Seven Spade Work Continues
Tuesday, December 6th, 2022 11:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
snoozefestaudioIn the elevator up to see Dad, on the 4th floor today, I happened to ride with one of his physical therapists, who recognized me. And she said he'd made a bit more progress today.
And when I found him in his room he was back in the recliner, and seemed in good enough spirits... though not very focused on the conversation.
After a bit, he asked if I could help him get back into bed.
So... he thought that would be something I'd be able to do, no probelm.
And I didn't think so, so I hit the nurse call, and let the PCT know he wanted to get back into bed.
--<>--
So... I was there to witness how it took two PCTs, and a large piece of equipment to get the job done.
The equipment was... a tall rack on wheels with handlebars, and butt-guards on hinges?
Like, they had to wheel it up to his chair... then help him stand enough to grab the handle bars... then swing in the butt guards, once he was on his feet, so that he could lean back on them.
Then they pivoted him 90 degrees over to the bed, and did the whole procedure in reverse to get him seated on it... and then it was another huge procecure to orient his body into a proper lying position on the bed... and then adjust the bed back.
It was a five minute ordeal, in which he seemed to be in excruciating pain!.. and at one point his heart monitor started alarming, probably because his heart rate had gone sky high!
He did resume his composure pretty quickly, once he was settled into the bed, but he was covered in sweat by that point, and a little trembly.
The pain he's enduring right now is NO JOKE!
--<>--
I really don't think there's any way he'll be home in the next two or three weeks, and I'd say there's a chance that he just never stands or walks well enough to come home again!
It might just be too much for him, at the age of 88!
But if his rehab turns into... a permanent stay?.. He's not gonna like it, and he's gonna fade out.
But... we've all underestimated him before. And maybe I just saw something I shouldn't've seen today... and taken the physical therapist at her word.
--<>--
Just before I left for work, he said to me... all sweaty and trembly, "I'm really lucky to have you, because otherwise I'd have to go to a nursing home!"
That echoed his earlier assumption that I'd be able to get him out of that chair and into the bed by myself.
I thanked him for being brave through the pain... told him he was doing great... and said I'd see him tomorrow.
He's right... that I will do what I can to keep him out of a nursing home. But... I can only do so much.
So we shall see.
--<>--
My update to the group text to my siblings today was simply, "Saw Dad today. It was the same story as yesterday."
------------{=0=}------------
I do have a little side rant, about my brother Brian, because he's the only sibling who still lives in the state, and he's only half an hour away.
But he never visit's Dad in the hospital and worse, always ghosts the group texts and, when pressed, claims there are technical issues preventing him from getting the texts.
I ONLY send group texts to my five siblings when Dad's in the hospital, and they are the ONLY group text, any of us ever use with one another.
So... it's not like anybody's spamming the group text feature all the time.
Because, years ago, Brian was an idiot and thought that I was texting ONLY HIM, when it was a group text, I now always start with the line, "This is a group text..."
But now he ghosts them.
This time around, on day two of the saga (Saturday), I called his son out in California to double check I had his current phone number... which I did. So I called Brian directly, but no answer.
I called his wife... no answer.
I called his other son who lives with him. No answer.
A day later, he suddenly responded to the group text, saying that he hadn't heard about anything until Sheila had called him.
Well... how are you responding on the group text then? You shouldn't be able to do that if you never got the group text!
He was ghosting the group text, and he was also ghosting me... and had his wife and son at home under standing orders to not answer calls from me either... PROBABLY BECAUSE OF THE TREE THAT FELL IN THE BACK YARD LAST SEPTEMBER!
I think he was avoiding all calls and texts from me, out of mortal fear that I'd DARE ask for his help with the tree! Which would be WORK! And eat into his FREE TIME!
So, it took Sheila to call him, for Brian to realize that Dad had broken his hip.
But is he coming to visit Dad at the hospital this week? No. And I guarantee he won't visit Dad at a nursing home either... until Dad's actually in his death throes.
--<>--
But Brian had the nerve, the next night, to text me at work and ask how Dad was doing... AFTER I'd already sent out an update via the group text that afternoon.
He'd already proven that he can see that group text, by responding on it, the day before, but... because he's an idiot... he thought I wouldn't know that!
And so he texted personally just to PROVE that he... somehow can't see the group text still!
I never responded to that text. Fuck you! I'm not typing a special update a second time just for you, Brian! Come see him for yourself, and then you'll know exactly how he's doing!
--<>--
I mean, hey!.. if you wanna live your own life and not be burdened by old family ties, I guess I get it?
But I do gotta say it's a huge disappointment to know I have a brother, 30 minutes away, who neither I nor Dad can count on to be any help with anything, even if it's a huge calamity on the scale of a tree falling over, or Dad breaking a hip.
Those are our problems, not his!
For some people, blood is thicker than water, but for Bri... blood is thinner than helium!
And I guess we'll find out, after this entry... who lurks this blog, right?
------------{=0=}------------
At any rate, work continues on the Seven Spade card... JAN 29 - FEB 04.
Did a lot of work on the evergreens in the background, and the composition has changed.
I decided it was better to have the three candles more centered, and put the groundhog in the foreground center, low down.
And you can see, I did a bit of shading on the left candlestick.
This card's gonna be a bitch to get fully detailed and shaded! We still don't even have a hint of the wicker texture of St. Brigid's cross yet.
