Mum is very poorly now. I went home today and she’s much like she was in February the day before she went into a coma. At that point we thought she only had hours to live, but it’s been six months since then. Looking back on it, we think it was chemo that caused the sudden dip. This time, there seems to be no obvious, reversible cause, just disease progression. Mum’s bloods are all way out. She’s very sleepy and largely immobile, but thankfully not in any pain.

It’s been a weird weekend – I slept from Friday night until Sunday morning (a mixture of illness and exhaustion I think), then went home for the majority of today. Mum has deteriorated so quickly since I last saw her a week or so ago. It’s not particularly distressing, just very sad. On the plus side, I did manage to find out which Christmas cake we make, which Christmas cake we make for my granddad, and where the list of people we buy presents for it. I even found out which mincemeat recipe we use and I don’t even like mincemeat.

I don’t know what you’re supposed to asked your Mum when you might not be able to ask her something tomorrow, or the day after. I don’t know what you’re supposed to say. I know that even when she’s asleep she likes hearing us around her talking and laughing. I know that she can still show a bit of a smile. I know that she still likes weak juice through a straw. I know that she’s still warm enough to hold. I know that she still cares about us and loves us deeply.

This week I’m going to try and manage uni alongside going home most nights. Attempting to maintain some normality in an abnormal situation. I don’t know how it’s going to go… we’ll see.

I don’t really know what else there is to say. I guess death is all a part of life. I’m going to try and sleep before I have to face tomorrow.