About 1-2 in a million

 At last, the much delayed MRI occurred. Simon has come to stay with me this weekend which meant welcome company as we supported Carol through the ordeal at 7:00 pm last night. She completed a successful scan in terms of lasting the required time in the noisy machine. Not successful in terms of the neurologists' hopes that something significant would show up.  We learned today the scan was clear.

The result is that Carol seems to have joined an unhappy rare group of  Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease sufferers, because the clear scan apparently provides evidence to them of something very unusual!  I know I mentioned this possibility earlier. CJD is so rare that only around 1-2 persons in about a million suffer from it. In 2020 only 131 people died from it in the UK. Sadly, it develops rapidly as a fatal illness with very troubling symptoms.

Today Carol has been very tired only surfacing briefly this afternoon with slurred speech and a request for Diet Coke. Friends will know this is her drink of choice and one of my vital jobs is  helping her sip minute mouthfuls without triggering coughing/choking. It's hardly nutritious but it's the only nourishment she has! 

Weekends are inevitably marking time periods in hospital.  I expect palliative care to move into action on Monday for Carol's next chapter. Unfortunately, her ward has become noisier. Immediately opposite her is another older patient also called Carol, who has demanded high attention today, calling out loudly for her husband who was only present for a short time this morning.  As staff rush in to placate her and call out 'Carol, Carol ' it adds yet further confusion!   

We keep praying for peace, comfort and courageous faith. These are not easy days.