Smokingboot

Yes I recognise the sense of what you say. Trouble is that on the day we are all exhausted, Mum will always push for that last little drop of energy, preferably in the form of hysteria. She has spent decades of her life imagining one horrible catastrophe or another, her favourite being disease. It has often been utterly miserable for her and for us. But I should be more patient at what is essentially a protective instinct albeit intensified and distorted by mental illness.

She has calmed down and so have I, especially as I haven't received any annoyed What-the-hell-did-you-tell-her messages from my brother.

Thanks for your kind thoughts! I will relay them to R. If the PCR test proves negative, he is going to call the doctor because whatever this is, it's pretty dramatic. He is still asleep, I hope improvement is close.