.......what a week.......

Nothing to compare with the tragic events in France........but all the same not a week I want to repeat.

Monday..... back to work after the Christmas break.......home to find a message....Can I attend a meeting  9.00 a.m. Tuesday about Dad?....Of course I can't...way too short notice.......also triple booked this evening.......Fishing club meeting, Quiz League match, fun quiz with the Boss and D and V.

Speak to the sister about the meeting.......decide I MUST go to Fishing club as I am the new President........find a sub for the Quiz team..............apologise to the Boss and D and V. Chair the meeting as the Chairman is ill...........dash away at the end..........arrive at the pub in time to see the team win and move back to second in the table.......run across the road to the other pub in time to see the Boss and D and V......plus B and S who had turned up finish second.
Terrible night's sleep.

Tuesday back to work...home to find a message....the consultant who hadn't been at Today's meeting wants a meeting on Thursday at 8.30 a.m............another crap night's sleep.

Wednesday into work...speak to the Head about having Thursday off work...........no problem............on the way to my lag am accosted by Jo who wants to know how things are going........part way through the conversation a tap on the shoulder...........the Head who tells me to go home as soon as possible and not come back until Monday!.............to sort out as much as I can.
Teach my only lesson.........set my work for Thursday and Friday.......plan my lessons for next week................go home........have lunch........pack a bag..........wait for the Boss to be ready and set off for Dads. Terrible drive over......dark.....lashing rain and hail........very windy. Arrive........order takeaway......eat.........beer.....bed......another terrible night.

Up early and over to the hospital. The Consultant is very nice and explains everything clearly....he begins by apologising for Tuesday's fiasco of a meeting..........and then explains that all decisions we make today will be his decisions....he's not asking us to decide what treatment is needed, he's informing us what can be and can't be done. Dad is not fit enough to be discharged yet.......and  might never be.......his heart and kidneys are failing........he has had an undiagnosed stroke which has damaged his brain stem...he has had every possible anti biotic and is receiving sub-cut fluids.......nothing can be done to reverse any of the damage.......he will at some point lose the ability to swallow.but the best course now is for Dad;s comfort and dignity..........no more anti biotics......no more fluids....food and liquids that he can manage orally.......medication that he can ,manage orally....if he stabilises a move to a nursing home........if not he remains in hospital...........and his path to the end will continue..........but may end suddenly if something stops working.

Back to Dad's house via a couple of cousins and my Uncle to inform them of the decisions. So much to think about..and prepare for........over to the Boss' Dad's to sort out him and his partner...mainly banks, cheque books, forgotten pin numbers etc.

Another awful night's sleep.

Home on Friday.....a phone call to Dad's local priest to arrange the Blessing of the Sick (it's no longer called the Last Rites)......research into wills and probate...........in bed by 9.30 ........exhausted and emotionally drained.

More of the same on Saturday........plus dealing with what you see in the photo...........many years ago I took out a private pension........it matures on 16th February..........I stopped paying in when the kids were born......I now have to decide what to do...move it to another fund........take it as a pension........take 25% as a lump sum now and put the rest into an annuity.......set it up as a pension with both myself and the Boss on it......about 9 different options..

If I take it as a pension I'll get £250 per year............if I put the Boss on it we'll get £232 per year............if I take the 25% I'll get £1630 in February and then £181 per year...if I add the Boss and take 25% we'll get £1630  and then £168 per year..................it''s hardly going to change our lives is it?

So I think it's going to be the £1630 and the £181 every February........we can use the lump sum for a holiday this year....I have a feeling we may need one!

I'll try to catch up with some comments.

Das vidanya moy padruga.