I'm not sure how much more of this I can take.

[jeriendhal]

Yesterday I got a call from my sister Robin around 3 pm. Dad had gone into respriatory distress, and they had given him a morphine injection to try and regularize his breathing. His pulmonary doctor said it might be a good idea for the family to come down, since there was a strong possibility that Dad might pass away while unconcious. So I called Tracy to come back from work so she oculd watch Thomas, then went ot the hospital. I got there around four pm to find Dad on full oxygen and having a very hard time breathing, and in obvious distress. For the first time since this whole mess started I broke down sobbing.

Cue three and one half hours later...

Around six or so, one of the nurses got the bright idea of turning Dad on his side. You know, instead of letting him lie on his back, where the infected wound is. Dad settled down almost immediately into a normal sleep. Around 7:30 it became fairly obvious that he was resting as comfortably as he'd ever been in this place, and Mom told me to go home.

It's now after 6 am the next day. There have been no phone calls in the middle of the night, so I assume Dad is still with us. Last night, oddly enough, I got the first full eight hours of sleep that I've managed in about a month. Assuming Dad does indeed wake up, and can be removed from the oxygen, it's going to be another six days before he can be moved to rehab.

Gods.

Comments

[hornedhopper.livejournal.com]

I read this after your post about your dad's passing away. I'm sorry that your dad was in such distress. It is horrible to be with someone who *can't* really breathe (been there, done that). I believe that you really needed those tears, Royce. God bless.