I went in to see Isobel just after a quarter past five. I took in one of the little sedum plants Isobel had from the hospice, thinking it might suit her window sill. She was asleep when I arrived. She had eaten most of her breakfast and had a pot of balanced supplement in the morning. However she had been deeply asleep for most of the day and had missed her lunch. In the morning a urinary swab and a urine sample by catheter had been taken and sent for analysis. The nurses are convinced she has an infection but it seems to cause her no discomfort or produce any other observable effect and must be confirmed by analysis. Isobel was not very responsive and did not reply to questions today.

I helped her drink a beaker of blackcurrant squash. Tea was very late and did not appear until just before 6pm. Isobel ate her tea with no problems, although clearly very tired and consequently rather slow. I have not given Isobel tea to drink for some time, as it seems to me far less palatable than all other thickened drinks as well as losing viscosity after a few minutes. As ready thickened tea appeared with the meal I offered it to her and she drank half of it very slowly until it became very runny and we stopped. During a break of a few minutes I talked to Isobel but got little response.

Isobel took a very long time to eat a pot of balanced supplement but eventually finished it. She fell asleep immediately after and slept for almost three quarters of an hour. When she woke she still seemed rather tired but drank a beaker of orange squash without any difficulty although rather slower than usual. She was not able to indicate whether she wanted her book read to her, but in any event fell asleep again almost at once. I sat with her for a short time before leaving at just before nine o'clock.