Holidays!

Hello all and sorry for no posts lately! Hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones! We stayed around the house working on projects, while Mom cooked up a feast! This time last year, we had nothing to show for the day other than quality time together. THIS year, however, pops was able to sit down at the table, share in some turkey, stuffings, and his favorite...mashed potatoes and GRAVY! I have to hand it to my Mom, she really makes an amazing Thanksgiving dinner, though I may be a little biast there. :)

Soooo let's see, what is new around here? Dad is in a communication class to help him with his speech, and so far so good! His brother came up recently and was impressed with his improvements. With improved speech, comes more and more food items that he gets cleared to munch on. His weight has climbed back up, as a result, though slowly. Brad is complaining that he is getting too heavy to lift! Haha.

He is getting more and more efficient on his computer, so please, continue to email him.

I went to a show recently of an artist whom I only knew due to his touring with the Dave Matthews Band this summer. Turns out, he is the son of a man that my Mom & Dad used to listen to when I was just a little tot. I stayed after the show and we reminisced of growing up in the same small town in Idaho. My Dad is going to try to touch base with his old friend.

My Mom and I have started a new hobby to help out with some of the expenses that come with home care. We have joined forces as former jewelry designers and decided to run a line of pieces to sell. Our first thought was to showcase them via this site, but I fear I have lost a great deal of my readers due to my lack of posts recently. We may just start another site. Undecided....stay tuned for further details.

Lastly, an extra big thanks to the continued support and love from family and friends. I love this time of year and the kindness that it brings out of all of us.

Love for all of you!

Health Reform!

Ok, so my Mom emailed me this contest type deal proposed by the Obama administration regarding a push for Health Reform. You submit a 30-second video capturing your thoughts on why we need to push Health Reform, a panel of judges reviews them and selects 20 finalists. The winner gets their video displayed on a national ad promoted Health Reform.

By the time she emailed it to me, we only had a week to get our entry in. Initially, we sorta gave up on the idea, not having anything but a script. No gear, no video camera. Luckily, my roommate is a photographer, and came through in the clutch with some gear. He also offered his editing services and came through with quite a handsome clip. We were done ahead of the deadline, YES!!! But, my own panel of judges thought it could use a little more meat. This is quite challenging considering you only have 30 seconds. You try to sum up what I've been blogging for over a year into 30 seconds and let me know how YOU do. :)

Sooo, last night we attempted our second take. Once finished with plenty of good footage, we did some blooper reels. Lots of fun. I am taking the material to be edited this afternoon, and released to You Tube by tomorrow's deadline. Wish us luck!!! We could use a little more national attention, I figure.
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Updates on health. Well, what I had originally thought to have been a freak occurance, is unfortunately not. It seems whenever my Dad is making great progress, someone wants to kick him back down. Being the fighter that he is, he continues to manage to get back up in a short amount of time.

What I am referring to his seizure he had recently. The doctor prescribed some medicine to prevent future seizures, but sadly, it didn't work. He had another one the other night while in Brad's care. He was a little lethargic the next day, but bounced right back, and we are back on track. Ever since his birthday excursion to Reno, which was a complete success by the way, he has been extremely focused on improving his speech. The one frustrating part about the trip to Reno, was the inability for him to communicate in a car rolling down the freeway. At home, it's quiet, we can hear him better. On the freeway, it's another story. As soon as we got home, he and Fred started a program in which he will practice 10 words a week. Everyday, he and Fred will work on pronunciation. Come Friday, it's up to the rest of us to guess the words he is trying to speak to us. This compiled with the singing has improved him, but it's still a long road ahead.

If anyone reading has other suggestions we can work on, please feel free to share.

I see our photos are working. Strange that they didn't work before.

Mike (roommate) subbed in the song "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls for our video clip. When we have it finished, I will forward the link pending my Dad's approval, of course. I'll end this post with the lyrics to this song which are amazingly powerful and accurate.

And I'd give up forever to touch you
Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't want to go home right now

And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
Cause sooner or later it's over
I just don't want to miss you tonight

Chorus
And I don't want the world to see me
Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am

And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming
Or the moment of truth in your lies
When everything seems like the movies
Yeah you bleed just to know your alive

And I don't want the world to see me
Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am

I don't want the world to see me
Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am

BIRTHDAY!!!!

