Here's the scoop. Dad was heading to bed last night and stopped to go to the bathroom. When he stood up from the toilet he got off balance and fell over onto the side of the tub. It would have been comical if he didn't hurt himself. He fell on the side where he doesn't have an arm to stop his fall so he fell pretty hard. At first he thought he was all good to go but later he was moaning because his ribs are hurt.
1/8/11
Dad officially has two broken ribs. His oxygen level is staying about the same. His breathing is FAR worse than before. The steroids seem to be the only thing keeping his lungs functioning. When he can't catch his breath, he comes very close to passing out. The "episodes" are much more frequent now too. He's also showing signs of depression.
Two nights ago he was feeling pretty good. Sitting at the table and talking to Becky and I...then he had a short coughing fit that nearly made him pas out. One minute he was fine and the next he was talking about bluebonnets being everywhere and they were beautiful. He asked "Where's Joanne?" Then he took his medicine before going to bed and I had to help him all the way, he could barely walk. I can't hardly stand to see him having such a hard time.
Keep him in your thoughts and call him if you get the chance. He enjoys that!2/21/11
Not much news to tell. Dad is in tons of pain in his torso. They FINALLY gave him some Hydrocodone to help ease the pain so he can rest. That poor guy hardly ever sleeps and he's in the bed most of the time. Hopefully he will start healing soon and feel better.
*Evening Update* Now he's cold and thinks he may be getting pneumonia again. Another trip toNot much news to tell. Dad is in tons of pain in his torso. They FINALLY gave him some Hydrocodone to help ease the pain so he can rest. That poor guy hardly ever sleeps and he's in the bed most of the time. Hopefully he will start healing soon and feel better.
*Evening Update* Now he's cold and thinks he may be getting pneumonia again. Another trip to the clinic in the morning. No wheezing yet, but he's definitely feeling way worse this evening.
Mom has been a HUGE help. She's been cooking all the meals lately and staying up with him when he gets up in the middle of the night. She's heading to Illinois tomorrow. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers, her health isn't so good either!
2/14/11
I haven't had time to share anymore stories about Tom lately, he's been in pretty bad shape. Since the broken bones..he's been pretty miserable. Scroll on down to read about happier times. There are plenty of stories to read so check out his whole blog.
Today we go back to the doctor and find out if Papasan may have broken more bones. This time, it seems to be on the opposite side from where he fell. He's having painful spells where it literally takes all of his breath away. He's had two very bad nights and hopefully the doc can give him some relief. Even with pain killers he's only sleeping for an hour or so at a time.
*UPDATE* We are heading to the Michael Debakey Medical Center. They are admitting him to the hospital. If I can get internet, I'll keep everyone posted!
2/17/11
This latest trip to the hospital opened Dad's eyes a bit. The last time he had broken ribs they sent him home with not much more than Ibuprofen. This trip was completely different. When we arrived they were very concerned about his breathing and loaded him up with steroids and antibiotics. They stabilized him in the Emergency Room before transferring him upstairs into a room. The doctor told us that he could have died had we not got his butt to the hospital. His breathing was terrible when we arrived and it took nearly two hours for us to find where he was supposed to be checking in.
After he was admitted and in his room, they began nebulizer treatment and again nailing him with steroids, fluids and antibiotics. His breathing returned to normal that night. The entire time he was there they never gave him any pain medication or anything to help him sleep. His pain is pretty severe so upon checkout they did finally prescribe him some Vicadin.
When I arrived to pick him up at 11 (as instructed by the doctor) I had his rusty old 1950's wheelchair. The seat was ripped and it barely would open up. The nurse immediately called to get prosthetics to send him a new wheelchair. They kept the old one because it was an antique!
Before we left, the nurse checked that he received all his meds...the pharmacy again left out the pain meds!! She wheeled him downstairs and got his medicine before we left. For the first time in my experience with the VA hospital...somebody saw that everything was RIGHT before sending him on his merry way. I appreciate your caring nurse!
