Derek Update, but not much to report

No improvement today with Derek, in fact he might have gone backwards to some small degree. I worked at Raintree so couldn’t help out with lifts or anything in the morning but Tash worked early so she could get up to the hospital for about midday and support Mum and bring her home afterwards when they’re kicked out at 1.00pm. Tash said that he just slept throughout and there was little response to any discussions etc and it was an emotional morning with plenty of crying.

So I got some stuff sorted when I got home from work and then went to the JR about 7.15pm in the end and again it was the same thing, I think he opened his eyes a couple of times and reacted to both Mum and my voices but it was little else that happened. He does move and flinch from the discomfort of the tubes down his throat so we see that as a positive thing because it shows there is feeling and activity, if he was doing literally nothing then that would be much more concerning.

Mum did most of the talking as usual, it’s a nervous talking and is constant, but it’s good for her that one of us is always there for her. Charlotte is going to go tomorrow, I think she’ll find that really tough and emotional and understandably so. We haven’t put any pressure on the kids to go and it’s their own decision, it’s shocking but you do sort of get used to it but it’s still so sad. Not sure if Jack will go, I think he wants to and it would be nice if he did but again, we’ll see how things progress.

So tomorrow they are likely to take the tube helping him to breathe out so that he does breathe on his own, apparently you can become so used to things helping you that your mind switches off and “forgets” how to breathe…not good! The tube is not breathing for him, it’s just increasing the oxygen when he takes a breath, but he does need to do it himself asap apparently.

We will see how that goes later, I am in Kent tomorrow so won’t be home until late and not able to go up there until the evening.

Still don’t know how Mum is managing to cope with it, she must be under such strain and be exhausted.