For those that don't know, today is my Dad's birthday. As a gift, we have decided to take him to Reno. There is a hotel there that he loves, so we are renting a pair of cars and hitting the open road. Fred is going to stay behind and watch after the house, Jack gets to go see his cousins and run and play to his little heart's content.

I can't tell you how excited my Dad is. Last night I saw an energy in him that I haven't seen in a while. Very cool. I asked him what he wants for his birthday, and he says he has it. His life, and this trip with his family. "Very noble", I said..."but how bout something to go along with your life and your trip." haha.

He took his swallow test for the third time, and I guess third time is the charm. The doctors were quite impressed with how significant a change he has made. They approved him for more foods, and a larger variety. He even gained weight since they last saw him! Very cool!!!

I am seeing now that the pictures I uploaded didn't show up in the slideshow. I will try to work with this issue and get it resolved ASAP, as well as upload pics of our journey.

Send him a birthday wish if you get this in time!!!! cjpetro1@gmail.com

Take care, and god bless!

Hello again!

Ok, so I took August off from writing. I have my reasons. There was much to write about, and over this holiday weekend, I found the words. I got away for a few days to one of my favorite parts of the summer. It was a relaxing weekend, and I had a lot of time to think about everything.

For those that don't know, pops had a seizure a few weeks back. Just out of the blue, and bam....back in the hospital. A week before our big family picnic that he has been fighting so hard to make an appearance at. This set him back for a few days with the new medication to prevent future seizures. He fought through it like the soldier that he is, and overcame the obstacle. A week later, we were in Portland smiling and laughing with all the family. He got to dine on a hot dog, one of his all time favorite treats, and was treated to something that I find incredibly romantic. A king sized bed next to his wife. Try to imagine sleeping in hospital beds for over a year, away from that person that has held you tight for so many years prior, and then for one night only...you get to sleep next to him/her. Perhaps I am just a hopeless romantic, but that was something that couldn't go by unnoticed.

The seizure symptoms came and went, and he is right back on track, maybe a little sluggish at times, but his strength continues to astound me. His singing improves the more he practices, as does the swallowing. He has been even having harder foods such as chicken and beef lately....in very small doses.

I got some pictures from the family picnic to share, which I will do now...as it is getting late and I will have to continue my thoughts another night.

**Bud, I'm sorry I didn't get pics of you and my Dad on this trip...by the time I remembered the camera, you and Olga had already left the building. I will be sure to get some of you two soon!

Interesting week.

This Monday marks a year since I heard my Dad speak to me with the voice I'd grown accustomed to for 35 years. It's kind of weird, though. I've gotten so used to his new voice, that when I hear that old voice (on our home answering machine), it takes half a second to recognize that person on the machine. I could go into fine detail of all the things this next week represents, but I know he checks in and reads this, as does the rest of the family. They don't need a reminder, and my Dad certainly doesn't need to feel sad.

We spoke of the big day coming up, and he said that he should be walking and talking by now. I completely disagreed with him, reminding him that just seven months ago, he was closer to dying than any of us want to see ever again. Most of the encouraging stories I read when this all began had one thing in common, the first year is always the hardest. Then things start waking up. I told him he is making huge strides given his condition seven months ago. He can now feed himself via the mouth. We still have the tube fixed to him for his nutrition, but he gets small doses of real food such as chicken, green beans, mac & cheese, and his favorite...ice cream!! We have a outdoor event coming up that he has set a personal goal for, and has been working very hard to accomplish...two words....hot dogs. :)

I don't recall if I blogged about this already, but he got his new teeth back from the dentist. His original set "disappeared" from the hospital, and he really hasn't needed any since. Now he has a HUGE pearly white smile when he laughs. It's quite a comedy.

My Mom has been having a hard time with this month. Understandable. At least her Mariner's are doing better. :) Gooo BIG RUSS!

There is so much more I want to put down that is in my head & heart right now, but it's family stuff. Maybe if I make a book out of this, it will make the book. ;)

It is still amazing to me that we still have some faithful viewers of this blog, despite my lack of writing lately. I know this has probably turned some viewers away, as there aren't as many updates, but as long as he continues to progress, I will continue to write. The day you get a phone call from him asking if you want to meet for a round of golf is the day this blog will end.

(I'll be teein off with my old man)

MOOORE UPDATES!

Hope everyone had a happy and safe 4th!!

Much to write about, so let's get rolling...

