Shirley was with me again. At least it's summer now so the decrepit little cottage is enjoying temperatures that are more conducive to human existence.
Simon lay in bed the whole time we were there which was the entire afternoon. We wanted to dismantle that bed and bring it downstairs so that he wouldn't have to tackle those rickety stairs again but he refused our offer. We worry that his death might come through falling down that terrible staircase in his physically weakened state. But no.
We discovered that he doesn't have a normal electricity supply contract with an energy firm. Instead he has a "pay as you go" meter into which a special USB stick is inserted from time to time. His credit had shrunk to just thirty nine pence so the meter desperately needed to be topped up. This involved me driving to the nearby village of Brandesburton where I bought £30 more credit for him. In the meantime, Shirley did some more cleaning.
We wanted him to have a bath while were there but again he said no. We worry about him slipping in the bath and banging his head. He might not be found until our next visit.
Last week, I contacted his local doctor and said clearly that I was very concerned about him and wondered whether or not there was any sort of plan in place for Simon's end of life care. The doctor said he would visit the next day but patient confidentiality rules meant he would not be able to discuss outcomes and observations with me. That seems a little crazy though of course I can appreciate the principle of the confidentiality rule.
What does he think of as he lies there? What is he remembering as he drifts between his dreamworld and the reality of a warm summer's afternoon in the heart of East Yorkshire - six miles from the sea.
When we got back to Sheffield, the traffic was snarled up because of a football match: Sweden v The Netherlands in the Women's Euros 2022. Some bright spark had dreamt up the idea of a "Fans' Walk" to Sheffield United's Stadium causing several road closures. As a result we did not have time to make and eat dinner at home and we were late for agreed babysitting duties at Phoebe's house. Grrrr!
Same as yesterday, the soothing photos were taken on Thursday's long walk.
from Yorkshire Pudding https://ift.tt/WKMzLhJ
