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snoozefestaudioI busted Dad out of the joint last Wednesday evening, and he's been all over he map in seven days, but today was actually a pretty good day!
Finally, after a week of people coming to take notes and not actually help, Kyangela arrived this morning to give Dad a proper bath!
She cleaned him up real good, and changed, sheet, shirt, and briefs... taking care of a bedsore he's developed on his behind.
I was worried it was a diaper rash, but she said it wasn't and that his briefs... which i'd changed two days ago, were dry.
The sore probably emerged over the four days he was in his old bed. The new one has an air matress that's supposed to shift the pressure around to prevent them.
And I know how this all sounds to you, if you've never worked in health care, or taken care of an elderly person, but... I mean, it was GREAT to have Kyangela show up today!
After She got Dad all cleaned up, I gave him a shave with my beard trimmer, and he liked that too.
--<>--
He's been very alert and lucid again, all day... and speaking normally, because his mouth isn't dried out. So... I DO think that powder mix I've been adding to his water has been making a difference.
Still no appetite, but... he is able to think and communicate normally, for the moment.
--<>--
It also finally warmed WAY up to 42F today, so walking Yvette this morning was rather pleasant.
As I found myself in the back yard with her, I looked at the hulking trunk of that fallen Mulberry tree and thought... it had been an omen about Dad, all along.
Old, crooked, battle worn tree about which i'd asked last june, how is it still standing?
But then it fell... and there it laid... still alive, but unable to stand.
And I was left to deal with it, all by myself.
--<>--
While I was away at work today, my brother Brian called Dad to keep him company!
Sheila and Michael, her 30-something son, will be here all day tomorrow.
Slowly... even as the hospice care is finally getting off the ground... my five siblings are all hatching plans to try and save Dad from his fate.
Kevin's coming for a whole week. And now Tim is talking about coming for two weeks, specifically to do physical therapy with Dad, aimed at getting him out of the bed again.
And if Kevin and Tim are here at the same time, then Brian will actually show up, because Brian still harbors hero worship for Kevin, which is greater than his natural instincts to stay home at all costs.
But Colleen is coming for several days too!
So...
With this liquid IV mix in Dad's water, keeping him alert and hydrated. And with his multivitamin, other meds, and the tiny stream of calories he's getting by nibbling on this and that...
Dad may last long enough into January for the big sibling rally to actually get him eating and somewhat mobile again!
--<>--
The question is... what happens when they're all satisfied they've rejuvinated Dad, and go back to their normal lives in February?
If he's actually able to get out of bed and around a bit, he could become a huge problem for me... falling all over the house in the middle of the night!
Or, he might just go back to fasting and return to the bed once more, like he is now... possibly taking the final nose dive into death, because he's seen everybody one last time, and had the one last big hurrah!
--<>--
As with everything else lately, it's impossible to predict how all of this will play out through January!
But... if the tree was a literal omen of Dad's death, then it remained alive for two and a half months after it fell.
And that would put Dad's death at February 15th... the exact same day that Mom died, in 2015.
It is a thought that will be haunting me, as the new year begins.
°¦}
https://soundcloud.com/snoozefestaudio
Finally, after a week of people coming to take notes and not actually help, Kyangela arrived this morning to give Dad a proper bath!
She cleaned him up real good, and changed, sheet, shirt, and briefs... taking care of a bedsore he's developed on his behind.
I was worried it was a diaper rash, but she said it wasn't and that his briefs... which i'd changed two days ago, were dry.
The sore probably emerged over the four days he was in his old bed. The new one has an air matress that's supposed to shift the pressure around to prevent them.
And I know how this all sounds to you, if you've never worked in health care, or taken care of an elderly person, but... I mean, it was GREAT to have Kyangela show up today!
After She got Dad all cleaned up, I gave him a shave with my beard trimmer, and he liked that too.
He's been very alert and lucid again, all day... and speaking normally, because his mouth isn't dried out. So... I DO think that powder mix I've been adding to his water has been making a difference.
Still no appetite, but... he is able to think and communicate normally, for the moment.
It also finally warmed WAY up to 42F today, so walking Yvette this morning was rather pleasant.
As I found myself in the back yard with her, I looked at the hulking trunk of that fallen Mulberry tree and thought... it had been an omen about Dad, all along.
Old, crooked, battle worn tree about which i'd asked last june, how is it still standing?
But then it fell... and there it laid... still alive, but unable to stand.
And I was left to deal with it, all by myself.
While I was away at work today, my brother Brian called Dad to keep him company!
Sheila and Michael, her 30-something son, will be here all day tomorrow.
Slowly... even as the hospice care is finally getting off the ground... my five siblings are all hatching plans to try and save Dad from his fate.
Kevin's coming for a whole week. And now Tim is talking about coming for two weeks, specifically to do physical therapy with Dad, aimed at getting him out of the bed again.
And if Kevin and Tim are here at the same time, then Brian will actually show up, because Brian still harbors hero worship for Kevin, which is greater than his natural instincts to stay home at all costs.
But Colleen is coming for several days too!
So...
With this liquid IV mix in Dad's water, keeping him alert and hydrated. And with his multivitamin, other meds, and the tiny stream of calories he's getting by nibbling on this and that...
Dad may last long enough into January for the big sibling rally to actually get him eating and somewhat mobile again!
The question is... what happens when they're all satisfied they've rejuvinated Dad, and go back to their normal lives in February?
If he's actually able to get out of bed and around a bit, he could become a huge problem for me... falling all over the house in the middle of the night!
Or, he might just go back to fasting and return to the bed once more, like he is now... possibly taking the final nose dive into death, because he's seen everybody one last time, and had the one last big hurrah!
As with everything else lately, it's impossible to predict how all of this will play out through January!
But... if the tree was a literal omen of Dad's death, then it remained alive for two and a half months after it fell.
And that would put Dad's death at February 15th... the exact same day that Mom died, in 2015.
It is a thought that will be haunting me, as the new year begins.
°¦}
