeling and movement down my left side.
could not talk properly to ask for help while trying to drag myself to the closest shop for help (mother with child practically ran away from me laying prone on the floor holding onto my bike for dear life).
two homeless guys came over and at first refused to help but after pleading (through garbled speech) they called an ambulance.
I refused to let go of my bike and begged for them to take it home (I was a few minutes away)which they did prior to taking me away.
I had to learn how to walk, talk, write, wipe my *ss and every little thing you take for granted (and as a lefty, losing the use of your left side is a b*gger)which took a while but my motivation and drive was one day I’d be back on my bike.
that first ride was a nervous but happy day!

Marriage breakdown, loss of father, made redundant – all in the last 4-5 years. Not been fun really.

Blimey DezB, if you’ve got this far, you’ll hopefully see brighter times ahead. Time’s a healer for all things human.

My little boy of two years was born with a very rare genetic growth syndrome (Cornelia De Lange Syndrome). He’s great but I wont lie its hard on a daily basis as me and the wife are still coming to terms with our new situation which often feels more like carers than parents. We are lucky as his condition could have been worse. I think we are still in the grieving stage.

Motorcycle accident (after relationship breakdown) in my early 20’s. Bouncing a bike off a stone dyke doing, er, 60 mph “very fast” sure gives you perspective quickly!

Another relationship breakdown turned me even more introspective but I have a “step” son that has given me so much perspective and let me know what it’s like to be reasonably selfless which sometimes I think is the only thing that pulled me through it all.

Both my parents physical decline and their death (within 12 days of each other) last year which was hard to bear but I was assisted by my family (as I to them) and the Loon repaid any ‘debt’ he may have been due by virtue of just being there. Family bonds aren’t always formed by blood.

Think I’ve just entered my life-changing phase.

My sister phoned on Saturday night to tell me mum has been rushed to St. Barts with leukaemia… Flying back to the UK tomorrow. Naff all I can do other than hold hands and look after my sister and old man as best I can.

All other plans on hold.

My little sister had massive shoulders.

Fortunately we have a massive family (Granma and Grandad were busy in the bedroom) and all our aunts and cousins have stepped up helping my sister with her little one and mum’s dog.

Totally out of the blue… Always figured it would be dad first, and there have been enough hospital admissions in the last two years that it is almost passé for him.

Feeling shitty.

@alpin, please, do what you can to help. It’s your turn now I’m afraid.

Yup, it’s shitty. Good luck.

Cheers metal…. Mum visited me for the first time in nine years back in February (rather than me going back home to visit) which makes me happy. May have been the last time, too.

Fuckity.

Went for a walk last year and was bitten by a tick.
Has completely changed my life.

Check for ticks.