He's home and hasn't smoked since Monday. We're hoping he can stick with it. We rearranged his room so he has more room and is less likely to get tripped up just going to the bathroom. He did learn that a trip to the hospital isn't always a bad thing and I hope he will be more ready to go if the situation arises again anytime soon.
2/21/11
Not much news to tell. Dad is in tons of pain in his torso. They FINALLY gave him some Hydrocodone to help ease the pain so he can rest. That poor guy hardly ever sleeps and he's in the bed most of the time. Hopefully he will start healing soon and feel better.
*Evening Update* Now he's cold and thinks he may be getting pneumonia again. Another trip to the clinic in the morning. No wheezing yet, but he's definitely feeling way worse this evening.
Mom has been a HUGE help. She's been cooking all the meals lately and staying up with him when he gets up in the middle of the night. She's heading to Illinois tomorrow. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers, her health isn't so good either!
2/24/11
We are going to the clinic again today. Dad has a 1:30 appointment. I think they will send him to the hospital again. He sounds like he's struggling for air all the time, in addition to his pain from the broken ribs. He wants to know how everyone else is doing but he hasn't felt like getting on facebook. He would probably appreciate a phone call once in awhile.
**Good news...no trip to the hospital! They are going to make sure he gets pain medications too. I jumped all over the doc for letting him suffer for so damn long. Maybe Dad will be more comfy now anyway.
2/27/11
He still can't hardly sleep. Poor guy is miserable. We are heading back for X-rays Monday to find out if he's broken even more bones. He's clinching his right ribs now. How he gets out of bed is just a testament of his mental toughness. They are going to send him to a psychiatrist soon too, to help alleviate his panic attacks. He loses his breath and freaks out..which seems like a very normal reaction in that situation to me.
Trey stopped by to visit and stayed the night last night too. We got to visit with Dad for a bit before he went back to bed. He's just worn out from not sleeping.
2/28/11
Heading back for X-rays today. We won't have results from them for awhile. The Veterans hospital takes their time. No real news, just keeping everyone posted.
Got the X-rays, they told him they were rushing his results through. Sometimes it pays for me to be a total prick!
I also turned off his oxygen at noon when we were leaving...left it off until 10:30. FU-k!!!I'm an idiot!
3/2/11
Tom has been in the bed a bunch recently and he's been very sore. He's not walking very good right now cause he's in pain. No news yet from the x-rays. He's on a bunch of new medications...it's tough to figure them all out and make sure he's taking them on time. Hopefully he can start getting better soon. Good news...He isn't smoking! That is already helping cut down on his cough.
*UPDATE THURSDAY*
We've called the doc trying to get results from the x-rays. No response so far. Dad showed me last night that he does have another rib that's "floating around."
I can't imagine how much pain he's in all the time. All he gets is little short naps rather than a nights rest. He's even having trouble climbing out of bed to go to the restroom. He has an adjustable bed, but he still has problems getting out of it.
3/6/11
Thomas is in pain all the time. He's freaking miserable. Basically two days of laying in bed hoping the hurt goes away. He isn't able to get around as well as last week. His walking is shaky and we're worried about him falling and hurting himself more now. He is getting depressed and acting like the end is near.
I'm wishing for better days ahead. Hoping that the old guy can make his way through another adverse situation. Toughest situation for Dad during my life. I'm feeling pretty helpless right now, and angry too!
*EDIT 3/6/11*
He got up feeling better this morning. After breakfast he even got on his scooter and went out to check on his garden. Back to bed for rest, but he actually got outside and tooled around for about an hour! Just goes to show you never know what you're going to get!
3/7/11
Tom got up this morning and wanted a pretty big breakfast. He wants to get outside again today. He's more cheerful and not acting like he's in constant pain anyway. I can see that there is pain but it must not be as severe. Still no word from the X-rays, but I can see one of his ribs is floating around when he moves. Dad's a tough son of a gun, I'll give him that! It's great to get to pass along some good news!
