I think your sister has taken on a very difficult task – looking after others and dealing with all the medical aspects involved – whilst also coping with a rather difficult life and the anxieties we all share. The stress that all this causes will certainly not make things any better and may be the reason why there has been no improvement. Depression certainly won’t make things any better, but at the same time I wonder whether she might be suffering from something else. Could she have MS, for example? Or is her nervous system simply overloaded in general, causing her to feel this way? The saying ‘blessed are the simple-minded’ certainly applies in this case too. The less you know, the less it bothers you. If we dismiss everything as temporary or a sign of ageing, the picture suddenly looks very different. It could, of course, also be that she’s experiencing a side effect from her current medication, and I’d certainly look into this, as well as the possibility that she has a different condition to the one currently suspected. Many symptoms occur in several different conditions.
It’s a blessing that you can enjoy lovely walks and that the sea and nature are nearby. I hope the two of you are a source of support for one another and that you manage to stay as stress-free as possible, insofar as that’s at all possible. And now that we’re all getting a bit older, it’s important that we try to enjoy ourselves, realise that life isn’t always a constant struggle, and accept that it doesn’t have to be that way. There’s no shame in taking it easy, just as there’s no shame in doing nothing. I’d say: enjoy doing nothing and enjoy each other’s company, and I wish you both the very best of luck at the doctor’s.