OFF HOME TO SUPPORT BETTY IN HER LAST BATTLE

I am booked on the train that leaves Moree on Wednesday, 8am.

It gets into Sydney around 5pm and I then have a 3.5 hour wait for the next train.  I told Steve that would be enough time for me to go into the heart of Sydney and have a good look around.  It was nearly Steve's heart that was explored!   He wasn't at all impressed with my idea. hee hee

Steve plans to meet the train in Albury around 4.30am on Thursday.   I'm going to have a sleeping berth for that leg of the trip.  From there, it's only about 3 hours to home.

We are leaving the van here.  Everyone has been so helpful to me and Marion next door will take some of my things into her van for safe keeping.  People are so kind.

It is time for Steve's Mother to begin the next stage of her life.  There had been plans to send her to Melbourne for an operation to enlarge some blood vessels in her lower legs.  Those plans were abandoned and palliative care has continued in Cohuna Hospital.  She will be much happier there than being bounced around to Melbourne and prodded and poked in hospital there.  Our doctor rang Steve to put this to him and we and the family were very relieved.

Steve is doing a wonderful job at home.  He sees his Mum at least twice a day, feeds her and helps her to receive phone calls from the rest of the family.  He keeps her sisters and brothers updated daily.  He tells me that some people burst into uncontrollable crying when he said that she probably had about 10 days left.  That was very hard on him.  He's keeping it together for his Mum's sake and for the sake of his sister and brothers.  He speaks on the phone and sends texts dozens of times each day, to keep everyone in the loop.  I'm very proud of him.  I just hope that people can keep their emotions under control while he is trying to organise things.

Betty has had a bad heart and diabetes for a very long time.  She has had end stage heart disease and end stage kidney disease for many months but she managed to stay at home.  

She never wanted to go into the Nursing Home and she has achieved this.  Good on you, Betty.  You won that last battle.  Only one more to go and then you can read every book in the Library, without interruption.

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