What no one knows about Christmas this year is that it almost didn\u2019t happen. Just think of the consequences of me not showing up\u00a0–\u00a0all those expectant children waiting for me to arrive and leave their presents, regardless of whether they\u2019ve been good or bad. The planning, the shopping, the letters written, the wrapping!<\/p>\n
Looking back it was inevitable really. You can\u2019t expect an old man like me to be as nimble and fit as I was even a couple of years ago. I hadn\u2019t been feeling too well for a few weeks after Christmas last year.\u00a0 At first I thought it was \u2018flu \u2013 wasn\u2019t surprised as I hadn\u2019t had my flu jab. The toy building season had been hectic and the flight on Christmas Eve really shook me up. The reindeers were unhappy with me \u2013 must admit I took it out on them a bit. But it\u2019s usually tiring \u2013 what can you expect of someone my age?\u00a0 I was grumpy and feeling rough but I didn\u2019t know why. I thought I\u2019d eaten too many mince pies but that often happens and\u00a0after a day or two I usually feel okay. Not last year.<\/p>\n
In February Mrs Claus and I usually go on holiday to Tenerife to get some sunshine but I just couldn\u2019t find the energy or the interest to get motivated. I just thought it was my age \u2013 but then I\u2019ve been old for a very long time! In March I was rushed to hospital feeling very poorly indeed (needless to say we have very good intensive care in Lapland) and after a couple of days I learned I\u2019d had acute kidney injury \u2013 quite possibly caused by an infection, the source of which was never found. Mince pie poisoning? Fir tree needlestick injury? Stubbed toe on too many fireplaces? Dehydration from too many hot chimneys? Who knows?<\/p>\n
After three weeks on dialysis my kidneys started to work again\u2013 very impractical and all the time I was wondering how I was going to manage Christmas this year. But the doctors tell me I have been left with \u2018chronic kidney disease and high blood pressure\u2019. I needed to lose some weight, take some exercise and when I told them the number of glasses of sherry I get through \u2013 well let\u2019s just say their faces were a picture!<\/p>\n
I feel well now, but I never take my health for granted and so, for all you cotton-headed ninny muggins, I\u2019ll be there again this year\u00a0–\u00a0just so long as you\u2019ve been good all year; not naughty but nice. I\u2019m a little less rotund and florid this year so the chimneys should be less of a struggle and I think the reindeer will be happy about that. Trying to stay healthy and a bit fitter. I even take my own blood pressure and Mrs Claus always makes sure I have my tablets. Turns out this internet thing is great \u2013 I even check the results of my own tests online. And a glass of water will be fine, and a carrot for me as well as Rudolph would be preferable \u2013 not sure I can face another mince pie as long as I live (and they are high in potassium) and carry on doing this job! As Mrs Claus says, I need to \u2018Think Kidneys\u2019.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
What no one knows about Christmas this year is that it almost didn\u2019t happen. Just think of the consequences of me not showing up\u00a0–\u00a0all those expectant children waiting for me to arrive and leave their presents, regardless of whether they\u2019ve been good or bad. The planning, the shopping, the letters written, the wrapping! Looking back it was inevitable really. You can\u2019t expect an old man like…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n