Update On My Father

My father was moved to rehab on Thursday.  It is not the Ritz but it is ok.  My sister is very anal about certain things.  The first night he was in a room with individuals who are there because they are very old ( we were told this before him being transferred). My sister was very insistent on him being in this rehab due to the proximity of the radiation place.  The next day they moved him to another room in the rehab wing. He is not getting the same individual care as in the hospital but everyone seems to be very nice.

There has been some confusion on when he gets his pain meds so my sister has had some words with them.  I just do not think that they have had much experience with patients who need pain meds on a steady basis as opposed to a as needed basis.

While I want my father to be comfortable, I am very uncomfortable seeing him in this state.  I did not see him on Friday but I will go see him on Saturday.  My sister is very diligent on seeing him every day.  I think that it is the guilt factor.  She did the same thing with my grandmother (my father's mother). I have done a lot for my father regardless of illness and my sister has had a love/hate relationship with my father. I have done the same for my grandmother so I think that my sister does more post-illness to composite for the pre-illness treatment. She has wanted control of his post diagnosis treatment.  I have let her since I do not need to be seen as the "golden child" since I do things regardless of illness.  I just think that my sister is having guilt since she has said "I wish he would just die".  This was done pre-illness due to some hard feelings over the years.

Tracy 

My father had a pretty good day on Sunday, June 1.  We went up to see him in the morning with my niece and he was very happy to see her. We took him outside onto a patio the rehab has and he seemed to be very settled. He actually knew what day it was which hasn't happened since he has been on the oxycontin. Today, he seemed ok - he went to physical therapy but they did need to give him oxygen.  I did not plan on going today because I was going tomorrow. My sister and mother feel that they have to go everyday sometimes twice a day.  I am having real issues with seeing him in this state.  I felt the same way with my grandmother (his mother).  I was very close and protective of her when she lived with us and when she was moved into a nursing home my visits were few and far between.  My biggest fear is him trying to get up and falling.  I have real issues with people falling (I really should look into that). Prior to the previous 2-3 weeks I was very good about tending to my fathers needs.

My sister sent me a text message tonight saying my father kept on thinking his cranberry juice was jello.  She wanted me to come up with some jello.  I went up with some books (which were requested the previous day) and the jello.  He says that it is too hard to read in the rehab.  My sister told me that earlier in the day my father said that his eyes were going since he kept on seeing other people when he was looking at my mother.  We have written it off as hallucinations due to his pain meds - my sister will be calling my father's oncologist to see about changing his meds.

I left the rehab after my father started to talk about sitting in a chair in the lobby.  When they brought him up to his room he was changed into this night clothes and moved into his bed.  They decided that he needed a nebulizer treatment and after the treatment he became very confused.  He kept on asking my sister and mother when he was moving back to his room (he was there already).

My sister and mother think that after his radiation treatments are done he will be coming home.  I am not so sure - he has one good day and then the next is bad.

I will update after I go visit him after work tomorrow...