Christmas is over for another year.
My mother is not too well and it is clear that she doesn't have long left.
It is just over a year since I heard her diagnosis of lymphoma and it feels like it has been longer.
The news I have been dreading over the last few weeks has arrived.
The tests I had were clear but it has been confirmed that her condition has deteriorated very rapidly over the last few weeks.
My uncle, who is a doctor, was supposed to be coming down yesterday to see her but he is away himself with severe food poisoning and probably other symptoms that I can't remember offhand.
She is on medication so it is just a question of time and I suspect she will only be with us for another few days or a week.
It seems that, once more, I have made a visit to the local hospital with my father.
This time it was for him.
He had a bad nose bleed the night before and couldn't sleep.
I called an ambulance and we arrived at around 2: 00 a.
m.
He has another appointment to go for a throat check on Tuesday but the doctor did not think it was necessary for him to go in that day.
I told the doctor that he has trouble swallowing, especially with drinks, and with the mouth ulcer he had a few weeks ago.
I think the doctor wanted to prescribe some stronger antacids but he seemed more worried about the nose bleed than the ulcer so he gave him a packet of after shave.
At least he had some good news for me.
I am less well than I was last year.
I haven't felt very well for a few weeks, have lost weight, am not eating very well at all, and have had a few spells of dizziness which have left me feeling ill.
I have my blood tests on Wednesday and a doctor's appointment on Thursday and, hopefully, will have more answers on Friday.