I finally finished his standing frame, which he has been using for up to 40 minutes at a time! His swallowing is so far so good. My mom has been starting to give him pieces of banana, ice cream, and his favorite...Mac&Cheese!! :) I think we are about a week away before the Speech Therapist is going to try some chicken. He seems to be getting it down nicely, we still worry where down is, of course...haha, but they've been monitoring his lungs and everything seems to be ok.

The singing is a hit! We started him off with something a little slower that is an old classic. "You were always on my mind" by Willie nelson. When we first started, he could barely finish a verse...now he is getting through the whole song. Not clear, by any means...but improving!

He has several posts that I need to copy/paste in here, hopefully this weekend. The picture above is from our weekend excursion to Mt. St. Helens on 4th of July.

So we drove down to Helens on Saturday to escape not only the heat, but the fireworks. I have to agree with my Mom on this...since when did it become alright to give drunken idiots small explosives to set off in close proximity to other houses??? Do any of these people even understand the value of the holiday?? We were driving home from Helens later that evening, and you could feel the shock wave from some of these fireworks from inside your car ON I-5!!! Crazy, just crazy. I wrote off the entire weekend to hang down at their place in case the neighbors did something stupid and caught our house on fire. Shame that we have to worry ourselves with such things.

Anyway, back to Dad. As I was working out in the garage, Brad and Dad were practicing some walking, and decided to take a break on one of the chairs in the living room. Dad sat perfectly in this chair. No leaning, no struggling...sat there like he's been doing it this whole time, and it didn't even have arms! It just seems lately, he has been "waking up", and much of his body is getting tired of that wheelchair. He is accomplishing things the doctors would have never forseen.

I have a feeling the voice will be last to "come back". He has lost 8 lbs since his last weigh-in, as you will see in the picture. Hopefully he can get off the tube soon, and start putting some of that weight back on.

He gets his new teeth soon, which should help in a lot of his speaking, AND chewing.

Overall, his spirits are pretty high. To quote him on our way back from Helens....

"It's good to be alive"....."Thank you for my life"

UPDATE

Let me start off by saying thank you for all the emails to my Dad, and of course the wonderful comments in here.

Summer is officially here, and we are a couple months away from the one year mark. Pops has exceeded above and beyond what the doctors originally thought. My first question when I see him now, is "How many laps?". We have an island in our kitchen that he walks around with assistance from Fred. I remember at Christmas time, his "present" to me was getting around this island once. Just six months later and he is averaging around 16 laps or more. He even did some stairs off our front porch the other day!

He still struggles with his speech, and my Mom found an interesting article regarding music therapy and Parkinson's patients, or those that have had a stroke. I've spoken to some friend that have had personal experience with this, and they have said when their loved one sang, the words were much clearer than their regular speech. Those that know my Dad, know he looooved to sing...despite his children asking him not to. :)

Soooo, I am going to try to implement this into his routine somehow. His swallowing seems to be improving, but we're still a little gunshy on getting too crazy with foods. He's back on with his number one favorite pass time on his computer...online poker. He and I used to play together all the time, and I must say...he hasn't lost his touch. I told him to start playing real money and earning some big money so my Mom can retire!!! haha. But, we just play for fake dough, obviously.

I'll be down there later this week, and I'll try to get another post from him to put in here.

Keep the emails comin!!! Be patient with him getting back to you, though. He's working on it...but he loooves incoming mail. :)

Dad's first post!!!

He's just getting used to typing again. Like everything else, nothing comes easy, everything needs work...but this is a great day. Enjoy.

The BOYS HAVE BEEN TERRIFIC; CHRIS WIITH THIS BLOGHAS BEEN PARTICULARLY HELPFUL CHRIS HAS GSDOVRR 4000RESONSEIY BLOWSMY MIND OF COUSE THIS IINCLUDESTHOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE RES-
PONDED MORE THAN ONCE----BUT STILL THAT NUMBER HUMBLES ME
F0R THE RECORD I DHN’T RECALL ANYTHING UNTILL IWOKE UP AT THE NURSING HOME CLAUDIABY THAT TIME HAD EVERYBODY GEAREDTO MY RECOVERY SO I BEGAN THE LONG SLOW ROAD BACKY;NORMAL COMING HOME WAS A BIG STEP
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS

Monday morning

OK, so I have put this post off for far too long. No excuses, let's just get right into it.

