My Dad

My dad had a stroke last Friday, he is in the hospital. Things aren't looking too good. My sister and I drove down to SoCal to see him Tuesday. We saw him that night around 10p, which under normal circumstances is the middle of the night for him. We woke him up just enough to see an eyeball, and came back the next morning. He was still very groggy, although he did nod that he remembered seeing us the night before. He woke up more and more the longer we were there. By the time we left he was making faces as Elizabeth and I cracked many jokes at his expense, mostly his dangerous, aka, bad driving. He wasn't able to move his limbs more than a couple of times, and speaking was such a challenge, I didn't think he could do it, until he set the record straight on something once. His twin has a daughter, not a son. Speaking seemed to be very difficult, sometimes his mouth moved like he was working on speaking, but gave up. One time, it was completely garbled.

After we left to go back to the Bay Area, my dad took a turn for the worse. He was transferred to the CCU(critical care unit) where they shocked his heart because his rhythm was off. He was put on meds to maintain the proper heart rhythm. He is now off those meds. He wasn't oxygenating his blood properly, so he was also intabated. This means he's on a breathing maschine.

He already has total kidney failure, hence the dialysis. He has a sinus infection, pneumonia in both lungs and now a staph infection. He is also on blood pressure medication. I don't know if this is new or he was already on prior to this hospital experience.

Driving down, Elizabeth and I were cracking inappropriate jokes, laughing. On the way back, I felt strangely better, however tired, and quiet. Now, I feel sad. I know I'll see my father in heaven, maybe then I can know him whole and undamaged.