Author Archives: Lisa Battye

It’s tomorrow, 2pm. Mum’s 90th Birthday party. All of us will meet by Zoom, from here within her room, where I have been quarantined alongside Mum since Wednesday. I could not leave her in the lock-down they imposed – no visiting. Since then I’ve seen her settle, and become less frightenend in this new, unwelcomeContinue reading “I’m starting to understand.”

Nurses were packing Mum’s few things away as I arrived – Mum’s transfer from the ward to the Nursing Home for End of Life care was cancelled, I’d been told, and so had hurried in to comfort Mum – but there they were, preparing her for transport. “Quickly!” they say. “The Home are closing downContinue reading “Am I really going now?”

Mum was calm tonight. Still in the side-ward. They’ve cured the pneumonia, and the gross distress and wild confusion. Caused by constipation – the bane of nursing everywhere. Mum is lying on a magic bed that really does prevent the scourge of pressure sores. The nurses visit regularly, offering food and drink, tablets and smiles.Continue reading “So what now?”

What a difference a day can make. My Mum responds to treatment and improves. She’s had a good night. She looks at my sister, who has come up from London urgently, and opens her eyes again. And smiles. What is this thing called love, that causes strangers to pull together, and build hospitals, and takeContinue reading “Not today.”

I can’t even find how to add a picture of my Mum to this blog and yet the wish to write about what is happening to her and how I feel about it all feels almost overwhelming. They called me in today to the hospital ward because her life signs were failing and it tookContinue reading “Is Mum dying?”

I have been encouraged not to worry about how my blog looks, whether I’ve got a name for it yet, or even if I am feeling overwhelmed. And to tell why I am here. I am here because I have things to say. For most of my life I think I have been content toContinue reading “A bit of background”