First and foremost, pops is reading this blog now. He has access to a computer, and is even starting the long process of responding to so many of you. I got him set up with a gmail account this weekend, so if you want to wish him well personally, his new address is cjpetro1@gmail.com.

My next posting will be he and I typing something up together.

So we've just about finished the deck project that we started last year for him. Some generosity came in the form of hard working bodies recently, and they slapped together the last of this ramp. All that is left is some aesthetics, but it is fully functional and working wonderfully!! That evening we had a little dinner with our guests, and while the boys entertained my Dad watching the Blazers in the playoffs, my brother and I sat with my Mom and her sisters. There was talk of the past, the future, and the present of course. Something noted that stood out for me was the incredible love that is within this family. We have our differences as most families do, but in this day and age, it is so rare that two people share the same love through thick and thin as my Mom and Dad do.

The irony here is that through the past decade, it was not uncommon for my mother to slip in little guilt trips for my brothers and I, and how we have NOT produced any grandchildren yet. Had any of produced said family, it would have made our current situation extremely difficult. Luckily for her (and him), we are all taking our sweet time. :) Any single ladies reading this blog? Brad is brown hair, blue eyes, medium build....hahaha. Perhaps this whole ordeal was part of my Dad's ultimate sacrifice in getting us ready for fatherhood? I am smiling as I am writing this by the way.

ANYWAY, speaking of pops....all is well. His left side is slowly getting stronger and stronger. He impressed us all this weekend with the additional mobility in his left arm. He is taking more and more steps, with less and less aid. Limbs and muscles, I feel I can help out with, work out, and strengthn...but his speech, I just feel so helpless. It's super frustrating for him as well, so the computer access is a great way to communicate for now.

Interesting thing happened this weekend. I was at a benefit dinner for auto-immune research, and the cohost of the evening was Dick Foley, a former member of the "Brothers Four" (One of my Dad's favorite bands), and one of the many visitors to see my Dad when he was in ICU. I snuck over when he was off stage for a brief thank you, and he had assumed that my Dad had passed, based on the diagnosis at the time of his visit. He was elated to hear that pops is still fighting the fight, and wished him his best. The event raised over a million dollars for the research. I can't tell you how much I would love to put an event like THAT together. Not just for Parkinson's, but for hundreds of causes. Such an exciting and emotional evening....to see people come together for a cause. Very moving.

More to come this week!! Look for a post from the ol man Wed or Thurs!!

Saturday eve

First off, it has been far too long since I've posted, and for that I apologize. Can I use "writer's block", in this situation??

Soooo, let's catch up to speed here. I'm being told he is getting stronger and stronger with his walker, though I still have yet to see this. His speech has reached somewhat of a plateau, which worries me. He has admitted this is the most frustrating thing for him, is not being able to communicate better. I worry about him getting discouraged, and try to emphasize patience as much as possible. He sticks to his motto "It's good to be alive", which I love hearing him say.

His feeding via the mouth has commenced, though it is in very small doses, carefully monitored, and only a few select items...though he continues to add to his list of things he misses food wise. :)

His love of basketball has now been replaced by our beloved Mariners, and one of my parents favorite sports stars, Ken Griffey Jr. Goooo M's!!
I asked my Dad if he thinks he could sit through a whole game, if we got tickets, and he seems to think he could. He has been to the theatre twice now, with Fred. Apparently if you are the caretaker of an individual, you get into movies for freeeeeeee! I honestly don't know how he does it, since the popcorn at the theatre's and at the ball parks, is one of his favorite treats of all time. :)

I have spoken before about how I cannot express everything I would like to say via this blog, and I stand firm to that...though I will say that this country has a long way to go on health insurance, and our legal system astounds me. That is all I am going to say on that.

I know I owe some photos and will get them up soon!
Take care everyone.

March Madness!

Don't let the title of this one fool ya. Pops is doing good. His brother suggested we get him involved in the NCAA Mens Basketball tourney through a league that he (his brother) is involved in. Soooo, Brad and I printed out some brackets, Dad made his picks, as did Brad and I. Much to my mother's distaste of it all, we have been watching every game. :)

Regarding his recovery, he retook the swallow test and did a little bit better this time, and the doctors approved him for nectar like substances, which he has already started a list of. :)

This all makes me verrrrrry nervous, since the result of this the first time led to almost losing him earlier this year. But, the only way to get better swallowing, is to practice. The only way to practice, is to give him something. We are taking steps to make this a much more regimented training, not just a chance for him to taste things. There will be rules and guidelines, and things we will know to watch for this time, which reassures me slightly.

