How awful can it get?

Some members may remember quite a while ago that I started a thread about care homes and the way that my brother-in-law Ray, who has Alhzeimers was being treated. Since then he has struggled beyond belief to survive, but of course isn't able to recognize his own family or participate in conversation etc. All those around him seem to have a different form of Alhzeimers to him, and so react differently, but last Friday Anna and I visited him and because he was in such a terrible state, cold, hot, hardly able to breathe the medical staff were called. He was diagnosed with swine flu! Anna and I have been wondering for several days now whether either of us will end up with it, but as of today we are okay so fingers crossed. On top of that Anna has her mother with the same disease, also in a carehome who has very brief moments of past family history. How awful can it get is the title of the thread, but I just read through Rita's posts again and don't they make a whole lot of valued sense? Thank you again Rita. For Anna, and because it's my mother-in-law Betty's birthday today also, I am going to start a thread Happy Birthday Betty. I know she won't see it or even if she did, know what it was all about so this as much as anything is for Anna, who puts in so much time trying to keep her Mum happy and gives her Dad reason to live. Further, I won't be offended if members don't contribute to the thread, after all POE members don't know Betty do they? We do, so I hope you will all forgive me for setting up a happy Birthday Betty thread...

Thanks Peter and Peggy, appreciated!