Today dad was a significantly weaker and less mobile person than he was yesterday. He is not able to get up, sit down, walk more than two steps, or really maneuver without help. Dad does not have much circulation in his legs and therefore his legs have no feeling. This is compounded by his weakened state. Mentally, he processes things very slow. It took him nearly 60 seconds to ask me to get him some water. He told me this evening that things that take me 30 seconds to mentally process, take him at least five minutes.
All of this being said, hospice came out today and got him to agree to a hospital bed. They weren't going to deliver the bed until Thursday, but I was able to persuade the gentleman that we were really in dire straits and we needed it today - Thursday might be too late. The bed was delivered this afternoon, and it has a "triangle thingy" (words are escaping me) on top. They also gave us a toilet that can stand alone or go over the main toilet and Bradley also installed a bar. Bradley had to pick dad up each time he wanted to really move. In addition to the Percocet, dad also started taking methadone today.
Through all of this deterioration and muffled speech, he still has moments of clarity. I had baked the man some chocolate chip cookies (part of my convincing) and packaged them up on some paper plates with wrap. When the man was leaving he asked dad if he needed anything and dad responded, "Yeah, I want my two plates back when you're done with them." - Dad didn't realize that I had used paper, but he realized that two plates of cookies were leaving his house. Funny, really.
Tomorrow is Miles' 1st birthday. We are just having a low-key day tomorrow with some cake-pops at Eileen's with his friends. I am doing a "Hungry Caterpillar" themed party on Sunday for family and close friends. In keeping with the theme, I made cake pops that look (are supposed to) like the hungry caterpillar. I will post pics of the parties afterwards. In the midst of dad dying, there is still life and celebration all around. As I spent the day helping my dad cope with limited mobility and make him as comfortable as possible, I was blessed to spend the evening decorating cake pops with Carter, (read cleaning up his continuous spillage of sprinkles) and watching Miles play with his brother and dad. I also enjoyed watching Carter pretend to "mine" with our vacuum cleaner attachment. His dad of course couldn't be any prouder - being the miner that he is. Bradley has a multitude of hobbies he enjoys and excels at, but that is another post.
Tomorrow we celebrate Miles' 1st birthday with happiness, and we reflect on dad's life in the same light. The circle of life continues, I am just sad for my boys that my dad won't be there to make a bit more of the journey with them.
- Attached is our trial run "Hungry Caterpillar" - Bradley grows the flats of wheatgrass, so I put the pops in those.
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