I should be in Florida by the time you read this.....

I had a dream Thusday night that my father was not doing well.  I hugged him and told him how much I loved him in my dream.  I woke up at 6 am to take Kilt outside and told my husband, I have to call Florida.  I decided to wait a couple of hours to make sure they were all up for the day.  At 8 am (my time) my brother called and said Dad was not doing well.  He couldn't give me an accurate history, but said, "We have been up some 40 hours with him.  Hospice has assessed him and would like to take him by ambulance to their 12 bed hospice unit in town." I had Jim put the phone up to Pop.  I asked him how he felt.  He said, LOUSY."  I could hear the stress in his voice.  That sent red flags up for me.  I told him I loved him and that he was the greatest father in the world.  He replied, "Thank-you."

I made a few more cell phone calls (unanswered), but Jim and Linda were waiting for the MD's assessment of Pop.  Plus, Pop was anxious about the new surroundings.  Third call, Jim put the Doc on the phone.  He said Pop's vital signs were fine, but his bladder was distended clear to his naval.  I replied, "Catheterize him."  The Doctor said, "We have to be careful catheterizing patients wih dementia.  Plus, your father has been hallucinating the last 24 hrs."  I tried to sound kind and patient, and asked the Doctor to please just do and in and out straight cath to give him relief.  I told him I would be hallucinating, too...if I had to pee that badly.  Geez....

Even though Jim and Linda sounded as if they didn't want me to fly out at this time, I feel it is a necessity.  I want to meet the Hospice group managing my father.  I'm not quite sure why an RN couldn't have palpated Dad's bladder and received an order to cath him right at the house to give him some relief.  I don't know their protocols, but aim to find out.  It disturbs me that he had to take an ambulance to a strange unit if it was just because he couldn't pee.  It may be more than that.  I'll have to assess the situation when I get there.

Hopefully, I can give Jim and Linda a little respite care.  A hospice should have a bed for family at bedside, right?  I'm planning on sleeping next to Dad.  I certainly don't want him medicated if not necessary.  He has moderate to severe dementia now.  Plus, I can check out how everything is at his house.  They have a hospital bed, wheel chair, high commode, etc. at the house now.  They even have a baby monitoring system.  It's kind of like having baby puppies around the clock you are listening to...my brother and his wife are saints!

I am coming home Tuesday night so I can get to work on Wed. morning.  HA...I can do it.  I've done it before and I can do it again.  I was so worried about the pups, but Wayne has garanteed me he can take care of them.  Bummer he starts back to work full time on Monday. He is out buying cedar shavings, fixing up their covered puppy run, buying puppy food, etc. etc.  He will come home at noon time (hour round trip) to feed them and Kilt on his work days.  He can feed them in the AM and again in the PM when he gets home. Thankfully, the weather forecast appears to be fairly nice for the next 5 days.

Hey, I only have ONE father.  If I didn't go and something happened I would never forgive myself.  

P.S.  The pups can get out of the whelping box now and they aren't even 3 weeks of age.  The little heathens.  I got to give them their first meal last night before going to the airport. They had a little rice cereal, schmooshed puppy kibble,  and goat yogurt.  They licked the plate clean. :0)