Monday

I am playing catch up today (Tuesday) just to keep everything chronological.

I visited Dad this morning just after breakfast. Dad was in the bed and was venting about the lack of attention to detail in his schedule. They had scheduled him to go to the Wound Care Center again even though the cardiac surgeon had specifically cancelled the appointment. He was not happy about the incompetence. While I was there the physiatrist came in and Dad unloaded on him. He got defensive and was being impudent and mocking and Dad got hot. I jumped in trying to bring the conversation back to a civil adult level and began to explain the history of the events and was interrupted by the "good" "doctor" and I erupted with "May I talk?" He shut up and acted like the teenager he was trying to be while I explained the farcical idiotic way his institution and others went about treatment of patients whose literal lives they are entrusted. I then asked some medical questions which I knew he couldn't answer without having to check the record and call another doctor. I needed him out of the room for blood pressures to subside.

Before I go on about what this blog is really for, I will at some point summarize the alarming nature of the medical maze that seems to be pervasive in Fayetteville and probably elsewhere. I truly fear for those who do not have an advocate.

When the "doctor" left, I told Dad that we needed to forget about all the grievances and concentrate on doing everything we can do to get better and be positive and complementary. He agreed. Enter Nathan...He changed the environment and energized the ions. He robed up and came in ready for action. Five minutes later the PT came in and said let's get busy! We determined that we couldn't leave the room due to the infection, so she said let's work on practical skills. Dad transferred from the bed to the walker and walked to the bathroom where he did a mock #2, changed his "britches" and transferred back to the walker, went to the sink, washed his hands and combed his "hairs" all three of them. He walked back to the bed and transferred a couple more times and the PT went to get some exercises that he could do sitting down. I had to leave to go to work but Nathan stayed a made sure he got his 45 minutes worth. Dad got some OT as well and had a good day. It is hard for me to think of my son as an angel, especially since he has so many on his shoulder, but he was a shot in the arm for me and Dad.

I have to keep reminding myself how far Dad has come with all the obstacles he has had to deal with. God is good!

I know the novelty waned long ago, and sometimes I wonder if anyone is still reading my non-sense, so I added a tracker a couple of nights ago and apparently I need to get back to paying attention to what and how I write with more cerebral content. In the past 3 days, 61 unique readers from 12 states have visited the blog a total of 242 times. I don't know whether to tell you to get a life or to add a "contributions are welcomed" link. Your contributions of concern and prayer and well wishes are as much a part of Dad's therapy as anything done at the rehab hospital. THANK YOU!

Heb.12

[1] Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, [2] looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. [3] Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

God is good!