Out in Left Field...

Mom went to visit Dad today and found him in bed, after just having a nice shower....although when Mom commented how nice he must feel after his shower, Dad told her he did not remember any shower...and wanted to know how Mom had found him....

Mom explained she had visited him there before.  Dad went on about some man hiring him, but had not paid him, so he was looking for him so he could sock him in his nose...  Mom cautioned Dad to keep calm.  He closed his eyes and looked like he was falling asleep...

Mom touched his shoulder, asking if he wanted to get out of bed and go on the patio...Dad opened his eyes and began to cough.  It was not a congestive type cough, it was dry and seemed forced...as if he was "fake coughing".  Mom asked again if he would care to go outside..."No...." and then he shut his eyes again...

Mom asked if he wanted a drink of water... Dad opened his eyes and coughed again.  She was able to get him to drink two glasses of water.  In between gulps, Dad was abstract talking, not making any sense...his comments totally out of left field...

"I think it was the fish"....Dad blustered....coughing again.  Mom looked at Doctor-Doctor, Dad's favorite caretaker, and she rolled her eyes back to Mom and told her, "Don has not had any fish." Mom smiled and nodded... Dad closed his eyes again...

Mom had noticed Dad's right eye.... it does look better, more dry, less goopy.  I had called her this morning and I told her the Hospice nurse had called me yesterday telling me Dad's eye was looking a lot better.  She also sent me another picture of his left foot.  It looked a lot better than last time...except for the horrible growth where his pinkie toe used to be...

Doctor-Doctor asked Dad if he would like to watch TV... Dad thanked her and told her it would be nice...  After the TV was on, Dad closed his eyes again....Mom said he seemed very tired and sleepy.

Mom could smell the lunch carts coming down the hall... Doctor-Doctor left the room and returned with a woman she introduced to Mom as the RN who would be taking the next shift care giving for Dad.  Mom mentioned Dad's cough and the RN felt Dad's forehead and confirmed what Mom felt, that Dad did not have a fever.  Mom let her know she had given Dad two glasses of water and the RN assured Mom she would continue to push the fluids... Dad dozed peacefully....

Mom leaned over and kissed Dad's forehead, telling him his lunch was on the way and she had to stop at her doctor's office before she went home...  "Go ahead...I'm fine... Have you seen S______ lately...(My 2nd to the youngest brother)  Mom told him she had not seen him in several weeks....

On Mom's way in she had dropped off goodies for the nurses and staff...so on her way out, several nurses and staff members including the Administrator came over to hug Mom and wish her a Merry Christmas...

Up, Up and Away.....

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Mom went to visit Dad today.  She found him sitting up in his wheel chair beside his bed talking rapidly.  Dad has two room mates, one was fast asleep and one smiled at Mom as she walked in. His caregiver, "Angel" greeted Mom telling her Dad had just finished his shower.

Dad told Mom he was very happy to see her and had just returned from an incredible trip to Oklahoma on a speedy dirigible (only Dad called it a huge, fast balloon)...He had landed at the harbor in Oklahoma and the mountains were gorgeous!  He could not believe how fast the balloon flew. He also went down the main drag of Chicago and Broadway in New York. Dad never felt so much speed and there wasn't even any vibrations.

He saw my sister Holly in Pearl Harbor.... she travels all over the world doing her thing...  Dad said he had been in Pearl Harbor for four years....right there in the harbor. There weren't any bombs or anything.  "I'll be on the moon this time tomorrow, the balloon is so darn fast!"  Mom could only looked wide eyed at Dad, smiling at his enthusiasm and nod her head...

"The last time I saw B_____, (my oldest brother, who lives in Ohio with his family) he was going out one of the windows at 1446 (where we used to live with our grand parents when we were very little, before we moved to Washington state...) with a bloody head.  He drove himself on a scooter down to the big hospital on Green Street....Mom interjected, thinking the name of the street was Congress Place...Dad told her, "whatever..." and continued on with his story....

"I have had no connection with the boys since you passed away..." (Mom looked perplexed as she quickly jotted down notes to keep up with Dad's imaginary adventure... Dad has been telling Mom lately how shocked he was to see her alive because he thought she had passed away...apparently, he is still thinking it is true...)

Dad went on..."I am 53 years old and taller and wider than I have ever been.  I feel so good! The dirigible sped down the streets of Chicago (where Dad lived as a child) so smoothly I could not even believe we were moving! It was so amazing!! I saw the building out there in Oklahoma, huge mountains...... what a wild place... and very exciting!"  

"A lot of people went with me...we had a great time...I have never weighed so much or been so tall....I just feel so GREAT!"

"All the houses on our old street in Pasadena are closed and shut down.  Same with Monrovia....the people were too scared to be that close to the freeway..... Don't go near the schools either....you will get shot! Whoever dreamed up the evacuation of the cities was nuts..."

"I gave a speech today on the loud speakers in the ceiling... The nurse is going to cut off the blister on his foot (Dad has a large skin cancer growth on his left foot)... The doctor is taking up a collection from all the nurses...."

"My friend has a personal problem...  he yells at the nurses....  I call all the young nurses "sweet peas"....because they are so sweet and hard working..."

"I own everything on the island there....it was my second trip....I received extra pay for my help with the war situation, but I won't fight any more...I let it go.... I don't go outside any more....( Dad made his crooked, rheumatoid fingers like a gun, pointed it and made a gun shot sound...)

"The boys think I talk too much.  I didn't want to make a second choice with my own kin.... There are a lot of crooks out there..."

"Holly (my sister) wears a furry thing around her face when she interviews people all over the world... "they" offered him a new car, which would be nice when I go to Pasadena....a nice red truck like E_____ has..." (None of my brothers have ever owned a red truck or car...my brother E____ has a silver truck.)

Mom could smell the lunch carts coming down the hall.  One of Dad's favorite care takers, "Doctor-Doctor" walked in with Dad's lunch.  Doctor-Doctor told Mom how Dad had told her about the balloon ride to Oklahoma earlier this morning...Mom sat and chatted with her and Dad for a few more minutes, then kissed Dad and left.  Her head was spinning from their visit and his imagination....

Mom figured he had watched some programs on TV about Pearl Harbor, since yesterday was it's anniversary. Dad does sit in the TV room quite often, so I am sure whatever he picks up on the TV adds to space travel in his dreams.  Dad has always has had a vivid imagination... I bet he dreams a lot of it... I too have a vivid imagination and have travel dreams...whatever it is....when he is up, up and away, it agrees with him....excites him...and makes him happy...