Dad says thanks everyone for checking up on him, he loves you all!
3/9/11
Dad is getting around much better. He isn't staying in the bed all day now either. Slow improvement but that's always good. He's in much better spirits since he can get around a bit now too. He's also stopped smoking! Keep checking and I'll keep posting updates. Dad says thanks for all the well wishes and prayers too!
3/10/2011
Dad has made a huge improvement over the last few days. He's walking at normal speed again, he isn't clutching his sides all the time now. He's getting on his scooter and driving around the neighborhood! I can't tell you how much better it is to see him smiling and joking about stuff because he feels so much better. It's amazing!
3/12/11
Tonight, Dad woke up freaking out because he couldn't get air in or out. Just imagine having the breath knocked out of you and it won't go away! Everyone here was flipping out because the only thing that helps is the steroid they are trying to get him to stop taking. I made the executive decision to give him some prednisone to get him breathing. This is like a nightmare, I don't have medical training..I only know what's worked when it got bad before. Understandably he freaks out when he can't breathe and has a panic attack.
The prednisone is what has made his bones brittle but I would rather see more broken bones than him suddenly die because he can't breathe. Damn..I thought things were getting better!
3/12/11
I guess all the good news had to stop sometime. Dad got out of breath last night and couldn't get any air IN or OUT. He was in a panic. He told me twice that he was "fixing to die" and it looked to me like he may have been right. Took more than an hour to get him back to nearly normal. Every one of us got freaked out.
He is feeling better this morning. Thank goodness!
3/14/11
Dad hasn't been taking his medications correctly, so that explained why he's been having bad spells. The doc talked to Dad about hospice and explained that they wouldn't kill him. They aren't giving up on him and reassured Dad of that fact. We are however at the end of the line for treatments. He's got to get off the steroids if he wants the osteoporosis to improve, but at the same time he can't hardly breathe without it. He has just about worn out his body. Hopefully we can get him back out to the garden soon.
*Just another note, the doctor told Dad that he might make it another few years. We were glad to hear that too!
I'll be watching him closely to see if he improves as a result of taking the meds properly. I'm trying to keep everyone updated! Thanks for checking on him and Dad said he appreciates all the prayers!
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3/16/11
He has made improvements, getting the medicine right is definitely helping. Dad hasn't had an episode since we got it straight. He's up out of bed more often and for longer periods of time and today he wanted to go to the grocery store. That's a markedly big improvement.
He got pretty upset today over hearing the news about uncle Sonny. After hearing the news, he was physically shaking. It made him a nervous wreck for awhile and he didn't eat much today. Keifer came to visit today and that seemed to cheer him up a bit though. He'll probably be down in the dumps for a bit, but I think he's going to be OK.
3/20/11
Dad is getting much better. We spent the evening outside with him riding his scooter around everywhere. He's getting excited about the garden and he doesn't seem to be in pain all the time now. Nothing but good news from the home front! For now, I won't update as often unless he has a bad time.
3/23/11
Dad is breathing much better since he got his meds right. He went and hired a neighbor to pull all the vines off our back fence from the other side...My shoulder is still messed up so I couldn't do it. The guy he hired got poison ivy/oak ALL over him. I'm glad I messed up my shoulder now!
Anyway, Dad rode around giving instructions from his scooter...he hit a bump and thinks he may have broken another bone in his back. So I don't think he's going to be able to go to Uncle Sonny's funeral service.
He's not in terrible pain this time but he gets really uncomfortable in a car. He told me last night he didn't think he could do make the ride. He's pretty bummed out about it! He talked for quite a while about Sonny yesterday.
3/29/11
We've spent a few days fixing up the yard and working on the garden. Dad's getting around a little better. He still cringes if he hits a bump on his scooter or in the car. He seems pretty good tonight!