Last night was rather special, as he began asking questions again regarding what happened in the hospital. He cried for the first time in a long time at the thought of what he has been through, and everyone that has come together to support him. He asked me this morning if I was still angry at the doctors. I told him I buried that emotion, as it was not healthy to obsess over the past when there was so much work to be done for the future. He spelled out on the reader board that they have no idea the labor they have caused his family...but that "it was good to be alive". We paused for a moment in agreeance, before he pointed to the screen to let me know it's time to get back to the tournament.

My Mom found a really good deal on a laptop that we think will help him begin to send e-mails to everyone, respond to comments in here, and work on his hand/eye coordination...among other things. It has a touch screen so that he doesn't have to rely on a keyboard. Should be here in a couple weeks. :)

More and more movement from the left limbs. He got a brace for his left leg to strengthen it when he walks. I want to reemphasize that his walking is very limited to our support, and that of his walker, aid, etc. He is, by no means, freely walking again and has much work to do...but is anxious to do so.

Do not be surprised if you see some incoming mail from him in the next months. He, as do all of us, owe everyone in here our extended gratitude.

Wednesday

I was unable to post last week due to being out of town. Needless to say, I was excited to be home. Not for work, or to sleep in my own bed so much, but to see Pops again. It's been almost a week since I've seen him, and a lot happens in a week around here these days.

As stated before, the entire left side is coming alive. His leg is more and more responsive, and his arm is slowly coming out of hybernation. My Mom surprised me with a call late Sunday evening telling me they even went to a concert Saturday night! One of his favorite newer performers is Raul Malo, and he was here in town that night, so Brad surprised them with tickets. My Mom said it was an awesome show, and my Dad held up as good as could be expected if not better.

I have yet to see him use his walker, but am told it's quite impressive.

I have some pictures to post, and will do so this weekend. Love to all!

Late post

I apologize for not posting recently. I have been out with the flu, and not having the energy to do much.

I am due to be down there today to see him. I miss him. When I last saw him, he was going to get a walker. He was very excited about this opportunity. The Speech Therapist has moved his swallow test forward as she has been impressed with his improvements. As noted in the previous blog's comments, my Mom's sisters all came up last Thursday to take her out on the town and see how Dad has improved. I have a picture of this that I will upload first chance I get.

It is nice to see him laughing more. I look at this as a blessing in disguise, as challenging times continue to rise and as tough as times may seem, we have the laughter and love of a humble man just happy to still have his family.

I will post more towards the end of the week, when I have had some time to spend with him.

Baby steps!

WOW, so in one week he went from being able to wiggle his toes a little on the left side, to being able to lift the entire lower half of his left leg in a sitting position to where it is almost straight out in front of him. I can only imagine what surprises he will have for us next week.

His talking is getting better and better, and there is plenty more of it, as a result! :)

Random acts of kindness continue to come our way in so many different forms. I have never been one to speak publicly about these individual acts, they are all awesome in their own right...and those that are keeping tabs on this know what they've done, and are not looking for recognition for it. So, I can just say thank you to all of you. Whether your donation is in prayer, gift, thoughts and stories, or from your checkbook, they are all incredible to us. My Mom just commented the other day on how she can't believe everything that everyone has done.

I remember that first day at the hospital, how helpless we all felt. How my Mom even said "Who is going to care about our situation??", when I told her I was putting together a donation page. Who would have thought it would have gone this far? I'm not sure what the future holds for my Dad, but it is clear that he is not wasting time on what the doctors tell him. He is stronger now, than I think he has ever been. Strong in spirit, and sometimes that means so much more than what your body is able to attain.

Smiles and laughs

They are BACK!

Despite his laughs and smiles not being the same as what I remember from pre-surgery, these kind take on a whole new authenticity. He can have this frown on his face and my Mom starts in with this little song and dance, and he lights up, and I would love to find someone who does not just buckle cracking up at the site of this man when he gets into light up mode. It is just hilarious, and I am doubtful it will ever get old.

He continues to have an issue with his IV clogging up, so weekly visits to the hospital are not uncommon, but hey...it gets him out of the house, which I know he likes.

Beyond that, everything is improving day by day. He has been sleeping better, communicating better, and moving better. He had another surprise for me this week when I came over after work. He had me sit beside him and pointed my attention to his left foot. I sat and watched as he made considerable attempts at elevating the foot. The fact that there is movement there from a sitting position is a great sign.

