My poor mother! I had two lovely visits. She didn't have a clue where she was, or what was going on, but seemed fairly painfree and happy. The first, she even seemed pretty self aware, just couldn't remember anything. She asked me what the names of my daughters were, and at the end apologised for "being so stupid" which was really sad. The second was rather more bizarre, as she couldn't work out what I was doing, having found her at the girl guides rally. There was something about an event we all went to on Tuesday that involved 5 bishops?????
Today I visited in the evening as a very old friend was visiting her in the afternoon. The friend called me to tell me that she was in a lot of pain. I arrived as she was going down for an x-ray. Her hip has dislocated again (no fall this time). The doctor came to talk, and I signed a consent form for another operation removing the new hip. Apparently it will heal, and be pain free that way. She will be able to sit in a chair and "some people manage to walk". The alternative would be to put it back in again, but it's likely that it will keep popping out. Huge pain, and a hospital admission and operation each time. Her heart isn't strong, and she becomes horribly confused in hospital. I don't think it's really a choice, but I've just agreed to letting them do something that means she won't ever walk properly again, and may not walk at all. Without the dementia, she might well want to keep trying, but it all seems too much to put her through. Impossible to have to make a decision like that for someone else.