He gets so excited over the garden. I told him and told him not to go overboard with the garden because we don't have enough time to keep it all weeded and do all the pruning. He did it again anyway! At least he loves it..and as long as he does, I'll keep helping him with it. When it gets too hot to be outside doing that crap, he'll be crying then. So far we've only lost one plant and he just mistakenly dumped an entire can of miracle grow in a potted plant. It killed it in a couple of hours.
He's doing pretty good as long he stays on his normal schedule and doesn't forget his medicine or anything. Thanks for checking up on him!
3/30/11
Spent the entire day pulling crap out of the barn because Dad wanted to know what was in there. Crammed it all back inside now that he knows. He had a pretty good day though. He didn't cough all that much and was outside almost all day! I think he enjoyed today!
4/3/11
Dad and I did some gardening and he took his scooter around the neighborhood a few times today. He got jolted a lot driving around so he's not feeling too chipper this evening. He's sore and tired but he's fed and ready to hit the sack. He layed down about 10 so I expect him up again around midnight. He's whistling again when he breathes so it's time to call the doc again in the morning. He's ready to pay bills in the morning...Fun stuff! Dammit, Dad rests easier as soon as the bills are paid. I think we're both allergic to late fees. He's absolutely engaged in the garden! Let's hope it turns out well again this year!
4/6/11
Dad had a pretty darned good day today. We went shopping for some more gardening utensils/tools. Afterward, I repaired all the garden hoses and got the automatic sprinkler setup working again. He was joyous! He wants the misting spray heads to keep the plants cool all day long, just come on for a minute once an hour or so. I'm getting him hooked up! Now if only I could automate "weeding"...lol
Anyway, pretty good day for Dad, He was grinning like a possum eating...well you get the picture! Most of the day he was doing great!
4/10/11
Tom is zipping around everywhere on his scooter again. The broken bones must be getting much better because he doesn't wince every time he hits a bump. He's loving spring, wearing shorts and getting a little sun on himself. It's nice to see Dad enthusiastic. He is even getting off the scooter, into the garden and pulling some weeds and stuff like that. I love to see him like this! It makes all the work worth it.
4/17/11
This week Tom has been good during the day but having a hard time breathing at night. He's had a few episodes again where he has a very hard time getting air in or out. For the most part though, he's been tending to the garden all day, every day. We ate some of the ripe tomatoes this weekend. He's pretty tickled about that. He's been back and forth down to the yard sale all weekend too. I'll bet he's driven his scooter 25 miles this week. For the most part, it's all good!
4/22/11
Rough night last night. Dad mistakenly thought it was Wednesday so he thought he had already taken his pills. He was having a heck of a time around midnight, so I checked his meds and he took them. He wasn't better for quite awhile. Finally crashed around 4 am and slept till nearly 9:30. He seems to be feeling better this morning. He ate a big breakfast and now he's zipping around the neighborhood on his scooter. He's looking healthier. He's actually got a tan on his legs from being out in the garden all day everyday in shorts. I think I'll get a picture of him and post it on here.
5/4/11
I've been out of town working so I apologize for no updates lately. Dad's had a few rough nights while I was gone. He mistakenly kicked his oxygen tube loose from the oxygen maker so it was easily missed. Good days and bad...you never know what you're gonna get. Two nights ago, he really had a rough time. He seems pretty chipper tonight, we'll see....
5/5/11
We (Dad and I) spent about 2 hours this evening looking over the garden and talking. I noticed he has a whistle when he's breathing again..time to see the doctor again. He had two rough spells last night but didn't want to bother me, so he roughed his way through without any help. Mom is real sick right now too. She's been on the couch almost the whole time for two days. I got some medicine that seems to be helping her out now too though. Never fun to come home and find both of them not doing well and they have been by themselves for mostly a week. I'll bet the doctor send him back to the hospital to get loaded up on steroids again. I wish there was something else that worked to help solve his problems.
