Early morning in Charlotte... Dad seemed to rest (and sleep) much better this past night, after both my parents getting -NO- sleep on Monday night. Dad's heart rate soared up over 120 bpm, and often peaked up over 150 bpm. (This was terribly disturbing to me; I woke up, and literally locked my eyeballs on the monitor for a solid hour). But this night was different. He was more relaxed, and his heartbeat was usually under 100, mostly in the 80's and 90's. Granted, much of this normalcy and peaceful rest is drug-induced, but nevertheless, it was needful. The cardio doctor put him on another heart med, Digoxin, along with his Lopressor, Xarelto, etc. It seems to have had a dramatic effect, at least for now.
I forgot to mention earlier that Dad had developed, along with everything else, a urinary tract infection, perhaps due to him using a catheter for urination for awhile. They also took out the fluid drainage tube yesterday, and cleaned and dressed it with bandages. Hopefully, it's healing up.
There is talk of us being able to go home today. Dad has been wanting to go back home since he got here, but frankly is unsure about that eventuality. He knows that he is unable to care for himself, and that my Mom is unable alone to help care for him. My sister and I will definitely be available, but not around the clock. The doctors here are talking to the doctors back home about my Dad going to a rehab facility where he will get some advanced physical therapy for walking and other simple tasks. When we return, we will also be meeting with a team of doctors to discuss lab test results and diagnosis of the lung cancer, and also their plans for treatment.
My dad said just this morning, "I'm going to fight this and beat it". Although he does get discouraged at times, he definitely has a positive attitude. I believe it is his spiritual faith in Christ that helps him overcome the tendency to be discouraged. He has a relationship with God, and knows that through Christ, he has already been "passed from death unto life" (John 5:24). Having a security about death helps you cope with life and its difficult moments. Dad also has remarked that none of us really expected this whole situation to happen. It just seems to have taken us all by surprise. But God has had a plan all along, and he knows the end from the beginning. We all desire to trust in that realization.
== SOME RANDOM THOUGHTS ==
There have been little irritations during this week. I went down to the cafeteria the first night here, and my debit card was declined. It was a $15 transaction, and I knew my account should cover it without any problem. But we tried it again, and it declined again. After a phone call confirmed that it was not a problem with my account balance, I went back and we tried it a third time. DECLINED. Eventually, I went to an ATM and spent about $25 to get $20. So I had to borrow money from my Mom, until Tuesday, when I called my bank and they discovered that the problem was with the processing center in Texas, which for some reason was tagging my card's transactions with a "red flag". They got is straightened out, and I was able to buy our dinner tonight.
There were musicians in the lobby several times during the week. As I was fulfilling my role as "gopher" to get our meals, I would walk by as volunteers were serenading the hospital staff and guests. First, there were three bluegrass players, on two fiddles and a banjo. Then today, there were two separate pianists playing in the main lobby. I say this to say that when I heard them, I not only appreciated the beauty of their playing, but wished in my heart that my Mom and Dad could come down and listen too. However, unfortunately, that wasn't really possible.
Our doctors and nurses have been wonderful to us. We see more of the nurses and CNA's, and therefore, I give a special shout-out to them. Katie, Elizabeth, Michelle, Cynthia, James, Henry, Sonya, and the list goes on. Back in Salisbury, there were Kim and Brian, and a host of others. We get new nurses all of the time, and each one is unique and special in their own way. One of them gave him a bath. Another went down after hours and scavenged up a couple boxes of 'Boost' for my dad (that's been a staple source of nutrition for him here).
My dad likes to refer to all of these as "his angels". Of course, whenever he calls one of them that, they often laugh or brush it off. But he really believes that. The Bible calls it the "gift of mercy". And we have seen several nurses that exhibit that calling on their lives. They seem to flow through their tasks with effortless energy, all the while maintaining a smile and loving spirit.
My dad's hair is so long. You can sorta tell from the picture that was posted. But it's probably worse than you realize. He and Mom went down to the shopping center to get his hair cut a few weeks ago, and Dad started having bowel problems, and they had to turn around and go back home. A friend even gave him a gift card. But here he is, looking more like a "hippie" every day. I told him we were going to have to start calling him "Ringo" if he didn't get it cut soon.
A couple of the doctors came in this morning, and gave us hope of returning back to Salisbury either today or tomorrow. That's definitely not definite, but it's something to look forward to. One of them encouraged me to possibly go home today to get some rest. I'm considering it, but I also know that Dad has often asked me to help Mom, and without me, they really have no "gopher" to go get meals, make phone calls, look up info on the Internet, and a host of other little chores. So-- it's a hard call.
My mind has drawn a blank, so for now, I'm going to close, but you can count on another UPDATE soon. Thanks for taking an interest in my Dad's health, and your prayers are appreciated. I believe it is even more powerful than the medical care. So continue lifting up his name to our heavenly Father.
Until later... Blessings!
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