August...come she must

August,half way through the year and not a happy month at all. The first week is a mad rush to get the mother tested and checked for all parameters and I heave a sigh of relief when it's an all clear. The. It's time to go for a wedding out of town. Travelling after eight months can be a daunting task but it's managed and it's good to meet the rest of the family and attend all the functions associated with weddings. Sometimes stressful but not all bad,we are so busy that one doesn't realise how ten days pass. Back home everything seems under control and life continues as usual. I meet my friends at a wedding and we all have a good time but the fun ends right there.

It's a normal day and everything goes as routine until midnight. The mother develops breathing problems and we rush her to a hospital and into the intensive care unit. From there onwards it's a nightmare . Everything swirling out of control. No end in sight,the mothers spirits sagging and the rest of us in a state of anxiety and despair. It's slow progress,with everyday being a new challenge. The doctors speak in different voices. One is the optimist ,she is always looking at the bright side and insists that progress is good. The junior doctors don't say much but the specialist doesn't give us much hope. Going home seems like a distant dream,recovery seems like a distant dream,quality of life seems like a thing of the past.

We end August awake in a hospital room,watching over the mother,the silence of the night broken only by the beep of machines recording pulse rates and breath levels.

As September is already on us,the vigil continues and only time will tell what the new month holds for us.