the things that can happen overnight...
Today is Saturday. A little less than 48 hours ago I received a distraught phone call from my Mother. The kind of phone call you don't want to get. The hospital said Dad might not survive the night. "Do I need to come out?" "I don't know."
He'd had a couple of minor surgical procedures, the last one being earlier on Thursday. He had been discharged, back to the nursing home. His stomach must have been a bit off, he had thrown up and apparently aspirated some of the vomit. Aspiration pneumonia can be pretty serious - and between being weakened by the surgery and this it nearly killed him.
Dad's sister and brother-in law took Mom to the hospital, where she sat up with him all night. Around 4 in the morning he started to respond.
MEANWHILE - Friday morning I went to work, thinking that I would wait until I heard news before deciding whether I needed to get in the car. It's nearly 600 miles, not a trip one does lightly. As the morning progressed it became clear that I was more distressed than I realized... fortunately we were able to get coverage for my classroom. George called in sick, and we got in the car at 1:00 pm. 10 hours later we were at Mom's.
Today we went to the hospital with her to visit him. He was sitting up and talking, although he wasn't really sure where he was. He looked at George. "Who are you?", then "You're a shady character." Looks at Mom. "YOU'RE a shady character." He was laughing. Then back to George - "he's a good-looking fellow." Later on to me, "did you get married?" "Yes, to him [patting George on the leg]" Dad laughs.
It's hard to know what he understands and remembers. It's hard to know what he can hear (he is very very deaf and was not wearing his hearing aids). He only had the stamina for a couple of hours, so when he started to nod off we took Mom to the grodery store.
I am so relieved that I did not have to help coordinate a funeral this time around. I am so relieved that I had the chance to have another interaction with him - I was afraid I wasn't going to get to say goodbye.
He'd had a couple of minor surgical procedures, the last one being earlier on Thursday. He had been discharged, back to the nursing home. His stomach must have been a bit off, he had thrown up and apparently aspirated some of the vomit. Aspiration pneumonia can be pretty serious - and between being weakened by the surgery and this it nearly killed him.
Dad's sister and brother-in law took Mom to the hospital, where she sat up with him all night. Around 4 in the morning he started to respond.
MEANWHILE - Friday morning I went to work, thinking that I would wait until I heard news before deciding whether I needed to get in the car. It's nearly 600 miles, not a trip one does lightly. As the morning progressed it became clear that I was more distressed than I realized... fortunately we were able to get coverage for my classroom. George called in sick, and we got in the car at 1:00 pm. 10 hours later we were at Mom's.
Today we went to the hospital with her to visit him. He was sitting up and talking, although he wasn't really sure where he was. He looked at George. "Who are you?", then "You're a shady character." Looks at Mom. "YOU'RE a shady character." He was laughing. Then back to George - "he's a good-looking fellow." Later on to me, "did you get married?" "Yes, to him [patting George on the leg]" Dad laughs.
It's hard to know what he understands and remembers. It's hard to know what he can hear (he is very very deaf and was not wearing his hearing aids). He only had the stamina for a couple of hours, so when he started to nod off we took Mom to the grodery store.
I am so relieved that I did not have to help coordinate a funeral this time around. I am so relieved that I had the chance to have another interaction with him - I was afraid I wasn't going to get to say goodbye.
Replies
Whew! (WHEW!) Gee, I am so relieved to hear you had a reprieve. I\'m glad you decided to make the trip because you never know. And I love that he was actually joking with G and your mom--who cares what he understands as long as he feels comfortable with whatever it is he\'s understanding, if you know what I mean...
Sending you a special good for you-hanging-in-there hug!
Special hugs B. I\'m glad you were able to get away. It\'s good to know you come by your sense of humor rightly. Wishing you and yours great comfort at this time.
Thanks Wendy, thanks Roger.