Winter Illness...

The Wednesday before New Year's I met my father to sing at the nursing home. He had planned to show a DVD of country music (he has tons of these). As soon as he said hello I could hear it in his voice. He was getting sick. His voice was scratchy and at least an octave below where it should be. I asked him if he had seen a doctor. He assured me he hadn't and didn't think he needed to. He has a regime of a cold medicine he takes when he starts to get sick and he had started that and was sure he would get better with a little rest. He was grateful he had not planned to sing that Wednesday.

Thursday we did not have contact.

Friday morning I called him to invite him to dinner when Nissa and Todd came over the weekend. His voice was now two octaves lower and he sounded beat down. I was very concerned. Again I suggested seeing his doctor. Again he refused. I suggested he come out to our home and rest where I could watch and care for him. He refused. I suggested I take Tiny so he didn't have to worry about her. He refused. I did go in and feed Mimi so he wouldn't do that and then I took him some ice cream bars. Papa was running a bad fever, his head was bright red. Again I asked him to see his doctor, come home with me or at least let me take Tiny. He refused.

Saturday morning I called again. He was worse. Nissa and I went in to feed Mimi. Then we stopped at Kroger and picked up some juice and headed to Papa's apartment. He was redder that Friday and definitely on a downhill slide with this illness. Again, I asked him to go to his doctor, come to my home or let me take Tiny. Again he refused.

Sunday morning Nissa and Todd and the kids left for Michigan. I got ready for Church. Then I received a phone call. It was Papa. He said, "We've got a problem."  He was dizzy and couldn't hardly stand, he couldn't remember if he fed Tiny and/or took his morning medicines. I told him I would be right there.

As I drove in I made a mental list of what to pack for him. He was, at minimum, coming home with me this time. I was able to determine he had taken his medicines and fed Tiny. I packed what he would need to be at my home for a few days, collected his laundry and packed food for Tiny. Then I had to run to Church and teach my Sunday School lesson.

I left Church and went back to Papa's apartment and scooped him and Tiny into my already loaded car and headed for Sadieville. The nursing home would have to feed mom.

We got Papa set up on the sofa with his pillows and footstool. Then I got him something to drink. He settled into a nap and I unpacked his stuff and brought my computer upstairs so I could monitor how he was doing. In the evening he woke up and got a shower. We fed him a nice dinner and filled him with fluids. He watched football all day and slept through a good bit of it.

Monday we could not get an appointment with his doctor because it was the New Year's holiday observed.  I did leave Papa and go in and feed Mimi. This gave Papa some peace of mind.

Tuesday the doctor saw Papa. As Papa was beginning to perk up a bit he could not define for sure what he had suffered over the weekend. He wrote on his chart it was an upper respiratory infection. I sure it was bronchitis or flu or pneumonia. Since I have no medical training, I'm only guessing by what I was like when I had bronchitis and/or the flu.  

Papa invited me into his appointment so I was also able to discuss with Dr. Weckman Papa's loss of memory. He gave Papa a simple test for Alzheimer's and really feels that is not an issue with Papa. He said that when a person experiences a lot of stress (like a wife with Alzheimer's, selling your home and moving, concerns over money, etc.) that you experience the stress and some depression. Those things combine to cause you to lose focus. This lack of focus results in your not registering so that you can remember things. This is what is happening with Papa. The only one who can change that is Papa and his ability to deal with what is happening in his life.

After the appointment, I left Papa to rest at his apartment and I went to feed Mimi.

Wednesday Papa had an appointment for an MRI with the orthopedist regarding his spinal issues. I drove him in and waited while he had the MRI. After, I took Papa home to his apartment. The dizziness was gone. He was ready to be in his home again. I headed to the nursing home and fed Mimi again.

Papa slowly began to improve. I fed Mimi through Sunday. Papa just rested with the exception of the day he went in for his MRI results. That nearly wore him out. I did not know he was going to the doctor for this and wished I had known so I would know what they said. There was some discussion of surgery for a vertebrae in his lower spine. That is information I would rather have directly from the doctors.

Papa missed Church again on Sunday the 8th of January. But he was back to feeding Mimi after that. Basically that is what he does. Rest in the morning, feed Mimi lunch, rest the remainder of the day. I'm covering his shift at the Family History Center today. He looks better and sounds better but still has issues with his chest and congestion. That will take time and rest to heal.

What have I learned from this...if I seem a little stubborn about seeing a doctor, it just might be genetic!!!