“The RoseBouquet”

Last Thursday Dad had a C-Scan at St. Paul’s hospital in Saskatoon. Using his new Sask Abilities wheelchair he was even able to go shopping afterwards. I picked up a 6-pack of nutritious strawberry milkshakes and he really loved those. That was good because Dad began to lose his appetite and his coughing got worse.

On Saturday I pointed out that at the rate he was going through the milkshakes there wouldn’t be enough left for Sunday. “Let’s go to the city and get more,” he said. Dad promised to stay on the car, if he could just go along for the ride. So we did.

Sunday morning he complained of pain, so I gave him a teaspoon of the morphine and stayed home from church to watch for side-effects. He slept soundly zonked out in his recliner all morning, and again after lunch. However, as predicted by the doctor, it also constipated him, and though he didn’t have any morphine all Monday, he spent all evening on the toilet groaning.

Yesterday morning he wasn’t feeling good at all, and felt the distance to the bathroom was too far. I asked if he’d rather be in hospital. He didn’t know. We discussed the pros and cons. They could give him IV and maybe a catheter if that became necessary.

Otherwise, we realize staying at home has far more advantages;
- he can sit in his favourite recliner - where he sleeps well
- he can be dressed, which he prefers, in case visitors come
- we have more comfortable chairs for visitors too
- I let him eat when he likes now, or all the milk shakes he wants
- he can have morphine at home just as easily as in hospital,
- and I can continue to work here at my desk when he’s home.
- I could also ask HomeCare for a commode right beside the bed.

But when I offered to take him to hospital he agreed. Our favourite nurse Brenda Neudorf was in charge, and she called Dr. Bishop who had just seen the results of the C-scan last week. Dad got the red carpet treatment after that. We got him settled into the bed (the other bed is vacant), and lunch was brought for him.

Shortly after, Dr. Bishop came in and asked Dad how much help he really wanted. IV would hydrate him and he might perk up enough to want to go home in a few days. The report he saw indicates that his tumor is a big one, and growing fast. Which explains why Dad looks so puffy and swollen in his face and left hand and arm.

He could try steroids which might shrink the tumor temporarily, but there are serious side-effects. He suggested I research that and discuss it with Dad before we consider it. We let Dad say what he wanted, and he thought the IV might be helpful. So that’s what he’s got.

However, his blood vessels seem to “dance away,” as one nurse said, so it took two of them, each with a long spell of trying, to get the IV needle in.

Dr. Bishop hesitated to commit himself to a time frame, but I got the impression we are looking at just a couple of weeks at most, maybe just days. My own impression too, is that if the kidneys are slowing down, Dad’s time is measured in days.

Dad told the nurses and the doctor that he’s just waiting for Jesus to come! They were wonderful with that.