My Mom's birthday is coming up on the 9th. Feel free to send her good wishes, and I will see that she gets them. :)

Friday

Ohhh MAN, it feels like forever since I have blogged. My apologies, crazy week with work and plans and pops and well, everything.

But, as my Uncle Bud has said before...."No news is typically good news".

He has been progressing wonderfully. His smile has come back, and even a chuckle here and there. He is so anxious to get up and walk, my Mom and Brad found him trying to get out of bed two different nights. He apparently heard something outside. We use this metal basket beside his bed as something to hold misc. items, including a bell that he can ring if we are asleep and he needs one of us. My Mom said he had this basket high up in the air, as he was trying to get out of bed. Apparently he was going to club this "burglar" with a metal basket. :)

I tried lifting this thing myself, and it's not the heaviest item in the world, but it IS a bit precarious. I was impressed. Aside from the IV's that we will be giving him for another couple weeks, he is back to where we left off, and then some. The doctors say there will be a scar in his lungs after this episode, likely forever. It was a pretty bad case. The speech therapist has requested another swallow test in about 4-6 weeks, so we have been "working out" with words and exercises to strengthen this area.

My nights down there used to consist of coming over after work, having dinner, watching the news, and putting him to bed, all while catering to whatever needs may come up of course.

NOW my nights consist of walking in the door after work, and getting right to work with an eager patient. Walking, standing, talking, whatever....he doesn't waste a single moment, and I have to beg him to allow me some time to eat. HA! I love this enthusiasm, though it is tiring...on all of us.

Some close friends of mine put together a sweet gift for my Mom recently, for a visit to Gene Juarez with a gift card and an undisclosed amount. I'm hoping she uses this for some back therapy, as she has been aching more and more lately....DESPITE my requests for her to start practicing proper bending techniques!!! AHEM...MOM!!! (I know she is reading this...hehe)

Anyway, thank you thank you thank you to those involved in that. Very sweet!!!

Have a great weekend everyone, and keep the comments comin! I read them all to him.

Improvements!

Despite having IV's, and plugged lines, and mild diarrhea, and all the other post pneumonia complications, he had an awesome day yesterday. I would go so far as to say he was about 90% back to the way he was prior to the pneumonia. His strength is growing, his speech is coming back, his posture and general poise is strengthening. You would not know he spent the first two weeks of the month in treatment for a severe case of pneumonia with a collapsed lung. Ofcourse, yesterday may have just been a very good day, but I am extremely please to see his recovery from this episode. He is overanxious even to get back to his physical therapy, often interrupting our dinner with a request to stand up out of his chair. Again, I hate to jump the gun and say he is back to where we left off. I am just writing regarding yesterday's events. We'll see what his condition is this evening, but from what I can see....he is extremely anxious to continue his training. The doctors told us it would be months before he would see his strength come back from the pneumonia, which is true...however, it would seem that he may have been sleeping when they told us that part. :)

Home again...at last

Thank you all to these comments I am seeing, for the love, and for the words of encouragement. This is my first night with him since he has come home, and I'm not sure what I was expecting. He is as attentive as he has always been, but he is without his speech, and mobility. Mom has him hooked to an IV for precautions, and he has a bit of a runny nose but that is about all there is to report.

We have a long road ahead of us, but when I asked him how he felt tonight...he showed me his fist and acted as if he was flexing his arm. :)

Thank you all again for your prayers and positive thoughts. More to come in the next day or two.

Post Surgery

So the surgery took place about 6pm last night. We took him down to surgery, and I continue to be impressed with the interiors of this hospital. Very warm and inviting.

Anyway, we took him downstairs, and you could see in his eyes he was terrified. He even started crying. Which got me crying, my mom crying, even one of the nurses.

They were drawing on his chest of where they were going to insert these tubes, and it was very busy with people running all around him....I can't blame him for being worried, since we woke him out of a dead sleep.

From this surgical prep room, where we sat with him while they ran all their tests and asked a bunch of questions, they took him into surgery finally. As they rolled his bed out, he gripped my hand HARD....and would not let go. I could not go where they were taking him, so I had to pry my hand loose. Very hard to do emotionally.

We went to the waiting room which, again....Starbucks has the same interior designer I think...lol...and about an hour later the doc came in to let us know the results.

