Reading and waiting

Yesterday was fairly unchanged in Lee’s condition. Dr F, the oncologist, visited while Mike was still there. The report was that he was very angry, mainly because he was loosing one of his favorite patients, but also because the dance with chemo didn’t work. This mornings report is that his breathing is shallower and more gurgley. Morphine has increased from 1.5 to 2. His appointment with death is drawing closer.

Kim brought along some of Lee’s favorite books. She read to him some of Rudyard Kipling’s “Just So stories” & A.A. Milne’s poetry from “When We Were Young”. These were books his mother & grandmother read to him as a child and what he did with all of us.

Dave and I arrived kind of late, having stopped at the house & bank for stuff. We dragged Kim, Kirsten & Jeff off for dinner. Felt all too familiar to the situation 2 years ago with our mother. At least my father never had to set foot in a nursing home. I find it interesting that we pretty much have someone there all day in the room. We didn’t organize this or even talk about it, but it just seemed to happen. Mike has been taking the late night shift, Kim comes for the day & I pop in for the afternoon to late evening. Tom is off training for a new job. Not the best time to take FMLA for a guy who hasn’t worked much in the past couple of years. We do what we can.

We were glad Harold & Lindsay were able to stop by for a visit on Monday morning. Not certain if anyone else in the family or friends circle will be stopping by to say goodbye.