Having mentioned several times that I've been spending a lot of time away from home I realized that I haven't mentioned how my Dad is doing. Fortunately his gallbladder hasn't been acting up since he's been in the hospital here in Indiana. This is great news as he's continuing to gain weight and a bit of strength. There is still a bacteria in his lungs they are fighting but the doctor is optimistic that Dad will be able to go home one week from today. If this holds true then he will have been in the hospital exactly one month this time.
He is so ready to be out of the hospital, he is homesick and he misses his dogs terribly. I'm realistic enough to know that if they do release him next week that I still won't be going home to stay. He and I talked yesterday and I told him not to worry that I'd stay with him and his wife as long as needed. Dad is 82 and Sandy is 70 with her own health issues. There is no way that she is strong enough to take care of him on her own. They live about 10 miles away from me so I'll be able to go home on a regular basis and still be able to take care of both homes.
Well, I just got back from the hospital. Even though Dad does seem to be gaining some strength I realize that he'll never be able to be independent again. At this point the small gains he makes are important. For example we were talking this evening and I mentioned that he seemed to be able to turn over on his side without as much effort as before (he wasn't able to do this on his own). When a man goes from almost 200lbs down to less than 120 in 9 months it's a huge indicator to his decline in health. He still can't move himself up in bed without assistance nor turn over without the assistance of the bed rail. At times he will look at me with such sadness in his eyes that it just breaks my heart. It makes me wonder how many more times my heart will break before he finds his peace.
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