5/11/11
Dad's COPD is pretty bad. He's having frequent spells where he can't breathe. He has a doctor appointment on Friday with an endocrinologist. He's worried because I told him that an endocrinologist checks your pancreas and other glands. He's freaking out because he has a friend with pancreatic cancer. I'm sure that's not a problem though. They have to check him out due to the prolonged use of steroids.
He keeps pulling his oxygen hose off the machine too, so that makes things worse for him at times. Anyway, that's all I've got for now since I'm working at the coast. Thanks for checking on him!
5/16/11
Fridays doctor visit yielded some results. They said his lungs are too bad for them to take him off prednisone. So they are trying to limit the intake so that he can get the osteoporosis under control. (The steroid causes osteo) He's just got to be careful and not miss any steps and fall. He's happier since I got home from the Galveston job. For some reason he's more at ease if I'm here. He seems pretty good today!
5/22/11
Dad's impatience is wearing on my nerves. He's gotten afraid of falling now so he doesn't attempt to do as many things as he did just a couple months ago. He looks the same but he's worried about being frail. I've been in one of my moods lately and can barely stand to be around. I'm not Mr. Perfect myself, but Dad's constant demands are making me mental. His hearing is much worse lately and I constantly have to holler or he can't hear me. I don't like to scream at him for him to just hear me. It sucks!
5/26/11
Mr. Negativity (me) has left the building. Making a few of Dad's favorite meals lately. He's been acting a little happier at times. He seems kind of depressed and he's drinking earlier in the day than normal. He wanted to make his garden even bigger but I drew the line this time...We already have too much to handle and while I was in Galveston working, some of the garden was not attended to properly. Now trying to nurse his garden back to it's original luster. He's tickled every time we bring in more groceries from our gardens. Mostly his health is staying about the same from the last few posts.
6/5/11
His cough is much worse lately. He says he still isn't smoking but I'm not so sure. Other than his cough being very bad, not much has changed. He didn't even feel like watching all of the fights last night. That's rare for him. It's getting too hot for him to be out in the garden as much so he's probably getting a little tired of being cooped up in the house so often.
6/9/11
Dad's had a rough couple of days, he has a wheeze that doesn't sound normal for him. We went to the clinic today because he needed a tetanus shot because he got a claw from one of the dogs. One of the dogs will paw at him to pet them and they tear a big gash in his arm when they do it. About 30 minutes ago, he was having a really hard time catching some breath...he took all his inhalers, and 3 prednisone...and an Ambien. Let's hope that is able to get him some sleep tonight.
6/14/11
Dad's wheeze isn't much better. He needs to go back to the doctor but he has a scheduled appointment on the 20th..He wants to wait until then. Sometimes he's a stubborn fella! He's also mad at me because I won't help make the garden bigger. It's all dying from the heat anyway. I don't see the point in trying to raise plants that are already wilting and shriveling up. The heat and drought are wiping out everything we've tried to grow.
6/18/11
Last night he had another bad spell where he couldn't catch his breath. It's agonizing seeing him fight to get air. He went to sleep right after supper and forgot to take his medicine for night time. He woke up in a panic around 10:30. Mom and I got him calmed down in about 30-45 minutes. After taking his medicine it takes a while to start helping. When he was calmed, he asked for an Ambien to help him sleep. Ambien makes him sleepwalk and act weird during the night..it makes him seem drunk but he's not. Rough night but he got up early and seems pretty good today so far.
6/23/11
His cough sounds terrible again. I'm trying to talk him into going to the doctor or maybe the hospital again. He's getting around much better than he was when he broke the bones a few months ago. They've been trying to ween him off steroids but its not happening. He just can't breathe without them. He's staying in bed a lot more lately too. I'm worried about him.
