Gone for a week

[synger]

As you know, my 87-year-old father has lung cancer and emphysema. The cancer hasn't grown much since he started his medication around Christmas (though it gives him bleeding sores), but he has had a couple of strokes and he needs the big air tanks rather than the smaller ones that he could carry around.

As such, he is no longer able to care for himself in his assisted-living apartment. He doesn't need constant care, but he can't cook or bathe himself any more. So he has moved into a care facility where he has his own "efficiency" room without kitchen, but with a private bath, and where someone will check on him every couple of hours throughout the day to see if he needs anything.

So, I am going to Michigan this weekend to help my sisters pack up his apartment. I won't be here for the craziness of the system upgrade, but I'll be back next weekend.

I would appreciate your prayers for my father and family. He still keeps going, but he's getting weaker. My sister Mary, who is the only sibling who lives near him, has had the yeoman's job of visiting, taking him to all his doctor's appointments, buying his food, keeping his books and files, etc.

On a good note, I'm really looking forward to seeing him, and my sisters. Sandy will be teaching me to knit. She and I will be staying at the beach house on Lake Michigan (out of Mary's hair), and the Lake has always been where I would go and walk where the beauty and awesomeness of God's creation would most strongly impact me. I'll be taking my hymnal -- hymnody is an important part of my personal devotions.

 

[LilLamb219]

Prayers for you and all the members of your family! take care

 

[LutheranChick]

As you know, my 87-year-old father has lung cancer and emphysema. The cancer hasn't grown much since he started his medication around Christmas (though it gives him bleeding sores), but he has had a couple of strokes and he needs the big air tanks rather than the smaller ones that he could carry around.

As such, he is no longer able to care for himself in his assisted-living apartment. He doesn't need constant care, but he can't cook or bathe himself any more. So he has moved into a care facility where he has his own "efficiency" room without kitchen, but with a private bath, and where someone will check on him every couple of hours throughout the day to see if he needs anything.

So, I am going to Michigan this weekend to help my sisters pack up his apartment. I won't be here for the craziness of the system upgrade, but I'll be back next weekend.

I would appreciate your prayers for my father and family. He still keeps going, but he's getting weaker. My sister Mary, who is the only sibling who lives near him, has had the yeoman's job of visiting, taking him to all his doctor's appointments, buying his food, keeping his books and files, etc.

On a good note, I'm really looking forward to seeing him, and my sisters. Sandy will be teaching me to knit. She and I will be staying at the beach house on Lake Michigan (out of Mary's hair), and the Lake has always been where I would go and walk where the beauty and awesomeness of God's creation would most strongly impact me. I'll be taking my hymnal -- hymnody is an important part of my personal devotions.

Prayers for you, your father and your family, Synger. I hope you have a very nice reunion with your family in spite of the circumstances.

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

Prayers and blessings to you and your family.

 

[filosofer]

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Blessings and prayers.

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[porterross]

Poor man. Is he upset about having to give up his independence? (My 97 year old grandmother still is. )

Prayers for you all and especially Mary. My mother serves the same role here and it can be stressful on many levels.

 

[seajoy]

I pray all goes well for you and your family.

 

[Zecryphon]

Prayers for Synger and her family in this time of need.

 

[WildStrawberry]

Many prayers for your whole family, Synger.

Kae

 

[LutheranHawkeye]

Prayers for your family.

 

[RadMan]

Prayers for your family.

 

[synger]

Thank you for all your prayers. He's doing remarkably well, though he's getting frailer by the week. Physically he's like the ghost of my father... but then he starts joshing with the nurses, and teasing us, and I know he's still here. They're going to have to get used to him in this new place. It's a much smaller community, and many of the residents are more vocally religious than he's used to. His humor can be a bit off-putting at first. For instance, my sister and I were visiting him, and he had a nurse come in with an extern for their weekly visit, followed by the therapist. So when after the initial questions and pulse-taking and such, the nurse asked if he had any particular pains, his answer was "well, I have about five of them right now" (meaning the five women visiting him at the same time). Sandy and I just chuckled, and the one nurse smiled once she understood he was teasing. They other two weren't sure how to take him. By the end of the visit, though, they were more at ease, so I am hopeful.

The latest CAT scan does not show any increase in the lung tumor, though it could be denser even if it's not bigger in diameter. He needs more oxygen now. One of the hardest things for him has been mobility. At his old place, he could put a little oxygen tank on his push-cart-walker-thing and walk around. Then they made him start using a large tank that has its own wheeled carriage. He couldn't manipulate it himself, so had to wait until someone else could walk with him... which he absolutely HATED. The respiratory therapist was able to set him up with a smaller tank that gave him continuous-flow oxygen (rather than the on-demand style, which is no longer enough for him), so he can use his walker again. Thank God!

He walked us around his new facility, showing where he has dinner, and the patio near a fountain, and the indoor atrium with caged birds who sing, and the recreation room... it's a nice place. So they help him to be as independent as he still can be, which is very important for him. It's not an apartment, nor a full-time convalescent home, but rather he has one big room (about as big as my living room) and a bathroom. His room is big enough for his bed, a small table and two chairs, two easy chairs and his TV, his small dresser, and his big screen reader-machine (which magnifies text so he can try to continue his genealogy research).

It was downright painful to sort through all the stuff in his apartment. My brother was able to come join us Sunday and Monday morning, so all four of us sorted and discussed. It was hard, but it would be harder later on. In some ways, it is a blessing to have this part of it mostly done. Sandy and I went back on Tuesday and began packing it all up. Three little dumpster trash-things later, and LOTS of boxes and bubble wrap, we were done. The movers came Friday when Mary was there, to move the stuff to storage. We'll take our boxes home when we drive up in June for the normal week-long vacation together.

My mother collected Belleek china, and glassware, and my father has years and years of Scouting and history memorabilia. It is amazing to me how much STUFF one can accumulate over the years. And this was what was left after paring down from a house to a condo, then from a condo to an apartment, and now an apartment to one room. Everything has its story, and much of our conversation revolved around "do you remember this"?

It was good to spend time with my siblings. I can't remember the last time all four of us sat down to a meal together without our extended families... probably when we were all still minors. Which would have been when I was six, as Robert is 12 years older than I.

Sandy and I stayed at Mary's cottage, so we had the evenings to ourselves. It was really good to have some time to spend with her. She's my closest sibling in age, and the sister I always felt closest too. Mary is an organizer, and we tend to clash. Bob intimidates me. And I'm probably the quietest of the bunch, so they don't really know me that well, or so Sandy says. Anyway, I cherished the time with them, especially with Sandy.

Oh, and Sandy taught me to knit, and I'm almost done with my first, small project, a purse for Gem (my 7-yo daughter). Then I want to do a prayer shawl. The LWML at my church did some last year, but I missed it. I've been wanting to learn to make one for some time now.

Anyway, long-winded and everything, I'm back safe and sound. Thank you for all your support and prayers.

 

[RadMan]

The enigma of being old is being young in an old body.

 

[LilLamb219]

Glad to have you back here! Continued prayers for your family

 

[WildStrawberry]

Many prayers for you and your family!

And as for the knitting...welcome to the addiction. If you need any help, go to www.knittinghelp.com the gal there has TONS of really GOOD videos showing all sorts of things. It's part of what taught me to knit.

Kae

 

[QuiltAngel]

Continuing to keep your father, your family and you in my prayers. Sounds like you got lots accomplished while you were there. I know what you mean about the amount accumulated as well as the memories there. We have to do the last of my mother's things and hopefully two of us will be able to do it in July.