Back to the Hospital

The morning after making the levee, Dad's nurse at the nursing home called to say Dad had a chest X-ray and there is fluid on his lungs. They were sending him to the Emergency Room.
I got to the ER to find Dad waiting on a hospital bed. He was asking to talk to his cousin Pauline. This had me concerned because she had died years ago. I didn't stay long as I had to get to work. The next morning, I found him in a room on the 5th floor. I stayed a while then headed home and to bed. His doctor called me later that day and stated Dad needed to have the fluid removed from his lung. She stated his left lung had collapsed. The next day they removed the fluid. Since this was Friday, I waited until Monday to ask for the results. Nobody called me Monday or Tuesday. Wednesday the specialist called me to say Dad's lung was full of fluid again and they suspected cancer. Shock. Horror. My mind spun back 40 years ago when I was little and Dad smoked. My mind said no, it couldn't be cancer. In the mean time, each visit with Dad had him talking about stuff that happened 20 or more years ago. I made up my mind to go down to the hospital, Thursday morning April 30th. I made it home from work and bathed. While getting dressed, the Social worker assigned to Dad called and asked to meet with me. I told him I was on my way to find out about Dad's treatment. I got to Dad's room to find him eating lunch and really enjoying it. The Social worker arrived and we went to the end of the hall to talk and be comfortable. He told me his job in Dad's treatment and I told him my concerns about finding out if Dad did, if fact, have cancer. He had me wait and he came back to state if I could wait until 12:30, the Medical Director would answer all my questions.

While I was waiting for the Medical Director, Dad asked to sit up in the recliner. While he sitting there, I was dozing on and off.


Today is Sunday, August 21, 2011. I have tried to finish this post numerous times, but just couldn't find the wantto, to finish it.

While I was waiting for the Medical Director, Dad asked to sit up in the recliner. While he was sitting there, I was dozing on and off. He told me he wanted to get back in bed. I went out and told the nurse, then returned to that comfy chair. Dad made some unnatural movements and I hollered for the nurse. Dad was twitching uncontrollably . I felt ill in the stomach. Three nurses came in to move Dad back to the bed. I left the room out of respect for Dad's and he being in one of those flimsy hospital gowns. I went to the end of the hall with all the windows and sat down, just staring out. After a minute or two the Social Worker came out to make sure I was alright. A few moments after that the Medical Director came out and told me in a calm voice that Dad had just died. His heart just up and stopped at 1:07. What I had seen was the heart pace maker trying to jump start his heart. Thank the Lord, I was there by Dad when he died. He didn't die alone. The date was April 30, 2009. Exactly 161 days after Mom died. About 5 & 1/2 months. So the saying is true about the longer you live together with someone, the closer you die to the date of their death.
Stop back here later and I will have some more time caught up.
hugs, Brandi