He Just Keeps On Keepin' On...

Wednesday, April 8th was Papa's appointment with the ophthalmologist.  I went in to get him there by 1:15pm.  The nurse that does the pre-check was pleased with the improvement with Papa's eyes.  Papa was sure there wasn't improvement.  

One of the tests is to have Papa move only his eyes, not his head, as his eyes follow their finger right, left, up down, etc.  When Papa moved his eyes to the left, he said, "Wait, I haven't noticed that before."  The nurse asked him what he saw.  He told her he was only seeing one image. When he moved his eyes again and returned to looking left, he said the image was almost like one image but really an image laying almost exactly on top of the other image.  I felt a rush of excitement that his eyes might be healing.

The ophthalmologist came in and he almost immediately stated he could see lots of improvement in Papa's eyes since we saw him three weeks previous.  He settled into a more thorough exam.  He noted the vision when looking left as being almost one item seen instead of the two items.  He turned to Papa and said, "I know you can't tell this yet but you are really about 80% healed.  This will heal by itself with no medicine. You don't need to come see me until December."  

I was ecstatic.  Papa was okay with it but he is still the one really seeing two of everything for a while longer.  We made an appointment for December and headed to Papa's apartment to meet up with his great grandmonsters.  All of that is posted in the previous blog entry.

Before the family came for their visit this week, I purchased groceries for Papa.  While entering Kroger, they had a display of lots of pansies in lots of colors for sale.  I had a strong impression to look at them and purchase some for Papa.  

Last year my visiting teacher from Church gave me a mint plant for Mother's Day (I believe that was the day).  I already have an entire bed of it along the wall under my sewing room window.  I determined I would give that plant to Papa and let him watch it grow.  He put it in the ground behind the hedge in front of his apartment.  Every time we would enter or leave his apartment, Papa would pause to check on its progress.  As I looked at those pansies, my impression was he might just enjoy watching them flower through the summer.  So I purchased two of the little 4-pack containers in purple, yellow and white.  I took them to his apartment and set each of the 4-packs on a plate and put water in the plate.  Every time I have been to Papa's I've added a little water so they could soak it up from the bottom of the container.

Today, Claude dropped me off to visit with Papa and do some cleaning chores while he went to a meeting and ran errands.  The first thing I did was replant those pansies into pots filled with dirt I brought from my home.  Then I asked Papa where he would like them on his patio.  He wanted them near the garbage can so he could see them every time he let Tiny outside.  I put them in a row and then took this picture of 'Papa's Garden'.  

He was so very happy with the color and life on his patio.  He asked how long they would bloom. I told him they should bloom all summer long.  He was really tickled with that possibility.

I asked Papa if he wanted to go for a walk.  He is so unsteady that I really don't like him going for a walk anymore unless I am with him.  We went for a walk.  

As we started out, I told him he had to be the judge and tell me how far he could go.  I assured him we could turn back home at any time.  He just needed not to go any further than he could return home.  He assured me he would tell me and his first place would be at the end of the first street.  

When we approached there, I asked him how he was doing.  He said he felt like he wanted to go on walking.  We did and as we neared the end of where his normal walk would be, I turned to him and told him he was setting the world on fire today with his walk.  He said something like, "Well, I don't have any choice now!"  

We made it home and he collapsed in his big chair.  I was so worried about him this afternoon that I called tonight to be sure he was okay.  He said he was and he sounded like he was.  He was letting Tiny out and there was a big rabbit in his back yard.  I asked if the rabbit was eating his pansies.  He said he was going to shoo him away before he did that.  Out the door I heard him go and encourage the rabbit to leave.  Papa was okay and happy he did his walk.  

It is hard to see that be so hard for him. To see him want to do things, like his walk, and struggle with carrying out that desire.  I am amazed at his will to keep going.  Such an example for me.