6/24/11
I just spent about a half hour trying to descramble what Dad was saying. He's taken Ambien again and I swear it makes him not make any sense. He doesn't seem to even know where he is or what he's talking about. At least he's able to get some sleep though. His cough is terrible and he's got an appointment Monday with the doctor. Hopefully they will get his butt in the hospital again. It's really bad!
7/4/11
No hospital trip, he's finished a round of antibiotics and they have helped quite a bit. The heat is forcing him to stay inside and he gets really bored just watching TV. I think he gets depressed when he can't get out and do anything. I'm going to try to get him interested in playing the Wii, he likes the bowling game. Most games require two hands but its cool that some don't. He's doing better, maybe I can keep him busy with stuff so he doesn't get so damned depressed. Happy July Fourth!
7/6/11
Good lord, I wish I could take his cough away. Dad's having a heck of a time today, the humidity is up and he's suffering for it. Really bad evening for Tom. He told me today that he's trying to hang on for deer season. I hope tomorrow brings better breathing. Keep him in your prayers and well wishes.
7/11/11
Dad's cough has been different for a couple of weeks. He's not doing well at all lately. Tonight, he got dizzy after eating again and he's looking kinda feeble. His blood pressure is good, pulse rate is where they want it, oxygen level good too. He's throwing up frequently and I haven't figured that one out either. His color is light for him. I checked to make sure his eyes weren't dilated like when he had a stroke too. I can't find any information describing his symptoms. Help me keep his mind racing and call him and ask how he's doing tomorrow. 936-890-2681
7/19/11
Dad's been looking really rough for a week. Today, he got up and looks more like himself. His color is good and his normal mannerisms are prevalent. He seems better this morning for sure.
7/25/11
Dad's stomach is a little better. The doctor told us that his stomach will improve more when he gets the new inhaled steroidal medicine. Prednisone has been tough on him but it's kept him breathing for the last year. I'm going to try to get him outside and keep his mind occupied so he isn't going stir crazy. Maybe start planning for the fall garden..something along those lines.
7/30/11
He's not been out of the house much for more than a week. His lungs are keeping more fluid than usual so he's been coughing like crazy. I suggested that he try sleeping in the recliner and see if that doesn't help. He told me this morning that he thinks that it does help. We'll see.
8/3/11
This week has been a challenge. His cough is bad. His stomach is better and he isn't throwing up every time he eats. Dad is staying in bed way too much but I can't get him to go outside and do anything because the heat is so severe. Hoping that he has a better time once the weather gets better.
8/25/11
It's been a lot of the same except for Dad fell on his butt and broke his tailbone. We went today for the x-rays and he has bronchitis again. They gave him Amoxicillan again for the infection in his lungs. I got him a couple of those donut shaped pillows so he could sit comfortably. Just another day in paradise!
8/30/11
Doctor appointments for the next two days. I had a friend who needed an estimate on materials for a job so I asked Dad to help figure it up. He got excited and spent two days working away on it. Dad loves to have a project and he is much happier when he's doing something. His garden died a miserable death from this years heat so he didn't get to enjoy that much this year.
9/13/11
Dad got sick in the middle of the night. He was up until after 5 am. He thinks that it was from eating watermelon that's been in the fridge for a few days. I didn't have anything that could help stop him from throwing up, so I offered to take him to the hospital. Again, he wouldn't go.
9/17/11
About 1:30 last night, Mom woke me up saying Dad needed my help. I went inside and he was trying to get back to bed from the bathroom. He couldn't hardly support himself and he was unable to catch his breath. I walked him back to bed and he was in panic mode. If you don't know about COPD, it's like having the wind knocked out of you..for a really long time. It seems to help if you can speak calmly to calm them down. Dad thought he was about to die, he was hugging each of us and basically saying goodbye. He held onto Mom for a really long time while gasping for air. I gave him 20 mg of prednisone and got the bi-pap on him and he started to calm down. 20 minutes later, he was still struggling for air but his breathing did ease up. I went back to bed after he was breathing normally again. This morning he is doing fine. These close calls are taking a toll on my mind. I love that old man and wish I could keep him forever. It's turned out that he's the best friend I ever had!
