An unexpected start to the day when Isobel asked for a bath at 1.15am. After the bath she went back to bed until a quarter past seven. We got off to a quick start then, with tea, breakfast and medication finished before 8am. We needed to get away by about nine for the consultants appointment at Maidstone Hospital, picking up Iona on the way. However Isobel refused to dress, or to be helped to dress, until Euan woke up and talked her round. We left at twenty five past nine and had to rush to the hospital, arriving just in time.

Professor Hawkes' brief was to see if he could think of any other explanation for the gross mismatch between Isobel's encouraging scan results and her seriously deteriorating symptoms. However Isobel did not show any sign of deteriorating symptoms and denied that anything was changing. She spoke with a fluency she has not shown since September 2007, there was no sign of dysphasia, no use of inappropriate words or inability to remember what she was saying. She even discussed the role of individual medications, something that she has consistently claimed not to understand since last year. She demonstrated good muscle power in her hands and arms, although with a very slight right sided weakness. When asked if she had any trouble getting up from seats she said that she did not, and rose briskly from her wheelchair to demonstrate this. Professor Hawkes indicted that he thought she was getting on well for someone in her condition. He confirmed that the incidents observed once by me and once by Euan while Isobel was refusing to take her medication several weeks ago were fits. He did not believe that there was any muscle wasting as a result of long term steroid reliance. Iona and I described how today was very different from Isobel's usual condition, but I believe the professor preferred the evidence of his own eyes today. Professor Hawkes said that he would report back to Dr Sadler but did not consider any further action was required, nor any further appointment needed.

After the meeting, we had tea and snacks in the oncology unit. Five minutes after the meeting Isobel's language was much poorer. We reached the car twenty minutes after leaving the meeting; Isobel was unable to get out of the wheelchair without assistance. We took Isobel directly to the hospice for lunch, she was very unsteady and unable to express herself clearly. Afterwards I drove Iona back to our house, we were both astonished by what had happened. For half an hour Isobel had convincingly portrayed herself as someone with very few problems.

Iona and I collected Isobel from the hospice at 3pm and drove to Iona's house before Isobel and I returned home. Isobel had chili con carne and pasta for dinner. She had another bath and went to bed soon after 9pm. Somehow a chance to find out more about Isobel's condition has been missed today.