Still here...

I hadn't realised just how many weeks it had been since I had done any "proper" blogging.  The little extras I put in on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, along with the Sunday prayer, are usually done in advance and scheduled for their appropriate days.  I guess my lack of blog content is the reason I have recently "lost" a couple of followers.  Silly, really, to feel disappointed when someone decides not to visit anymore but only to be expected with my recent blogging form.

Life, as it says above, has rather got in the way lately and I've felt unable to summon up the energy or enthusiasm for chatty posts.  In fact, I was seriously considering just closing the blog altogether.   Energy and enthusiasm are still rather lacking hereabouts, to be honest, but I've decided it's time to pull up my big girl panties and get blogging....even if I just waffle on and bore you all silly!  You will have to excuse me, my loves, whilst I get back into the swing of things!

Things have been somewhat difficult here in recent weeks.  Mother-in-law, who is 92, had a couple more falls in quick succession, the second of which saw her taken into hospital.  Luckily she hasn't broken any bones but a number of health issues were diagnosed, including a serious heart problem and some kind of mass on one of her kidneys, both of which due to her age and frailty can only be "managed" with medication.  The heart condition is what has been making her dizzy and causing her to have the falls.  She has had some mini strokes and has bowel difficulties.  She was in hospital for about three weeks and was then discharged into an elderly person's care home ~ she is unable to manage on her own anymore and the level of her care needs are now more than can be catered for in the sheltered housing complex she was previously living in.

There have been many meetings with various local authority officials due to the change in MIL's circumstances but it does seem that we have more or less got most things sorted out now.  Unfortunately, we have been unable to get her into a care home in the town in which we live, as there are currently no vacancies.  It's a sad fact but true to say that we are literally waiting for someone to pass away.  So since she was discharged from hospital, she has been living in a care home some miles from here.  It isn't particularly easy to get to, as it is either a bus journey from the railway station or a 40-45 minutes walk.  Not ideal but the best that can be done for the time being.

Things have become further complicated by the fact that she now seems to be developing dementia.  Adrian and his sister have been told that it may well be that her confusion is being caused by a urine infection that she appears to have, but she seems to be getting worse despite having been on antibiotics for almost a week now.  If her state of mind doesn't improve soon, Adrian is going to discuss whether his Mum should have her mental health assessed.

As you can no doubt imagine, life has been very stressful for all of us but especially for Adrian and his sister.

And to add to the misery, we have all been poorly as well.  Beverly has had 'flu, which she is still recovering from.  Both my parents have had heavy colds, and Mum lost her voice for a couple of days.  Poor Adrian had a nasty bout of vertigo, which saw him signed off sick from work for a week.  He got over that only to come down with the same heavy cold as my parents, which Sam has had as well.  Finally I, too, fell victim to the dratted cold and sore throat, and have felt decidedly unwell since Monday.  No time is good to come down with coughs, colds and sore throats but it seems even worse somehow at a time like Christmas.      

So that, my loves, is my sorry tale.  Hopefully we will all start to feel better soon, which will make the stress of MIL's ill health a little easier to bear.