September 29th - Of Birthdays and Physical Therapy

Dad was sleeping when I arrived.  I knew he had had a big day on Friday and contemplated letting him sleep knowing what a struggle it would be for him to just get out of bed.  I sat next to him for few minutes and just watched him sleep.  Hoping today would be better, I rubbed him awake.  "What time is it?" 

"Seven twenty.  Do you want breakfast?"

"Yeah, we probably better", as he rolled over quickly and directed me to get him some clean clothes.  I notice that his hearing aid was on the floor again and the case was in two pieces as if it had fallen from the night stand.  (I made a note to ask Cate to put his hearing aid in the drawer because I suspected it was getting knocked over when he got up to use the bathroom overnight.)  It was safe there for now and we spoke in sign as he put on a undershirt, golf shirt, shorts, and he settled into the wheelchair to wash his face.  His used undershirt had a few blood-looking stains on the lower back, but I could see no wounds or scratches and assume it was the same type of "leakage" we had seen in his calves.  He didn't use the toilet, just washed his face and combed his hair, but that gave me time to retrieve and wipe down his hearing aid.

In the dining room they had pureed his eggs.  The cook said all his food today would be pureed.  He took two bites and tearily said, "Oh crap, what do I do?"  He sat there with the napkin to his mouth and eventually had to spit it up.  As he sat there trying to recover from that he let me know he needed the bathroom.  We rushed back to the room, just a little bit late, recovered, and headed back to the dining room.  The place was cleared out but they brought us some milk, cranberry juice, coffee, and eventually a Danish (I have been calling them sweet rolls...).  When I told the aid he was on dairy free he said, "No, I can have milk.  I want the milk, I like milk."  That was about the only thing he had for breakfast because by the time the Danish came he was full.

Mr. K was still reading his paper and Cate and Amelia came in.  A few minutes later Mr. K left and we took the opportunity to talk about him behind his back, being the petty people we are.  When I mentioned that Bill had told me Mr. K had been a minister Dad said, "They send some strange ones sometimes."

We all went out to the patio and while there Tina came by to get him for PT.  I thought he had a good session.  He worked hard.  Tina said she was going to make a tape of Dad and play it for her more grouchy and intractable patients as motivation.  She said Dad doesn't know how to complain or quit. 

Chuck, aka Charlie Perkins, was hanging about the PT room.  He was encouraging Dad as he did each exercise.  After one particularly strenuous walkabout, Dad got back to plop down in the wheelchair breathing a little too hard to speak.  When Tina asked him if he was doing all right Chuck answered for him, "Well, he doesn't want to go squirrel hunting!"

After PT Dad had his morning pills, just three I  think, and we went out to the patio where the group was gathering to celebrate Cate's and mine birthday.  Michael and Kristie had brought Grant and Kyle, whose energy levels seem to just invigorate the place.  Too bad we can't transfuse that.  Mary had made pumpkin pie.  Chuck along with his wife, Elaine was it, came by to sit and chat and flirt with Amelia and Cate right in front of Catie's husband Lee.  Ranae brought the coffee.  There were a lot of tall tales told.  Chuck serenaded us with a little music as we enjoyed the pie and coffee.  About 11:30 Dad needed the bathroom and it was time for me to head home and catch up on some chores.  I don't think Dad got much more than a bit of pie and I'm not sure he was in the mood for lunch.  Perhaps tomorrow will be better.