I finished clearing the back part of the living room at 5.45am. I had a premonition that the hospital bed would arrive very early (it was promised "before 1.30pm") so I got up at 7.15am to clean the carpet and piano, then started on the windows but at 8.15am the bed arrived. Isobel had passed the night smoothly, but at about 8,30 as the bed was being put together she woke and the bed was found to be thoroughly soaked. After I had cleaned Isobel up I was instructed in the mysteries of the hospital bed which requires two power supplies. Isobel will not use this bed at once but it is ready for when she is unable to climb the stairs.

Isobel breakfasted , bathed and dressed without problems. Mobilty and langusge were about the same as yesterday. Access to the hospice car park was blocked by a lorry so we had to park on the road. This is about sixty yards away - much too far for Iobel to walk now, so it was an ideal excuse to take her in using the wheelchair. There were a lot of harsh words on the way in, but it passed off with fewer problems than I had expected. Nor was there any problem when I collected her at 3pm.

After returning home Isobel watched the whole of Shakespear's Richard III on DVD. Unfortunately at the end she was discovered to be sitting on a very wet chair - who says Shakespear does not grip your attention.

Isobel had chicken in basil sauce with chips and peppers followed by blackcurrant cheescake and a Belgian bun. By 11pm she was asleep.