Two weeks ago, when my sister was recovering from a nasty attack of sciatica, and my left hip twinged like a tooth abscess every time I stood up, my mother fell over in the night. No bones appeared broken and I cynically thought of it as a cry for attention (but maybe my reheumatism and my sir's sciatica were cries for atttention too).

Then, last week my mum complained of a pine in her side and her stomach got distended. To be honest it seemed very similar to the pain that I have had on and off most of my life, but she claimed never to have experienced it before. And my sis and a Duitful Neighbour started worrying. Could she have broken a rib in the fall after all? A private doctor, who mum has seen before, was consulted, and he advised a couple of days BUPA-financed investigation in the private hospital.

This put mum into a panic. She hates hospitals, she might die there. Getting ready to go to hospital this morning, panicking, she fell over again - once more, apparently, nothing broken.

Now she's there. I'm scheduled to see her there tomorrow. The X rays tell us conclusively that... but sis turned her phone off c.8pm, so I don't know.

However, I supect this unwellness of hers will be so like most of the thousands of unwellnesses that have plagued her life, frustratingly illusive elusive. But, as ever, they sure get the family headlines.