Sick & Tired of Sick & Tired

Dad came home from hospital on Nov 20th. We celebrated his 71st birthday on Nov 24th. Today, Nov 29th, we experienced the 5th Emergency Room visit in the past four months.... all eerily similar  - and yet, still very mysterious.

Yesterday, he felt better, stronger - driving to book group with friends, carving in his studio - enjoying annual post-Thanksgiving Turkey Tetrazzini (gluten-free and low in sodium, of course)....

This morning, something went awry - Mom found him in his recliner, feverish and sweating, incoherent, slow, red-in-the-face, huffing in a very tell-tale way....

And so it was yet another day of unknowing, of waiting, of being at the effect of "the system" (that, according to Dad and me and Mom and Scott, is beyond inefficient)... the Hospitalist appeared around 6:00 pm.  (This, after Dad has spent day in ER down the hall from a man in striped uniform with dried blood dripping from forehead to chin and another gray & black striped prisoner handcuffed to his bed - challenging the officer on duty for nearly 8 hours). She (hospitalist dr)  entered the room with her entourage of six students, asking lots of good, inquisitive questions and checking on all pertinent info....

from my seat in the peanut gallery, it felt very "House"-like and I could only hope that following the queries, this remarkably astute and competitive and caring group might assemble in their quarters to discuss and elaborate and argue about what is and is not at play in Dad's particular health situation....

Still, regardless of answers or TV crews, he improved all day long.... if only we could trust that it would continue...  like a TV series where they leave you hanging, longing for the next evolution -- somewhere here is a very necessary "missing piece" - where oh when will we find it?

Not at all sure what tomorrow brings....

Breath by Breath,
Robin