Life Lately — Hospital Battles, Broken Spirits, Music and Justice
Sometimes life gives you a reason to celebrate with one hand while making you want to bang your head against a brick wall with the other.
The past week and a half has been an emotional rollercoaster. We’ve experienced everything from pride and happiness to anger, disappointment, and absolute disbelief.
And somewhere in the middle of it all, I’ve been trying to keep everyone’s spirits up.
Including my own.
When Your Best Still Isn’t Good Enough
As many of you know, my husband has been on dialysis since January 2020.
In June 2023, he suffered a terrible accident, fractured his hip, and experienced several heart attacks. Because of his heart condition, the doctors couldn’t operate on his hip.
Since then, he has been dependent on a wheelchair.
We had understood that he was supposed to be on the kidney transplant list, but his doctors at our local dialysis ward informed us that he had been denied because he was a wheelchair user.
So, for the past few months, my husband has been attending physiotherapy twice a week.
And he has worked incredibly hard.
After more than three years, he can finally walk a little with the assistance of a walker!
I cannot begin to describe how proud we are of him.
Every step is an achievement. Every little improvement is a victory.
Yesterday, he travelled to the hospital in Las Palmas with both our daughters to demonstrate his progress.
One daughter was responsible for his walker, while the other took care of his wheelchair.
They went together, hoping that showing the doctors how far he had come would make a difference.
But apparently, it wasn’t enough.
He was told that walking with a walker wasn’t sufficient because he couldn’t walk without assistance.
Excuse me?! WTF?!
This is a man who has survived several heart attacks, has a fractured hip that was never surgically repaired, and undergoes dialysis three times a week.
And after more than three years, he has managed to get back on his feet.
What more do they expect?
I understand that kidney transplantation involves complex medical assessments. But surely each patient deserves to have their individual circumstances and progress properly considered?
We haven’t received anything in writing explaining the decision.
Thankfully, his doctors at the local dialysis ward are now following up on the matter.
When they heard what happened, they were furious.
And so am I.
But what hurts me most isn’t my own anger.
It’s seeing what this has done to my husband.
He’s feeling terribly defeated and has started saying that nothing he does is ever good enough.
And that breaks my heart.
Today, he also had dialysis, which always leaves him exhausted. He’s been rather withdrawn, and I know the disappointment is weighing heavily on him.
I wish he could see himself through our eyes.
Because we don’t see a man who hasn’t done enough.
We see a man who refuses to give up, despite everything life has thrown at him.
And Then There’s the Healthcare Travel Ban!
As if the transplant situation wasn’t frustrating enough, two weeks ago we received another telephone call.
Apparently, my husband had been banned or blacklisted from using the healthcare travel voucher system, known as Bono, for flights to his hospital appointments in Las Palmas.
The reason?
Two travel voucher requests for an appointment in September.
Sounds suspicious, doesn’t it?
Well, here’s the ridiculous part.
The hospital had entered the wrong appointment date!
They corrected their mistake, which resulted in another Bono request.
And somehow, we are the ones being penalised.
Now we have to provide proof of every hospital appointment he has attended over the past six months, so the restriction can hopefully be lifted.
Six months of appointments!
Between dialysis, physiotherapy, specialist consultations, hospital visits, and everything else, we could probably open our own medical records department.
Honestly, sometimes I wonder whether common sense has packed its suitcase and gone on holiday.
Preferably somewhere sunny.
And apparently without needing a Bono.
Trying to Keep Everyone’s Spirits Up
I won’t pretend any of this has been easy.
It hasn’t.
I’m trying to keep my husband’s spirits up, support our daughters, and somehow remember to look after myself in the process.
Some days are harder than others.
There are moments when I want to scream at the unfairness of it all.
Other moments when I just feel exhausted.
But we keep going.
Not because we’re superheroes or because we’re endlessly strong.
Simply because we’re a family, and we love each other.
And sometimes, keeping everyone’s spirits up means finding something to laugh about, making another cup of coffee, or celebrating the smallest victories.
Even when the world seems determined to make everything unnecessarily complicated.
And Now for Some Wonderful News! 🎶🐎
Thankfully, the past week and a half hasn’t been all hospitals, paperwork, and frustration.
