Update on Dad 3-6-11

Hi, All,

Well, my daughter hasn't had her baby yet, so I'm able to update you a bit on Dad tonight. It'll be short tonight because I only have a brief report from my sister Lucy, an update from a nurse at the care facility and my own brief conversation with Dad.

Lucy sent out an email about Dad in late February:

"I went to see Dad today. He's now fallen three times, twice in one night. He's okay as far as the falls go, but he told them he fell because he was reaching for the sand, so something's wrong. They are checking him for a UTI [a urinary tract infection], which has made him confused in the past. He seems fine, and although he had refused to eat breakfast, he had eaten most of his lunch when I got there. I don't know whether you all know, but there's a man, Reuben, who comes to help his wife [eat her meals in the diningroom], and he has Dad sit by him, and he helps Dad eat too. He's very nice, and Dad seems happy to let Reuben help."

When I spoke to the nurse tonight, she said that Dad did have a UTI, and that he's on an antibiotic and hasn't fallen recently, that he's no longer confused or forgetful--I think she means within the limits of what he's usually able to remember these days. She says he doesn't always remember to use the call button--he never has--but that he calls out when he needs help. I'm pleased the nurse encourages him to call out, so they know when he needs help.

When I talked to Dad tonight, he seemed a bit more responsive than he's been recently. I told him that my daughter Christine hadn't had her baby yet (her due date was yesterday), but that she tried eating spicy foods for dinner tonight.

I asked if he remembered what Mom had done if she wanted a baby to come. He was quiet for a minute and then said, "I don't really remember"--a real response that wasn't just one of his stock phrases. I told him it had been a long time, so I wasn't surprised he didn't remember.

I told Dad about my grandson's comment to his mother in church last week. He was being noisy and defiant(do I hear someone saying two-and-a-half?). Christine told him that Jesus wants children to obey their mommas and daddies. "And Omas!" says Jeffrey. I told Dad that Jeffrey calls me Oma, and he laughed.

Dad told me that I sounded good on the phone, I told him I loved him and sent him love from Christine, Michael and Jeffrey. He said he loved me and sent love to them.

Then I realized I had another story I wanted to tell him: Jeffrey and I made a batch of my mom's granola recently--Christine's been craving it. I was pleased that Christine wanted some, and pleased that Jeffrey really likes it too! Dad's response wasn't as clear from this story, maybe, "Oh, uh-huh." But it was nice to be able to tell him about that recipe being handed down to another generation.

When I told him again that I loved him, he sent love to me and to the rest of the family. (A feat of memory to recall their message of love when I'd told him a story in between!)

I'm assuming the baby will be born in the next two weeks, so I'll plan to post again in two weeks. If I don't, you'll know we're still adjusting to our new baby.

Thanks as always for reading!

Alison