Dad — Page 17

Some Pretty Pictures, But This is Really About My Dad

October 27, 2015 at 9:07 am by Claudia

10-27 monty

I felt it was time for Monty to be center-stage once again.

I mean, look at that face. How could anyone resist?

The painted rock was a gift from the little girl who played Don’s daughter in Our Town. The framed Japanese print was an antiquing find a few years back – we found it in a little shop. The industrial stool was discovered in a local shop not long after we moved in here.

Monty was discovered in a little town on the Hudson way back when we were still renting.

10-27 portulaca

I brought the portulaca in from the funky patio. I’m overwintering it and so far, so good. It just bloomed.

10-27 portulaca 2

And it has pretty new growth. Fingers crossed.

I had to share some photos with you, because I usually do.

However, this is what’s really on my mind today. My dad was taken by ambulance to the hospital last night. Meredith called me around 10:30 after the rehab facility called her to tell her the news. He has been on Coumadin, a blood thinner, for a few years now and for some reason, we don’t know the whole story yet, his blood is so thin that horrible bruising has appeared all over his right arm. A cat scan eased one of the doctor’s worries – that there was bleeding on the brain. There isn’t. But there may be bleeding happening elsewhere. When Mer texted me in the middle of the night with an update, the doctor was calling in a hematologist. He’s been admitted to ICU because any sort of accident or fall would be fatal at this point. So they want to keep a close watch on him.

Mer is going to try to get to the bottom of what might be the cause. Did Westchester Gardens (the rehab facility) have the wrong information on dosage? Were they giving too much? We know from our mother’s time there that sometimes the hospital doesn’t send all of the medication information or the information they send is not accurate.

Anyway. I’m very worried. Suddenly, this rehab stay for Dad’s back has turned into something much more and to say we are alarmed is an understatement.

The latest: The coumadin level is much lower this morning, which is good. He might be transferred out of ICU to another room later in the day, but we don’t know for sure.

Happy Tuesday.

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A Pox on Hard Freezes

October 16, 2015 at 9:12 am by Claudia

10-16 mgbuds

Do you see those little buds? Suddenly, there are morning glory buds everywhere, quite late in the season. I’m sure you will understand when I say I’d like to see them open up and bless us with their beauty.

But…Sunday night the temps are supposed to drop into the twenties. Just for one night. Then it’s back to normal. I’m in a little bit of a panic. The porch plants I can bring inside. The zinnias and morning glories? No can do. I’m already making plans to cover everything with a sheet and hope against hope they hang in there.

Otherwise, I’ll be in mourning.

10-16 butterfly bush

It seems especially cruel when there’s a hard freeze for just one night; it’s like a tease, but not a good one. I know winter is inevitable, but since the remainder of the nighttime temps are going to stay in the forties or high thirties for a while, it seems a shame not to see my flowers bloom.

Dad is still in a rather cheery mood. Meredith and I suspect that some of that is due to the pain meds he’s on. They’re mellowing him. As my dad can be rather irascible, to put it mildly, I must say it’s nice to hear him sound so happy. He calls me to tell me what he ate for breakfast and lunch. He details his conversations with the nurses. He talks about physical therapy. My dad, by the way, is pretty strong for a 92 year old, so I have no doubt that he’ll do well in PT. Tomorrow, they’ll assess his progress and decide whether he goes home or to a rehab facility. I’m thinking it will be rehab, but maybe not for as long as predicted.

10-16 openingzinnia

Don’t you want to see this flower open? I do. A pox on any hard freezes!

Don and Dan will be on The Front Burner radio show on WIOX on Saturday morning. They’ll be playing their music and talking about the new CD from 11 am to 12 pm. The show is hosted by our friends Elly and Dave (who will also be at the CD Release Party later on Saturday.) If you’re at all interested in giving it a listen, WIOX, which is a Public Radio station, streams live. You can find it here. Don’s going to be on another radio show next Thursday evening and I’ll share what I know about that later in the week.

If you have any wise tips as to covering plants during a freeze, I’m all ears – or eyes, in this case. The morning glories and zinnias are right up against and on top of a stretch of the chicken wire fence. Thanks, everyone!

Happy Friday.

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Around Here: Colorful Tree Edition

October 15, 2015 at 9:04 am by Claudia

10-15 sugarmaple

The sugar maple; gangly after losing two huge limbs in the past 4 years, but still beautiful. It’s always the first tree to shed all its leaves.

10-15 treesinthesky

Intersecting maples in the back yard.

10-15 poisonivy

Even the poison ivy looks good.

10-15 sumac

The deep red of the sumac.

10-15 othermaple

Right outside the kitchen, another glorious maple.

10-15 birdbath

Leaves congregating in the birdbath.

• Dad update: We found out that the two rehab facilities that were to be options for Dad were, in fact, not options. Apparently, they are for more extreme cases. That’s why Dad wasn’t discharged the other day. After many phone calls back and forth between my sister and myself, Meredith called Dad’s regular doctor, who called Dad’s doctor at the hospital. The fact that Dad hadn’t been discharged and transferred was news to him, so he went to the Review Committee at the hospital yesterday morning, explained Dad’s case to them and they reviewed it. The end result is that they are keeping Dad in the hospital for three more days as In-Patient. While he’s there, he’ll get physical therapy. At the end of the three days, they’ll review his progress and he’ll either be discharged to go home (doubtful) or be transferred, most likely, to the rehab facility we wanted him in the first place.

Mer was working yesterday, so I called my dad and explained everything to him. He had been very stressed by all of the indecision the day before but once he heard the news, he relaxed. As I was finishing the phone call with him, the doctor came in the room and confirmed everything.

So, for now, Dad is hanging in there and is in a much more positive frame of mind, bless his heart.

The key here is coding. He had been coded as Under Observation, even though he had been admitted as a patient. That’s what screwed everything up. Now that he’s been admitted as In-Patient, he will be able to be transferred to the right facility for his age and condition.

Beware of coding, my friends. When I get her permission, I’m going to quote faithful reader Chris, who worked in the insurance industry for years and knows all about this. I certainly didn’t. And it’s essential information, especially if you end up in the emergency room.

I had an issue with coding (my emergency blocked bile duct procedure) and had to fight to get the code changed. You have to be vigilant, even in the face of the stress of the emergency room. Or, better yet, someone has to be vigilant for you.

• Scout is clean and fluffy. That’s all I need to say about that.

• Don and Dan are going to be on a local radio show Saturday morning. They’ll be talking about the new CD and playing some of their music. I believe they’ll be on from 11-1 EST. The station streams live, so I’m going to get the link for you and I’ll post it tomorrow. I’ll be listening for sure!

• There’s a link in the sidebar for Don’s new CD. He’s just sent more stock to CD Baby.

Happy Thursday.

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Some Pretty Pictures, But This is Really About My Dad

A Pox on Hard Freezes

Around Here: Colorful Tree Edition

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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