I walked in to Dads room this morning and he was awake. There were a couple of PCA’s there getting him into a clean gown. Dad may not have liked the fact that his bowels started working after his surgery, but that is good news. He can start being fed trough his feeding tube.
Dad wants to go home. He is tired of the hospital. He is tired of the noise. He is tired of his neighbors TV. Did I mention he was tired of his neighbors TV? He really wanted to make that point. He just wants peace and quiet. He has a radiation treatment today and needs one more to finish the radiation. Once he is fed through the tube and that goes well, there will not be much keeping him in at LLUMC.
Dad smiles when something is funny. He looks you in the eyes when he is serious and wants to talk. However, much of the time, his eyes are glazed or closed. Perhaps it is because I just sit there and do not say much. I am there to listen, not to talk about stuff. I did let him know that I was selected for a jury that should last a couple of days. He said, good. I also told him that I get so sleep in tomorrow and will see him at 8:00AM rather than around 6:00AM. He smiled at that.
Just as there comes a time each year when the leaves of some deciduous trees, due to cooler temperatures, begin to change their green color for reds and yellows, it seems that dad is in that same season. The vibrancy of spring green has faded and the subtle hues of red and yellow seem to be creeping quickly into his life. He may not be long with the color of fall. The certainty of the chill of death and the lifeless look of a tree without its leaves is soon to be seen. We must take the time now to enjoy and celebrate the good times we have had with our father as the season he finds himself in quickly changes to the next.
