Updates

Let's start with a happy update....my Dad.

As I have said my father has been in a lot of pain. It is his back. They have been trying things on him basically to avoid surgery at age 86. My father worked at Wal-Mart as a greeter for the last 10 years because he just hated being retired with nothing to do.
 (these are not words one will ever hear me utter....ever)

Dad told me that all of his friends, including his best friend, his brother, passed and he could no longer play golf due to a shoulder injury  and there was nothing left to do.
Oh he watches the nun on his Catholic channel religiously (no pun intended) but other than that he feels he has nothing else. He says his rosary daily and sits. 
My mom still works so she is gone all day so he is bored out of his mind.

Then the pain began and he had to leave work. The next phase was he was unable to walk without a walker. That embarrassed him terribly. But he never missed church, which is my father to the end.
Then he could barely walk with the walker. He was in so much pain and that was when our conversations turned to, "I'm ready to go Peg".

But this last epidural they gave him apparently did the trick. 
I called him as I do sometimes during the day on my lunch break to chat with him. 
I tell myself I'm keeping him company  but honestly it makes me feel good too.

He was out of breath. I said, "Daddy are you okay?"  I was frantic! 
He laughed his hearty laugh and said, "Sure, I just had to hurry from the garage to get  the phone." 

(if he knew how to use the machine he could return calls the numb nut)

He told me he was mowing the lawn. I shrieked, "Are you nuts? What are you doing that for?"

Ever so calmly he tells me, “Because the grass was long”

I said, “Old man you shouldn't be doing this.” 

He said, “I feel great and I’m going back to work too.”

 “WHAT?????  You are 86, enjoy life, relax. Does mom know this plan?”

I can’t relax he tells me, "I want to work and be busy."

Besides he says, “your mother keeps me on a tight leash, I need my own money” and he laughs his big hearty laugh.

So I know he’s feeling better and honestly his voice made me smile because I could hear he was better you know?

Then he goes, “This is Peg right?” 

"Who else calls you old man?"  He laughs and said, “no one that is how I knew it was you besides you bust my balls more than anyone too.” And again he cracks himself up laughing. 

I told him I learned from the best and at the same time I said, YOU he said, YOUR MOTHER. Then we both laughed.

He doesn't hear well so sometimes I am not sure it is because he can’t hear me well or because he is forgetful that he asks who it is. I normally say from the start, ‘Hi Daddy it’s Peggy” but I didn't this time because he was out of breath and it frightened me to hear that.  So damn happy he is doing so well that he can go stand at Wal-Mart. Crazy ass old man.

He never ever even shopped in a Wal-Mart before and now he's been there 10 years. They gave him a plague. It all cracks my family to bits we think it's so funny. 

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My Son In Law - My SIL was back in the hospital last week. This time due to a bruise he saw on his arm that was now swelling. When he called the doctor they told him to get to the hospital immediately. He had a clot in his arm, a blood clot in his neck, shoulder and lungs. 

He was put on an IV of heparin. He was in the hospital for 2 days. He is now home resting and he has to give himself shots of a drug to stop the clotting. As for his other heart issues I have no further word. At least none that make any kind of sense to me.

Last evening Rick spoke to his daughter and she just said he is trying to rest and nothing has either improved or gone backwards. She is hoping this rest will move him forward. But that doesn't make sense to us. How will only rest and medication make this better?

Again we don't want to constantly be bugging them but something is amiss to us. Rick did bring up a couple of things to her and she said, "I'd prefer he stay in the hospital so he is monitored 24/7. This is beginning to scare me."   BEGINNING? 

I don't know what is next for him. I just pray he gets well. 

I made her laugh when I told her, "Last June you vowed in sickness and in health, you are just getting the pesky sickness out of the way early and it will be smooth sailing from here on out."  She laughed and said "Hey maybe you're right and we had to be tested early."

You never know.  I hope that is all it is too.

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Not an update but it made me laugh.