Please can you talk to me about whether you will be abiding by Tier 4 rules this Christmas if you have a terminally ill relative?
I don’t want to say too much as it could be outting, but I have a seriously ill parent. End stage liver disease and a host of other medical problems. They have been in and out of hospital all year but increasingly over the past three months. We have been told the medication and treatment plan is not working. The condition will only deteriorate and likely a year left.
We are all now Tier 4, a 15 min drive from each other. We’ve seen each other frequently during the year as my parents have provided childcare and also when things have taken a bad turn with this patent’s health, we’ve met up to support each other. Please don’t flame me, there have been so many times in the past three months we thought they wouldn’t even make it through the night. It's been frightening and hard for us all.
The plan was to stay at my parents for three nights over Christmas knowing this is their last one. I am sure people think I’m being over the top and should suck it up, but it was the last chance for a proper family Christmas, in my childhood home, grandparents both together and with their grandchildren. I can’t help but feel sentimental and upset. I don't have the luxury of saying we can do it next year, there is no next Christmas for them.
They want to go ahead and see me, DS11 months and DD4, but I’m wracked with guilt and feel so uncomfortable about doing this. We've been isolating as have they so it's not the risk that bothers me, that's always been there and the parent's view is they are dying anyway. At the same time my heart is breaking because I know I will loose them soon and this is little get together is all that has been keeping them going. I’m worried they will give up but I just feel so uncomfortable going ahead.
No real answers, whatever I do I’m going to feel upset. I’m so sick of this year and so unhappy.