Roller Coaster

A bit of a crazy week this one... or rather, the past few days.  Dad had to go in to hospital the other night due to a fever.  They called to let me know at 9.30 in the evening.  I dashed to dad's place to ride with him to the hospital; to reassure him and explain what was going on.  He had no idea!  One minute he was eating dinner, the next he was strapped into a stretcher and riding off to the emergency room.

Call me a drama queen, call me paranoid.  I just find it easier to go with dad to the hospital so things go smoothly.  Once he is on his back, he has a hard time speaking.  If he is at all confused and shocked, he cannot even make a noise.  I have to be there to communicate for him, and answer all sorts of personal and medical questions.  Questions such as... "Is your dad always like this or does he respond?"  I have seen him enough times like that to know it is normal for the situation.  I told them that he was responding to me, and they had a hard time believing that!  At one point, he had fallen asleep.  When he opened his eyes, I watched him looking around, taking it all in.  I knew then that he may not be feeling well, but he was still in there somewhere! I had to remember that they only see dad in the situation, they don't know what he's like most of the time.

Poor thing... he was asking me what was going on.  I had to tell him several times that he had a fever due to infection and they needed to give him antibiotics intravenously.  It's also been quite warm here, so he was a bit dehydrated.  I left the hospital that Wednesday evening with that familiar feeling of trepidation.  The doctor had reassured me that dad would be well taken care of.  I was not worried about his care.  (I have been so thankful for the prompt, thorough care we have received at the emergency department here.)  Still, I am aware of the complications of Parkinson's, and one never knows what is going to unravel.

The following day, we found out that the fever was due to a couple of infections.  One infection, in the lungs, they thought was due to aspirating on a piece of food... a lovely side effect of Parkinson's and swallowing.  Dad was given antibiotics and placed on thickened fluids.  In my poor, stressed brain, I thought he was permanently being placed on thickened fluids and was really upset, as where is the joy in life if one cannot eat food!  (He is still on thickened liquids, but has been upgraded to eating most foods.  They'll monitor his situation and adjust as he continues to improve.)  When I visited dad in the late afternoon, he was writhing around in bed, pulling at his bed clothes and generally agitated.  Antibiotics seem to have that effect on his brain. I was loathe to leave.

Yesterday afternoon, Friday... I had a call from the care home to say that dad was back at home.  Huh?  They said he was chatty (though not making much sense), and greeting all the staff.  When I got there at dinner time, he turned and gave me a big smile and I honestly fell over laughing.  He looked at me doubled over in laughter and gave another grin.  How was this the same person from the past two days??

Even still, when I went there today, he was looking the best I have seen him in a while.  He was calm and content, sitting quietly in his chair with his hands crossed..  Sitting out on the balcony, he looked up at the vent stacks on the tile roof and commented that it looked like the French Quarter.  What!?  He was more on the ball that I was!!  What a man.  Honestly.  If he wanted a change of scenery, all he had to do was ask!