“The RoseBouquet”

Yes, we’ve had our crisis moments here this past week. On Thursday I called the specialist Dad saw last week Tuesday, and he told me that there does seem to be something there. It might even be lung cancer. So he’s referring us to a lung specialist (we have an appointment now for next Wednesday) and ordered a C-scan (now scheduled for Feb. .

Meantime, on Sunday morning, when Dad seemed to be taking too long in coming to breakfast, I went to check on him, and he was sitting on his bed, dressed but trying to step into a shoe, only he was tilting to the right, and backwards. I tried to help him right himself, but he kept slipping back. Even when I helped him to his feet, Dad complained he had no balance. He clung to the door frames and walls. So I ran to get his walker from the garage. It didn’t help; he couldn’t lean forward to hang on.

We need a wheel chair, a chair with wheels - ah-ha, our kitchen chairs have wheels. I ran to get Dad’s from the dining table, and got him seated in that. Then I pulled him through the living room and into the dining area and up to the table. He had beads of sweat on his forehead, but he managed to take his morning pills and eat his breakfast.

By now I knew I couldn’t go to Sunday School and church and leave him alone. In fact, what if this was a mini-stroke? Shouldn’t he be in hospital real quick? But he didn’t have slurred speech or lameness on one side. What if it wasn’t?

I decided to call the Health-line 800 number we have by the hall phone. If I described all this to a medical person perhaps they could help me decide if it was serious or not. (The nurse said she had my name in the database, so apparently I’ve called before - which must be more than 9 years ago - about Mom). When I’d answered her questions, she thought for a minute or so, and then said, “I want you to call 911 and ask for an ambulance right away.”

So I did that. In about 15 minutes the one from Rosthern pulled up, backed in and opened their back doors. Dad was still sitting at the table, and I had just cleared away the dishes. Both attendants came in with lots of equipment luggage, and asked us questions, and they tested Dad’s .b.p. and blood sugar, etc. and decided to take him in. I tossed his meds into a plastic bag and followed in the car.

Then we spent the rest of the morning there in an Emergency room. The nurses probed and asked questions, the doctor on call came in and did the same. Another, more seriously ill man was brought in, so Dad was moved to the other side of the room. Because I’d been through this kind of thing many times with Mom, I knew to be patient - this would take time.

I could see that Dad was doing okay, and I felt a bit foolish for calling 911, but … oh well. At noon the doctor told us that it wasn’t a stroke, but he thought it best to keep Dad for observation for a day or two. They brought him lunch, and I helped him with that, but he managed to sit up okay, and enjoyed the chicken noodle soup. I stayed until he was fully admitted, knowing that the admitting nurse always has another six sheets of questions for me. Then I went home about 1:30 pm.

By mid-afternoon visitors were dropping by and people were calling to ask what happened. Apparently Jim from our church had seen the ambulance at our place, and the word had spread.

However, thank God, the next day when I went to visit, I talked with our regular doctor, and we agreed that once Dad was measured for a wheelchair, I could take him home. The physiotherapist was able to do it right away, and home we went, using a hospital wheelchair to get him to the car.

Monday night as he was undressing for bed he fell to the floor and we had to struggle together for a while to get him up on his knees and then his feet. Dad has got a bit stronger (I’m sure in answer to many prayers), and is able to walk with his cane. However we did go to the city yesterday and picked up the wheelchair. So now if he has balance problems again, I’m prepared!