But, I am managing to make a little progress before and after work each day, and it is only tuesday, so... maybe it'll be done by the weekend?
°¦}
https://soundcloud.com/snoozefestaudio
And when I found him in his room he was back in the recliner, and seemed in good enough spirits... though not very focused on the conversation.
After a bit, he asked if I could help him get back into bed.
So... he thought that would be something I'd be able to do, no probelm.
And I didn't think so, so I hit the nurse call, and let the PCT know he wanted to get back into bed.
So... I was there to witness how it took two PCTs, and a large piece of equipment to get the job done.
The equipment was... a tall rack on wheels with handlebars, and butt-guards on hinges?
Like, they had to wheel it up to his chair... then help him stand enough to grab the handle bars... then swing in the butt guards, once he was on his feet, so that he could lean back on them.
Then they pivoted him 90 degrees over to the bed, and did the whole procedure in reverse to get him seated on it... and then it was another huge procecure to orient his body into a proper lying position on the bed... and then adjust the bed back.
It was a five minute ordeal, in which he seemed to be in excruciating pain!.. and at one point his heart monitor started alarming, probably because his heart rate had gone sky high!
He did resume his composure pretty quickly, once he was settled into the bed, but he was covered in sweat by that point, and a little trembly.
The pain he's enduring right now is NO JOKE!
I really don't think there's any way he'll be home in the next two or three weeks, and I'd say there's a chance that he just never stands or walks well enough to come home again!
It might just be too much for him, at the age of 88!
But if his rehab turns into... a permanent stay?.. He's not gonna like it, and he's gonna fade out.
But... we've all underestimated him before. And maybe I just saw something I shouldn't've seen today... and taken the physical therapist at her word.
Just before I left for work, he said to me... all sweaty and trembly, "I'm really lucky to have you, because otherwise I'd have to go to a nursing home!"
That echoed his earlier assumption that I'd be able to get him out of that chair and into the bed by myself.
I thanked him for being brave through the pain... told him he was doing great... and said I'd see him tomorrow.
He's right... that I will do what I can to keep him out of a nursing home. But... I can only do so much.
So we shall see.
My update to the group text to my siblings today was simply, "Saw Dad today. It was the same story as yesterday."
I do have a little side rant, about my brother Brian, because he's the only sibling who still lives in the state, and he's only half an hour away.
But he never visit's Dad in the hospital and worse, always ghosts the group texts and, when pressed, claims there are technical issues preventing him from getting the texts.
I ONLY send group texts to my five siblings when Dad's in the hospital, and they are the ONLY group text, any of us ever use with one another.
So... it's not like anybody's spamming the group text feature all the time.
Because, years ago, Brian was an idiot and thought that I was texting ONLY HIM, when it was a group text, I now always start with the line, "This is a group text..."
But now he ghosts them.
This time around, on day two of the saga (Saturday), I called his son out in California to double check I had his current phone number... which I did. So I called Brian directly, but no answer.
I called his wife... no answer.
I called his other son who lives with him. No answer.
A day later, he suddenly responded to the group text, saying that he hadn't heard about anything until Sheila had called him.
Well... how are you responding on the group text then? You shouldn't be able to do that if you never got the group text!
He was ghosting the group text, and he was also ghosting me... and had his wife and son at home under standing orders to not answer calls from me either... PROBABLY BECAUSE OF THE TREE THAT FELL IN THE BACK YARD LAST SEPTEMBER!
I think he was avoiding all calls and texts from me, out of mortal fear that I'd DARE ask for his help with the tree! Which would be WORK! And eat into his FREE TIME!
So, it took Sheila to call him, for Brian to realize that Dad had broken his hip.
But is he coming to visit Dad at the hospital this week? No. And I guarantee he won't visit Dad at a nursing home either... until Dad's actually in his death throes.
But Brian had the nerve, the next night, to text me at work and ask how Dad was doing... AFTER I'd already sent out an update via the group text that afternoon.
He'd already proven that he can see that group text, by responding on it, the day before, but... because he's an idiot... he thought I wouldn't know that!
And so he texted personally just to PROVE that he... somehow can't see the group text still!
I never responded to that text. Fuck you! I'm not typing a special update a second time just for you, Brian! Come see him for yourself, and then you'll know exactly how he's doing!
I mean, hey!.. if you wanna live your own life and not be burdened by old family ties, I guess I get it?
But I do gotta say it's a huge disappointment to know I have a brother, 30 minutes away, who neither I nor Dad can count on to be any help with anything, even if it's a huge calamity on the scale of a tree falling over, or Dad breaking a hip.
Those are our problems, not his!
For some people, blood is thicker than water, but for Bri... blood is thinner than helium!
And I guess we'll find out, after this entry... who lurks this blog, right?
At any rate, work continues on the Seven Spade card... JAN 29 - FEB 04.
Did a lot of work on the evergreens in the background, and the composition has changed.
I decided it was better to have the three candles more centered, and put the groundhog in the foreground center, low down.
And you can see, I did a bit of shading on the left candlestick.
This card's gonna be a bitch to get fully detailed and shaded! We still don't even have a hint of the wicker texture of St. Brigid's cross yet.
But, I am managing to make a little progress before and after work each day, and it is only tuesday, so... maybe it'll be done by the weekend?
°¦}
