July 14, 2013
The extent of my garden this year.
Great Jackson Browne concert with Joanne this week.
Our annual town historic house tour and cocktail party had a new twist this year as we Le Garcons passed hors d'oeuvres to the guests.
Mary's and my dad Wilfred has had quite a week since falling and breaking his hip, months before his 90th birthday.
As Conservator, Mary has been very busy with the fine Health Care folks out there.
The hospital in South Dakota successfully inserted a pin and Wil returned to his Minnesota Care Center on Saturday.
Chuck had visited through the operation and Sue and Manfred too as Sue reports yesterday:
Hi Family,
Yesterday afternoon was full of activity. The ambulance from Granite Falls
picked dad up about 12:30 pm. Their was an older man and a young woman (EMT)
that came to transport dad. They were the same two people that transported dad
from Monte hospital to CCCC after he was x-rayed from his fall. The woman looked
at me and said "What happened to your dad?" and I said, what do you mean? She
said they barely recognized dad - he has changed and went down hill so much in
those few days. They couldn't believe it.
The woman said there wasn't enough room in the ambulence for me to ride in the
back with dad, but she said I could ride in the front with the driver. We didn't
see any point in me doing that so Manfred and I followed right behind the
ambulance for the entire ride to CCCC. About mid-way through, the ambulance
called me and said dad was being unresponsive and since I had been with him the
last couple of days, they suggested that we pull over and me check dad to see if
I thought he was about the same as he had been. So, we did that and they let me
ride the rest of the way to CCCC in the ambulance. Dad had a very hard day
yesterday. His breathing was very labored and continues to be. He has not been
back in the present for almost two days.
When we got to dad's room this morning, he was sitting up in a recliner chair
with oxygen tank. He is pretty much sleeping all the time now. He got agitated
last night when the staff changed him to get him ready for bed. He was pulling
off the clothes they were putting on him, etc., and pulling at his bandages from
the surgery.
They started giving him a sedative/happy pill Seraquin (sp????) and also have
him on pain meds.
His breathing is quite labored this morning. He pretty much is breathing out of
his mouth now.
Although the staff is very optimistic that dad can get better once all the
anesthesia wears off, Manfred and I feel that dad is breathing his last breaths.
We don't see him getting much better.
He didn't have an appetite last night or this morning but is drinking some
ensures.
We are going to go say hello to Phillip and hopefully he can check in on dad
once in a while.
We'll be leaving here about noon or so, maybe a little later.
Ray, please be prepared to keep yourself entertained - bring books or something
as these are very LONG days ahead. Sitting and waiting for dad to wake up and
when he does, he may not recognize you and be able to converse.
I have taken a couple of pictures of dad the last couple of days. If any of you
want them, please send me an email as I'd be happy to share them.
Love to all….Sue & Manfred
All our prayers this week are for Wilfred,
Pierre