I find myself pondering over the death of my lifelong friend last year at this time.
For 10 or more years she'd been losing her appetite, she said she never felt hungry and if it wasn't for her husband she'd never remember it was a mealtime. Later she just couldn't force food down, she tried everything from those little carrtons of concentrated drink from the hospital to simple things like Yakult.
She got thinner and thinner and eventually died. She was 73.
I don't know her weight, but she looked like someone on the pictures you see of Belsen inmates - simply a skeleton covered in skin, it broke your heart just to look at her.
I happened to be visiting one day when her doctor called round (remember that?) and I asked her about medication to improve appetite - such as hormones (I gained a stone on the 'birth pill' and my husband also gained weight with side effects from a blood pressure remedy) I also asked about feeding through a drip (as you see on TV) - but she said there were no such drugs or treatments.
I really feel she was neglected and let down.
It makes me feel so furious and helpless, especially as her death certificate read 'vascular dementia'.
Do you still wear you original wedding and engagement ring