Tired

Late afternoon

The nurse has come and does her evening programme. I look over and see Lara's head at a particular tilt which I recognize all too well. She is despondent. I walk over and softly ask her what the matter is. "I am so tired of all of this, this whole routine!" She is about to say that she wants 'out', but stops herself, waiting for a more private moment. "I know, she says, I will just have to go through the process."

Doctor Willemot calls in with the results of the blood test taken this morning. All values are pretty much stable (although low), except for the hemoglobin which has gone from 8.2 to 7.0 in four days. That is not good. It explains why she is feeling weak. I ask her about the level of antibiotics (now since weeks at 4 grams a day). She will take it up with the doctors at St. Luc on Monday.

By 8:00PM she has developed enough of an appetote to eat a soya burger and finishes in time to walk over to the TV-room and watch Palais Royale. Tonight's episode has a review of Queen Elisabeth's sixty years of reign and she didn't want to miss it.