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Posted by ChrisW on 28-03-2015 at 16:12:
Chris update
I've been in FL for about 11 days now. My dad's been wildly up and down, not just day to day, but within each day. He may have a lucid hour here and there and that's about it. Sometimes my mom wakes up my brother or myself to help her with dad if things get intense, and we try to help a lot during the day. Right now, he's completely unresponsive. That means that he's lying there, eyes open, staring, eyes sometimes moving, but no one is home. It also means that he clenches his teeth whenever we try to put anything into his mouth, so we can't give him any fluids or the lactulose that might get his body to expel the extra ammonia that's probably the cause.
We're waiting on a hospice nurse to come and help. It's possible the nurse can get stuff into him and get him to the bathroom. Otherwise, it's off to the hospital where he gets a lactulose enema and IV fluids and whatnot. Fun fun.
In the name of trying to see the humor in things, when you try to so much as put a straw in his mouth, my dad clenches his teeth and makes very unhappy noises, scrunching his mouth up like a little kid.
On the plus side, my mother's breast cancer surgical infection has cleared up and she can finally return to her radiation treatments. She'd only gotten 3 before they saw how red and tender she was and pulled her out.
Just for more fun, I've had my period the whole time I've been down here (plus some before I left home) ... I assume it's body confusion from the depo provera. Fortunately it's lighter than usual or I'd be in trouble. I can tell I ovulated too because I have fibroids on the right and whenever I ovulate on the right it pinches. 
My husband swears things are okay at home, aside from hip pain flare-ups he's been getting that sometimes make it hard to walk (and of course I shouldn't worry). Those are fairly new so that's fun. He's got an appointment on the 31st with an associate of the orthopedic surgeon who will hopefully be fixing the 2 badly torn tendons in his shoulder. Apparently getting that appointment is the key to being bumped up on the list and getting the surgery faster, so this is a good thing.
All I can say is that I'm glad book 9 in a series I read just came out yesterday, and is sitting in the Kindle app on my iPad. If we end up going to the hospital I at least have a new book to lose myself in.
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Posted by KT1972 on 28-03-2015 at 16:25:
hoping things turn around soon for you all, Chris, and if a hospital visit does become necessary, then I hope you enjoy your new book!
we're always here when you need to rant, don't forget that ok.
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Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement; nothing can be done without hope. - HELEN KELLER
Posted by ElectricWhite on 28-03-2015 at 16:46:
There's not much I can add...hang in there, Kiddo.
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“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them." --Ray Bradbury
Posted by ChrisW on 28-03-2015 at 17:16:
No hospital as yet. The nurse decided to experiment and see if giving him his lactulose via eyedropper would work. It only works if he's got enough consciousness to swallow the stuff and not aspirate it, and fortunately he did swallow it, even if he did a full body shudder each time. *chuckle* (Lactulose is very, very sweet and sticky.) She managed to give him his whole dose that way, by putting it into his cheek so he can't bite the eyedropper. (Sorry if this is TMI ...) He's rocking an adult diaper and now we wait 2 hrs and give him dose #2. If 2 hours after that there's no signs of improvement and the lactulose hasn't done its thing (binding to the ammonia in his body and flushing it out *cough*) then it might be a hospital trip after all.
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Posted by KT1972 on 28-03-2015 at 17:30:
good luck with dose 2 when the time comes.... hopefully your new book can wait until another day 
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Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement; nothing can be done without hope. - HELEN KELLER
Posted by ChrisW on 28-03-2015 at 17:51:
Here's a funny. My brother had gone to an event today, and we weren't going to tell him what was up unless dad had to go to the hospital since there was nothing he could do here but fret with us. He asked, though, and we weren't gonna lie either. Once the nurse had come and we did the eye dropper thing and stuff, and I told him, he decided to come home. Except what he texted me was, "If I don't answer, it's because I'm dying."
I wrote back: "Please don't die. "
While I was laughing it finally occurred to me that what he meant to say, and probably got sabotaged by autocorrect on, was that "If I don't answer, it's because I'm DRIVING."
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Posted by ElectricWhite on 28-03-2015 at 19:01:
Gotta love Autocorrect! (Biggest misnomer EVER! "Autofu**up" would probably be a better name....)
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“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them." --Ray Bradbury
Posted by Reboekah on 28-03-2015 at 20:30:
Hugs Chris!
I'm not that far away - so whistle if you need a mental break...
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Bird Scramble OE
155 issues - 36.5Years! - and flying high!
Posted by ChrisW on 28-03-2015 at 20:35:
Indeed.
Whee, we've given my dad round #2 of his lactulose. He wasn't any happier about it but he's still not responsive. The nurse will be calling later to see how it's going.
Gah, it's so weird, he's "not responsive" but he does respond to some things.
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Eagle Whisperer
Posted by amethyst on 28-03-2015 at 22:29:
Hugs! At least you have support, and enough to get a few breaks!
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Perspective Alters Reality
Posted by Daniella T on 28-03-2015 at 22:42:
Lots of hugs, CW! Hope things get better soon!
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They were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Naturally, they became heroes -- Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan.
Posted by Kritter on 28-03-2015 at 23:04:
So sorry things are getting rougher. Glad you got the meds in him. Wish I could give you a real hug.
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Posted by ChrisW on 28-03-2015 at 23:46:
In the middle of dinner my dad finally emerged looking for a bathroom. Yay! He's not particularly lucid but using the bathroom is key for him so that's good. Then he actually drank water and ate yogurt. Things are looking up.
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Eagle Whisperer
Posted by ElectricWhite on 29-03-2015 at 00:49:
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“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them." --Ray Bradbury
Posted by Becky Rock on 29-03-2015 at 17:35:
Actually, I think he was being responsive in a way since he was clenching his teeth.
Here's an autocorrect laugh for you. We have an employee's whose first name is Genecia. Autocorrect always tries to turn it to genitalia when I'm sending her a note. I have to turn it off every time.
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Posted by ChrisW on 29-03-2015 at 18:28:
When I talk to Mylari, autocorrect always tries to change it to malaria.
Well it's officially called non-responsive, to differentiate it from being unconscious. He's more lucid today, thankfully.
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Eagle Whisperer
Posted by RIgirl on 29-03-2015 at 19:30:
Hang in there, Chris! Hopefully, things will continue to improve for your dad!
Glad to see autocorrect is at least good for a few laughs!
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"It is a rare man that is taken for what he truly is...We are not always what we seem, and hardly ever what we dream...." Peter S. Beagle
Posted by mylari on 29-03-2015 at 20:15:
Hi Chris,
Yipes! I take one day to spend offline at the carshow and things go nuts. Glad he's doing better today though.
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Posted by ChrisW on 29-03-2015 at 23:58:
Mylari, your avatar is perfect for that post, LOL.
Yeah, it's a laugh a minute here ... my dad will continue to deteriorate but we're trying to make it as comfortable and pleasant as possible for him. He's currently kinda confused and nauseous, but refusing to take his nausea meds, and we're not sure why. He seems to avoid them in general. I think it's just one more pill in a big regimen of medications.
Right now he keeps stripping and then complaining he's cold. Never a dull moment. Whenever people want to come by I warn them that chances are good that they'll see my father in his underwear, if not downright nekkid.
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Eagle Whisperer
Posted by ChrisW on 30-03-2015 at 02:54:
Well, he seems to be slipping again. I have the feeling that in the morning he's going to be non-responsive, he's very out of it, barely responsive to questions now. I have plans with a friend and my mother told me not to cancel, since I'd just be sitting here counting time and fretting with her and she'll have to call hospice one way or another. Will have to play it by ear. She might change her mind.
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