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Not really sure if this is gonna work, but here goes.....
This year started with heartbrake. My dad was back and forth between the hospital and the nursing home. The insicion from his hip surgery wasn't healing. Dad contracted MRSA and it was attacking the wound. That combined with the staff at the NH not turning him and leaving a boot on him he developed pressure sores and bed soars. He had been on antibiotics for weeks and was not getting better. I remember the day the the NH called and said that they were sending him to the hospital. Debbie called me soon afterward and told me " they think that he is dying".
I sit out on my front porch for a while waiting for Jon to get home, it was warm out nearly 70 degrees.
At the hospital it's busy, loud, sad. Debbie, Judy, and I stay with dad. After a while Debbie and Judy go to get some rest in another room. I stay with dad. Brenda will come at around 7 (I think, my memory fades). The nurses give dad IV fluids every so often, and the power goes out in the night. At 4-5 am I'm sitting next to dad as he sleeps. I almost feel myself drifting in and out of conciousness. I hold dad's hand, so that I stay in the moment.
"Am I dying?"
I pretend to not understand him, he gets frustrated repeating and starts to give up. I realize that I must say something.
"Dad, did you mean, 'are you dying?" he nodded
Tears filled my eyes and I choked, " I don't know dad, I don't know. I think so dad. Your real bad right now and Fred, James, and Sybil are on their way to see you dad" He gripped my hand a little tighter and mouthed "It's alright. Your daddy's baby girl" He always said that to me growing up, when I'd get hurt. Brenda walked in a moment later.
Dad died about 2 weeks later at hospice just shy of his 80th bday.
I miss dad.
February 14th about 6pm Xebulon grabs the dog and twists and pinches her intentionally and she bites him in the face leaving a 1 inc tear in his left cheek. I wrap his nearly naked body in a blanket and Jon and I rush him to the hospital. Xeb talks to me in the back seat about grandpa being with us. He was really good for most the the visit then we found out that he would have to be transported to another hopital for them to fix it. We ride to the other hopsital in the ambulance. Xeb gets mad at me for talking to him because he can't hear "pa pa"
We get home late, I'm tired but I couldn't rest. The next morning I have to put Kelsey in isolation. She is a 12 1/2 year old Dalmation, good dog. She has been with us since she was 3. We have to keep the dog in isolation for 10 days. Within a few days infection is noticalbe. the ER Dr. stitching the wound closed, trapped a pocket of infection that burst out the stiches and pulled the wound further apart. Jon spends all day on the phone trying to find a doctor that will see Xeb soon. Our pediatrition said that we need a plastic surgeon now. We find a doctor that will see Xeb & they prep us to bring him in for surgery that will open his wound and scrape and wash out the infection in his jaw area. I remember them doing this for dad not long ago. I'm petrified, the last time I saw an infected wound, my dad died.
Turns out that even though there was infection, the wound was draining. So they instructed me on how to change the bandages 3x day.
Quarantine ends for Kelsey, with her last visit to the vet. We all loved that dog, even Xeb. They even "kissed each other" before I took her to the appointment.
A couple weeks later We take Xeb in to get his cheek fixed. Everything goes fine and the scar is reduced to a thin stip near the jawline.
Things settle at home, but it's lonely now that Kelsey is gone and I can't pick up dad on the weekends anymore.
James gets married to a wonderful woman, that laughs at his jokes and won't put up with his whiney baby tude
We get a new pup, a black lab mix. Brucey is a great addition to our family. Dad really liked black labs.
Fred gets a new job
Jon get's a raise.
I get a raise and buy a minivan, too bad dad missed out on the weekday running around.
Sybil and Derek move back from CA.
I still can't help but to think about what dad would think, say, feel with all that happened since he died. I often say "I wish you were here dad" Xeb say's back, " Pa Pa right their mom." and he points.
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