I went to PA to see my dad on January 1st. By the time I got to the hospital he had a breathing tube. He was in a coma, too. After a day or two, he started coming up out of the coma a bit and was "talking" to us with his feet, tapping his feet for "yes" and waving his feet for "no". If he was happy he'd clap his feet together and we called that his "happy feet". He was in ICU for 2 weeks after his stroke and they don't like a lot of visitors in there...sorry...but my dad had a steady stream of visitors, at times the room was "standing room only". We were loud at times, too. My gosh, I've never really watched nurses at work because I avoid hospitals at almost all costs...but those nurses were absolutely incredible. I'm sure one of the harder parts of their job is dealing with families...especially large, loud ones!
At first, he couldn't talk or use his right arm and he had a blank look in his eyes, which he really couldn't open anyway. By 2 weeks out, we were told the stroke had matured and there was a significant amount of new damage. He could no longer understand what was being said to him, so he was "trapped". He had also developed pneumonia and was in congestive heart failure, had an irregular heart beat, and many other problems. My mom made the decision to pull life support because that's what he had said he would want. We spent almost another week watching him "sleep" because he never really woke up again. Saturday, January 17 he died around 6 am.
Those are details of the end of his life, many ups and downs, shock, then hope, then sadness and finally loss. We'll have his funeral on Saturday, January 24 at 1:00 at the York Chapel for our church, 2100 Hollywood Drive, York, PA. There will be a viewing at 12:00, an hour prior to the funeral.
Enough sad talk now, it's been 3 weeks of this and I can't take much more. Many family members and friends are flying in and it will be a rough week and weekend. I miss my husband and kids, friends, dog, home, things, normal life, and my bedroom...but it has also been good to see old friends from when we lived back here. I'm sure Saturday we'll see a lot more and that will be so great.
10 years ago
4 comments:
I am so sorry. That is really hard. I know you'll all be together again sooner than we realize though.
I heard yesterday at Church from Wendy. So sorry to hear. Your dad was always laughing and to me that is one of the greatest things.
You know I am always here for you...I feel bad I can't come out again. I don't know how you're staying sane!!! Go grab a stash of Martin's chips and Tastycakes while you can!!!!
I'm so sorry to hear of your Dad's passing. As I said in a previous comment, your Dad was so funny and such a nice man.
It's good you were able to go home and spend time being with him. Now, take some time to take care of yourself.
Thinking of you.
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