"I Thought You Were Dead"....

Mom went to visit Dad yesterday for Thanksgiving.  Mom found him in the TV room watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade...

When Dad noticed her, he looked at her a couple of times...then told her, "I thought you were dead".

Mom assured him she was fine and did her best to convince him he must have had a bad dream...

The nursing home staff was busy putting up fall wreaths and stand up decorations on the dining tables.  Dad told Mom the decorations were love signs for him and it made him feel....Mom said he could not vocalize the word he meant to describe how he felt, but she could tell he was happy and excited.

Looking at Mom, he shook his head and told her he could not believe she was still alive....he had thought for sure she was dead.  Kudos to Mom, she did not let it shake her and joked it off or told him it was a bad dream.  Then Dad launched into a whopping tale of a huge vehicle which went so fast he could not believe it!!!  Mom thought he meant some type of a bus...

Several of the wheel chairs, including Dad's, had 3 x 3 inch tags with a gold star in the center.  Dad told Mom the tags were to allow him and some other special residents to watch the speeding bus... Dad told Mom it went so fast it scared him.  Mom cautioned Dad to stay out of the way the next time he watches the bus...

One of the physical therapist came by and told Mom how well Dad is walking with some assistance.
It is amazing to all of us he can even stand on his left foot.

Dad told Mom he was 55 and he thought Mom was about 53.  Mom smiled and told him "That sounds about right".... (Dad is 92 and Mom is 85.)  Thank God Mom has such a great sense of humor.

Dad changed the subject again and began telling her disjointed tales of all the things he can buy outside....and especially the fish.  He catches them in his lap and the flop around so much he has to wallop it with a club.  He doesn't like it when they flip flop, so he keeps hitting them to make them stop.

Dad explained to Mom how the little girls excite him and how kind they are....(Mom knew he meant the young girls on staff.)  He pointed out a dark haired woman in a wheel chair.  He said she stays close to Dad.  She is very principled and he likes her.  Dad said she was aloof with everyone else except him...and that love calls from her to him.

Mom asked how his foot was and he told her how happy he was when the doctor came to eat the bulb on his foot...and it did not even hurt!  (The doctor is doing liquid nitrogen treatments on the skin cancer growths on Dad's left foot.  What started as a small skin cancer on his left pinkie toe, has grown into large bulbous growths on his foot... we hope the treatments will prevent infection and the need to amputate his foot or leg because of his poor circulation.)

Dad told the doctor he did not want treatment because it would cost too much.  Dad's doctor told him he was all paid up.  Dad thought it was very nice the doctor was still treating him and it did not even hurt.  Mom told Dad she was so glad to hear it and how Dad had the best doctor in town...

Goldilocks was Dad's caregiver for the day.  She had bathed Dad but had not had time to shave his face yet.  Dad really likes her and flirted with her shamelessly....  Mom was concerned with his weird tales and what appeared to be delusional thinking...but he is still on all his meds.

The hospice nurse called me today to let me know Dad was fine, still on his antibiotics for his right eye and had normal readings.  She said he was sleepy, but so happy to see (and flirt) with her...

Dad's lunch was served and smelled divine!  He had turkey with cranberry sauce, dressing with gravy, peas with tiny pearl onions and red pimentos (which Dad loved), a delicious looking fruit salad, roll and butter....(he half one half and when Mom offered him the other half he informed her he does not eat rolls)....coffee, milk, pumpkin pie and ice cream.  Dad ate every crumb.

Par for the course, as soon as he finished eating, he got his sleepy eyes and told Mom he was ready for his "beauty sleep".  Mom rolled him over to Goldilocks and kissed him good-bye.

Next Tuesday we have a Care Conference for Dad.  Mom will attend in person and I will attend over the phone as I most always do.

We stayed in Nevada this Thanksgiving as I was in California the beginning of the month for Dad's birthday.  I missed my family, but we had a wonderful dinner at my husband's son's family.