Hello again,

absolutely, l realised that l had little margin to spare and could ill afford to waste any of my bodies resources by going in denial or faffing about. l suspect a career in livestock husbandry stood me in good stead with the knowledge learned that immediate action  for sick animals always brings best results.

Perhaps he is being as gentle as possible with his son's by using a hammer first rather than a sledgehammer, giving them  and time to grasp the reality over time rather than a full on shock, maybe he is doing the same with himself. We are all different in our response to catastrophy, equally so as onlooker or recipient, Given time we all arrive at acceptance and the start line for treatment