Weary Days

Much as I love writing this blog, I do try to have some balance in my life and so writing it is largely contained to Wednesdays now that I have -- or perhaps Blogger has -- worked out how to schedule posts in advance. I download whatever pictures I have, look at old drafts, think about any news and then write as many posts as I can to schedule for the days in the coming week. The small down side to this is that the blog doesn't reflect our most current events.

Sometime in the last couple of weeks there was an outbreak of diarrhoea and vomiting in the residential home where Bill's Mom, Ellen, lives. Not an unusual thing to have a viral outbreak in a group home like that. They rang to say she was ill. Bill was a little dodgy around then, some of his colleagues at work had bugs -- the usual winter stuff. Just before we left for Hull, Bill called in and Ellen was better, sitting up and drinking tea. On Saturday however, she was much worse again only this time with pneumonia. The doctor rang and had a discussion with Bill about whether or not to take her into hospital. On the basis that they didn't give her any better odds of improvement even with aggressive antibiotics, that personal care in hospital is just about non-existent and that she was comfortable and very well looked after at Abbeyfield, Bill thought it kinder to let her stay in her own bed rather than subject her to the discomfort and disorientation of a trip to hospital.

As of this writing she is still with us. I saw her on Monday. Her niece, Kathleen and husband Bobby were there and with Bill and me in the room it seemed rather full. Ellen's eyes were open, but I don't know if she knew Kathleen or if she even really saw anything. Her breathing was a little laboured but she looked comfortable. Kathleen said she didn't seem to have a temperature, but she refused any liquids and has done for several days. Bill goes by to see her every day and the staff take turns sitting with her. She may get better, but at 94 it is by no means certain. So we are in a time of waiting.