Tw oservices today and it is bitterly cold in our churches. But for all that I have a sense of having worshipped. Nothing till evensong. I think I'll do some ironing.
But Hephzi meets me with the news that my mother-in-law is ill in Harrigate and my sister-in-law has rung. She is an oncologist and so I take her medical opinion seriously. I ring. 'This could be it',she says. My mother-in-law has been in only moderate health for some time and she is over 80, so if she is failing it wouldn't be entirely unexpected. But still...
I ring Fiona and she says she will sort evensong, I rung around to sort Imogen and what haooens when she gets back from the WCCYM weekend away in Hunstanton (must be FREEZING). Then I start texting Carrie in Dublin (girly weekend away) to warn her she may need to move her flight.
We set off for Harrogate and meet MILs other children at the hospital. Eventualy we find her in A&E. She is reasonably cheerful, but obviously in a lot more pain than she is admitting to. We hang around. The doctor comes, they give her morphine. She is now too drowsy to see us and the yget her up on to the ward.
We go to her house and have tea - and discuss other options than her living at home going blind (macular degeneration) with a failing heart. But in my heart of hearts I know she will keep going to the bitter end if she possibly can.
There doesn't seem much else to do - tests will reveal what they reveal in the next few days - so we come home.
I am shattered - but I'm still glad we did it - the day we don't will be the day that she dies. And these alarums are only to be expected...but how good it would be if only we could get her into somewhere sheltered.