Something rather exciting happened!
I received a request to create a song for a local riding club here on Fuerteventura.
Centro Hípico Cuadras Victoria.
Having loved horses for most of my life, this was a project very close to my heart.
The club wanted something catchy, energetic, and meaningful. A song celebrating horses, passion, freedom, and inclusion.
A place where everyone is welcome, regardless of nationality, background, or who they love.
Music, horses, and acceptance?
Now that’s something I can happily put my heart into!
The song is approximately 80% Spanish and 20% English.
And while I can manage some Spanish, writing lyrics in another language is quite a different challenge.
Thankfully, my daughters came to the rescue and helped me with the Spanish lyrics.
A little family teamwork!
And the result?
Cuadras Victoria — Pasión y Libertad.
I actually created two versions of the song.
One with a modern EDM beat, and another inspired by the passionate rhythms of flamenco.
The club owners loved the music, and their excitement has been absolutely wonderful.
For the public release, I’ve decided to share the flamenco version, as that’s the version they wanted.
And I couldn’t be happier.
The combination of flamenco, horses, and Spanish passion feels perfect for the club.
Knowing that something I’ve written and created might become part of their riding shows and celebrations is such a wonderful feeling.
And after everything else that’s happened lately, this little musical adventure has brought some much-needed happiness into our lives.
Sometimes, the most unexpected opportunities arrive just when you need a reason to smile.
Meanwhile, We’re on Verdict Watch in the Faith Hedgepeth Case
On another note, those of you who follow my interest in true crime and justice know that I’ve been closely following the Faith Hedgepeth murder trial in North Carolina.
We are now waiting for the jury’s verdict.
And I have to say, this trial has left me with serious concerns.
I went into the case with an open mind.
I’ve followed the testimony, forensic evidence, courtroom arguments, and the issues surrounding what the defence was permitted to present.
And in my opinion, the prosecution has not met its burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
There are simply too many unanswered questions.
I have particular concerns about the limitations placed on evidence and testimony relating to possible third-party involvement.
I don’t claim to know who killed Faith.
But I am not convinced that the defendant’s guilt has been established beyond a reasonable doubt.
And that distinction matters.
A suspicion is not proof. And reasonable doubt cannot simply be brushed aside.
Personally, I’m hoping for either a not-guilty verdict or a hung jury.
Not because I don’t want justice for Faith.
Quite the opposite.
Faith deserves justice. Her family deserves answers.
But justice also means ensuring that the right person is held accountable and that the accused receives a fair trial.
A man’s freedom is at stake, and that responsibility should never be taken lightly.
Whatever the jury decides, I hope the search for the full truth never stops.
Finding the Light Between the Storms
So, that’s life in our little corner of Fuerteventura lately.
Hospital battles, bureaucratic nonsense, emotional exhaustion, courtroom frustration, and somewhere in between, a beautiful musical opportunity.
I’m proud of my husband.
I’m proud of our daughters.
And yes, I’m allowing myself to feel a little proud of my music, too.
Because even during difficult times, we need something that reminds us why we keep going.
I don’t know what will happen with the transplant decision.
I don’t know how long it will take to sort out the Bono situation.
And I certainly don’t know what verdict the jury in North Carolina will deliver.
But I do know one thing.
My husband’s progress is real, whether the hospital acknowledges it or not.
Every step he takes matters.
And while I’m trying to hold everyone together, I’m also reminding myself that I don’t have to have all the answers.
Sometimes, getting through another day is enough.
And sometimes, life surprises you with a flamenco rhythm, a beautiful horse, and a song you never expected to write.
So, I’ll keep the coffee brewing, the music playing, and my fingers crossed that some common sense eventually finds its way back into the world.
One step. One song. One day at a time.
With love from Fuerteventura, 💜
With love, coffee, poetry, and stardust,
— Maggie The Afterlove Voice 💫
DJ Maggie in the house
https://ditto.fm/arena-51-the-calima-conspiracy-original-mix
https://ditto.fm/arena-51-the-calima-conspiracy-alien-invasion-remix
My song “Silenced,But not broken ” is on streaming platforms.
Lyrics video :
https://ditto.fm/silenced-but-not-broken
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