Having been held up by roadworks on the way in, I did not reach the Centre until a quarter past five, just as tea arrived. Isobel was fast asleep. Isobel had been very sleepy all day and difficult to rouse. She had missed breakfast and only eaten a few spoonfuls of her lunch. She had eaten a pot of balanced supplement later in the morning and another one in the afternoon. She had drunk sufficiently during the day. The Balls (Chris's parents) had been in during the afternoon to see Isobel but I have not yet spoken to them.

It took ten minutes before I could get Isobel to open her mouth for food. Her teeth were clenched shut, although she appeared to be trying to open her mouth. She was extremely sleepy, falling deeply asleep while eating and needing reminders to empty her mouth. When her mouth opened, she had no trouble taking food from the spoon; nor did she have trouble swallowing the food, apart from the tendency to fall asleep. Eventually she ate all of her main course, dessert and a beaker of blackcurrant squash, but this process took over an hour and a half and left Isobel exhausted. For the past few weeks it has often taken a little while for Isobel to take the first full mouthful, but after that she has speeded up and eaten continuously. Today it was as if she was starting the meal again every few mouthfuls.

My efforts to talk to Isobel today received no response; she was desperately tired. I sat with her for a little more than an hour, hoping she would wake but she remained very soundly asleep. I had hoped she would eat another pot of balanced supplement tonight, but it looked unlikely that she would wake. I finally gave up and left at 8pm.

I may not get in at the usual time tomorrow to see Isobel as I am in Croydon tomorrow afternoon.

The new Speech and Language Therapist, Victoria, had provisionally indicated she would come in today at tea time to see Isobel eat. She 'phoned this morning to say that she would come in at 4.50pm on Thursday.