After the nightmarish start to the weekend and with all the hours spent by Mum’s side today she seemed to have returned her normal self. The hospital phoned at 1,30 to tell me they were moving Mum from HDU to the Hockley ward which is on the same floor. I had my lunch then drove, along with Squidy, to see her. She was tucked away in the corner looking far better than she had for days. Her face lit up when she saw us. I apologised for not being able to stay the previous night with her. She said that no one had told her why I hadn’t turned up so, even though I had done nothing wrong, I said sorry. She squeezed my hand then turned her attention to Charlotte who she loves so much. It was heart-warming to see my Mum looking and behaving more like her old self. Her voice is still weak and her hands shake when raise them but in light of the seriousness of the operation it is hardly surprising. She spoke of the past few days saying she was aware that much of what she said was nonsense. She also expressed how she feared for her sanity thinking that she, due to the bowel obstruction, was declining into senility, that she was losing her mind. She said to wake up and see other faces around her were most welcome. I told her it was not her mind but possibly the anaesthetic that caused the hallucinations. It seems unlikely now that she had septicaemia as her wound looks clean. We will have to wait for the results of her blood test.


I managed, as Jasmine and Jamie, now returned for his skiing holiday, to make all of Paul’s amends saving them onto the master USB. Now I need to chase Dave. Goodness knows when I will be able to see him as I will still have to visit Mum over the coming weekends. I must also reply to Lorna’s husband as his E-mail to me arrived before Christmas.

I returned to the hospital in the evening. Ron and Audrey were there and were flushed with happiness to see Mum looking and sounding so much better. Mum even made mention of all the family taking a holiday when she has fully recovered, one she said she would pay for in perhaps Scotland or Ireland. . We will have to wait and see.

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all words and art are copyright © of Russell 'C.J' Duffy. For another side of CJ go here: sOMeThiNg For tHE wEeKeND, SiR?