A bit of an explanation.

Hi folks, hope you are all well recovered after all the festivities.  I'd again like to thank you sincerely for the supportive comments and emails I have received, you ARE such lovely, lovely folk - you really have no idea how much I have appreciated them.
I'd also love to welcome my new follower :o)  (Waves hello).

Thank goodness, I'm back to firing on all cylinders (except I appear to have almost completely lost my sense of smell), and hubs is feeling a lot better and is going to attempt going back to work (again) tomorrow - he did return last Wednesday but had to come home again as he was still suffering with breathing problems.

I feel I should now share with you the main problem that is affecting us, though I do not wish to appear hard or even feeling sorry for myself - I'm not one of natures nurses and am finding it incredibly difficult to deal with all of this....
 
My Mother is still suffering from a chest infection with a hacking cough even after two lots of antibiotics and cough medicine.  Sadly, this is not the only problem...she has been showing more and more symptoms of dementia since the start of her illness and her depression (which she is treated for) is certainly getting worse.  We have never had a close relationship and the advancing symptoms are making this relationship even harder - she has a lot of verbal aggression if things are not exactly as she wishes, and can be very demanding - especially of time.  I can be with her for a number of hours and then when I return home she will have rung before I've even got back.  There have been days that I have had in excess of 20 calls from her even though I've been to do jobs/care for her that day, because she needs to talk to someone - I'm afraid in exasperation I've even given her The Samaritans phone number to try and lighten the demands on me.
My brother lives 170 miles away and was very shocked when he came to see her on Friday at the way she treats people that are trying to help.  (He last visited on the 21st December - her birthday).  When he comes she is normally all sweetness and light with him and his wife, but this time he saw her 'normal' behaviour.
She moved to sheltered housing in the village five years ago to be nearer to me in her advancing years and lives less than a mile away.  Once she moved here she insisted that we sorted out an 'enduring power of attorney', which looks like it will have been a blessing as things will, no doubt only get worse.

I am doing my best and I'm trying to get some further support arranged for her, which should be easier once she has been back to the Doctor for a full medical assessment (which I requested on our last visit on New Years Eve).  One of the problems are that now she says she's not going back to see the Doctor, so it looks like I have some cajoling to do - I will however see the Doctor on my own beforehand to try and explain the situation as I can foresee all sorts of difficulties when she does finally agree to go back.

Well, that's it in a nutshell.  Now you know why I've been lying low, and will not be about very often for the foreseeable future.

I sign off wishing you all well.