Dad -- Home for 2 weeks now

Well, dad has been home for 2 weeks yesterday, and so far, things are going pretty well. It has been incredibly busy with work and school; class started again for me last week. Every day there has been an errand to run or a phone call to make. I tend to live in a state of apprehension, for when the phone rings and it's from his house, it usually means there is an issue to deal with. While I do want to keep this blog going for awhile, there isn't much to report. I have been working with a local pharmacy to get his medications so I can stock them 2 weeks out. My goal is that I will go twice a month to restock meds and do heavy grocery shopping. Last week he was complaining of his kidneys hurting, and the doctor said we had to have a urine specimen to see if it was an infection. I did not know how in the WORLD I was going to do that!

Of course all this had to happen on the coldest, snowiest day of the week. After a mild panic attack and several phone calls, I was shocked and incredibly grateful to learn the nurse from the Health Department in Hartville would go to his house to collect. That was Tuesday, and I still don’t have "official" results from that yet; however, when I phoned last Thursday, I learned that the results were negative. He is still complaining of hurting kidneys, so I'll phone the doctor again tomorrow. Things are working out just fine.

I have a doctor appointment scheduled for the 27th with a doctor in Mtn Grove, which is about 20 minutes from his house. The care-giver will help with that outing. He has the same person (Pam) with him 6 days (24 hours) and another one (Trudy) 1 day a week. They have both worked as CNAs and have been doing in-home care for a number of years. So far things are going really well. He talked more to me last week more than he has in a long time. He told me Pam (6-day-a-week-person) made him meatloaf one day, and she left her cookbook out and open. Trudy (one-day-a-week-person) came in and saw the recipe for meatloaf and thought it sounded a good idea, so she made him meatloaf the very next day. Of course, he didn’t say anything. :) He told Pam about it when she returned after her day off, and they laughed about it. :)

He is getting stronger every day. He isn’t using the lift to move around and is walking quite a bit (with help, of course). I have 2 different lifts here in case they are needed.

I am concerned I may have to take a day off and deal with the hurting kidney issue before I get him to the doctor on the 27th, but I hope not.

Yes, this is very stressful, and there are days I ask myself what in the WORLD was I thinking, but this is what he asked for, and he seems to like it. I know I have seen an improvement!

Thank you for your support and concern for dad.