At about 10:45am the phone rang whilst my parents were out shopping at Asda. It was one of my relations who lives up in Derbyshire, close to where my nan and uncle Bob live.

She asked me to pass on the information that Bob was gravely ill in hospital awaiting a probable leg amputation due to gang-green.

As the day progressed, more information came forward from various sources including a staff nurse at the hospital. It seems that Bob’s too ill to be operated upon and has septisemia. Not only this but the doctors have given him only 24-48 hours to live.

My nan is in the advanced stages if senility and has become unmanagable and is in no state to keep herself and hence has been taken into care.

It’s not yet determined what will happen in the next few days. It’s highly likely that myself and my parents will have to first travel up to my place and then hence up to Derbyshire.

Unfortunately, these events aren’t wholey a surprise. Bob has been going down hill healthwise for some years. He’s got diabeties which has caused many complications. Also, he’s not been exercising to help with his circulation problems but instead just sitting in a chair watching telly.

It’s sad but I don’t know why I don’t feel worse. I just feel like it’s one of those things and it’s a set of events which require coping with. I also have a feeling of slight annoyance that Bob could have done things in the past to help prevent such a fate as that he finds himself at the moment.

Well, it’s now just gone 11pm and there’s been no further word since I wrote the previous part of this entry mid-afternoon. I wonder what tomorrow will bring.