One of his lungs had collapsed prior to surgery, which they believe they have partially restored. His saturation levels jumped from 90 to 98 almost immediately after surgery, so that is a great sign. They took him to a recovery room, and in the meantime, I decided to run get a workout in to clear my head.

When I returned, he was in his new private room....this room has ALL the bells and whistles....truly awesome. He has his own little gadget that he can press in case he feels any pain. At the press of a button, he gets a small dose of pain killer.

It's still a guessing game as to how he will recover from all of this, but I saw the tube coming out of his chest...actually there are two small tubes feeding one big tube (about 1/2" in diameter), and I could see the fluid coming out. It's somewhat pinkish in color...and yes, there was a lot of it.

He acknowledged me with a pound, had us all smiling again...and went back to sleep. He tried to talk, but is still too weak...and it came out as a moan. I will likely spend the night with him in his room tonight.

Thank you all again for the love and support, I whisper in his ear every night who is leaving comments and what they are saying.

Surgery

Well, they drained about 70 cc's of liquid from his pleuria....which is not much, and surprisingly, he was showing signs of improvement. It was obvious his breathing had gotten better, but his temperature is still fluctuating. The time came to make the decision to surgically install a chest tube to drain the remaining liquids. From what we are being told, and have heard...this can be rather painful. He agreed to have it done, and I am being told he is going in as I am writing this.

Should this procedure be a success, he could be home as early as this weekend, albeit with an additional tube coming out of him to go with the feeding tube, and oxygen tubes. The problem is, is that unless he learns to swallow efficiently in the near future, the doctors claim it's only a matter of time before another case of pneumonia sets in.

Thank you all for your thoughts and kindness this week....it's been the hardest week since this started. I read all your comments to my Dad, and he is trying to respond...but simple words are a great deal of energy right now, and we typically deter him from using this precious energy.

updates

Regrettably, I feel I need to get back to more frequent updates, as his condition is day to day....once again.


He has developed an inflammation of his pleura, the double membrane that wraps our lungs and acts as a lubricant for the lungs to smoothly inhale and exhale. In his case, he has a pleural effusion, which is when excess fluid seeps into the pleura and adds pressure to the lungs making it more difficult to breath. The doctors are going to attempt to drain some of this fluid by injecting a needle into this area.

He has worked so hard only to come to this. This is really upsetting and difficult for all of us. He squeezes my hand to let me know he is still in the fight.

A step in the wrong direction.

I've lost count of days, but due to recent complications, I could almost start a new post under Day 14....because that's where we are again.

As many of you know who have been keeping up on events, my Dad's speech therapist OK'd him to have small amounts of food via the mouth, and of those items...only well blended consistencies.

I found this surprising at the time, being that he failed his first swallow test, but hey...she's the professional, right?  When a physician gives you the green light, you trust them...otherwise, why are you paying them for their services?

My Dad has developed a "massive case of Aspiratory Pneumonia".  He has been in the hospital since the first of this new year.  A new year that I had hoped would have so much more promise than the last.  That day started off wonderfully, as I spent the morning with him, then the afternoon with a special friend.   Only moments after dropping off this friend, my brother called me and told me I better rush home, as we have to get him to the ER.

I remember he was a little weak that morning, and asked to lay down.  Typically, we do not lay him down during the day, or he will not sleep at night, but my Mom and I agreed that a little nap wouldn't hurt.   I put him to bed, and off I went to pick up my friend.   What a difference a few hours made.  By the time I had returned, it was clear that something was very, very wrong.

I have spent the remainder of my weekend in his room, as has my brothers and Mom.  It is a much different atmosphere than before...not as much sadness, as there is patience.   He sleeps for the most part, but opened his eyes briefly for me last night...and if I didn't know any better, I would say nothing looked wrong.   What is going on inside his lungs speaks a completely different tale, unfortunately.

For those that do not know, Aspitory Pneumonia happens when a liquid or object is inhaled into the lungs.  This can be anything from saliva to food or drink.  Once in your lungs these things can cause blockage, which will in turn cause swelling, and an infection known as Bacterial Pneumonia, which is what they are saying he has developed.

It goes without saying the seriousness of this development.  

I ask that you keep your calls to my Mom to a minimum, and visits only upon request.  He is in great care, in one of the nicest facilities that I think I have ever been in, with extemely cooperative nurses and staff.