I guess its been a long week. A really long week. After Tuesdays events and taking my dad to the Hospital I didn't think it could get much worse.
I took last week off from all blogging to motivate my dad. (w/ the exception my weekly review on SIMPLE- along with a giveaway) But I wanted to get him going in a new direction. Hes just been all over the place lately. Since last September he's given up all red meat, pork and most salt intake. But then again he's smoking more....so I'm at a loss there. ugh ::sigh:: I did however get him OUT of the living room this week and into HIS room. You might be wondering what I'm talking about. ummm... well my father with all back issues has for the past SEVERAL years slept on the couch. Which is worse on him in the long run but hes more comfortable there. About 3 or 4 years ago when I was working 50/60 hour shifts (Hospice) I along with my big brother went in and got him one of those craftmatic adjustable beds in a king size. Too bad the only thing he uses it for is too lay his clean clothes on while he folds them. He sure is anal about how he folds his clothes. Regardless he's now in a bed, which is one step in the right direction.
I went with him on Thursday morning to his follow up Doctor appointment. Checking everything after the hospital...
to make a long story REALLY short...my Daddies Dr "whatever" thats 30 years old and wet behind the ears. He looks at my daddy whose been cut open 6 times and is 47 and I guess he thinks my fathers one of those ppl that just likes to take pain medicine. (WRONG! He takes LESS than I do) But this Dr is new to the practice and when my fathers original Dr left this is who he got stuck with. Someone that walks into a room, doesn't introduce himself to my dad, just looks at his chart and says "I don't prescribe pain meds so if thats what your here for then I'm sorry." (My dad told me this and I BOILED) But I took him to the doctor Thursday Morning and me with my degree looked at the Dr about the 2nd time he interrupted my father and I jumped his butt. Ohhhhh. I was pissed. First off every time my dad goes to the Dr. the CMA NEVER reads his blood pressure accurately. For a WHILE now I read it after my dad goes in as well as bought him an automatic cuff for his birthday last year, and EVERY SINGLE TIME his bp is high. Even after he's cut his diet. Thursday after I got ahold of that Dr we left with blood pressure meds. (FINALLY years too late) pain pills (Dr DID eventually give him to him b.c he Rarely asks and his original Dr always gave him the same Rx. ), Lyrica for his convulsions, ...and a air mattress... all this from a doctor who looked at my father the first time and said "I don't believe in medication I want to send you to a pain management clinic" WHICH they pump you FULL of pain meds!! idiot. sorry I had to vent. I just love my dad and hate to see him walked all over.
Oh and BELIEVE I will be back. He was in the ER two weeks ago and STILL can't see fully out of his right eye. He has a 30% curve to his spine, 9 bulging disks and 6 pinched nerves among other things. He will not be overlooked.
CAn I add that my dad walked out of there so proud of his little girl for yelling at that Dr. Throwing all his medical terminology RIGHT back in his face, and by the time we left had him asking me...."anything else? are you sure? are you sure? IF you NEED TO CALL ME DO SO FOR ANYTHING!!!!!!"
:O) I usually don't loose my temper but DO NOT mess with my family.
Oh and the end of the week was even better....grrrr!!!
Sunday
My Dads Progress...
Thursday
Praying for My Father
I had to rush my father to the ER Tuesday morning. I thought he was having a stroke. My grandmother called me and told me that something was wrong with him, he was very confused and he couldn't see or stand. When I got to the house he was in the fetal position on the couch, he kept saying "I don't know whats wrong, I couldn't remember your name or your number, help me...help me"
I tried to get him to squeeze my hand to signify if he had lost use in his hands (he said he couldn't see out of one eye and one hand was curled up {a sign of stroke}) but he wouldn't acknowledge me. I got him up, and rushed him to the ER. (my grandmother screamed at me when I tried to call for an ambulance--shes insane--my father doesn't have insurance so she thought about the COST UGH) when I got to the ER the nurse asked him the date, the year, where he was...he looked around and all he could say was that he was "with Elizabeth and that he was ok". When they got him back he kept asking me where he was and what was going on. He was crying in pain. Literately CRYING...screaming practically. It was so terrible.HIS EKGs and CAT scans showed that it was the onset of a stroke, that he had previous "activity" (like he had had minor strokes or heart attacks already in the past and not known about them) but that morning he had an anxiety attack that was brought on by the extreme amount of pain that he lives with ...daily. They ended up giving him 8 mg of morphine and 2 ativan. [morphine is distributed depending on weight and pain in doses between 1-4 mg. so he had the maximum both times.] He was in so much pain. I just sat there beside him and held him and cried. It was so sad. He at times didn't even know I was in the room with him. He would talk to me as if I were a stranger.
He is fine now. I suppose. I mean he is still weak, really tired, pale and extremely confused about the other day. He only remembers coming home and staying with me. (I brought him home to my house that night to stay) :-(
I've spent the past couple days with him at his house trying to keep an eye on him, making sure he's eating (he's lost all of his appetite) and not having to do too much. Also the kids being around him keeps him so happy.
praying.
Friday
Good bye yesterday!
<--Mason with his "thinking cap" on. So yesterday definitely ended on a better note than it began. Clint came home mid-day to bring me some phenogram. (grand ol stuff...I keep a refill at the pharmacy just for days like yesterday)
After school, My father took Mason off after school for a while (loading him full of an ice cream sundae) then when he got here he had mounds of home work to do. You might think I'm exaggerating. "Hey he's only in kindergarten how much homework can he have?" WRONG. They've now added a weekly writing assignment on TOP of his already heavy load of work consisting of brainstorming (the little circles with the main idea and five topics); Tuesday night was SUPPOSED to be the drafting (but w/ the snow he stayed with Paw Paw) and thus he didn't get Tuesday or Wednesday done. SO the prewriting, editing, and revisions were all left on us to do last night. Six sentences doesn't sound like a lot, but when your just learning to sound out your words its tough! He got his first widdle writers cramp!