9/26/11
A weekend of distractions is finally passed by, Dad didn't have too many episodes this weekend. He wanted steak and shrimp on Friday so I made him a filet and fried him up about 2 lbs. of shrimp. The rest of the weekend we ate chicken! Hopefully his breathing stays decent. He's excited about college football right now and that seems to keep him occupied during the day. He does way better when he has something to focus upon. We'll see!
10/2/11
It's Sunday afternoon and he's having a very hard time breathing. He got out of breath and was in another panic. I got him calmed down and gave him a dose of prednisone and put him on the bipap. He's beginning to feel better now. Always scary when he's having trouble like this...I'll try to keep everybody posted.
10/6/11
Dad must be feeling pretty chipper. He's got a stool to sit on pulled up to the stove. He's cooking a big pot of greens. Yuck! He's driving Becky crazy too! It's nice to report a good day to ya'll.
10/17/11
His cough is pretty bad again. He's also retaining a lot of fluids. Swelling in his lower limbs, the nurse says he has some fluid in his lungs too. So far, I'm not impressed with his new medicines. He's having frequent spells where he is gasping for air. It's been a rough week.
10/30/11
This morning around 6 am Dad fell off the side of his bed. He landed on his lower back on top of a foot stool. His lower back has a deep bruise and it's swollen. He's in tons of pain. I think it just screwed up his chances to go deer hunting this year. I'm pretty sure that he won't be able to climb the stairs at the cabin. Terrible news for Dad! He's been counting on this years hunt. Next weekend we have company coming from the Carolinas too, I'm not sure how much he'll feel like visiting..and he may be in the hospital. He can barely stand up.
11/11/11
Dad is getting around much better again. His breathing still sucks but he's doing OK. We went to the cabin deer hunting for a couple of days and he did alright. He had a hard time making it up the circular stairwell but he was glad to be able to go hunting. We'll be going back a lot in the next two months. He's excited and always enjoys going hunting.
12/2/11
We came home from hunting early. Partially because we aren't seeing many deer this year, and Dad wasn't feeling well. He's got a cold or something and his cough sounds gross. Hopefully antibiotics will start helping. We had fun together as usual, I got him to come and "oversee" me on a building project that I was doing during the day. He likes to tell me what to do!
12/18/11
Dad's breathing has been difficult for a few days again. The humidity is kicking his ass. Last night he got pretty bad and decided at 2 am that it was time to go to the hospital again. We were on our way to the VA and he was still short of breath so he said let's just go to Conroe. Got him into the ER and had to try to explain all of his history and med list again. After he stabilized and started breathing normal again, I went out to the truck and slept for a few hours while Becky kept watch with Dad. About 7 am they decided that they would transport him to the VA. After he gets into a room we're going back. I'll write more when I know more.
2:30 They said he was about to transfer from the ER into wing 3B. Still no room number yet.
3:25 He was transferred to room 3B-146A. He just got there so they are still setting him up, I haven't been able to get through because the line is busy. I'll try to get internet access from there and keep everyone updated. I'll be heading down there this afternoon.
4:45 I just talked to Dad and he said he would be released tomorrow! Great news! He hasn't had any sleep since last night so he's going to try to rest. I removed the phone number so he could get some sleep. Thanks for keeping tabs on the old guy, he said he appreciates everyone for caring.
12/19/11
I got him picked up around 6:30. Boy was he ready to come home. They kept scheduling him to be somewhere each time that it was meal time and he missed a few meals before he told the doctor he was starving. When Dad doesn't eat at a regular time, he always gets shaky and feeling bad. He didn't eat anything today until 5 pm. He seems to be breathing better again but I don't think he's going to want to go to Austin for Christmas celebration. We'll see!