But the good news is that my dad offered to take the "beast" so that was that much less to deal with. While trying to do homework and pack for Asheville. Yeah still packing. Daddy finally got him around 8 and did Masons reading with him. or vis vs. and then he vacuumed and then I got to come to bed! ahhhh bed. I love my bed. Am I the only one that like LOVES my bed?
****Brownie Points for my Big Stupid****
My DSH (dear sweet hubby) took our Lhasa Apso to go get a loooooong overdue haircut and can I just say that EVERYONE loves a new hairdo. (no pictures cause the Big Stupid also took the camera to be fixed--but I DID add an old UNGROOMED picture of him and Deuce 2 years ago.) Can I add in how much we MISS our 
Boxer!!! :'-( Like really REALLY miss!!!
Louie is almost 6 years old and he's prancing around this house like a show dog its hilarious how he freaks out when he's groomed. (That is when hes not under my feet or curled up next to me cause he's FREEZING!!) Yeah I put clothes on my dog. say something! ha ha. I went from owning American Staffordshire and Rottweilers my entire life to owning a 15lb "fru fru"dog in a Harley sweater. haha I can tell you this though I don't care how big the dog is Louie has growled and "defended" me and the kids against all sizes...including my dads pit that wants him for an appetizer. Poor Louie has the little man complex.
Ohkaaay for reaaaal rambling now.
What to do today....ugh...pictures OFF THIS COMPUTER. I can't say how many I have on here cause my hubster reads my blog occasionally but its ALOT. I did get a CD FULL off last night. Edited and off. ;-) ::small pat on back::
k toodles!
Sunday
Thursday
A LONG overdue dinner date with my dad
Yep! I got him out of the house! For those of you that don't know, my father is a hermit. I'm talking leaves for groceries and take out type of hermit. Straight out and RIGHT BACK IN the house he goes. I think the last time he and myself got out of the house was more than 5 years ago. Mason was an infant.
So its long overdue yes, but the conversation was inevitable. Happy Birthday was the reason to get out (mine) but we had to "talk". Sooner or later you have to sit your PARENT down and ask...."what do you want me to do when you die?" Not a conversation I've wanted to have but again...inevitable. :-/ EEEEK! My father might not look like it but he is tough. I'm talkin...biker daddy from way back, long ponytail (until about 2 years ago) tattoo'd up, budweiser drankin, winston smokin...don't say something your gonna regret type of daddy. WHY MEE? Why can't my big brother have this talk with him? WHY ME? oh yeah thats right....I'm here....
I pumped myself up before we ate...I'm talking completely pshyc'd myself out....then ordered him a beer then me one. Let him vent for a while and then I said daddy I love you...what do you want me to do when you die. {[sometimes its easier to just RIP THE BANDAID OFF!!]}
his response? "idk...but me in a box...no cremate me ...and send me up the river"
"WHAT? what river?" ****IT daddy I'm being serious!!!
oh I don't care....I'll be dead. AHHHHHHHHHH!!! So thats how it went. lol
I did get him to agree to make a will and a power of attorney and yaddi yaddi yahh but we'll see if it takes him another 5 years to get out of the house for that.
**The reason I worry about my father is not only because he is poor health now, but I see him getting worse everyday. I know hes had some minor heart attacks along with his back and the doctor telling him a month ago that inphazema has already set in. :-( so ... an idea of what river would be nice!**
Tuesday
The Last Day ::sniff sniff::
Something soon to fill the empty void. CLINTS PROMISE!
to be continued.....
Monday
Daddy Daycare volume 2
I ran out to the grocery store while the kids napped. I come home to find 3 kids awake and one daddy asleep. :-( poor sleepy (kidney stone having) daddy.
Terri Jade and Mason were both in TERRIS CRIB (daddys orders) and Kristopher was sitting down "reading". I'm just lucky our kids like to watch movies and don't play with matches. JOKING...BUT NOT REALLY! ;-)
Saturday
Are you Swinging a Bat or Chopping Wood?
Can someone please help my son comprehend the COMPLEXITY of the swinging of a BAT. :o)
He USED to swing really well. USED TOO.
Mason mommy loves you honey but you are not a logger. Your playing base ball.
(his lit'l toooshie is so cute in that uniform!!!)
Mason digging in the dirt between plays
Mason in his "READY POSITION"
Back shot of the team...
Stylin in her big brothers hand me down shoes that she is TOOOOO proud of! :-)
No matter how Mason plays along as he shows good sportsmanship and has a good time thats all that matters to us. Boy does he have fun. Especially when his paw-paw comes to the games b./c THEN he gets to go get Ice Cream. :-)
Friday
Stubborn Man Contest.....HIP Hip hooorray
My father broke his back in 1990. He raised both myself and my two brothers without the help of a mother. He did however have my grandparents.
He has had several back operations and a hip replacement and he is only 46 years old.
He is such a honest hard working DEVOTED father. I hate to see him in so much pain.
He is scheduled to have another back operation, which he KEEPS putting off.
He knows that this will lead to paralysis of his lower body. But will subside the pain. Apparently something he isn't ready to commit too.
I love him I just wish he wasn't so stubborn.
He is a strong believer. I'm glad for this.
I always tease him that I'm going to enter him into the stubborn man contest.....
Too bad his back is so bad, he couldn't probably get there is there was one!
